PREFACE. 



zoology. His labours have now extended over upwards 

 of twenty-five years' residence in the Himalaya. During 

 this period he has seldom had a staff of less than from 

 ten to twenty persons (often many more), of various 

 tongues and races, employed as translators and collectors, 

 artists, shooters, and stuff ers. By unceasing exertions 

 and a princely liberality, Mr. Hodgson has unveiled 

 the mysteries of the Boodhist religion, chronicled the 

 affinities, languages, customs, and faiths of the Himalayan 

 tribes ; and completed a natural history of the animals 

 and birds of these regions. His collections of specimens 

 are immense, and are illustrated by drawings and 

 descriptions taken from life, with remarks on the ana- 

 tomy,* habits, and localities of the animals themselves. 

 Twenty volumes of the Journals, and the Museum of 

 the Asiatic Society of Bengal, teem with the proofs of 

 his indefatigable zeal ; and throughout the cabinets of 

 the bird and quadruped departments of our national 

 museum, Mr. Hodgson's name stands pre-eminent. A 

 seat in the Institute of France, and the cross of the 

 Legion of Honour, prove the estimation in which his 

 Boodhist studies are held on the continent of Europe. 

 To be welcomed to the Himalaya by such a person, and 

 to be allowed the most unreserved intercourse, and the 

 advantage of all his information and library, exercised a 

 material influence on the progress I made in my studies, 

 and on my travels. When I add that many of the subjects 



* Iu this department he availed himself of the services of Dr. Campbell, who was 

 also attached to the Residency at Nepal, as surgeon and assistant political agent. 



