8 Ornithological Observations in the Suilej valley, [No. 1, 



and poplar-trees become abundant, and the first vineyards are to be observed 

 in the neighbourhood of small cottages. Myricaria elegans, so common in the 

 Spiti-and Para-valleys is hardly to be noticed anywhere. The first extensive 

 forests of the Hymalayan Cedar, Cedrus deoclora, the eatable pine, Pvvus 

 Germdiana, Abies excelsa and others, are met with to the west of Chini, which 

 is one of the best known places in this portion of the hills, and lies almost in 

 the middle of Kunawar. The village of Chini itself is situated at an elevation 

 of about 9,000 feet on an old river terrace, several others of which exist here 

 between heights of 7 and 10,000 feet, affording the only suitable places for 

 cultivation. The population is, therefore, in this neighbourhood rather large. 

 The extensive cultivation attracts at the same time several birds, which are 

 not to be met with in any of the more eastern provinces. 



The regular formation of the Dhaoladhar - and the Baralatse - ranges,- 

 which is so prominently marked in their N. Western and S. Eastern extensions 

 is here much disturbed and interrupted. Both the chains divide numerously, 

 bein- connected by different spurs or branches, which often exceed m 

 elevation the main range. The climate is in some respects intermediate 

 between that of India and that of Tibet. The mean temperature varies m 

 summer (between May and September) from 45 to 80 degrees within 24 

 hours- the solar heat amounting to about 100 and very seldom rising to 

 120 de-rees In winter the thermometer stands lowest (below Zero at night 

 time) in January and the first half of February ; the mean temperature of 

 the winter-months being about 32°. Therein no particular regularity as to 

 the fall of moisture in the rainy season. Occasional showers occur m the 

 summer months, especially in June and July. The total fall of rain, especially 

 including the heavy snow falls in February, does not probably much exceed 



six inches. 



The limit of vegetation almost corresponds with that of the snow line,, 

 lyino- between 17 and 18,000 feet ; the limit of the growth of trees being 

 very nearly 12,000 feet. We often find at this limit Betnla Bajpaltra, 

 and in other places Finns excelsa, which ranges almost higher and ex- 

 tends farther into the interior than either Pinus Gerardicma or Cedrus 

 deodora. The eatable pine is, I think, peculiar to the Sutlej valley and the 

 seeds are a favorite food of the rare Sitta leucosis. Fringillid^, like 

 Metopomiou pusilla, Loxia Himalayana, Projpasser rlwdochrous, or Fregilus- 

 Bymalayanus, are usually found at the limit of trees, where they generally 



also breed. 



Other less common species of trees in the neighbourhood of Chini are 

 Picea Webbiana, Pinus SmitUana, AUes excelsa, Taxus baccata, two species 

 of Acer, Alnus elongata, Fraxinus, Quercus or Ilex Src, all more or less recalling 

 a European character of vegetation. In forests, as well as on the more 

 open and grassy slopes of the hills, are also found a number of common European 

 plants, for instance Ranunculus acris, Caltha palustris, Adonis aestivalis, 



