34- 



I saw at Tieh Chi, altitude about 8,000 feet, the 

 large kingfisher of which I have sent samples from central 

 Szechuen. I did not get a shot at it. 



In the region of Songpan and Mowchow, and between, 

 all the rock is lava - no limestone or sandstone - excepting 

 the yellow stone deposited by the water in Yellow Dragon 

 Gorge. 



Ants. -Above Mowchow at a level of about 6,000 

 feet I saw both the large red ant and the large black ant 

 on the same ground. They did not seem to be at war. This 

 makes it seem probable to me that they do not fight, but 

 simply and naturally seek different levels, the large black 

 ant" from about 6,000 feet altitude down, and the red ant from 

 about 6,000 feet alt. to about 11,000 feet. 



Aug. 5. It is a piece of good fortune I met Rev, 

 Thomas Torrance, F. R. G. S. He knows this region, and will 

 put me in touch with a king of the aborigines who is a great 

 hunter. I must give this king a present to get his good mil. 



Aug. 7. I was sick this morning and still feel 



weak. 



The drowning of the coolie carrier was unavoidable. 

 The stream was swift and swollen. The bridge was three logs 

 tied together with pieces of wire. Probably, these were 

 rotten and gave way when the carrier tried to cross. I heard 

 his cry for help, saw him floating rapidly down the swollen 

 mountain stream. This was just above the village. We ran 

 below the village and tried to head him off, but the only 

 thing we found was a piece of the framework he used for carry- 

 ing things on his back. This makes a sad ending for the day. 

 llo trace has been found of our things. These mountain streams 

 can only be appreciated after one has seen them ^iiany . Many of 

 them are roaring torrents, especially in high water. The 

 coolie had parents, wife, and children. I had healed his feet 

 of bad stone bruises and we liked each other. 



The Wasl aborigines have been brought to this terri- 

 tority by the Chinese from towards Tibet and placed or sand- 

 wiched in the midst of the Chiang aborigines to balance the 

 power of the Chiangs and make them more easily governed. They 

 have absorbed more of the social and religious customs of the 

 Chinese than the Chiang, who have refused to absorb or be 

 absorbed, and resemble the Chinese more closely. 



