NATURALIST IN INDIA. 81 



CHAPTEE V. 



Excursion to the Chor Mountain— Scenery— Geology — River Gerrie — Fish — 

 Pea-fowl — Jungle-fowl — Bush-quaU — Hares — Magpies — Jay — Leeches — 

 Rhododendron in flower — Bees — Habits and Haunts of the Monal, Cheer, 

 Plach, and Kalij Pheasants — Red-legged Partridge — Spring flowers — 

 Musk Deer — White-cheeked Weasel — Pine Marten — Skylark — Birds — Red 

 Fox — Hyena and Leopards — ^A Himalayan Trapper— Red Honey-sucker 

 — Parrakeets of the region — Wounded Vulture. 



On the 7th of March 1851 I started with Young and Bowden 

 on a long-meditated excursion to the Chor mountain and more 

 interior Himalayan ranges. We formed a small exploring- 

 party, equipped with every requisite for securing good sport, 

 to which I added my auxiliaries for preparing and preserving 

 collections. 



There is something in the life of the Himalayan sports- 

 man peculiarly captivating. Unrestrained freedom is his ; 

 he oheys no man's mandates ; and his thoughts and actions 

 receive no guidance save the dictates of his own mind. 



It was a fine crisp morning when we started ; the cock 

 was crowing on his roost ; and long before the inhabitants of 

 our home were stirring, the last man of our thirty followers 

 might have been seen, toUing along the rough path leading 

 to the little village of Narg, situated some ten or twelve 

 miles eastward of Dugshai. The general appearance of the 

 scenery differed only in a slight degree from what has been 

 already described. The bare parts of the mountains were 



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