one which looks much like it,
a beautiful white slaty-blue and black _harrier_, at least it comes about
constantly, and looks much like an Indian species, and much like one I
shot high up in Bootan, together with a large blackish and white one,
with a _distinct collar_. The fishing hawk, I saw it yesterday catch a
large fish, making a strong rapid plunge boldly into the water, and
emerging again from it without much difficulty; its habits except while
fishing, are very sedentary, and it seems to prefer _one spot_, viz.
the top of some particular tree, near perhaps its favourite feeding
place.

_27th_.--Another new bird has come in. A _Fringillina_, with curious
Flycatcher habits, I have only seen two individuals, they perch towards
the top of trees, and thence sally out after winged insects. I examined
the contents of its stomach, and found only seeds, gravel, and soft
insects.

The sun is increasing wonderfully in power, but the trees are not as yet
budded. Shrubby Polygoneae, with flagellate branches and leaves, in
which the petiole is as much developed as the lamina, form a curious
feature of Affghan Flora; Euphorbia linifolia common, the herbaceous one
in profusion.

_28th_.--Spring coming on rapidly, snow not within 2,000 feet of where it
was twenty days back, and the sun oppressively hot; winged ants in
abundance: whenever this happens it proves the perfection of the crows,
which are on all such occasions to be seen acting the part of flycatchers
in addition to their various other callings, soaring and sweeping round
after these insects, but not returning as Merops or real flycatchers to a
fixed station. I have hitherto seen only the jackdaws at this spot in
Calcutta, but here the real crow mingles in it.

In Calcutta, the common kite often acts a similar part, but catches only
_with its feet_.

A small kingfisher is to be found here _rarely_, it is much like the
Indian blue and reddish one, the white and black kingfisher is not seen
here, although found at Jallalabad.

The species of _sub_-wader, with a stout upturned beak, is a true
Grallator, yet is not always about water, but often in the driest places;
the genus has a flight strongly resembling that of certain Anatidae.

A _Monaul_ pheasant, or some similar splendid bird is found in the snows
of Kaffiristan, all I have seen of it are a few feathers.

Merula more common, _Anthus_, _Timalia_, observed.

To-day one good specimen of a splendid pi