inches across, I counted twenty large bright rosy flowers with a yellow throat almost concealing the mealy leaves, which resemble those of its near ally or variety, Primula Winteri, recently introduced to our gardens from the North-West Himalayas. The night was cold and clear with frost, and in the morning I had a good view of Kanchenjunga for the first time since leaving Darjeeling. I shot a blood pheasant, Ithagenis asiaticus , in the dense rhododendron scrub, and saw a female Impeyan pheasant, as well as many small tits, creepers, and other birds which are common at these elevations, but which do not occur round Darjeeling. The vegetation, however, was still dried up and wintry in its aspect, and few flowers, except Daphne, were out besides the Primula.
I made a short march and camped early with the object of collecting, but a strong cold north-west, wind drove the birds down to more sheltered places, and the only rare one I got was a curious short-billed grey bird which I never saw before or since, called Conostoma æmodius—a bird of very obscure affinity. On April ist I started early and rode along the ridge, which in places is rocky and very narrow, crossing the top of Singalela at about 13,000 feet, It is lovely up there in summer when the open pasture is covered with glorious flowers of Meconopsis, but it was bleak and barren at this season. The forest is composed mainly of Silver Fir, whose tops arc often much blasted by wind and exposure and the branches covered with dark masses of moss and sometimes laden with Epiphytes. On the other side of Sandakpho the ridge dips sharply and here I got the lovely sun-bird, Æthopyga ignicanda, and a beautiful yellow bird allied to Ruticilla called Tarsiger chrysæus. At a flat swampy place on the ridge called ICalapoksi, meaning “ black pool,' I found Pleione Hookeriana, a lovely little orchid, which ascends higher than any of its family and is beautifully illustrated in the Botanical Magazine, Plate 6388, from a drawing made by Miss Woolward of the plant which I brought home.
From here the path made along the frontier by Mr. Edgar, then Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling, began. Farther on at 8,000 feet I found Rhododendron argenteum in full bloom, but I do not think it is so hand¬ some a plant as Hooker says it is in his book. Satyrium nepalense, a rather common Himalayan plant, was also collected and figured afterwards in the Botanical Magazine, Plate 6635, from my plant, A large white magnolia, which may be a form of M. Campbelli, was also common in the forest at 8,000 to 9,000 feet.
I got to the top of Tonglu about five, and found a new dak bungalow m course of construction, which has since become one of the most popular shelters for excursions from Darjeeling. I bought a live Tragopan pheasant from a Nepalese who had snared it, but was unsuccessful in bringing it home. From here, on the next day, I descended to a place called Simana, Where there is a well-used road into Nepal, and from thence returned along the Goompahar ridge. The forest at that time was fine on this ridge and full of birds which increasing traffic, wood-cutting and noise have now driven away. I saw Pnœpyga pusilla, P. squamata and Tesia castaneo-coronata, all ground-loving skulking birds. On counting up my collection 1 found that I had got 130 good skins during the thirteen days I had been
