218 WANDERINGS OF A 



also accounts for the verdure of these ranges compared with 

 the more northern chains of Ladakh and Tibet. 



Although it was the 21st of May, and summer may be 

 said to have set in, we had felt few winds more cold and 

 cutting than that which blew on us from the Bimber Pass as 

 we wound our way through ploughed fields, and waded over 

 roads almost knee-deep from the incessant rains. We spent 

 the night at the village of Mohunpora, and pitched the tents 

 under its trees, among the foliage of which were myriads of 

 chirping sparrows and mina birds, now busily intent build- 

 iug their nests in the clefts and holes of the fine old walnuts 

 and chunars. 



The breeding-season is much later in the valley of Cash- 

 mere than in the Punjaub. Birds begin to pair and build 

 about the middle of March in the plains, whilst it is May be- 

 fore they commence at the altitudes of from 5000 to 7000 or 

 8000 feet. There' is nowhere in the world where sparrows are 

 more plentiful than in the valley ; there they assemble in 

 countless thousands in the chunar groves around the villages, 

 and keep up a chorus of discordant sounds quite deafening to 

 unaccustomed ears. The govind kite builds its nest of sticks, 

 pieces of rags, etc., and always seems to prefer the highest 

 tree around the vOlage, where it soon renders itself notorious 

 for depredations on eggs and young poultry. The carrion 

 crow seeks the alpine localities to rear its young. There ap- 

 pears a great sameness in the ornithology of the valley com- 

 pared with the forests and higher altitudes around ; but that 

 is compensated by their exceeding number. The house- 

 sparrow, red-backed shrike, Sardinian starling, European 

 jackdaw, and ring-dove {Turtur humilis), are the most com- 



vapouv in them to make even a cloud." — Maury's Physical Geography of the 

 Sea. 



