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JOURNAL

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL.

—D—

VOL. LIE

PART II. (NATURAL HIsTORY, &C.)

(Nos. I. ro II.—1883.)

EDITED BY

JHE [YCTING ATURAL ftISTORY PECRETARY,

‘‘Tt will flourish, if naturalists, chemists, antiquaries, philologers, and men of science

in different parts of Asza will commit their observations to writing, and send them to

the Asiatic Society at Calcutta. It will languish, if such communications shall be long

intermitted ; and it will die away, if they shall entirely cease.” SIR WM. JONES.

-—_

CALCUTTA:

PRINTED BY J. W. THOMAS, AT THE BAPTIST MISSION PRESS,

AND PUBLISHED BY THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY, 57, PARK STREET.

1883.

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS.

—@—

CockBurN, J.;—On the recent Huxistence of Rhinoceros indicus

in the N. W. Provinces, and a Description of a Tracing of

an archaic Rock-Painting from Mirzapur, representing the

Hunting of this Animal, (Plates VII & VIII), ............

De Nicevitte, L. ;—Description of a new Species of the Bhaoare

cerous Genus Cyrestis from the Great Nicobar, (Plate I),

———— ;— On new and little-known Rhopalocera from

the Indiam Region, {Plates 1 EX, ai 2X.), Vac. ccaae pret ao reyee gee

—_——;—Third List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim in

October, 1883, with Notes on Habits, §0., 2.0... .ceccescssteseneeeves

Hitt, 8. A. ;—On the Measurement of Solar Radiation - Means

of the black-bulb Thermometer in vacuo. (Communicated by

H. F. Buanrorp, F. R. 8S.) :

Prat, 8S. E.;—wNotes of a Trip up the pinta Bes oe Dapho

Pani, &c., January and February, 1882, (Plates II to VI), .

a a ee a a a a a ea

Dates of issue of the different numbers of the Journal,

Part II, 1883.

No. L—Containing pp. 1—64, with Plates I, III, IV, V, VI,

VII, & VIII, and “ Explanation of the Plates,” was

issued on October 24th, 1883.

No. II (called Nos. H, Hl, & IV on wrapper).—Containing

pp- 65—100, was issued on March 6th, 1884.

The, Title-page, Index, and List of Plates, with Plates* I, 1X, &

X, were issued on January 23rd, 1885.

Page

* The AES of huel these plates are chromo- lithographic reproductions

were ‘not sent to England until March 4th, 1884, and the plates themselves were

not\received by the Society till January 18th, 1885. ag W-M.]

MN ee Ne a a Oi

LIST OF PLATES.

J. Indian Butterflies.

I]. View from the Mouth of the Dapha Valley, N. to N. E.

III. Highest Peak of the Dapha or Wathong.

IV. Sketch Map of Assam.

V. Sketch Map of the Dihing Basin.

VI. Assamese Weapons.

VII. Rhinoceros Hunt Scene ({th original size), Ghormangar

7 Cave.

VIII. A. Iron Spear (Chunddari Cave), B. Iron Spear (Lohri

Cave), C. Iron Arrow-head (Chunadari Cave), D.

Wooden Spear (Ghormangar Cave), H. Supposed

Stone Spear (Likunia Cave), F. Wooden Mongile from

a bark-drawing by an aboriginal Australian (copied

from Brough Smith’s ‘ Aborigines of Victoria’), G.

Chip Stone Spear (Brough Smith), H. Angular flake

found in Caves, I. Attempted restoration of Cave

Stone-Spear.

1X. Indian Butterflies.

X. Indian Butterflies.

JOURNAL

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL.

—@—

* Part II.—NATURAL SCIENCE.

—e—eeeeeesn eens 8 es 0: 2 Ss ee ka a: 2 eee e,rerere_e=_—=ES—_ ES eee’

No. I.—1883.

— eee aes aS hE OE OE—S aaa aes"

I.—Description of a new Species of the Rhopalocerous Genus Cyrestis from

the Great Nicobar.—By Lionet DE Nice’vitre, Esa.

[Received January 31st;—Read February 7th, 1883. ]

(With part of Plate I.)

The very beautiful insect described below has been recently received by

the Indian Museum, Calcutta, from Mr. A. de Roepstorff, who obtained it

at the close of last year from the island of Great Nicobar. It is the first

species of the genus Cyrestis that has been recorded from the Nicobar

group of islands, though three species have been obtained by Mr. de

Roepstorff from the neighbourhood of Port Blair in the South Andaman

group, all of which belong to the pale section of the genus, while the

species now described belongs to the tawny section. It is not unlikely that

a “tawny” Cyrestis remains to be discovered in the Andamans, as in Sikkim

and elsewhere species of both sections occur together; but it is io be re-

marked that the Andamans even now are exceptionably rich in species of

Oyrestis. Upper Tenasserim is the only other locality where more than

two species are met with as far as I am aware.

CYRESTIS TABULA, n. sp. Plate I, Fig. 1, ¢.

$ Uprrrsipre. Both wings rich deep ochreous, with black markings ;

all the veins more or less defined with black. Forewing with a short longi-

tudinal streak at the base of the cell; immediately beyond this a transverse

one reaching from the median nervure to the costa; then a pair of streaks

which are wide apart at the median nervure, but joined at the subcostal

2 Lionel de Nicéville—Description of a new Species of Cyrestis. [No. 1,

nervure ; the disco-cellular nervules defined with a fine black line; beyond

which is a bow-shaped figure composed of two lines joined at their ends,

the outer line straight, the inner one curved, with their points resting on

the second median nervule and subcostal nervure ; below the cell a pair of

streaks reaching the inner margin, the origin of the inner one being where

the first median, and the outer one where the second median nervule is

given off, the space between them being thickly irrorated with black scales,

leaving but little of the ochreous ground-colour visible ; two discal lines from

the subcostal nervure to the inner margin, the outer one lunulate, the inner

one sinuate, the two lines being nearer together at their middle, wider apart

at the inner margin, the space between them and within the inner one

being irrorated with black scales; a submarginal series of seven bright

ochreous spots, broadly defined inwardly with black, one in each interspace

except the two lower, which are smaller and placed between the first median

nervule and the submedian nervure ; the outer margin broadly black, bear=

ing two obsolete paler lines. Hindwing crossed by four black lines, the

space between each pair, and between both pairs being thickly irrorated

with black scales, especially at the lower extremity of the outer pair, where

the ground-colour is entirely black, at the upper extremity the ground-

colour increasingly to the costa is very pale ochreous ; a submarginal line

composed of six lunules, each lunule having a bright ochreous spot placed

outwardly against it; the outer margin more broadly black than in the

forewing, the black portion ending at the first median nervule, bearing two

intensely black lines, the outer one defined on both sides with a pale fine

line, the outer of these two pale fine lines becoming almost pure white

from the tail to the anal lobe; which latter, together with a round spot

above it is bright ochreous, defined (especially outwardly) with black.

There are also some small white, black, and metallic deep steel-blue mark-

ings above the round ochreous spot. ‘The tail black, the extremity white.

UNDERSIDE pale ochreous, the outer portion of the forewimg and on either

side of the submarginal lunules on the hindwing somewhat deeper ochreous,

becoming ferruginous at the anal angle of the latter. All the markings

of the upperside, but narrower and better defined, with no black irrorations,

the outer margins (except the extreme margin which is black) concolourous

with the rest of the wings; the veins throughout pale ochreous. Antenne

black, the extreme tip ochreous. Thorax and body rich ochreous above

marked with three black lines, beneath pale ochreous.

Length of forewing 1:15; whence expanse = 2°4 inches.

Has. Great Nicobar.

Closely allied to C. thyonneus, Cramer (pl. ccxx, figs. E, F), from

Amboyna and Bouru in the Malay archepelago, but differing from the

1883.] S. A. Hill—The Measurement of Solar Radiation. 3

above quoted figure in its much darker colouration throughout on the

upperside, more especially on the outer margins; but on the underside it

is much paler.

IJ.—On the Measurement of Solar Radiation by means of the black-bulb

Phermometer in vacuo.—By S. A Hit, Esa. B. Se. Metl. Rep. to

NV. W. P. and Oudh. Communicated by H. F. Buanrorp, Esa. F. R. S.

[Received March 29th :—Read April 4th, 1883.]

The interesting results of sun thermometer observations, published by

Mr. Blanford at page 72, Vol. LI, Part II, of the Journal of the Asiatic

Society of Bengal, suggest the possibility of making use of the instrument

to measure the heat received from the sun. Even with all the precautions

adopted by Mr. Blanford, the excess of the maximum temperature in the

sun, above the maximum in the shade, is affected by variations in the follow-

ing and perhaps other conditions, as well as by variations in the heat emit-

ted from the sun,

I. The thickness of the atmosphere traversed by the sun’s rays,

which, for moderate degrees of obliquity, may be taken to be proportional

to the secant of the sun’s zenith distance.

II. The absorptive power of the clear transparent atmosphere, which

probably varies with the proportion of water vapour in it.

III. The quantity of haze and dust in the air.

IV. The radiating and reflecting powers of the ground surface in the

vicinity of the thermometer.

V. The excess of the maximum air temperature above the tempera-

ture at the hour, when insolation is most intense.

The last mentioned condition is subject to a very distinct annual

variation. At Allahabad, where hourly observations have been made on

four days in each month since 1875, the insolation is most powerful on

clear days within a few minutes of noon, while the average excess of the

maximum above the noon temperature of the air is the following :

Jan. Feb. Mar. Api. May June October Novr. Decr,

3°5° 3°5° 3°9° 41° 3°9° 4°2° 4°3° 44° 29°

In order to obtain comparable values for the several months we should

therefore add these corrections to the figures for Allahadad given by Mr.

Blanford. In table I the figures in Mr. Blanford’s second table are thus

corrected, and the table is extended down to the end of 1882.

4 S. A. Hill—she Measurement of Solar Radiation. [No. I,

Taste I.—Hacess Temperature of the Sun thermometer on clear days at

Allahabad above the air temperature at noon. |

Year. | Jan, | Feb. | Mar. | Apl May. June.) Oct. | Nov. | Dec. Fi

1876 | 66°1°| 65:7° 63°99 60°6° 56°5°| 57°3°| 603°) 64:0°; 64-0° 62:0°

77 | 63:0 | 66°7 | 636 | 62:4 | 60:0 | 57-4 | 59°8 | 63-0 | 63-4 621

78 | 65°9| 64:3 | 65°2| 64:5 | 62:3 | 578) 596) 647 | 646 | 63:2

79 | 64-2 | 63-9 | 63-7 | 626| 61:8| 61:0] 611 | 64-9 | 635 | 63-1

30 | 630 | 63:8 | 603 | 59°9| 62:0 | 615 | 58°3 | 625 | 60°6 61°3

81 | 62:3 | 60°9 | 61:9 | 60-4 | 60°3 | 63-0 | 548 | 61:8 | 59-9 60°6

82 | 60°5 | 61:5 | 601 | 61:1 | 60-6 | 591 | 548 | 62:2] 582] 59°

Mean.| 68°6 | 688 | 62°6| 61:6 | 60°5 | 59°6| 58:4 | 63:3] 620] 61-7

Variations in the fourth condition, above specified, cannot be allowed

for or corrected, unless by means of a long and troublesome experimental

investigation, but those of the first, second and third conditions may per-

haps be estimated by mathematical methods from observations already

made. Pouillet’s formule, it is true, has a rational basis only when it is

applied to radiation of one definite degree of refrangibility ; but, as an

empirical rule, it probably gives results not very wide of the truth when

the altitude of the sun above the horizon exceeds 40°, as it does at noon

in Allahabad during every month of the year. If, then, we take a to re-

present the diathermancy coefficient of dry air, or the proportion of the

total radiation, transmitted vertically, through a layer of dry air which

produces a pressure of 1 inch; 8, the diathermancy coefficient of vapour, the

tension of which is 1 inch; and y, the proportion transmitted through an

atmosphere containing dust or haze to the extent of one unit on an arbi-

trary scale, we have—

log r = log R + b sec z log a + fsec z log B + d log y.

The proportionate number for dust and haze, d, being somewhat uncer-

tain, there is no advantage in applying to it a correction for obliquity,

especially as the vertical thickness of the dust layer is greatest in the

hot weather months, when the sun’s rays fall almost perpendicularly. The

number for May, the dustiest month, being taken at 10, the proportionate —

numbers I have assigned to the other months are:

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apl. May June Oct. Nov. Dec.

3 4 7 9 10 5 0 1 3

The mean values of b and jf, barometric pressure and the tension of

vapour, are given in tables Ii and III. In strictness these- should be

1883. ] S. A. Hill—The Measurement of Solar Radiation. 5

taken only for the clear days in each month, but the means for all the days

here given, are practically the same in the case of barometric pressure, and

there is no difference in the pressure of vapour, of any importance, except

in the month of June.

Taste IIl.—Mean Barometric Pressure ; 29 inches.

‘Year.| Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apl. | May | June | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. pare for 9

ry months,

ee | eee | ee ee -

1876 | ‘681 | °626 | ‘541 389 | °3800 199 605 | ‘670 | *787 533

77 | -795 | °736 | °585 506 | *369 | +236 601 678 | °733 582

a). “tal 704 | 599 478 | °380 | :198 | *482 | °615 | ‘693 547

79 | °723 | *646 | °554 402 | 274 | :210 546 | °686 717 529

80 | ‘679 | *652 | °509 | 390 | “305 | °164 562 | °727 | °768 528

Sl }°779 690 | -598 | °417 "| .°326)| ‘219 | 519 | “653 743 549

82 | “751 | *652 557 416 | 337 | °182 | °492 689 gli *532

Mean. | °740 | ‘672 | °563 | *428 | :827 | °201 | °544

Taste III.— Mean Tension of Vapour in inches of mercury.

