102 WANDERINGS OF A 



after poultry, and iu the jungles, when it preys on kalij 

 pheasants- and other birds. This handsome species is readily 

 recognised by the rufous on the back and pale fulvous on the 

 legs. The little Bengal fox and the jackaU are met with in 

 the valleys of the lesser ranges, but do not range far into the 

 interior. The hyena preys extensively on poultry, and often 

 carries away dogs from the stations. A friend shot a very 

 large hyena close to his house at midnight, after repeated 

 attempts to capture the animal, which had cleared out several 

 poultry-yards and killed many dogs. Such depredations are 

 usually put down to the leopard, but it rarely ventures so near 

 the habitations of man. The name chetah is applied in a very 

 extended sense to all the leopards. The leopard is generally 

 distributed over the lesser ranges, but is constantly wandering 

 from place to place, like the tiger, which is occasionally 

 met with in the sub-Himalayan valleys. 



We recrossed the Gerrie on the 26th of March. The day 

 was charming, and the scenery of that beautiful and sylvan 

 description so characteristic of many sub-Himalayan valleys. 

 At our feet rolled the river, dashing furiously over its rough 

 limestone bed, and gradually becoming less turbulent, until, 

 settling down to a quiet yet mighty flood, it moved steadily 

 onward through the valley, the sides of which were clad with 

 the gayest attire of spring. The oak, plane, wild apple, apri- 

 cot, etc., sent forth their various shades of green. Many were 

 in blossom, and the deep purple of the pomegranate's petals 

 added a richness to all around. Above us rose a hill covered 

 with profusion of bush and tree, where we had spent the day 

 hunting kalij pheasants and peafowl, and now, tired and 

 weary, were enjoying the evening around the log-fire, while a 

 barking-deer clamoured loud in the jungle close by, as if in 

 defiant reproach for a young buck which had fallen to my gun. 



