41 
1872.] W. T. Blanford — Zoology of Sikkim. 
only saw burhel also in the Yangma valley, in East Nipal. A herd of rams 
of O. nahura, although inferior in size to the true Ovis Ammon, would certainly 
strike any one seeing them for the first time by their proportions, but it is 
possible that the sheep seen on this occasion may have been the larger kind. 
So far as Sikkim is concerned, however, every enquiry made by us elicited 
the assurance that the true Ovis Ammon, or Nyeng, never occurs south of the 
Donkia and Kongra Lama passes, though frequently met with at a short 
distance do the] north in Tibet ; so that in this respect, at all events, Jerdon 
is perfectly correct in excluding it from his Mammals of India, p. 298, as 
not found on the Indian side of the Himalaya. 
AYES. 
Order Kaptoees. 
Vulturidce. 
A large vulture was occasionally seen, but not sufficiently near to enable 
either Captain Elwes or myself to ascertain the species or even the genus. 
Probably it was Gyps Himalayensis, Hume, Scrap Book, Part I, p. 12, 
which has now been determined by Mr. Gurney to he a good species and 
distinct from G. fulvus, Gm., to which the Himalayan bird was assigned 
by Dr. Jerdon. 
Falconidce. 
7* Gvpa-ETUS BAEBATTrs, (L.) — The Loemmergeyer has not previously 
been recorded from the Himalayas east of Nipal. I did not meet with it 
on the Chola range, nor within the limit of forest in northern Sikkim. It 
is, however, common in the upper Lachcn and Laehung valleys above 14,000 
feet. Neither of us succeeded in obtaining a specimen, although several of the 
birds passed at no great distance. They looked small both to me and to 
Captain Elwes, and I hope that specimens will hereafter be obtained for 
comparison. I should not have mentioned the apparent size, but that the 
only Lcemmergeyers I have ever seen alive are the small G. meridionalis, 
Keys, and Bias., of Abyssinia. 
17 TrrauKCBXtrs abaudabitts, (Gm.). 
24 Accipiteb msus (L.).— Both the Kestril and Sparrow-hawk were 
common in the upper Lachen and Ldchung valleys after the middle of 
September, evidently migrating southwards. None were seen on the Chola 
range at the end of August. The kestril was seen a few days sooner than 
the sparrow-hawk. 
47 Buteo plumipes, Hodgs. 
A single example of this rare buzzard was shot by a shikari at an 
elevation of about 13,000 feet near Yeomatang in the Laehung valley. It 
proved to be, as ascertained by dissection, a female in fine plumage. It agrees 
* The numbers are those of Jordon’s Birds of India. 
6 