Year.| Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apl. | May | June | Oct. | Nov. | Dec oer for 9

ry months.

ee | ee | ee | ee ee ee |

1877 | °312 | ‘295 | °356 | *3380 | °524 | °744 | ‘678 | °447 | +348 4.48

77 | ‘428 | *849 | °450 | *584 | *592 | °784 ] °642 | °474 | :424 *520

78 | °3864) °431 | °3892 | 486 | 630] ‘640 | 648 | °454 | °318 "485

79 | *325 | *3854 | °356 | ‘3825 | -491 | *746 | *704 | *865 | ‘306 441

80 | :335 | *349 | -417 | :400 | ‘650 | ‘823 | *605 | *409 | -340 481

81 | °284 | °357 | 4381 | 483 | °642 |) 854 | ‘612 | °352 ! -306 *475

82 | °38385 | °289 | 300 | °348 | 469 | ‘865 | °635 | °428 | °348 "445

Mean. | °340 | °346 | °386 | -408 | °571 | ‘778 | °646 | -418 | °341 “471

Unless there be more than is generally admitted in Dr. Balfour

Stewart’s theory that the occurrence of sunspots is determined or controlled

by the positions of the planets, it may be assumed that solar activity is not

subject to any important variation of a period equal to one of our years,

The monthly mean results of table I may therefore be taken to represent

the radiation of a mean sun modified only by terrestrial agencies ; and we

may proceed to apply the above modification of Pouillet’s formula to these

monthly means, in order to find out the relative absorbing or scattering

effects of dry air, water vapour and dust or haze. The nine months give

6 S. A. Hill—The Measurement of Solar Radiation. [No. 1,

nine equations, from which, by the method of least squares, I have arrived

at the following results :

R = 80°° 434.*

a= ‘99856

C= ‘71186

y = °'99393

The value of a is identical with that which I obtained from Mr.

Hennessey’s observations at Mussoorie, while that of 8 is intermediate

between the two values computed from the observations of the 12th and

14th November 1879, at Mussoorie.f Clear dry air of 80 inches pressure

absorbs about 44 per cent. of the total radiation which falls upon it verti-

cally ; while water vapour, with a pressure of 1 inch below and the average

vertical distribution, absorbs 29°8 per cent. The effect of dust is less than

might be expected, the loss due to this cause in May being apparently

only about 6 per cent.; but this is doubtless because the dust is not a

simple absorbent, for it scatters or reflects the rays in all directions, and

some of these reflected rays reach the globular bulb of the thermometer.

An actinometer, arranged to receive parallel rays only, would indicate a much

greater loss, on account of suspended matter in the atmosphere.

The monthly means computed by these constants, and their variations

from the observed means are as follows :—

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apl. May June Oct. Nov. Dec.

62°99 64:0° 63°49 62°9° 696° 57°4° 586° 644° 62 2°

—07 +02 +0°8 +13 —0°9 —2°2 +0°2 +11 +0:2

The most important difference is in June, when the computed value is

2°2° in defect. This is almost certainly the result of taking the mean

vapour tension for the whole month, instead of that for the clear days only

The other differences are probably due, in great part, to the unavoidable

neglect of variations in the condition of the ground surface.

Applying the formula to the observed mean radiation temperatures

for the nine dry months of each year, and taking the proportionate number

for dust to be the same each year, we arrive at the following results: —

Year 1876 1877 ... 1878. 1879, 1880 7881; 2862

Corrected radiation a sie : ee ; atid

see } 80'05° 82°60° 82672 81:23° 80-23° 79-122 77-119

The last minimum of sun spots having occurred in 1878, while 1882

was probably a maximum year, these figures indicate a variation in the

solar heat of very considerable range, and in the opposite direction to that

* The degrees of the sun thermometer are only arbitrary units, which cannot be

readily converted into units of heat per unit of surface per unit of time.

+ Proceedings of the Royal Society, No. 219, page 436.

ee Ee (Not published) Cyrestis.

... 1I. View from the mouth of the Dapha Valley, N. to N. E.

Highest peak of the Dapha or Wathong.

IV. Sketch Map of Asam.

7 V. Sketch Map of the Dihing basin.

vI, Asamese Weapons. |

Rhinoceros-hunt Scene (1th the original size) Ghormangar Cave.

A. Iron Spear (Chunddari Cave).

B. Iron Spear (Lohri Cave).

C. Iron Arrow-head (Chunadari Cave).

D. Wooden Spear (Ghormangar Cave).

E. Supposed Stone Spear (Likunia Cave). —

F. Wooden Mongile from a bark-drawing by an aboriginal Austra-

lian (copied from Brough Smith’s “ Aborigines of Victoria’”’).

G. Chip Stone Spear (Brough Smith).

H. Angular flake found in Caves.

I, Attempted Restoration of Cave Stone-Spear.

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Labha peak .

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JANUARY 19TH, 1882.

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S. E. PEAL.—Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, Vol. LII, Pt. II, 1883. PLATE No, III.

Apex as

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S. HE PEAL.—Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, Vol. LII, Pt. If, 1888. ae PLATE No. V.

Stages from Jaipur to Dapha.

1 Jaipur by land.

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1883. ] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 7

made out by Mr. Blanford. This contradiction in the results of the two

investigations, and the range of the variation here indicated, which amounts

to 7 per cent. of the total radiation, make it sufficiently clear that, when

every possible allowance is made for disturbing causes, the indications of

the black bulb thermometer are an uncertain measure of the sun’s radiation.

The absorption coefficients for dry air and water vapour, now determined,

agree, however, so well with those deduced from Mr. Hennessey’s excellent

actinometrical observations that they may be accepted with some confidence.

III.—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing basin to Dapha Pani, &c., January

| and February, 1882.— By S. E. Prat, Esa. 7

[Received June 24th ;—Read August Ist, 1883. ]

(With Plates II, III, IV, V and VI.)

The question of the treatment of savage races bordering on, and trad-

ing freely with, a civilized power, has always been a difficult one to solve.

Whether at the Cape, New Zealand, America, or Central Asia, it has general-

ly involved the paramount power in a series of petty wars, injurious to

both sides and ending in the subjection, and too often the degradation, or

extermination of the savage.

This contest—inevitable in the end, where the civilized and savage com-

munities are in juxtaposition, is often regretted by the former, and efforts

made to mitigate the result, which is well known among Ethnologists.

The treatment of the various savage tribes that surround Asam and offer

such marked contrast to the Aryans of the plains, is therefore a matter

of some moment. Most of them have no doubt had a common origin,

their ancestors having peopled the centre, north, and east of Bengal, of the

plains of Asam, whence they have been driven (by the advance of the great

Aryan tide) to the hills around.

Looking back into the far past, we should probably see the whole of

India a huge and almost interminable tropical forest. Here and there Jam

clearings, with villages at some little distance apart, the houses of which,

perched on pile platforms, would doubtless be the exact counterpart of

those built by these hill men at the present day—and characterized by their

length and low eaves. The spear and dao would be in every hand, and the

dug-out on every river. To the latter these tribes gave names which sur-

vive to our day, and attest their presence. Head-hunting and tattooing

would probably be universal, isolating and no doubt differentiating the com-

munities then as now, for the extraordinary number and variety of languages

and dialects on the non-Aryan basis, contrasts with the Aryan group, and

would point to “ head hunting” as the cause around Asam.

A conspicuous feature among these Hill tribes, and one to be expected,

is their great intelligence in everything relating to their jungles, customs,

8 S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [ No, 1,

cultivation, or warfare, and equally conspicuous is their incredible ignorance

of us and our power.

When examined, however, this is to be expected from their long tribal

isolations, which precludes the possibility of their gaining standards at all

capable of measuring us. They may see a good deal, and hear more, but

the power of realizing it is absent, they must judge of us, our works and

_ aims, by their own absurdly inadequate standards. This is a misfortune

for them, which we hitherto have only partly realized, and is the cause to

some extent of our failures in dealing with Hill savages, notably also do

we as yet fail to realize the danger (to us) of their ignorance.

Anything which can remove this, now that we have settled as the

paramount power alongside them, should be welcome to both sides, and taken

in hand by us as a matter of state policy.

Missionary effort, trade, or pure travel, are all means whereby know-

ledge of us may be steadily and safely extended. The first is specially

advantageous, and in most cases produces among savages such as these, the

happiest results. Its advantages immensely outweigh all attempts at

eivilizing by Government in other directions, as secular schools, courts,

&c.,—and is also much cheaper. Its effectiveness also is enhanced by the

fact that Missionary effort is often self-propagating, the desire is natural

among converts to extend to friends living in lawlessness and danger, their

own quietness and peace. Asa means of weaning at least one generation

from their unruly habits, and bead-hunting propensities, ere we absorb

them as “subjects,’’ this argument is of the utmost importance. Missionary

effort should precede by at least a generation, any attempts at settlement,

and taxation.

Trade is undoubtedly one means of extending some knowledge of us,

but unfortunately developes qualities of a lower order. The desire to

cheat is innate, and both the desire and opportunities to steal, are often

irresistible. Thus one of our difficulties with these Hill men is fostered

and developed as time goes on, excellence in cunning ensuring success ;

thus the Missionary can do more good than trade.

The usual result of all attempts to civilize the unsophisticated savage

right off is to exterminate him, there is need of an intermediate stage of

some duration in which our civilized stimulants, and smartness are not

experienced. A stage during which the savage surroundings and traditions

can die down, if not die out, and render the new generation free to see,

and adopt, what is advantageous.

Freedom to adopt our vices is hurtful, and our later civilization should

so to speak be administered by a spoon. Unless we turn attention to these

matters we shall find that the growth of “intelligence” among these Hill

savages is also a growth in our difficulties in dealing with them.

ae ee ee eee eee oe ee

. . - > F

1883. ] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 9

Travel alone is one good means of disseminating knowledge of us and

our aims, and of counteracting the endless series of rumours to our detri-

ment. Notably useful is it in politics and our state relationships.

Formerly our Empire was scattered, and the need for consolidation by

conquest and annexation imperative and patent. That day has departed,

but its traditions remain on all our frontiers, needing reiterated refutation.

The experiences of travellers to the east and south-east, confirm this.

On the present expedition the extraordinary and sudden change in every one,

as soon as it was explained that I was only a “tea planter,” out amusing

himself was frequently suggestivé and ludicrous. A Government officer is

both dreaded and suspected, as a rule, when found travelling among these

hills to the east. But apart from the questions of legitimate attempts by

us, to favourably influence those around our borders, or explain our good

wishes, lies the fact, that we stand almost as much in need of enlighten-

ment regarding them, as they do of us, and that the results of our igno-

rance may be—indeed must be—a decided disadvantage to all. Anything

which tends to remove that mutual ignorance, may be hailed as a decided

gain. Large and highly appointed expeditions are here out of the ques-

tion, or entail serious risks, the main obstacle being the difficulty of pro-

curing supplies, and transport. On the other hand a small and unobtrusive

party, can generally secure sufficient to enable it to push on, especially if

independent of the need for “ transport.”

But while the benefits to be conferred and gained by travelling among

the hill races on our N. E. frontier are clear to all who know the country and

people; there are other matters of interest that can be investigated at the

same time, Oommercial, Ethnological and Geographical problems these

await solution even if the discovery of a feasible route to western China

be admitted as demonstrably impossible. The discovery of a trade route.

east out of Asam, vid Patkai and Hukong towards the Shan States,

had engaged my attention, since 1869, and following the example of Mr.

H. L. Jenkins, I was enabled by actual observation, to determine the

heights of Patkai and the Nongyang valley on the southern or Burmese

side, demonstrating that the line taken by the Burmese of old was really

easy and feasible, even fora cart-road, and not the formidable or insuper-

able barrier that so many supposed. Iam here glad to be able to record

the conversion of Mr. Lepper, to my views, the more so as he so strenuous-

ly opposed them for so many years. It is, however, one thing to find a

route out of Asam towards the east, and quite another to find an easy one

into western China.

Formerly most of us supposed that if once out of Asam, there would

be little or no difficulty in entering China, the main difficulty of a trade

route was supposed to be Patkai.

10 S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. I,

The travels and careful observations of, Gill, Baber, and Colquhoun,

however, leave no reasonable doubt that our dreams of an easy trade route

to western China cannot be realized, and Patkai is but the first of a series

of increasing difficulties.

Exploration for the purposes of a trade route are more needful east

than west of Irawadi, and the unsettled state of upper Burma, compelled

me to look to the upper Dihing basin, as the site of this trip. The only

European who had visited it being Wilcox in 1827.

The following is an account of my expedition during part of December

1881, and January and February 1882.

As on former occasions, I took my own load carriers, and depended as

little as possible on getting “locals.” To lighten their loads, and at the

same time carry things securely from theft or temptation, I had 8 or 9 small

Sasi wood boxes made to hold most of the things, and measuring about

18” x 12” x 8” weighing 3ibs. and with locks and hinges, 8 alpine tents

of strong Jean, 7 feet square, and weighing 8ibs., poles included; when

rolled up served.as padded poles or “ kanmaris” to tie loads to, and they

enabled us to house ourselves comfortably in a few minutes, the whole

load being about 380lbs. per man. Provisions for the men, such as

rice, oil, salt, ghi, sugar, &c., I procured as we went along and laid in

a good supply at the last of the little shops up the river. My own provi-

sions largely consisted of Kopf’s soups, sausages, Californian beef, desst-

cated soup, “coffee and milk” &c., in tins, also biscuits, butter, tea, and

coffee &c. At the same time most of these were really carried as reserves,

my daily commissariat being generally furnished locally en route, by pre-

sents or purchases of fowls, ducks, eggs and fish, or got by shooting.

Thus a traveller really need not fear a difficulty in carriage of pro-

visions, until he leaves the inhabited tracts, and has to face 10 or 12 days

of complete isolation.

As before when on similar expeditions I took a good kerosine wall

lamp and a supply of thick buggy candles that require no stand; also as

arms a D. B. C. F. No. 12 shot gun, revolver, and a beautiful little Martini

Henry Carbine weighing only 43lbs. that carries to about 900 yards and

has cartridges of 14 to the 1lb., a very handy little weapon that can be

earried slung all day long with no fatigue. Presents of beads, strike fires,

a few cloths, and electro mugs for the chiefs also, were necessaries, as well

as a small selection of medicines.

