404 



BAMEAN. 



grain ; yet they are not cut, although all the seeds have fallen out of 

 the ear ! Can it be cultivated solely for the straw ? 



Fine groves of poplars occur about certain portions of the valley ; 

 from beyond this to the south, a beautiful view is obtained, embody- 

 ing the cliffs with the large image, and the back hills whose varied 

 surface and tints it is impossible to describe, so as to convey a 

 correct idea of their fine effect. The poplar grove contains some or- 

 dinary Mahomedan tombs. The trees are the P. heterophylla, but 

 the leaves are much smaller and more silvery underneath than usual ; 

 a beautiful poplar of large size and unencumbered growth, of the 

 same sort occurs in the ravine beyond the small image. Abundance 

 of wild sheep's heads are preserved about all the sanctified buildings, 

 together with a few of those of the ibex, and fewer of the wild 

 goat. The plants of Bamean require no specification, the hills 

 are very barren, chiefly occupied by Salsolese, of which 6 or 7 species 

 occur. 



The water plants continue the same as at Cabul ; Hippurus and 

 Triglochin, Mentha, Cochlearia., Naiad ? Potamogeton of Siah-Sung, 

 Polypogon. 



The other plants are those found in cultivation, and present no 

 change, Anchusoides alba, abundant. Choughs very abundant ; wild 

 pigeons, ravens, Laurus ; the nuthatch, a noisy but not unmusical 

 bird, Chakor, together with small partridges, but these are rare ; 

 several Conirostres. 



The greatest curiosity is a genuine trout,* this appears rare, the 

 spots are very bright, the largest caught was only six pounds in 

 weight. I could not take any even with the fly ; but I caught with 

 this, Schizothorax, or one of the universal Khorassan Cyprins. 



The range of the thermometer is great; before sunrise it varies 

 from 28° to 30° ! in the sun in midday it is 100° ! when there is no 

 wind, and the mornings are delightful. 



* Salmo orientalis, Calcutta, Journ. Nat. Hist. Vol. III. p. 283. 



Throughout Southern Asia, including the Punjab, and both plains and penin- 

 sula of India properly so called, no species exists of the trout family or Salmonidee. 

 Their discovery in the streams descending from the northern declivity of the 

 Hindoo-koosh distinguishes that chain as the southern boundary or limit of the 

 family. It is also remarkable that the Hindoo-koosh should likewise be the exclu- 

 sive province of a numerous group of small scaled Cyprinidse, met with only in the 

 rivers of Affghanistan, consisting of the genera, Schizothorax, Racoma, and 

 Oreinus, of which one or two species only have been found to extend south along 

 the plateau of the Himalaya, as far as 27° N., while the bulk of the family is 

 confined to 34° N. See Calcutta Journ. Nat. Hist. Vol. II. p. 560 t. xv. 



