NATURALIST IN INDIA. 237 



whilst the wind is blowing up the main opening, other cur- 

 rents are pursuing an opposite course down the fissures from 

 the snow above. We found only the backbones of the 

 bears I had killed on the previous day, and at dusk as I 

 turned the last winding of the glen, I could see the vultures 

 and crows intently tearing the carcases of those I killed in the 

 forenoon. Seldom a day passed we did not observe flocks of 

 the snow or imperial rock-pigeon (flolumha leuconotd) either 

 feeding in the fields with the common rock-pigeon {Golwniba 

 livid), or among the rocky parts, where it roosts and breeds.- 

 The resemblance of this species to varieties of the domestic 

 race is striking, but I have not seen any decided variety of 

 the snow-pigeon, which is about the size of the other, perhaps 

 a little larger : the iris is yellow, forehead and part of neck 

 soot-black, back of the neck, shoulders, and lesser wing coverts 

 brownish-ash ; back and part of rump soot-black ; the tail 

 moderate, and barred with white ; lower parts white ; legs red, 

 and claws black. 



At the village of Hafit we boiled the thermometer, and 

 found after two trials, according to our rough mode of cal- 

 culating, that the height might be about 9600. At the 

 hamlet of Sochness, stiU higher up, it boiled at 194° Fahr., 

 which made a difference of about 40° feet between the two ; 

 and as the altitude of the two places appeared so to the eye, 

 the error may not have been very great. During the previous 

 week the greater part of the snow on the sides of the valley 

 had melted, the grass was springing up everywhere, and bears 

 were plentiful, but circumstances compelled me to return to 

 India, so I had no other alternative than to make the best of my 

 way back. Halkett, tired of the wretchedness and discomfort 

 of Wurdwun, made up his mind to accompany me as far as 

 Serinuggur and wait our other friend, when they intended to 