Starting from Jaipur on the Dihing at Christmas we went to Makum

by land which is a mistake, and travellers should at once take canoe for

‘Bisa, or as far beyond as possible. Having to wait for Daks we camped

early at the “Jura Pung” the road to which was along the boundary of

the Makum forest reserve. ‘The Pung is a salt lick and shews the remains

1883.] S. E, Peal—Woées of a trip up the Dihing. 11

of the elephant catcher’s stockade, ditch, and rampart, made in the time of

Purundur Sing the last king of Asam, 1880 or so, Close by, the men

found on a little hill top a grove of tenga trees, limes, shadocks, oranges,

and citrons, and I measured a nahor tree 10 feet girth at 12 feet up and

some 45 to first branch, the stem straight as a pipe, near by also were huge

mekais, or Dipterocarpi 12 feet in girth and 100 to first fork.

For a considerable distance around the Pung, the jungle was a perfect

maze of little paths of clean white sand, and one could easily get lost.

Here, while two of the men were collecting dry logs for the camp fire, they

espied some animal, and at once stalked it among the paths, taking it for a

deer, soon, however, they became aware that it was stalking them, and that

it was a remarkably fine tiger. Both sides simultaneously discovering that

the other was not a deer, decamped in opposite directions, I went out

but of course only saw the track, which measured 19” in circumference,

As night closed in, the usual uncanny jungle noises broke out, the ‘ Koot-

Koot,” or “ Boot-Boot,” of the large land Lizard or Gui up to 6 feet at

times, in the twilight depths has a peculiarly unearthly sound, and the

large owl called ‘‘ Hundu,”’ also has a sort of moan about the “ Hindu” it

utters. The three calls are by the pazr, and not one bird, this can be often

verified as they now and then sit in different trees, first 1 then 2 and 1

again. ‘The clear scream, or yell, of the “‘ Mor Sorai,” is another of those

weird sounds that night birds seem to delight in, and it favoured us several

times, despite the firebrands flung towards it.

Next morning we had breakfast ere starting, and at 10 a, M. all the

loads were tied and we got off, but I had to make my servant mark out our

track among the paths by small fragments of paper dropped behind, for the

Dak to come by. Wesoon entered a remarkably fine forest, trees of 100 feet

to first branch, and 18 feet girth, not uncommon, and smaller ones pretty

close. The undergrowth, largely ferns, canes, and herbaceous jungle on a

sandy soil, the latter very red among the little hills we soon entered, the path

going at times over, or among the knolls and up stream beds. Here and

there Toki palms, Lirestona Jenkinsia, rose to what all estimated as fully

50 feet, the huge fan shaped leaves spreading out above as a sort of green

canopy. The Dak soon overtook us, thanks to the pieces of paper, and

without which the men would have been “tried” all night fasting, and

appeared (perhaps) at Dam Dima next day. At dusk we camped at the

Powai having again made a very short stage purposely.

Starting about 8 a. M. next morning we very soon reached Makum on

the Dihing, where we breakfasted, and I stayed some time getting stores

and information. In the afternoon we proceeded again and camped-at a

small Duonia village called ‘‘ Tora Kusi,’”’ as I heard that men from “ Bor

Kamti” were there.

12 S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

These soon made their appearance, and I learned they had only lately

come over from the upper Irawadi or Mlikha, together with some

“Kunungs.” Two of these latter I was glad to see and found themas pale

or paler than the Kamtis, colour as near as possible 33 to 45 of M. Broca’s

scale. Hair straight and cropped a da Mishmi, no arms with them, and not

tattooed. Though dressed like Kamtis in a white dhoti or waist cloth, and

another round their shoulders, there was an unmistakably “ Noga” cut about

one of them, and it was some time ere I could detect that it lay in the

way the hair was cropped. Later on I saw a good many more of them,

and so far, they seem to unite the Noga groups to the south, with the

Mishmi and Abor groups of hill men to the north of Asam, but their

colour is paler than either. At the camp fire I learned a good deal regard-

ing them, and the route they had travelled.

Next day we made the Kamti village of “ Bor Phakial,” the head

quarters of the small colony of Buddhist Shans in Asam, and which I des-

cribed on my last visit.* I here found that the party of Kamtis over from

Mung Kamti on the Mlikha or upper Irawadi, were staying at the

“Munglang” Kamti village just below, so I went to see them, finding also

several other Kunungs who it seems had come over in the same party, to

see the wonderful country where all their daos went to. None of these

Kunungs, and only one of these Bor Kamti men had ever seen an Euro-

pean. The information gained now was added to subsequently, and may

be summarized further on.

At Bor Phakial I had many enquiries as to where I was going this

year, all the better informed men at once declared it either too late or too

early to attempt to reach “ Mung Kamti,” and that beyond Khomong on

the Dihing three days east of the Dapha Pani I could not go (before April

at least) as the snow had now fallen on the ridges of the water parting

beyond, called on our maps, Phungan Bum, and occasionally by them

* Bongan.” The party, indeed intended to wait till April for this

reason. They also represented my party as too numerous, and this

I found true, for while it might not be difficult to procure cleaned rice at

villages en route, for six or seven persons, it would not be so easy to get it

for 12 or 14 without waiting a day. This determined me to reduce my

party and 6 men were sent back, leaving me 5 load carriers, my servant, self

and two boatmen or guides. ‘These latter and a canoe I secured, and with

them started up-stream the next day; the loads in the boat and the men

going along the banks and sands, were crossed by the canoe at the deep

pools, All hands assisted the boat at the rapids. As on last trip, we

camped at the Tirapmtk, where the regular Noga hill route to Burma

over Patkai emerges, v7@ Kherimgams village. Next day we went on to

* Vol. L, Part IJ, 1881, A. S. B.

1883. ] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 13

Moko, near Nthem, and camped on the sands near the little Singphu

village, where I found the remains of a large bund running due north to

the sources of the Dibru, some 12 miles off the bund being called the

“Pangori Gor.” The ditch was to the eastwards and none of the villagers

could tell anything about it, or the meaning of its name, though attributing

it to the Ahom Rajas. In the early morning ere the fog cleared off, we

were much amused by watching a large troop of the common ‘ Bandor”

monkey, collected on the opposite banks and gradually all swimming the

river, a couple of hundred yards above us. ‘The river being at its lowest

and about 100 yards over. There were about 200 of them, and the very

smallest crossed on their mother’s shoulders, holding on to the head.

Many of them on our shallow side seemed to leave the water reluctant-

ly, it was warmer than the air, by some degrees, and all scampered about

on the sands to dry themselves. After some bargaining for fowls, eggs and

rice in exchange for opium, we started on. The plan, being to draw

entirely on local supplies where they can be procured, which saves those in

store.

At “ Paka-i-ling” where we camped again early, the river takes a bend

past some sandstone ledges with a very deep pool. On the wide flat sand

were the tracks of elephants, wild and tame buffaloes, tigers, leopards, aud

several cats, otters, lizards, turtle, large and small, the eggs being found,

deer of three kinds, z. e., horse deer or Sambur, Horina, and Huguri, or

hog deer, monkey and bird tracks also crossed. Even insects left their

mark, for in the drier portions near the bank the sand was quite pitted by

the ant lion.

The following day we reached the Kerim Pani at 11 a. u. camping at

Bisa, a little way up-stream. Formerly this dried suti was the main one,

but for some ten years or so the water now comes down the M’ganto.

As there seems to be confusion arising as to the names of the rivers

here—I may state that the term “ Buri,” as applied to Dihing from Brah-

maputro up ends here, the upper portion of this river is simply Dihing,

and the “no Dihing” is only that portion that broke out some years ago

and flows to Sadia.

At Bisa I was obliged to stay several days waiting for another boat,

the village consists of about 16, more or less dilapidated sheds, of the usual

pile-platform type. Formerly it was of considerable importance as the

residence of the Singphu chief “ Bisa Banka,” or Bisa Gam, and since his

death in 1878, the place is of less moment.

The late chief’s head wife, has now adopted as husband, Chauing son

of Latua, one of Banka’s brothers, and he is called “ Gam.” Eventually

there may be a dispute as to who is to be Gam, as the late chief’s son

Chautong is now growing up and will be a smart lad. While here, my visit

14 S. EH. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

was considered most opportune, as the Gam’s wife before mentioned, had

presented her adopted husband with a son, I was informed that had I not

appeared auspiciously, it might possibly have turned out a daughter; I also

here met a young Singphu chief from Hukong named “ Urup no,” who had

come over to espouse Banka’s second wife, a rather good specimen of a

Singphu girl. Urup no, gave me some little information, and confirmed

more, regarding Hukong. He had travelled down Dinoi for some distance,

towards Somjok which he called Somshok, The Lanier, or nam Pagna, he

also called the Pang-lai-kha.

Though anxious that I should see Hukong, and certain that I should

be well treated, he told me, it would be necessary to obtain the consent of

the Gams ere going, and that simply as one chief’s son alone, he could not

invite me officially over. He corroborated what I had before heard as to

the difficulties being not so much of a physical nature, as the dealing with

such a disunited series of petty chiefs all bent on extorting as much as

possible, and in fear of no paramount authority. Passage from the Bur-

mese side he considered far easier, if with the Woon’s consent. I gave him

a few sundries “ to shew his friends,’ as he said, such as a spring tape

measure, and electro table-spoons, also a few sorted beads, among which

large red and blue bugles, pleased him immensely, not that he would wear

them, for Singphu men do not care for beads, but as something quite

unique.

As a sample of a chief’s son, he was above the average perhaps—tall,

well built, a fine expressive face, plenty of long straight black hair rolled

up in a knob on top of his head, good hands and feet. His manner was

authoritative and at times excitable, and when playing a favourite game with

cowries and dice, he could dash them down and yell out as loud as any of

them. The little M. H. carbine of course took him immensely, and the

accuracy of its fire at 200 yards, at the same time he recognized its useless-

ness to them on account of the difficulty of the cartridges.

I also here at Bisa saw two more of the Mung Kamti party, and learnt

a good deal from them as to how the Kunungs smelt their iron ore which

is of two kinds, stene-like, and sandy. It is converted in a small furnace

of hour-glass shape, to which blast is applied from 6 or 8 pairs of the usual

vertical-tube bellows, the pipes from which converge to the furnace, in the

centre, and relays of men work the blowing. Fresh ore and fuel (of char-

coal) is now and then added, and after about 12 hours, the ore is formed

as a flattened lump at bottom weighing about 4 to Gseers. Hammers and

anvils are of stone, the former held by a creeper and often with two han-

dles. The bellows, a pair of tubes made of the large Wra bamboo, with

feather-edged pistons and vertical rods to hold, there are no valves I he-

lieve.

1883. ] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 15

A little rain fell while we were camped here, which all were glad of,

as it was bound to come on us otherwise when travelling. We also laid in

stock of rice, sugar, ghi, oil, salt, flour, tobacco, and on the 5th went down

to the river and met the canoe Chauing had lent me, a large party of

Sonkap Nogas down about rubber, passed me on the bank, and as before in

1879 sidled and scuttled past, as if in fear of their lives, turning round

after for a good stare, quite a contrast to the Nogas of the west, where

they see Europeans often. Their chief stayed to look at the little rifle, and

was rather astonished to see the bullet from it fall close toa snag at 400

yards off that I aimed at, in the water.

As our guide Lutak Kamti desired to get a mate in lieu of the one

who returned with the other canoe, I camped at once, and in the morning

he came with a middle-aged Singphu named Thang, a right good willing

fellow, and the only drawback to him was he could not speak Asamese, he

was quite equal asarule to the work of two ordinary men, and said

nothing about it. These two managed the boat and foraging at villages,

Lutak being interpreter.

From all sides I had heard that we should never get the canoe up

M’ganto, and the prospect was not pleasant, as for three or four days after

leaving Jagon (the next village) there were none near us, and the country

was wild; however I trusted to get up as I did Namtsik, where at the rapids all

hands in a line cleared the worst of the boulders from a narrow (2 feet)

channel and then dragged the canoe up, the same channel serving to

return by. .

At night it rained, and we had the pleasure of hearing at once a tiger

on each bank, giving their loud sharp whistle, so well known to all jungli-

wallas. They seem to indulge in it mainly when hunting, and hence can

be distinguished at once from the leopard, with his deep “ haunk-haunk,”

whence he is called the ‘‘ Hawkra Bagh.” The tiger’s whistle is loud and

sharp, closely imitating that of the Samber deer, and may be due to natural

selection, as the deer go to the sound, as hunters well know. The whistle

of the tiger, however, can generally be distinguished from that of the

Samber. The peculiar “creep” it sends up one’s back seems due to associa-

tion, as I know a man who used to go out whenever he heard it, unarmed, to

try and “see the deer,” as he thought, and never felt anything but curio-

sity, until the case was explained.

The roar of the tiger again is so like that of the elephant that few

can tell the difference, and as we heard it also, were not certain that ele-

phants were near, until we saw the tracks next morning.

At dawn the rain left off and after breakfast we loaded and started on,

most of us on the sands and shingle meeting some Nogas who -had come

about rubber from Numyung side, about five days beyond Patkai, some among

16 S. E. Peol—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. I,

them wore the peculiar little narrow slip of cloth tied tightly between the

legs, that keeps the testacles in the abdomen, and which is common among

the Sonkap, Namtzik, and Tirap Nagas. We soon reached Jagon a small

Singphu village and as it was our last village for some days and I had to

get opium from the Kyah there, we camped just above it. Here I noticed

many mounds, bamboo clumps and some trees, that the inhabitants who

were Singphus, declared must have been remains of Ahoms in former days.

I also saw and sketched here, a “ Gabru Morong” or house in which all

the single girls of the village sleep. All through these hills north, east,

and south, the various tribes have a peculiar custom in common, and under

various local names. It is that the single folks (generally the lads) have

to sleep in separate houses called by Asamese, “ morangs.’’? These are of

two kinds, z. e., the Deka morangs, of the grown young men, who also act

as guards, their houses being often on the outskirts or outlets of a village,

and the little boys’ morangs, where they all sleep together, and are under

certain laws or regulations of their own. In some villages as among the

Bor Duria Nogas there are as many as 10 and 12 Deka morangs, several

boys’ morangs, and three or four, for the unmarried girls. Incautious or

abrupt questions regarding these latter, especially by strangers are apt to

produce denial or evasions, as these hill men well know that our ideas of

chastity are not theirs. But at times they speak out plainly. Lately a

“ Bor Duria” Noga who was giving me a list of his village morangs, in

reply to my query as to whether the young men went to the girls’ morangs,

said “na pai, na pai, dinot na pai,” not in the day, they would be ashamed,

but after dark after all had eaten, then they went and all had great fun, it

was their custom.

