which in many places is swampy or covered with bamboo scrub. The coolies begin to come in, as heavy rain comes on, and in a couple of hours a comfortable dinner is ready by a warm fire of rhododendron wood; for though at this season the nights are never cold, and the sun in the day oppressively hot when it shines through the mist, which almost always rises from the valleys by io or n a.m., yet a fire after dark is always comfortable. As it gets dark, the moths begin to come into the verandah in some numbers, and for an hour or so, before the moon rises, I have enough to do, to net, bottle and pin the numerous and beautiful species which occur here. Many of them are of the same genera as our English moths, but in every genus, as is the case also among the birds and plants, there are one or two more species of surpassing beauty, and some of the Bombyces and Geometers are among these. As they have never been systematically collected here or at other high elevations in Sikkim, I preserve all I can get on this and succeeding nights, and as a rule I find that on wet dark nights I get a large number, whilst on clear moonlight nights very few come to the light.
On the following morning we start as soon as possible for Sandakphu, a march of fourteen or fifteen miles entailing descents which probably exceed 2,000 and ascents which exceed 4,000 feet. This march should not be attempted in winter unless the coolies are started at the latest by eight o’clock, as the last ascent of 500 feet to the bungalow is very trying in cold frosty weather, and the road, though fairly good, is up and down all the way. After a couple of miles along the spur, which rises again beyond Tonglo, the road descends along the east side of a steep mountain covered with a dense dripping forest. Along the side of the road I collect the seeds of the beautiful and distinct Primula imperialis, which flowers in March when snow and frost often prevail. As we descend to the low saddle about five miles from the bungalow an occasional spike of the giant lily may be found in the dense tangled forest, whilst Polygonatum, Roscœa, Pleione humilis, Vaccinium ferus and many other beautiful plants cover the trees. It must not be supposed, however, that flowers ever make a great show in these Sikkim forests. Except when the Rhododendrons, which are now all over, flower, there are but few con¬ spicuous or showy forest plants, though at all seasons some curious and beautiful flowers can be found. Butterflies also on this range are very few in species, and in the whole of this march of sixteen miles I saw not a single specimen of the Lycœnidæ and only one little black Hesperid. Lethes, Zophœssas, Neope, are the only visible butterflies of the forest, though as we ascend to the more open hills, at about 14,000 feet, a few Colias Fieldi, a single Raphicera Moorei, and an occasional Pieris canidia are taken. The run of the Himalayan mole now and then crosses the path, but not a single mammal of any kind is seen, though a few Goral, or Himalayan chamois, and an occasional bear, are to be found on this range when the shepherds, who at this season occupy the best pastures, are absent. The curious cat-bear (Ailurus fulgens) also inhabits the forest at 7,000 to 10,000 feet, and is sometimes shot or snared by the native shikaris.
The birds which frequent this range are a mixture of those curious
