1841.] Report on subjects connected with Afghanistan. 979 



precarious, especially during the summer months, when the flocks are 

 driven far away into the high districts. The other carnivora known 

 to me are the Mungoose, and a small prettily marked animal of the 

 same family, which I saw alive in the possession of an officer of H. M. 

 13th Light Infantry. 



Wild Hog occur in some parts, such for instance as the valleys of 

 Jellalabad and Peshawur ; in certain parts of which last, along the 

 Cabul river, they are reported to be numerous. No domestic swine are 

 to be seen in the country, the un travelled Afghans therefore cannot 

 appreciate the reasons which led to their being denounced as unclean. 

 They do not, however, hold them in less abhorrence than the Mussul- 

 man of Hindostan, who has daily evidence of their filthy habits. Af- 

 ghanistan possesses one species of Hedgehog of small size with large 

 ears. It is among the rat- like or rodent animals that the greatest va- 

 riety in form is to be found. In this direction, as in the Flora, the 

 transition between Afghanistan and India may be observed in the 

 dry parts of our extreme N. W. provinces. 



Of these animals two only exist of any size ; the largest is the Por- 

 cupine, which is to be found in the lower parts of Eastern Afghanis- 

 tan, and a Marmot of about the size of a Beaver, which I have seen on 

 the mountains about the Hageeguk Kaloo and Erak passes, on which 

 it occurs between 11,000 and 12,000 feet. 



It attracts notice chiefly by its loud whistling, but otherwise is a 

 very wary animal ; it may be occasionally seen sitting erect on its hind 

 quarters at the entrances to its burrows. Of the smaller rat-like ani- 

 mals, several species exist in the collection : the most striking, from its 

 novelty, elegance of form, and agility, is the Jerboa, vi^hich was first 

 seen at Quettah, and was afterwards found to be of pretty general oc- 

 currence throughout the moderately elevated parts of the country. 



One species of Hare was observed to be tolerably common along the 

 valley of the Turnuk. There are, however, probably two other species 

 in the country, as I observed one in a very difi'erent locality among 

 the hills at Targeen, and another among the snows of the Koh-i-Baba. 

 No Rabbits exist : their place is perhaps supplied by a species of Lago- 

 mys, not uncommon in rocky ground about Cabul, and perhaps gene- 

 rally between an elevation of 6 and 8,000 feet. By some of the oflicers 



these little animals were said to have been eaten as Rabbits. 



6 I 