Among all these tribes this is more or less the custom, and we may

truly say their chastity begins with marriage, juvenile chastity is not the

rule, but the exception, I am aware that this is contrary to the recorded

opinions of many; nevertheless I am sure it is true, nay more, it is appa-

rently a race character of long standing, undoubtedly existing among these

hill savages ere their dispersion by the Aryan invaders. We see this iden-

tical custom now among the races, north, east, and south, of Asam, races

whose languages (originally from one stock) are now so different as to be

quite mutually unintelligible. The custom also is so similar and peculiar

as to preclude the idea of separate origin in each tribe. Like the ‘ pile

platform” houses we see among these same races, it appears a relic of very

high antiquity. A custom that has survived the dispersion of these tribes

from some common centre, and proof of original unity. To anthropologists

it is of value as a link joining our present system of morals with the pre-

historic past.

As we see the custom about us, it generally appears that the unmar-

1883. ] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 17

ried have to sleep away from the parents’ house, at times only the boys and

young men, at others the young women and girls also, but in this case they

have different houses, though all are called by the Asamese “ morangs.”’

Among the Bordurias, Mutons, Banparas, Jobokas, Sanglois, and the tribes

near, they are called Pa, (pah) ; west of the Diku river I hear these morangs

are called “ Ari zu,’’ and there are different tribal names for them among

the Singphus, Mishmis, Miris, and others, on the north or river bank of

the Brahmaputra ; attached to them are I hear fixed rules or laws, which it

would be most interesting to collect and collate, and which may doubtless

yield a clue to their origin. Viewing the “morang” as a phase of social

evolution, it is probable that we have here before us one phase or form of

the transition from original sexual liberty, to our institution of marriage

and modern ideas of chastity.

The idea that sexual fidelity begins with marriage is here obvious, and

almost implies that the institution began by capture, or purchase, giving a

pair the right to live separate, as has been urged by many. A curious

feature of the case confirmatory of this, is, that sexual infidelity by the

female after marriage seems rare, much more so than among civilized com-

munities. At this Jagon village there was only one morang and that for

girls, the allusions to it I heard when we were returning, were unmistake-

able.

After starting next day I stalked a pair of the large brown Brahmini

duck, a wary bird on these open sand flats, and only to be got by wire

cartridge or when flying over. It then occurred to‘me, to note the relative

distances at which game of all sorts takes alarm, a great deal depends on

the presence or absence of cover. As arule wild buffalo, or Gaur called

here Mithon, moves at 300 to 400 yards, pig and deer in the open 200 to

300, but in forest these often stand at 100 or even less. Tiger and leopard,

if in the open, make off at from 100 to 200, though I have known the

former on a path in front of a man, to walk aside some 20 yards fo let him

pass, and quietly walk on after he had done so; most monkeys scamper off

at 50 yards, and do not mind being seen, The Hulok or ape on the con-

ary though arboreal, can seldom be seen, at least within 50 to 100 yards.

Otter become fussy and try to frighten one at 80 yards, but if quiet they

will often come quite close. Turtle generally drop off the snags they rest

on, into the water, when I get to within 30 or 40 yards. Among birds

there is a marked difference between the vultures as a group and most

others of equal size, unless they are habitually protected, like the wild geese

on the Sibsagar tank, storks &c. Insects seldom rise before three or four

yards, while those that mimic inanimate objects can be actually pinned often

ere they attempt to move. Probably our ancestors soon became expert missal

throwers, and this differentiated them from the nearest allies. But to re-

18 S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing, [No. 1,

sume our journey, by 2 o’clock we reached the mouth of the Namrup river,

up which on the last trip I travelled for Patkai and Nongyang. It was

now deep and sluggish at the mouth, while the M’ganto we now entered

was conspicuously shallow and rapid, the water being remarkably clear. In-

land all along on each side, was much the same jungle, as below, the same

tangle of rattans, creepers, tall grasses, and tora or wild ecardamum, 15

feet high. The trees of the ordinary Asam mixed forest, Modar, Erithrina

Indica, Simol, or cotton tree, Bombax malabarium, Sahm, the wild jack

Artocarpus chaplasha, ajar, Lagerstremia Regina, figs unlimited, (except

Elastica) Acacias, Eugenia, Michelia &c., &c. The huge reed-grasses as

Nol, Kugra, &c., covered the edges and flats wherever possible.

Snags were plentiful all along but in the M’ganto. remarkable for

their numbers and size. At one place where there was a channel of

deep water spanned by a huge stem, we all used it as abridge, and

the men said a canoe of 150 maunds could be made out of it. The large

and straight stems I met with here and there fit for canoes struck me

forcibly.

The regulation taxing all timber of certain kinds found in the river

beds, might well in these wild places up-stream be suspended, the more so

as in this same river Dihing lower down as much as Rs. 2,000 has this

year been actually given by Government to remove by employed labour

the snags and trees so dangerous to navigation.

Probably the regulation taxing the drift timber was instituted to meet

cases where men might otherwise fell and float off timber growing near

the banks, but apart from the fact that this of itself would be doing a

service rather than the reverse, it might be borne in mind that the total

harm these people could do as at present organized, could not possibly

equal even 1 per cent. of the loss eonstantly going on through ordinary

natural decay and storms.

Our camp was pitched at the tail of a small island four or five bends up

the M’ganto suti, on sand close to a rapid and while some pitched the tents,

others took the canoe as usual and got in a lot of large and small dry logs

and branches, for camp fires and cooking. The tents and the guides’ bivou-

ac of leaves, generally formed a cross with a roaring fire in the centre,

and small ones outside. With large fires no one would mind much the

visit of either tiger or elephant. The wild solitary male buffalo was the

only one we desired to keep clear of, as they frequently charge madly at

anything that is strange, and disregard firebrands. Our three tents would

certainly have been unbearable, luckily the only wild buffalo we came across

were in herds or females.

After an early dinner I issued some “tea”? and we had quite a jolly

party round the fire, I usually lay at full length on my bedding and listen-

1883.) S. E, Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 19

ed to the stories, or guided the conversation, in the dusk after dinner, The

moon also was out and lit up the scene, and made us feel a little more at

home.

I noticed our guide’s mate Thang, both now and subsequently, very

careful not only in how he tied the canoe in case of a rush of water taking

it adrift, but also in the selection of a site for it, on enquiry it turned

out that his caution was to enable us easily jump on board and push off in

case of any sudden emergency. The old fellow was full of “ wrinkles,”’

though we probably did not see half of them, from his not speaking

Asamese.

In the early morning at dawn we heard in the fog, a bear coming down

along one bank, but though we all kept quiet, he turned off, ere he came

near, perhaps having winded us. It is very curious that bear tracks are so

seldom seen on the ground, and yet so very common up and down large tree

stems. Judging by the tracks alene, here in Asam, one would suppose (of

course erroneously) that bears were entirely arboreal. To one track on the

ground, I have probably seen as a rule thousands on tree stems, one reason

is that the latter remain, and those in mud or sand are soon effaced, At

times they make what the Asamese call ‘ nests,” in trees, and I have

examined several unmistakably made and used by them. They are, how-

ever, only “ roosts,’ made by clawing in, and breaking, leafy branches that

grow near, so as to form a comfortable place to sit or lie on, in the sun. I

have seen as many as three in one tree, at various heights, the lower

two broken with branches hanging, where they said the bear had, in rolling

about, gone through; in all three the foliage had turned brown while the

rest of the tree was bright green, and these roosts were thus conspicuous ;

the tracks were plentiful as marks and scratches on the tree stem but on

the ground none, Generally the marks on a tree stem are those of the five

claws. ,

At about 10 a. mM. we got off as usual after breakfast, and found the

rapids rather troublesome. At one place, going along the bank near a flat,

all covered with high tufts of ekra grass, an Asamese on ahead suddenly

bobbed down and pointed in, and creeping up we saw at about 100 yards a

very large female wild buffalo, quietly browsing, and as usual a lot of mainas

about, and on it. We waited te see more but she seemed alone, and had

the long thin horns usual in some females. Later in the day we saw ano-

ther, and while watching it grazing, several others appeared, eventually we

counted nine and no big males. The four Asamese and the Kamti Lutak

would not of course eat buffalo, and thus there was only four who would,

z. €, myself, a Kachari, my servant, and the Singphu Thang who would have

eaten several shares, so I selected a calf and fired with the little M. H. C.

at about 200 yards, not being able to get nearer. At once several other

20 S. E. Peal—Notes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

buffaloes rushed up and they formed a group and then rushed into the

jungle alongside, the wounded one among them. On going up we found

blood but to follow them in such jungle was madness, and we had reluc-

tantly to lose the calf ; we subsequently found that a party of rubber-cut-

ters had come across it dead, and jerked the meat.

Further on we passed a cunningly selected camp site, of five men who

had been out elephant shooting. The ease with which the signs were read,

the story completed, was noteworthy. Not an item escaped, it was no

mere guesswork either, as they could explain their reasons for all they

assumed.

About 3 P. M. we camped on what is an island in the rains, and whence

we had a fine view of hills to the north-east that turned out to be beyond

Mana Bim. In the morning we saw snow on a spur of Dapha Bim ealled

Joitho, but it soon clouded over. A male and female Samber had been

quite close to our tents in the night, their tracks plain in the sand; this

latter became gradually less and less, and gave place to shingle which is

not so comfortable to sleep on.

At dawn or as soon as I was up, old Kamti, as usual, brought me some

beautifully baked yams, white, flowery and piping hot, with some fresh

butter, they make a capital start for chota haziree.

In the night the men found the cold so great that several got up and

sat at the fire and half asleep droned out long monotonous ditties, the

thermometer several nights stood at 45°, which in moving fog is pretty

chilly.

Again after breakfast we went on, and had some stiff rapids to cross,

at about 3 P. M. again, we reached where the No Dihing forks, in a wide

flat valley with islands, while hills right, left, and beyond broke in view,

the best certainly seen so far. The extent of the great shingle beds and

banks, however, was the feature most noteworthy. I had expected to see

something where a little engineering might be expected, to work wonders,

in the water-courses, of either river, but as I stood there the idea of the

attempt even with hundreds of labourers looked absurd, evidently in the

rains these huge shingle flats are submerged, and all little efforts at cutting

or damming would be obliterated.

This question of the diversion of the waters of the upper Dihing

wholly back into their own old channel, down Buri Dihing, is likely to

come up in the future, as the need for more water in the dry season for

steamers arises. Having this in view I examined the lay of the country

at the bifurcation, and went over the great shingle beds, taking note of

their size and elevations. About half the total quantity of water just now

was passing off, x74 No Dihing, and from where our camp was pitched, on

the long spit dividing the two rivers, the levels were pretty much the same,

P 1883. ] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 21

if viewed from either river or the central ground. A leading feature in the

ease is that for some distance down, either the No or Buri Dihing, there

are frequent rapids with a fall at each of several feet, the channels in both

eases lying well below the general level of the wide shingle flats on which

- the river divides, but quite an infinitessimal fraction of the total water-way

as seen in the “rains.” Thus while it might be possible by considerable

expenditure of labour at the end of the rains to increase the flow down one

particular river, as the Buri Dihing, by removal of shingle at the first and

second rapid, at the fork, all this work would be quite obliterated by the

ensuing floods of next year, which shifts the shingle and fills all depres-

sions. The possibility of so far altering the channel as to render floods of

extraordinary height likely is very remote. ‘This indeed is not possible

physically as long as the No Dihing outlet exists, only if this were com-

pletely closed (as it was originally) extraordinary floods might occur, (due

to upper Dihing water) and for such occasions the Asam Rajas provided

the bunds or Mataoris we see lower down along each side of the river some

way in. If these are kept in repair there need be no alarm felt by residents

on the Buri Dihing. On the contrary if they have anything to fear, it is

that the whole river at least above Namrup may eventually take to the No

Dihing branch and aggravate the present difficulty regarding water in the

cold season.

Those who look at this question must remember that in “the rains”

there is no liklihood of water being too low, the northern drainage from

Patkai on which rain falls freely from the Namsang sources to those of the

Namrup would alone give ample. It is in the cold season when the Tirap,

Namtsik, and Namrup run dry, that the more elevated sources of the Diyun

Kha and Daphapani hold good, and from whence a large proportion of the

Buri Dihing water comes. The natural tendency would seem for this

upper Dihing water to flow more and more vié the No Dibing and cut off

these cold weather sources from the old channel.

Early next morning as expected, I had a fine view in dark outline of

the Dapha Bum, and the ranges beyond to the south-east, called by us

Phungan Bun, the crest of the latter remarkable for its rugged and tur-

retted skyline as seen through the large telescope at dawn with a power of

100. Both groups were more or less snowed, and the crests presented

the decided, rugged, and hard outlines indicative by its texture, of bare

rock, which hereabouts is one key to elevation.

As the light increased the view became better, to the south-east rose

Miao and Wahambo over 5,000 feet wooded to the tops, and their lower

spurs flanking the wide flat valley on that side. In the distance due east,

lay the N’chong Bim, at the foot of which flowed the Dihing, behind it being

the Phungan group. Towards the left rose the series of peaks culminating

22 S. EH. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

in Dapha Bum, 15,000 feet in front, at that side lay Katoh, and below

it the smaller “ Mana Bum” ridges, Here and there in the open flat of

the valley wooded islands stood out clearly and broke the monotony effece

tively. With the exception of “ Maium” peak 6,939 feet no part of the

Patkai was visible, and it was seen with some difficulty in the haze. After

enjoying the view fora couple of hours making some notes, and having

breakfast, we started on, and soon passed what is an island in the rains

having trees on it, the age of which I estimated at 20 to 25 years, and

another one beyond, at 12 to 15 years. We soon came to the end of the

dividing spit as seen now at least (in the cold season), and found the Buri

Dihing water pouring down a rapid at one side, with a fall of probably 4

feet in the first 50 yards, the shingle was all large, and in crossing at the

head of the rapid, wading was not easy even though the water was not more

than a foot to two feet deep. The stream was very strong, so much so

that very little force sufficed to start the large stones rolling down. Except

at the very throat of the rapid the bed was wide and flat for considerable

distances all around and it would have taken a large amount of work to

earry the gut of the rapid (as a depression) up into the wide, shallow, and

swift sheet of water above, soas to drain it off. If done, however, there

could be no reasonable doubt, that very little of the water would have

reached the No Dihing.

