een to-day could only cling, he was employed about
sand banks of the irrigating canals, etc. hopping from one likely spot to
another, clinging here and there momentarily, and always aiding himself
in his inclined position by a flutter of his wings; holes seemed always
to attract him. It is by no means a shy bird. I should observe however
that I have seen this species running up and down cliffs, so that perhaps
the rather loose sand would not give firm hold to his claws.

As I mentioned elsewhere, this bird is allied, at least in analogy to
Upupa, it has its precise habit of flight and a good deal of its habits
in looking for food, although the Hoopoe pokes about in the ground, or
rather hammers the ground alone. It is however fond of building in holes
of walls, it breeds at Punukka, in April.

I observed, and shot a weasel, or a _mungoose_ to-day, whilst it was
employed feeding on the cast away skin of a goat or sheep, so that some
of these creatures evidently feed occasionally on carrion, although they
are said to live upon live prey.

CHAPTER XIX.

_On the Reproductive Organs of Acotyledonous plants_.

_17th_.--Fine weather, the sun daily increasing in power, is having a
remarkable effect on the peculiar spring vegetation, but this is not
sufficiently developed to bring in the corresponding birds and insects.
Gypaetos is common now about the dead camels.

On the low east ridge, along the path that leads over the river, ruins of
ancient times are discernible, this only adds another to the many proofs
of similarly situated ruins, that the people who built them have been
located about Cabul, Jallalabad, and Peshawur, certainly not about
Candahar.

In the soil between the rocks, and in their crevices saturated with
moisture, most of the plants are just sprouting. Trichonema, Crocus, and
one or two other monocotyledons, Labiatae? Sedum three or four species,
exclusive of Sedoides foliis deltoides sphathulatis, and a Stapelioid
Asclepias, are to be found. I also got a new fern, the fourth species
out of 1,300 sp. it is a Ceterach or Grammitis, a curious stalked snuff-
ball, and one or two other Fungi, with an inverted cap, were met with.

In the fields a young Ranunculus in profusion, Veronica agrestis,
Euphorbia, Festuca annua?

Kochia spinosa, and a curious Mathioloid are among the few wild plants to
be found about Pushut.

It would be a curious circumstance if all indusiate ferns were to be
found r