will not take food. It is a very
domestic bird, and fond of notice, its voice on such occasions is
pleasing, on some others very harsh and hawk or eagle-like. Its manners
are curious, depressing its tail, and arching its neck, and pecking at
imaginary objects in a curious way. From the expressive manner in which
it looks up at sunset on surrounding objects, especially trees, it is
obviously accustomed to roost.

_April 1st_.--Pushut Fort.

_4th_.--Weather unsettled: a slight rumbling sound of an earthquake was
felt yesterday evening, the atmosphere at the time being very close: this
was succeeded by a squall. Strong winds are prevalent, generally
easterly: clear sunshine is evidently of rare continuance at Pushut:
little snow remains except towards Bharawul.

I was much struck this morning with the entire disappearance of a green
mantle of Confervoid scum from the surface of a foul pool close to my
quarters. Yesterday the pool was quite green, now there is no green, nor
any traces of the scum except such portion as was not in the water but
round the margins.

_6th_.--Proceeded to Chugur-Serai, which place was reached after marching
3 h. 10 m. at three miles an hour. Ocharrye one of the peaks near this
is deep in snow; it is much higher than Speencas. The season here is now
nearly as forward as it is at Kooner, although on my last visit sixteen
days ago, it was fifteen days behind, but the narrowness of the valley
must increase the heat much.

Great delay occurred in crossing the Pushut river, which is much swollen
from the heavy rain on the 4th. Thunder and hailstone common, clear days
decidedly rare in the spring of these parts.

Edolius occurs here, another stonechat has come in.

_7th_.--Proceeded to Otipore, which took 8 h. 9 m. to perform the
journey; very unsettled weather. Yesterday several thunderstorms, and
heavy rain.

_10th_.--Clearing up, went to Bharawul; and returned on the 12th. I was
much disappointed at the paucity of forms, for I did not get ten species,
not met with before. The flora of the fir woods amounts to almost
nothing, Colchicum straggles up now and then, this and a grass or Carex,
a Caprifoliaceous shrub, and Cotoneaster of Tazeen, and Fragaria are the
only forms. The oak as it gets to higher altitudes assumes a different
form, probably it is a different species, for the leaves are much less
coriaceous, and are not glaucous underneath, otherwise there is little
differenc