It took all hands to run the canoe up, and at one time I feared she

would be filled ; however, we got her up all right.

As we went on we found it true that gradually the sand would become

less, and give place to shingle. I had brought strong lace boots with pro-

jecting screws in the soles, but soon discarded them for wading shoes simi-

larly screwed. Here the latter were particularly suitable, as the stepping

from stone to stone for hours, and at last days, makes one expert, and it is

necessary to be “light-footed.” Boots become at once filled with small

pebbles, at rapids, and cannot be as easily taken off, or put on, as shoes.

Pantaloons should be wide and cut off just at or below the knee. Some

light material (as strong jute), is preferable ; and two or three pairs should

be kept handy to change after each wading if wetted to the hips. I

hardly need say that about eight or nine good large pockets, are indispen-

sable, and an orderly with as many more, close at hand, who should carry

shot gun, binoculars, and sketch book, &c,

The rapids up here we found far worse than those below, in M’ganto,

and the whole river-bed was covered by much larger shingle, even over the

tops of the wide flat islands, where in floods the water must sweep with

immense force, great tree stems were piled up here and there and jammed

into masses. In other places the cold weather scour had undermined the

banks of shingle so far at least that the stones often rested more like a

1883.] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 23

wall, or steep slope, the slightest touch often sending large boulders rolling

down, that started others in turn,

One rapid we met was particularly difficult, and took us a full hour to

ascend, at another soon after, we cleared a channel where it was shallow,

and so ran the canoe up a little track fully a hundred yards. These rapids

at last were about four or five to the mile, and made progress slow. Later

in the day we suddenly met five or six Singphu women and girls out fishing,

and they gave us some they caught, begging in turn for some opium.

They were from a village called Ndong not far off. This was rather a

hard day’s work and we camped late, viz., at dusk; I issued some tea, how-

ever, which cheered them up after dinner. Just ere going to sleep we were

all surprised to see two Singphus appear, with some fish ; they would not

stay and promised to come in the morning and take me to their village.

At dawn for a few minutes I again had a good look at the hills ere

the mists covered all in, and it seems true what these people say, that the

best time to see their hills is at the paddy-cutting, about November, or end

of the rains.

While at breakfast the Singphus came and some of us started off inland,

crossing large flats, of river formation, sand and boulders, covered by grass-

es, and here and there having water-courses, now dry. After a couple of

miles of these island flats, we reached the land proper, though here and

there we still saw boulders and bedded shingle. At last we arrived at their

village of Khagam, which was a collection of more or less dilapidated sheds,

on piles. Of the large ‘“‘Wra Bamboo” there are several planted clumps,

as usual at all Singphu villages. The people use the joints for buckets,

and some I measured were 20 and 21 inches in circumference, and about

80 feet high, growing remarkably closely in the clump.

The enquiries for tobacco, (Sadr Dhopat) were here a positive nuisance,

opium and tea also, they seemed to know only too well. The large

number of children struck me, and I afterwards found my men had noticed

it also. ‘To all appearance there may have been six or eight to each house,

and two to one compared to the grown people.

En route on we had crossed a small stream which they call the Manmo,

or as we should call it Bamo, and it is named from that place in upper

Burma. Passing on we came to another village called Phip, near which

I obtained the only view of the Patkai crest near the Nongyang pass. The

haze was considerable, but I could see that the crest towards the east was

lower than at the pass, and over it ran the Loglai hills that divide that

river from the Turong. Returning to the river near Loang I found the

men vainly trying to get the canoe up a bad rapid, so I decided to leave

her in charge of the Gam. We therefore unloaded the boat and camped.

A very smart and intelligent young Singphu, whom I had allowed as

24 S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. I,

a favour to carry my little rifle from Phup turned out here to be the Bishi

Gam’s son. He could not speak a word of Asamese, but I sent word by

him that I should pass through his village next day, and should need some

rice. His father is rather an influential man, not only on account of his

intelligence, but from the position of his village which may be called the

last on the line from Asam to Mung Kamti. Khomong at five days

further on being about the half way house. This compels all travellers

to buy paddy at Bishi both going and coming and thresh it out ere start-

ing again.

While at this Loang Ghat, I had several applications from women for

medicine to cure goitre, of course in such a limited time and without a

special stock of Iodine, I could do very little.

At these Singphu villages I observed a cultivated variety of Plecto-

comia (the large cane); the seeds are eaten. The stem and leaf stalk is

almost completely destitute of the spines generally so densely set all over

both, and the midrib, Unfortunately I could not procure a single seed,

though I bid well for it, nor could I get a flower as it was not the proper

time.

Next morning after breakfast we packed up all our loads, handed the

canoe over to the Loang Gam’s charge, and started for Bishi. We passed

some suties of the river from which the water had been cut off and where

the villagers of Bishi were fishing. Hn route we saw some of the rice

fields, and bamboo clumps, where villages of captured Asamese had been

interred by the old “ Dapha Gam” in former days. These Singphus used

each cold season to raid Asam and carry off slaves which all ended in our

expedition under Col. White (?) and the Dapha Gam’s retreat, first to the

Mbong yang and thence to Hukong, where his descendants now live on

the Dinoi east of the Turong and Tsak tsai.

The path into Bishi from the west, is over a low spur from the Mana

Bum ridge that comes down quite to the river, and a little east of the

village ends in precipices, spurs from the Miao Bum also approach from

the south and do the same, so that Bishi is really situated where the valley

is narrowed to a sort of gorge. The village, however, is on an alluvial

plateau about fifty feet high or so, and the site is open, the hills not being

high,

A straight and level line edges the river on the opposite bank, and

suggests a similar alluvial terrace there also; in which case it seems

likely that these terraces were at one time part of a large plain.

This feature appears here and there all the way on hence to the Mbong

yang where it, so to speak, culminates, and is seen in situ, as a large

plateau. The Gam and all his people were out at the fishing, but I was

agreeably surprised to find his village quite a contrast to the others, all

1883.) S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 25

the houses were in good repair, the chief’s especially, there was a look of

substantial prosperity about the place, and the houses were mostly in a

regular row on each side of a wide sort of road, the Gam’s at the eastern

end. Not desiring to camp actually in the village where dogs and pigs are

a nuisance, we descended east to the river, and found just enough sand to

pitch the tents on in a depression of the bed now dry. In the evening I

sent the guide up with a pocket flask filled, for the Gam, and a smaller one

for his son, also to explain matters a little, as otherwise the visit might be

unintelligible. In the morning he came down, with some of his people,

and I at once saw in him the best Singphu chief I had seen so far.

He was above the average in height, and proportion, about 40 to 45

years old and held himself upright without any affected airs. Features

large and strongly cut, but a quiet kindly and shrewd look, that became

him as the “father’’ of all his people, old and young. The only differ-

ence in his clothes, being, that his were quite clear. In speaking I could

see that what he said was generally to the point, and well weighed. Alto-

gether he was by far the best sample of what a chief should be that I

had met. From where we stood he pointed out on the hill just above us,

the clumps of Wra bamboo growing now, that were planted by the Dapha

Gam, at his village, which was on the hill.

The difficulty of reaching Bor Kamti he explained, and confirmed

what others said, as to the likelihood of having snow on the passes, which

all these people seem to consider a formidable obstacle. From Bishi to

Dapha Pani, is usually two days, thence to Khomong (last Singphu village

east) another five ; from Khomong the path leaves the Dihing (or as these

people call it Diyin Kha) and crossing the Songsan Bum (which I believe

is a southern prolongation of Phungan Bum) reaches and goes down the

“ Mung lang Kha,” or “ Nam lang” and over other spurs to the Bor Kamti

villages. Another eight or ten days, or total from Bishi to Mung Kamti

about fifteen days. The path beyond Khomong he declared difficult, and

said it went large part of the way up or down gullies, that practically there

really was no track or path at all, the danger to a party like ours being,

that if any accident occurred, we should certainly run short of pro-

Visions.

All parties going to or coming from Bor Kamti had to carry at the

least ten days’ provisions, and this made the journey between those places

difficult to those carrying loads for sale or barter like daos.

The difficulty of transport of a Commissariat indeed we saw now our-

selves, for I had to ask the Gam for three men to carry rice for us to

Dapha Pani, as I calculated I should be absent from Bishi fourteen days,

and get no supplies elsewhere meantime. Knowing that the Singphus and

Kamtis when travelling cover great distances compared to what I should

26 S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,.

do on a trip like this, I allowed double their time, en route, and for six

days to camp at the Dapha Pani, total fourteen days.

The Gam and his people had an idea that Europeans cannot walk or

climb, and spoke of the difficulty I should meet in surmounting Nehong

Bum, that we saw lying as a ridge across the end of the valley eastward,

which from Bishi, again opens out as a wide flat tract with low hills on

each side. I had an idea that I could get along better than they expected

but kept this to myself and was glad of it, as I thereby had a key to the

difficulties of the route in other places, I here had to bargain for more rice

and found that they would only take opium in exchange, at the rate of six

seers rice per tola of opium, but as the local rate for opium was eight

annas and twelve annas on our return, and mine was bought at 54 I did

not lose so much.

Money is thought less of, as the rubber trade enables them to earn it

easily at times for Re. 1, and even, if lucky, Rs, 2 a day, and I have heard

of a Naga making at the rate of Rs. 4a day for a week.

A lot of women and girls and boys came to see the big telescope, and as

it magnified to one hundred diams. (if necessary) were pretty much astonish-

ed ; the binoculars, and a smaller telescope were also in request.

The Gam was much struck with the revolver, and its range which I

could shew him by firing down the river. The little M. H. Carbine also

as usual was a surprise to them all.

In the afternoon I paid a short formal visit to the Gam’s house, ere

he went out to the people fishing. I noticed the elephant ropes or phands,

hung inhis roof that are occasionally used hereabouts by the Muttok

Gosain. The ploughs also, four or five, were all slung up in a row so that

a little smoke might help to preserve them from the attacks of insects, the

Chinese cast iron socks all removed and stowed in doors. His wife was a

homely and sturdy woman with no pretensions to beauty, though she was

evidently a good house-keeper by the number of hens, and their nests I

saw, and the various odds and ends I could see from the outer compart-

ment, beyond which I did not go. The total length of the house might be

90 or 100 feet by 30 and divided into many compartments in which the

various members of the one family live ; a strapping big daughter was mar-

ried to a Singphu who lives with them, and who was nursing a youngster.

The Gam’s brother lives in the next house, also a good one.

Having arranged regarding the rice, some vegetables, and three men

extra, also about leaving a few of my boxes, with stores for the return

journey, in the Gam’s charge, we went down to camp again, I had a long

talk with an old man who spoke Asamese. Next morning after weighing

out the rice and tying it up, settling the loads which the Singphus shirked

(as usual), issuing a little tobacco to the ladies, old and young, who came to

1883. ] S. E. Peal—Notes of a trip up the Dihing. 27

see us off we made astart. I noticed the Gam go round to each of the

four men who went with us, and give him a little screw of tobacco and

wish him luck, The men with loads at once waded, but an unloaded man

would hardly have got across that way as the stream was so strong and

waist deep. I and the servant and guide crossed on a bamboo raft, kept

here on purpose.

On the off side is a large flat chur quite open and used for grazing

cattle on, a small offshoot of Bishi called “Pen gaon” being on the

southern terrace flat, as Bishi, is on the north one ; on the map it 1s marked

Kasan, and in Wilcox, Kusan, which the people did not seem to recognize,

until my guide pointed out that they were of the Kasan Singphu clan.

Passing the cultivation to the east, we emerged suddenly at the steep edge

of this alluvial terrace, from whence the view is very good, as it overlooks

the valley for some distance and shews the hills beyond well. The bottom

of the valley was a wide shingle flat, here and there cut up by water-courses

mostly now dry, and with scattered rather irregular forest, the hills at the

- flanks being very low. ‘The valley which is constricted at Bishi, by hills

coming down on each side now opens out and is about eight or nine miles

long by one or two broad, the wooded hills on the right (to south) rising -

pretty steadily to Wahambo and Largu btm, as shewn in Col. Wood-

thorpe’s map, which is careful in detail. After passing the Kachong and

the opening to north where the Pakan comes out, we camped, where there

was firewood, at an old shanty built by rubber cutters, and were soon all

housed. Had we started early, we could easily have reached the Nchong

Bum, as I afterwards found out, 2. e., the usual march from Bishi. But as

I was out as much for pleasure and health as anything, I did not attempt

to force the pace, or camp at certain defined spots at all risks ; besides

I always made it a rule to camp early if possible, 2. e., while there

was an hour’s sunlight, at least. While at dinner we were all surprised to

hear a gun go off about a mile away, so after an interval of about a minute

I fired my carbine, as reply, and to invite the other party over. No one

appeared but as they turned out to be Mishmis, (probably after elephant)

it is likely enough we were examined after dark.

In the morning at 9 a. M. the air was 66° and the wind as usual from

the E. N. E. and we had a beautiful day. We soon came across the

Mishmis, three men, two girls, and a Singphu son of the Dungon la. While

the guide was talking to them, one of our Singphus pointed out where there

was a lake up in the hills, which he saw when searching for rubber two

years ago with five other men, on Langu bum. The summit of one of these

hills they found quite inaccessible, though from below it did not seem

particularly steep. At the extremity of the valley where the path crosses

the river, we had to wade, the Singphus at once stripping and tying their

28 S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. No. 1,

few clothes in their huras, or baskets. After all were in, I saw that where

shallowest, the stream was strongest, so I took a middle course. The nails

or rather screw heads in my shoes, were very useful as the stones were so

large and slippery; a stick was indispensible, not put in down-stream

though, to save one going that way, but up-stream to lean on; in fact, if

put down-stream it could not easily be forced to the bottom, whereas up-

stream the moment it touched the water, it went to the bottom “like a

shot” and stuck there, if putin at an angle. The water was up to our

hips, and only one man, my little Kachari Bhodai, had to be assisted. After

a short distance we came to another rapid that had to be forded, a very

ugly one below, where the water all rushed close under precipitous rocks,

neither I nor the guide were then aware that really there was no need to

cross at all, so we all went in for it, I, however, made the Singphus go

over first and then return to assist if needed, and having donned my swim-

ming belt as a precaution, walked in.

