524 
Notes of a trip from Simla to the Spiti Valley . [No. 5, 
4 th, Painda bungalow 6,354 ft.*—Made a forced march to this bunga¬ 
low which is a comfortable one on the line of uncompleted new road, 
but not quite finished. Felt quite jolly at being once more under a 
comfortable roof, instead of a dripping tent. 
5th, Sdraon bungalow 6,632 ft.*—Made a forced march into Saraon. 
In the woods near Saraon hazel nuts were plentiful, and many of them 
ripe and falling from the trees. 
I put up for the night in a large well built room, probably intend¬ 
ed for labourers employed on the bridge or road, the only drawback 
being a few fleas which occupy such situations. The building stands 
in what evidently once formed the gorge of the Sutlej, before the 
river had cut its present deep channel a little to the north ; though 
during floods possibly the superfluous waters may still find an exit 
down this channel. At present, however, it is used as a camping 
ground for the flocks of sheep which convey grain into the interior 
and the whole is clothed with a thick crop of “ Batu” dropped by 
passing grain merchants or travellers, and which flourishes luxuriant¬ 
ly in this moist well manured spot. After my hard march I slept 
soundly, aided perhaps by the subdued murmurs which reverberated 
among the rocks from the surging river below. 
4<th, Painda bungaloiu , 6,354 ft.*—Before breakfast strolled out and 
shot several blue pigeons which abound on the precipitous rocks 
which line the Sutlej here. Large lizards, (laudakia melanara ?) 
also abound among the rocks, to the crevices of which they retreat 
when frightened. They seem to attain their largest size at a height 
of 4000 or 5000 ft., occurring much smaller at Simla than at lower 
elevations along the road. Their abdominal cavity usually contains 
a great number of entozoa lying freely among the viscera, probably 
the undeveloped or couchant stage of some taenia, whose perfect form 
must be sought for in the viscera of some carnivorous bird or mammal. 
0>th, Dhurni bungaloiu, 9,27 5 ft.*—This bungalow is situated on the 
crest of a ridge, and the road is carried over a very sharp ascent, 
with little attempt to preserve a uniform gradient. In the village 
just below walnuts were being gathered and peaches covered the 
trees in profusion, but mostly small and unripe. Limax altivagus, 
mild, was also common in the early morning, its traces being numer¬ 
ous, though I noticed none of the animals during 1 the day. 
In front of the bungalow was a large piece of ground under pota- 
