788 Natural History of certain Animals. [Aug. 



what Traill denominates (A. R. Vol. 16) the Bhote perganahs of Kii- 

 maon. But, Bhutant is not restricted by the brahmans to such pur- 

 ganahs in Kiimaon merely, far less to any one spot within them. It 

 includes all the districts similarly situated along the entire line of the 

 Himalaya. We might create confusion however by recurring to this 

 extended meaning of the word, since it has long been restricted by us 

 to the Deb Rajah's territory, or Bhutan (recte Bhutant). Moorcroft's 

 Giannak in "Western Tibet is the ne plus ultra of abuse of words. Far to 

 the East, some Bhotia must have told him, lie the Giannak or Chinese, 

 and thereupon he incontinently gives this term as a name of a place. 



The Tibetans call their neighbours by the generic name Gia, to 

 which they add distinctive affixes, as Gia nak, black Gias, alias Chinese ; 

 Gia-ver, red Gias, alias Russians ; and Gia-gar, yellow Gias, alias Hin- 

 dus. With reference to the Huns, if I were in search of them in Tibet, 

 I should look for them among the Hor of that country, as I would for 

 the Scythians among the S6g vel S6k. Sogdiana or Sdg-land was, I 

 conceive, the original Seuceia the first known historic seat of the Indian 

 Sakas and Tibetan Sog, vel Sok. Horsok as one term, means Nomade 

 in Tibetan, such being still the condition of those two tribes in Tibet. 



On Native impressions regarding the Natural History of certain Ani- 

 mals, by H. Torrens, Esq. B. A. V. P. fyc. 



The singular impressions current among natives even of the highest 

 rank, as to the habits and nature of certain animals are not undeserving 

 of record. It is rarely that the credence of the narrators in these 

 things can be elicited, if even they go so far as to mention the existence 

 of the belief ; for they dread the ridicule as much as they anticipate 

 the incredulity of a European : consequently these strange stories are 

 but imperfectly known, even to the best informed among us in such 

 legends. I mention one or two with the circumstances of my acquaint- 

 ance with them. 



While out tiger-shooting with a party of Musalman gentlemen, I was 

 asked, in a confidential way, whether I had ever seen the phrtew : I 

 spell the word with the almost undescribable nasal aspirate with which 

 it was invariably pronounced to me. With an air of grave and serious 

 interest, which is the best way of inspiring confidence, I replied that 