At first it seemed all right, but the boulders were such a size in some

places, two and three or more feet across, that they caused eddies, and in

turning to avoid one in front of which the stream had scooped a hole about

four feet deep, I was suddenly aware that I had stuck and hung poised as

it were a moment.

Sideways I had got on all right but the increased resistance in facing

the stream three to four feet deep made a difference. Nden gama powerful

young Singphu, accustomed to all this, at once came towards me, but I

managed to get on, and pointed him to little Bhodai behind, whom he took

in hand just in time, as his load had touched the water, (and wet all my

clothes), as they all said again, “loaded people get on best, as they have

more hold of the bottom.”

Each person took about five or six minutes to cross, and in this case

I went in at times to the waist. We were now close under a pretty high

hill and a strong cold wind blowing made us pretty cold, but we pushed on,

and came to where the Dungan Kha falls in from the north, and the

Dihing emerges from the south-east between the hills, in a gorge. The

place is called Dungan yup.* Here we discovered that if we attempted

the ascent of N’chong bum that day, we should again at once have to cross

at another bad ford, so rather than do this and to give time to dry clothes

I camped. We had, however, not selected a good site. It was all right

in fair weather, but after an early dinner it clouded over and we heard

thunder, our tents were pitched on the sand, in the middle of the gorge

with high hills on each side, and seeing this I had the edges of the tent

sunk some 6” in the sand all around, and good large stones piled in a row

all around outside ; lashings all doubled and some branches held to wind-

* Yup in Singphu “ sleep,” a resting-place.

1883. ] S. E. Peal— Notes of a trip up the Dihing. 29

ward by stones, to break the force of the wind which now began to

rise. It was hardly dark ere the storm broke. The thunder rolled and

roared as it only can in the tropics, and the lightning played here

and there as a constant flickering blaze. Jain fell as heavily as it well

could, but my water-proof was lashed taught outside, and though I hardly

expected it, I rode out the storm which lasted some three hours, without

getting wet. The men though they had a large water-proof got wet

gradually, and in the early morning at dawn, I got up and donning

my great coat (which I never needed so much in my life before) I got

in some logs and tried to start a fire. It was, however, useless as the

wind was a perfect hurricane, blew all but the big logs clean away and I

had to start and build a low stone wall of big stones, to windward. By

filling the larger holes with sods, I at last got shelter enough to try again,

and arranged the firewood and logs, ere I struck a light ; by using up half

a candle I got it caught at last, and it soon was a fine blaze. I looked in

and saw the men asleep still and roused them, I made my servant issue

tea for a big brew, that soon put all square ; such wind, however, they all

never experienced before. The guide, four Singphus and Thang, as soon

as they saw the storm coming, ran from their bivouac near us, and made

for a couple of big holes in the bank under the stem and among the roots

of a huge tree; where, at five feet from the ground, they crawled in and

lay all night in fear of the tree falling, in which case all were at once dead

men. Old Lutak said he had not closed his eyes once, and he certainly

looked like it. It was some time ere the driving clouds, down the gorge,

allowed the sun to come out, and meantime we had breakfast. By this

time we spied men in a shanty on the opposite bank but could not be

heard as the rapid was in the way, yesterday on our arrival here I forgot

to say we came up just as two Singphu men and one woman, emerged from

the same ford, and reported it waist deep, the two men came up wet and

shivering and the young woman soon after, shivering certainly but not

wet which was a mystery, and after a talk they started on for Bishi, we

now discussed the passage, and the men opposite beckoned us to go

upstream. Nden Gam volunteered to shew us an alternative track.

By going up some distance on the west side and scrambling on the

rocks at side, we came to a place where a huge tree stem lay out in

the stream and off it he stepped into water not more than two feet deep

and took an oblique line to where the men opposite stood, and we crossed

easily.

There was here some more discussion as to the proper route, and even-

tually it was settled that the old direct route over the hill was too steep

for the loads, and in lieu of it we were taken along the most execrable

track I ever saw. At times we had all to help each other up places steep as

30 S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

a ladder, partly by rocks and by roots, or down to the river. In two places

we had to wade along the crest of a narrow shingle ledge in the centre of

the stream and deep blue water on either hand.

Suddenly we came across the shanty and stores of men out for rubber,

but the only thing taken was a light for a pipe. Here while halting a few

minutes to give the weaker men breath, I could not help admiring the

gorge and wishing I had my Rob Roy. The river was flowing though very

sluggishly through a sort of rift or chasm in the hills, and in the bed at

the sides were huge rocks. The sides of the gorge had jungle in every

nook and cranny and its rockiness did not look so conspicuous. At every

few hundred yards, there was material for a really fine picture, up-stream or

down. On starting up, we took toa gully and it led up—up till our legs

ached. Progress was very slow, at last after about half an hour’s climb

we came to where there was a small ledge of soil, about 12 feet x 8 or

10, and aspring. The Singphus were for stopping as they said we should

get no more water that day or night, and when I insisted on going on

they filled bamboo tubes. This was rather too good, so I told my men to

follow me and fill their stomachs, and proceed. It turned out that the

track above certainly was steep, indeed it was a case of holding one’s breath

now and then, but by going at it steadily we got on, and at last the track

got more level, and then quite so, and as J guessed we began to descend.

Two of the Singphus now went on ahead, and I soon pointed out to the

guide where we could have got water down a gully. At last we espied

the valley below and listened and heard the rush of the river, so pushed

on down at as rapid a pace as possible, and at dusk emerged off a flat ledge

on to the river. After marking the track by paper, we crossed a little

knoll, and found the remains of an old camp at a cliff overhung by a

rubber tree. As a large rock of some eight or ten tons had fallen on and

collapsed the former hut, we voted it best to camp to one side, and finding

bamboos handy, the men were soon housed. The two Singphus who had

gone ahead now turned up with two large fish (mahseer) which they had

netted, and came in very handy. Here again I issued a little tea all round,

and we soon got to sleep. In the morning we were all surprised to find

the little branch of the river that ran beside us the night before clean gone.

While having a wash at the rapid not far off, I could not help every now

and then remarking a deep-toned noise or ring coming from the water, I

had heard this noise before in Disang at a rapid and could not make it

out. It was not regular, but occurred now and then. At last I concluded

it was caused by very large boulders, poised in such a way that an extra

rush of water overset them against another rock down-stream, and the

concussion was the sound I heard. The boulder falling back again so soon

as the extra rush was somewhat abated, repeated the sound. Just above

1883. | S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 31

our camp site up-stream I was shown a conical wooded island called

“Khomong morang” said to be one solid block of stone? ‘To the south

lay a wooded hill called “ Kumtsai ki” (Jié. sand hill) and by degrees we

emerged from a pent-up gorge, to a wide and flat open valley running east

and with low hills along the flanks. Here and there to the south, I noticed

horizontal lines in the forest, at about (as far as I can recollect) 100 and

150 feet up, evidently wooded flat terraces. :

In some places the edge had fallen away and shewed a clay and sand

formation with bedded water-worn stones large and small, as though the

whole valley had once been filled up with this, ere the river cut down to

its present level, through the gorge we had passed. Presently we came to

the hut of some men out rubber cutting, who also had killed an elephant.

The usual bamboo pole and conical receptacles for offerings to the Nats,

was stuck up and the tail and one foot attached ; a little way off was a rough

platform covered with great lumps of meat being smoke-dried. I had to

stand to windward while some of the Singphus selected tit-bits in exchange

- for opium. As the great irregular lumps of blackened flesh, were fingered,

and pawed about, and nodded over, at this jungli “ exchange,” I couldn’t

help noticing that some of them looked quite as intelligent, as their owner’s

face. Away all around behind him, what a view! one fit for heaven more

than this earth; yet this smoke-dried old fellow, though brought up there,

had probably never seen it. Had passed through life as an intelligent

_ vegetable.

In about an hour after we met two Singphus, one with a gun, and in

answer, to the query “‘ where from,” the eldest replied “ Khomong,” which

I much doubted, seeing no trace of bag or baggage ; eventually after hear-

ing that I was not a Government officer come to haul him up for elephant

shooting, he admitted he was a rubber-cutter, out shikaring. I had guessed

something of the sort as he came up (with a conspicuous swagger, about

the legs).

Soon we noticed an extremely level spur from the north, around which

they said the path and river lay, it became gradually quite a conspicuous

feature ; clouds, however, had covered in most of the ranges behind, At

last rounding this spur, we came out on the Dapha Pani and a very wide

grassy flat valley extending some miles towards the north and bounded on

the west by the spur abovenamed, while to the east extended all along the

side running north and south a very remarkable level and straight cliff,

alluded to by Wilcox when passing there in 1827. It was so level and

straight as to be more like a huge railway embankment, and at a short

distance behind could be seen another. They extended thus for some

miles. We passed across the open level of the valley bottom, which was

all burnt wlw grass, and had stones and boulders rounded and polished

32 S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

sticking out of the turf everywhere, coming to the river which flowed

along the eastern side. Here at the mouth of the Dapha Pani near its

junction with the Dihing or Diyunkha, we pitched our camp, and got in

plenty of firewood as both elephant and buffalo was reported about, and

the tracks seen.

Here though fairly close to Dapha Bim, I still observed the wind to

be south-west and north-east watching for the clouds to pass off the crest

of the ridges in vain, until twilight, when I saw that the peaks had as yet

comparatively little snow on them. I had only a few minutes left to

examine the higher ridges with a high power to see how far they were bare

or covered by vegetation. In the very early dawn and until sunrise I

again was able to see the summits, but for very short time only, as mists

came out below, all over the valley, and when these had cleared off below,

the hills were all clouded over. I therefore determined to go up the valley

and have a look round generally wherever possible. The old Kamti and I

took “ Kumku nong” with us, as he knew the place somewhat. He was

one of our loadmen, and the wonder to all was, how, with such thin legs,

he could carry his load and walk as far and fast as the best of us. One

good feature about him was, that there was generally some information to

be got from him, and at the least, he had a joke and a grin, always ready.

In former times when a strong young man, ere he had small-pox—he had

been up the Dapha Pani hunting—as far as the water parting towards the

north-east up the “Shi kha.” He described it as having jungle more or

less everywhere, with tracks and paths, but not a nice country to have to

push through rapidly as in travelling, in consequence of the frequent detours

necessary to avoid impassable gullies &e. Otherwise as a place to quietly

camp and shikar about in, it was all right, if one had some rice, for there

was a good deal of game, among which on the upper ridges there was

“ Takin.”

As we went up the valley the signs of erosion and deposit were very

conspicuous all round. Our progress except for a few yards here and there,

was at first entirely over large rounded stones, and the stepping from stone

to stone for an hour or so on end, is monotonous. At last we spied smoke,

and then saw two men watching us from our left, Miju Mishmis as it turn-

ed out, and we at once hailed. They said they had seen the smoke of our

camp, and were going to see who we were, and to examine their fish traps.

One of them had a fine cross bow, the other a long and beautifully made

Mishmi spear. Both had the regular Mishmi basket, or haversack, that

lies in the small of the back and is usually covered with bear or monkey

skin. We looked into their cunningly made hut as we passed ; a wild animal

would hardly notice it, being part and parcel of a great snag or drifted

tree, stem and roots, with stones and turf added. Thence we went along in

1883. ] S. E. Peal—Notes of a trip up the Dihing. 33

the wlw grass, on one of the many flats on which here and there a few small

trees grew, but our course all the time was northward up the valley, and

parallel to the river, which in an endless series of roaring rapids, winds and

twists down the eastern side of the valley at, or near, the peculiar cliff

that borders it all along, on the east. At the mouth, the Dapha Pani

valley may be a mile and half wide, and the length 7 or 8, the entire floor

being a flat, covered by wlw grass, and a few scattered trees, among which

water channels, lined with rounded boulders and stones, meander. One could

gallop on horseback almost anywhere, as far at least as the jungle was

concerned, though the great (and small) rounded boulders projecting from

the burnt turf, and in the grass, would not be nice to fall on. After going

about five miles and still not coming to the end of the east cliff I sat down,

and had a good look at it all along, with the binoculars, at the distance of

about half a mile. From what Kumku nong said, there is only one passage

up to the plateau above, in the whole length of about seven miles, and the

top is perfectly flat and level to the foot of the second cliff, and thence

flat again for a long way in, the entire plateau being called the “ Mbong

Yang.” The edge of the cliff being perfectly level and straight for such

a distance gives an extraordinary importance to it in the view, even though

it is wooded all along the edge at the top and for part of the way up from

below, all over the talus, which extends the whole way also. The upper

half is precipitous and though here and there ferns and creepers hold on,

large portions are quite bare and red, showing the clay and rounded boulders

of which it is composed (for the upper half at least). Towards our camp

where the river is cutting the base of this cliff, the lower third of the

height is of vertically bedded clay slate and shale, the upper part as before

of clay with bedded rolled boulders.

The height of the cliff I here estimated at 200 feet. We returned

along the western edge of the valley where the land seems to rise a little

in wide flat benches, five or six feet at a time, towards the range along the

western flank, which is tolerably level in the main, but not so conspicuously

so ; at the east cliff the benches also are not regular, altogether it looks as

though the land had once been continuous between the western spur and

erest of the east cliff, and that the whole Dapha Pani valley had been slowly

cut out to its present depth. Among the boulders as we returned I found

a fine rounded block of hornblend porphyry weighing about 100lbs. and

had great difficulty in breaking it, so as to get a specimen. Though the

Singphus and Mishmis see so many thousands every day, they all declared

they had never seen that kind of stone before. One feature of the Dapha

Pani that struck me, was, the great variety of colour, in the bed, due to

the extremely clear water ; the natural colour of the rocks (all more or less

smooth and rolled) was brought out conspicuously as though they were

34 S. E. Peal—Wotes ofa trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

varnished. As far as I could see, none of those in the bed were in situ,

even though often of large size. I had great difficulty in getting up on

one monster of gneiss, which measured about 40 feet x 20’ x perhaps 15

or 16 and was one solid irregularly rounded mass, partly in the river, and

some way from the cliff, and though it projected some ten feet above the

water on the up-stream side, there was a deep blue basin of rushing water

in front of it. Blocks of the size of a hogshead were common, everywhere

in the bed, and on the bare shingle flats the size was less. Evidently the

river has a rapid fall, and in the rains the floods must be heavy and violent,

extending all across the valley except perhaps here and there on the flat

ledges. Only a small proportion of the boulders were sandstone, most were

of gneiss, and granitic, though none of pure granite ; apparently serpen-

tine and trap constituted a large percentage, also chlorite, and metamorphic

conglomerate. The evening gradually clouded over, and in the night a

little rain fell. Next morning was foggy until about 10 a. m., when I ©

started to ascend the hill south of the valley mouth, to get a good view

over the Mbong yang. We had to wade the river, and found the face of

the hill near the bank, so precipitous that it was some time ere we got a

place to climb up ; I selected where there had been a landslip, as it had

cleared the face of the hill of the forest and vegetation that otherwise

would be in the way. We found it no easy job to get up and not very

safe, as now and then, a stone slipped and bounded past, rather too close to

be pleasant. At about 200 feet up, I halted, as it seemed both difficult

and dangerous. An accident to any one would have been highly inconve-

nient, and after a good survey of the valley and making a few sketches

we came down and rescrossed to camp, where I found some eight Miju

Mishmis, the most striking feature as we approached, being their large

crossbows.

I now heard from “ Kreng sha,” the one we had met before, that a

colony of them had come over this year from the “ Kamlang” and also I

believe the Teng kha, north-west, and intended to settle permanently near

the Dapha Pani, and up the Inké which falls into the Dapha Pani from

the north-west having their jums on the spurs at the western head of the

valley. This I was glad to hear, and told them so, as it would tend to

render travelling much easier if supplies could be got from villages all

along. They asked many questions, on various topics, such as the price

of rubber, and if I thought they were being badly cheated by the dealers,

&e. In return I also made numerous enquiries, as to routes, animals, the

forests, &e.

None of them any more than Singphus seemed to recognize the name

of Dapha Bim which is seen on our new maps as “ Mai thai Dong,” all

shook their heads and had never heard such a name, their’s being for central

1883. ] S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. 35

highest cone ‘‘ Wathong,” a summit to the south-west ‘‘ Kambro,” and

the continuation of it “ Kunjong.”

A conspicuous double peak on the snowed ridge going east, they called

“ Taiyin.” None of them had been to the east of Wathong, and describ-

ed the routes there as difficult and over snow. A party had come over

probably from Bor Kamti valley, some years ago and two of the men had

to be carried in, having lost their feet through warming them at a fire

when frost-bitten. No one seemed to know that hard rubbing with snow

might save a limb, and I described the process. As we sat talking, the

clouds moved off, and we had for the rest of the day a fine view of all the

hills. A peculiar persistent grey green shade, all over the lower part of

Kun jong had struck me for some time as contrasting with the upper part

of the same. I had attributed it to cloud-shadow, and the upper yellowish

brown, to sunshine, but as it remained there after all cloud had gone, I at

once saw it was caused by some change in the vegetation.

On enquiry it turned out that the yellow ochre colour was caused by

“dry grass and a small bamboo, called by them “Shu mu,” the leaves of

which turn yellowish. It grows in scattered clumps all over the hills at a

certain elevation, with and above the belt of firs.

This belt could be well seen in the large telescopes and the individual

trees, their branches, tufted heads, and shadows could be even distinguish-

ed, As usual with fir trees, they grew often up the steep ridges, and

gullies, or ran in a line up the shady southern side of a ridge, among the

snow fields, and had it all to themselves, barring the “Shu mu” little

bamboo, and grasses. The takin is partial to this region, and difficult

to shoot from its wariness and agility. They also report the elephant

as wandering up as far as the snow at times, say 10,000 feet or more.

Musk-deer and yak also reported.

The crossbows these men had, were very powerful, 5 feet long, though

the stock was small, and light as possible (barely long enough for the short

arrows) and had the ordinary crossbow trigger of bone. Arrows plain,

and poisoned with aconite, were carried in a small tube of bamboo about

18” x 2” witha worked cover to slip on, the quiver tube being carried

under the left arm and breast, cap upwards, handy. I was surprised to see

no regular dao such as other tribes use, and in lieu of it they use the small

nearly straight and pointed knife carried on a sheath or in one. The

spears were beauties, heads well made and strong, the shaft of caryota stem

or nahar wood, and the spike a foot long and thin, but strong also. Most

had the basket covered by some skin, worn in the hollow of the back, the

suspenders going a-la-knapsack over each shoulder, and hitched in front

by the bone fastening, which fastening is noteworthy for its simplicity.

36 S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. (No. 1,

Ere leaving, one of them gave me a little knife such as they use to

cut their Sali with, and in return I gave several of them little tin boxes with

beads of various kinds, and bugles. Of course the guns and telescopes were

sources of wonderment as usual, and they went away after giving me an

invite to their future village, if I again came this way. The evening

brought one of the grandest sights I ever saw in my life. The gorgeous

effect of the sunset on the hills, and the snows especially, was simply inde-

scribable. It was heightened by the contrast of the intense blue-greens,

blues, and purple, of the lower ranges as they passed into shade, while the

upper snow covered ridges and peaks were in a blaze of pink and golden

sunlight. The sky behind being a clear and pale emerald green grey. ‘The

Asamese who were eating their dinner, came and stared at it, and variously

expressed their admiration of a “ snow mountain,” which till now they had

none of them seen. ‘The snowed peaks retained for some time, a clear grey

light that enabled the telescope to be used on them, long after all detail

in the valley was merged in darkness. At night we heard a tiger hunting

over the plain, and also elephants first to the north-west and then north-

east and next day saw where they had ascended the Mbong yang plateau

near where the cliff ends, close to us.

To-day at 9 a. M. I found the water boil at 210'10 by two tubes of

B. P. thermometer, the air being 56° and we had fog till about 10 a. Mm.

It is a pity there is no good site near fora camp opposite the mouth of

the valley at 400 or 500 feet up as we should then see the hills over the

fog. ‘‘ Kumku nong”’ says that eight years ago, he was up east of Dapha

Bum, near Mailam Bum, and camped for some ten days at a flat called

“ Mailam yang,” which the others had heard of. By his account it is a

high and comparatively flat tract, at the head waters of the Shi kha and

near a route, from Bramakhund side to the Mung lang and Bor Kamti

Shans and Kunungs, called the “ Noi kong-isong” bat. He places this

tableland (not large) at east-north-east of Dapha Bum.

If this be plotted on M. Desgodin’s map, (Pro. A. S. B., 1880, Litho.

1881,) it should fall uncommonly near the boundary of Djrouba, the south-

west corner of the boundary of eastern Tibet, which is there placed in the

corner between the upper tributaries of the Mli kha branch of the Irrawadi ;

and the Brahmaputra (a little north of the Gulm thi).

I had (so far) considered the range encircling the Mli kha valley on

the north, as very high and ending in the peak called Nam yen, (on Wil-

cox’s map) and as an impassable barrier, with some high peaks rising per-

haps to 20,000 feet on it.

If, however, it turns out (as it now seems likely) that the Mli kha,

where these “ Kunungs” live, drains the southern edge of a high plateau

around which there is probably a range, it may be true what one of the

1883. | S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. 37

Kunungs told me, z ¢, that he had travelled northward and gone into

Tibet for a short distance, that there was a route, though difficult, and few

travelled on it.

He also stated that there were routes between the Mli kha and Brah-

maputra on the one side west, and (though none north-east) others existed

over the ranges to the east, going to the Disang or Sang kha, on which

also Kunungs resided, and thence east towards China.

Until these tracts are examined it will not be possible to say whether

or no this “ Mailam yang” is a prolongation of the “ Djrouba plateau” or

not.

While looking at a snow field this morning I was surprised to see

very clearly the tracks of two avalanches, distinctly marked out, as long

curved depressions having a ridge thrown up at the sides, and the snow

piled at the bottom, one of them was about 1,000 to 1,500 feet in length ;

neither were there the day we had come.

The colour of the rock forming the crest and peaks that appeared

_ where there was no snow, was a dark “ purple grey.” In the early morn-

ing ere the fogs arose and when the air was at times very steady, I could

put on the telescope, a power of 300 (diameters). This enabled me to get

as it were close to the summits and see detail with no exertion. Though

the distance was 16 miles I could detect easily the sharp outlines of the

rock, even the larger fractures or cracks, but no trace of vegetation. The

first seen appeared to be grass, after which there are two kinds of bamboo,

at least so the Mishmis say.

From all I could learn I might by now have reached Khomong the

Singphu village on Dihing towards Bor Kamti at four or five days from

Bishi and three from here, but I was told the journey was almost precisely

like the part already travelled over, if anything more fatiguing ; and that

when at Khomong, I should see the usual dilapidated Singphu sheds, and

learn very little more than I already knew. This might be partly true,

but I still wished I could have gone on, the fact was that I had already

pretty nigh exhausted the little stock of presents I brought, and to go

empty handed, where if anywhere, presents are de rigewr, might not be

good introduction, or conduce to future success in these quarters, so I per-

force made all the enquiries I could, here and elsewhere as to what lay

beyond. The Phungan or Bongan ridges that stretch away south from

the eastern end of the Dapha group I saw from several places, and from

the western edge of the Dapha valley, up a tall tree I had a good view,

and found them pretty heavily snowed. The route to the north of these

hills and over the saddle between them and the Dapha by which Wilcox

crossed is called I am told the “ Tsau rang” bat, and not now used as it is

more difficult than the one round the south end of Wangleo, over a ridge

38 S. KE. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

called Song san Bum. There are now no villages between Dapha Pani and

Khomong as there were in the year 1827, though the sites are known; at the

same time Wilcox’s names are not always spelt correctly, for instance, his

Koom koor, I saw the site of and it is Kum ku. (Ku is hill in Singphu.)

Kum ku was in fact the name of one of my men, who had been born here,

ere the village was removed to the Kam lang, and part of this village I

hear is about to return to its old site again, under the old chief’s son,

(whom we had met with the five Mishmis, near the Dungan). Again

Willcox’s ‘ Puseelah’’ just east of the Dapha mik, is intended for “ Bisa

la.” (= Secondary Bisa), Oglok is correct but the village gone.

His “ Insoong” is intended for Nchong. There are also no large villages

of the Muluk tribe where he has them unless it be the one of Khomong

Singphus. Next day I determined to shift camp to the western side of

the valley ere returning vid the Nehong Bum route, so as to avoid the

gorge. We therefore packed up in the morning after breakfast, and I

directed the men to go about four miles up the valley and camp on the

west side, while I and the guide, Nden gam and Uren nong, started up the

Dihing for a mile or so and proposed crossing the Mbong yang plateau,

coming down by the only outlet known, and so across to camp, in the after-

noon. After seeing all the loads tied up, we waded the Dapha—not a nice

job at the mouth where the stream was strong and the stones large; the

Singphus were up to their waists, so I selected a place where there appear-

ed to be a line of big stones and stepped from one to the other, to reach

each, however I had to make the attempt to step a foot too far up-stream,

even then I was up to the hips, at last one of the boulders rolled over,

and I went in, but was out again ere my note book got wet imside,

About half a mile up-stream, we spied some Singphu rubber-cutters, on

the off-bank, and saw another trophy and remains of elephant and deer, tied

to it; Nden gam here pointed out the mahseer, literally and truly paving

the bottom of the river, there must have been hundreds, (probably thou-

sands,) from two to three feet long, though obliquely through the water

they seemed only about a couple of inches deep.

In about half an hour after we ascended where a great rock barred our

passage on the north side (or Bank of Diyun) and reached the top of

the plateau after a little roundabout climbing and over undulating land.

Once on the top we found it remarkably flat, and tolerably free from

jungle; it had been largely trampled down by elephants. The forest

was very second-rate, few or no large timbers or straight. Some way in

we came across two small burial mounds that belonged to the former

village of “ Bisa la ;” the course lay on straight for the upper end of the

Dapha valley, and as far as I could see the land everywhere was practically

quite flat and had large rounded boulders embedded. At last we saw light

1883. ] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 39

ahead, and expected to look over, and see the Dapha, but were all surprised

to find we had been on the second terrace all the time, and now overlooked

the lowest one bordering the valley ; at the edge we found traces of a village

in more burial mounds with a ditch around. Descending the slope which

was at about an angle of 45° we could easily see the rounded boulders im

situ in the sandy loam or clay (none angular). At foot of the slope, which

might be 100 feet high, we came out on a sort of flat swamp or where peat

and mud rested on sand and stones. Passing on we were probably an hour

ere we again saw daylight ahead, and knew we were approaching the cliff,

ere reaching which, we heard the rapids below.

We had come obliquely and now made straight for the edge, the men

getting fits all the way from the Hingory-seed spines. Coming out at last

and looking over, we were all astonished at the height, instead of about

200 feet it looked more like 400, and cautiously locking down while hold-

ing a sapling I involuntarily drew back, as I could not see the cliff face at

all, and seemed to be standing out on a ledge. The old Kamti kept back

some distance, and “felt as if something was pulling him over,” I got to

another place and Jay down and thus looking over, could see the face of

the cliff, pretty clean for some 80 or 100 feet down, after which ferns and

such grew, then creepers and grasses, shrubs and saplings. Tree tops often

touched the cliff face below. To get down was now the difficulty, “ Nong”’

who alone knew the place, I had to send back, ere this, to the Dapha mikh,

where we waded, as my belt and keys were dropped there, and now we had

to trust to our wits. There was but one passage down we all knew, so we

worked south along the edge. Animals go up and down this path, so we

kept a sharp look out for tracks. While going thus, we were suddenly

started by a loud deep growl or rumble, and saw the jungle moving, at

once all called out “ magui,” (elephant) and Lutak saw it, so we moved on

as quietly and rapidly as we could, and were glad to get past such a very

awkward enemy in such an awkward situation. I was hardly prepared to

find it literally true that there was no chance of getting down except at

this one rift, but so it turned out, and we went on and on, till at last

tracks were found to form a path or putz, and then out we came to where

many of these converged at the mouth of a very small gully, wide enough

for one at a time to enter. Here we rested and ate our lunch, and IJ had

time to ask as to the singular feature we saw here and there, where huge

Hingori trees had fallen over eastwards, at the verge of the precipice, in

all cases the roots being at the very edge, and the stem lying in at right

angles, (and none oblique), for some time it was not obvious, but at last we

saw it was caused by the loss of root-anchorage on the precipice edge, and

that the “ Nor-westers” could thus overturn the larger trees pretty easily

in consequence—the regularity of the phenomena was remarkable. The

40 S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. I,

entire Mbong yang plateau seemed covered by Hingori (castenopsis) and

this was the great feature also of the plateau on the western flank of the

Dapha valley. Hre going down I asked Nden gam to point out any traces

he saw of human habitation, as it must have been once a carefully guarded

point, in the old and unruly days of the Dapha Gam. Our troops indeed

had to fight their way by this same gut. On looking about he at once

pointed out, first a small circular burial mound and ditch twenty yards

south-east of the entrance of path ; secondly, a good many large trees called

Modar, Hrythrina Indica, planted to train pan on, these and the planted

Wra bambt indicated a village site.

I also measured the height of cliff approximately by dropping heavy

green sticks and hard lumps of clay, also stone, and counting the pulsations

ere they reached the bottom, or talus, the average being six beats.

Before starting down I left my mark, in the shape of two bullets fired

into a morhal, Vatica lancifolia or copal varnish tree, close to the mouth

of pass on the south at four feet from ground.

The animals that frequent this plateau, and pass up or down, I had

one means of ascertaining at this pass or gully, and carefully watched and

recorded all tracks as we went down, meeting elephant, buffalo, sambur,

horina, and huguri, deer, tiger, monkey, pig, cats, and what seemed wild

dog. But no bear. Some way on, the path forks, becoming tolerably easy,

and near the bottom we came to a coal seam, and shales, bedded at high

angles. The upper part of the cliff was composed of clay, with water-worn

stones and boulders embedded. From the edge we had a fine view of, and

across the valley below, where we could see the Dapha Pani all along as a

series of foaming rapids, and even hear it if we stood still; away on the

other side of it the bottom of the valley was like a plain of grass, with

scattered trees. It had been set on fire by the Mishmis, and was burning

in large patches. On the other parts left black and smoking, we now and

then caught sight of the men of our own party as little pigmies, moving

along in Indian file to the new camp.

Looking across the valley to the western plateau, and realizing that

the little stream below had slowly eroded it, one had an impressive lesson

in geological time. The sun was now getting towards the West, and

warned us to start on, for where the camp was, we as yet did not know.

On reaching the bottom, the river was close, and we forded it, also two

other branches further, all swift but none deep. Nden gam, though a re-

markably fine and strong young fellow, was a great opium-smoker, and he

at once went ahead for the Mishmi hut, we had before seen, to get a light,

and bamboo tube. Lutak and I followed at our leisure, and at one place

passed the body of a python, seventeen feet long, that had been caught

by the fire among the grass and burnt to death. Soon after, we heard a

———e— ee

--1883.] S. E. Peal—Notes of a trip up the Dihing. 41

man shouting and it turned out to be Kumkt nong looking for us, and ot

say the camp was pitched more to the south, so we had to turn and re-

trace our now weary steps, and at last at dusk got in, all of us three very

tired. Luckily everything was as I could wish, and dinner ready—soup

nice and hot, and I soon felt better. As I was at dinner, we heard a most

peculiar noise (in the air seemingly) that gradually got louder and louder,

and at last we realized it as an enormous flock of Hornbills, (the large

Huang Sorai).

Neither I nor: the Asamese had ever seen more than at most twenty or

say twenty-five in one flock before, and yet here they were in hundreds—

evidently they had intended to roost in the tall bor tree (fig) we were

camped under, and all suddenly sheered off as soon as they saw our lights

_and smoke, settling a little way on. I tried stalking very quietly, but no

use, this very particularly wary bird, or hundreds rather, was not to be

caught, and they all suddenly and simultaneously flew, with a deafening

noise. Hre I got off to sleep, which I did pretty early, I heard “old

Kamti” at his gabbling sing-song prayers, mental sort of “ prayer wheel,”’

as far as the real devotion seemed concerned. If addressed to me, I cere

tainly should not have blessed him, more likely the opposite. He went in

for them pretty regularly at night, all in Burmese, as he was a good Shan-

Buddhist, and finished off with the usual invocatory “ Om, om.”

At night we had a severe yet comical scare. The Singphus (even old

Thang included) insisted that there was danger from wild elephants, and

half-felled lots of young trees and saplings all about, so that the fall of

them should give us all notice if anything came too near, they had also

selected the bor tree as good to swarm up in emergency and notched the

trunk and ribs ready. About midnight I was startled clear out of bed and

tent, (with revolver in hand) by the hubbub, indeed the smash of a tree

first roused me. In an instant every one was up and running about, and

the cry was “ hati,” “magui,’’ and as I at once fired, something went off

to the right, a shot from the carbine made it go on again, and then all

was quiet, and we listened, some said hati, the Singphus magui, and while

one of the Asamese suggested what I also thought, 2. e., samber, suddenly

we were yelled to from above, and looking up in the revived firelight, dis-

covered master “ Sin-neng-gam,” the young Singphu, hanging helpless over

the said fire, unable to go up or down, and probably twenty-five feet up.

The sight so convulsed everybody, that for the instant he was left there,

but Nden gam soon went up to the rescue (no easy matter though) and

when Sin-neng was got down, and came round a bit, he found he had no

recollection of going up at all, said he must have done it in his sleep !

The shrieks of laughter this induced from my fellows, were enough to

keep any wild animal away all night. Between one Singphu being so literally

42 S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

“‘ treed,” and the others shouting me to shoot, to frighten away a deer, it

lasted as a joke some time. Next morning my fellows sure enough found

it was a “hor pohu,” samber. At the same time there could be no mis-

take that immense numbers of elephants must pretty frequently be all

over the place; it was, as one Singphu said, all “hati gaon.” About 10

A. M. we started to find the return path that led over the west plateau and

the saddle between Nehong Bam and Joithd, we were hours at it, and came

again and again out at the same place; at last going up the spurs towards

the Mishmi jums, where after about two hours, we emerged, and found

them all clearing the jungle.

‘These Mishmis do not cut and slash so vigorously as the Nagas when

clearing, but go to work quietly with their small knife daos, and get

through a great deal quickly, I noticed that they left a great deal, such as

bamboo clump stems standing, that Nagas would have cut, but they pile

small stuff about them, and when dry the fire does the rest of the work for

them. Looking at their work from a prehistoric point of view, I could

well imagine that a very small cutting implement aided by fire, could really

make extensive clearings, for if the fires are made around the larger tree

stems, it soon kills them, and in about three to four days the whole of the

foliage is dead, and in a week is ankle deep all around underneath, and the

shade has disappeared.

The study of the dao is worth pursuing, and might be expected to

yield some results (so far unknown to us) regarding the stone age here,

there are many forms more or less serial, and related to the Asamese

“ Pat kutar”’ (lit. leaf-axe) and the Andaman p. axe. Both are forms that

could be closely imitated in stone. Illustrations of a few are given hereafter.

Celts also are found all over the hills during juming, but regarded with

superstitious awe. At several places as we came along we found large

clumps of the planted Ura bamboo, indicating old Singphu village sites,

and at one place in particular where Wilcox places Koom kur near the

upper edge of the western plateau, saw as many as five or six large mounds,

say forty feet across and six high, around which large ditches were dug

leaving as usual at four opposite places, little causeways to cross by, most

of these mounds had bamboo clumps on them.

It was now past midday and we had only just found the entrance to

the path on the plateau above, I had upbraided the Singphus and “ Uren

nong” especially whom the Bishi Gam had given me as guide and a safe

man. It now turned out that it was about ten or twelve years since he

had been by this path, and the country was so trampled about everywhere

by wild elephants that he continually lost the track. Hvery now and then

we had all to sit down while he and his men scouted around to find it, and

from the edge of the plateau on the west overlooking the Dapha valley I

a 1883. ] S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. 43

had several good views, not only down on, and along the same, but over

the Mbong yang plateau beyond, to the east, The long level cliff was very

conspicuous, wooded to the very edge, and the second line of cliff behind,

which was more pronounced on its northern extremity towards the Dapha

group, and where the plateau was also bounded by another cliff, not quite

so regular.

Some distance beyond the second terrace to the east a third was visi-

ble, and beyond all, far off another much higher and also flat-topped. The

southern end of which was broken up, and at last consisted of a few

isolated low hills, rising above the lower level.

They report the Mbong yang plateau altogether to be a good day’s

march from east to west. From here also, the continuation of the Dapha

group eastwards was well seen, ending a long way east-south-east, in the

Phungan ridges, snow covered, and which (in the view) closed up to hills

along the south side of Dihing and distinct from Patkai (which was

behind) and not now visible, though I constantly endeavoured to see it.

> The ridges and flats west of Dapha do not appear at all regular, at

least we several times had pretty stiff climbing among spurs and gullies,

eventually, however, we came to where the land for along way was very

level, and the path well defined, and here, as on the “ Mbong yang”

the Hingori tree so predominated that the spined seeds, or seed cases,

caused exclamations at every step; being shod I did not feel them.

It was getting well on in the afternoon when we came out on a sort

of natural clearing, and finding there was water to the south in a slight

depression, determined to camp, though we had come such a short way, as

we should not find good ground for it at the Nchong kha, ‘The site here

was covered for about twenty acres or so, by rank long grasses, now wither-

ed, and trampled down by elephants until quite open, a few large trees

being scattered here and there, and it looked like an old Jum site. Several

immense thistles stood dead, with the leaves fallen over and hanging close

to the stem, the head branched and carrying the well known seeds. To

make certain I cut several down, and took off the heads. The total height

was from 15 to 18 feet in one case, and the hollow stem, 2” diameter.

None of the Asamese had seen them before, nor had the Kamti, or

Singphus (so they said). It certainly seemed out of place in these forest

jungles, and it occurred to me as having come transported on the north-

east winds from the upper open ridges of the Dapha Bim. ‘There were

only some four or five of them, as far as we saw, and all—as they stood—

looked remarkably handsome and suitable as designs for Candelabra.

_ Very soon our camp was pitched near the little pool or sedgy hollow,

near trees, and hearing several remark how very cold the water was,

I found it at 48° F. I made the men fire the grass, and being very dry

44 S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

it soon caught and roared and crackled till it gradually burnt out, leaving

the view along the upper Dihing towards Khomong pretty clear, and I

could get the telescope to work. The crests of the Phungan bearing 120°

whereon snow lay in several large patches, and many small ones, appeared

to have the hard rocky outline seen on *‘ Wathong,” indicating frost and

an utter absence of vegetation. We were here much nearer this latter, and

the peaks to the east at sixteen miles were well seen even with the binocu-

lars. The deep purple-grey of the bare rock contrasting beautifully in the

evening sunlight, with the light and shadows, on the snow. We were at

probably 1,500 feet elevation, and the air remarkably clear and steady, so

that the distance seemed really less than half what it was. The ridges

bearing 120° were on the contrary, only about twenty-eight miles (if

«“ Phungan Bum”), yet appeared fully twice that distance. Several times

I was tempted to look on them as much nearer the Mli kha than Wilcox

put them.

After all had eaten, I put on a power of 200 and shewed them all the

new moon. The old Kamti, who usually carried the telescope and legs,

was particularly taken and sat out in the cold for a good half hour, after

the others had had enough.

I may mention that the carriage of a fairly large telescope would He

no easy matter if taken as it usually stands, with long brass tube and

heavy tripod legs five feet long or so. To enable me to have the advantage

without the difficulties of carriage, I made a light sassie wood square tube

weighing 3ibs. and 4°6” long in which the cell of the O. G. 8”'5 fitted, the

other end so made as to have the eye-piece tube and rack motion, easily

attached, the tripod of a strong magnetic compass, served to mount it, and

the whole when complete, only weighed about SIbs. Having the ability to

put on a high power at times, as when camped at Dapha Pani, it enabled

me, often when lying at my ease in the tent, to take long excursions all

over the Dapha Bim, and very fairly among the snows, “ without turning

a hair,’ so to speak. It was particularly interesting at times when the

sun was behind, to take up the lower part of some of the great seams or

gullies on the face of such a hill as “ Bum rong” in front of the Dapha,

and to trace it up higher and higher. Lower down, as a deep shady chasm

filled with tree ferns, plantains and fallen rocks, water dashing over and

among them, the sunlight almost shut out in parts, where a straight piece

gave quite a vista in. Again, great bare slippery rocks on all sides with

the stream as a snow white streak, obliquely coming down the face of one

at back (evidently a waterfall in the rains). Higher up, a long chasm, filled

with shingle and tree stems, and still higher, where great shoots of stone

have piled in the bed, and shew the clear surface of the bedded rocks,

Above again numbers of feeders fall in on all sides, and not a trace of vege-

— es

1883. ] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 45

tation, all is bare hard, glaring rock, shimmering in the hot sun. Or at

another time taking ‘‘ Kunjung,” in the region of firs, one could wander

about almost as at Shillong among the grass and boulders and firgroups ;

some of which were very picturesque, and at last were so well known by

sight, that I could almost sketch them from memory, ending my journey of

two hours or so by a visit to the snow fields on “ Wathong,” the return

journey which in person might take four days’ hard work, being done now

in as many seconds.

The drawback of a high power on a smal] O. G. is that the loss of

light is so great that either detail cannot be seen, or it can only be used

on such an object as the moon; again, while the best small O. glasses will

only stand a power of 50 arid 60 diams. per inch, larger abjsetaglassis up

to 3”°5 dia. will stand 100.

Here on the top of this spur we found many large rounded boulders

as on the Mbong yang and all seemed to be various forms of sandstone,

not the gneissic or granitic kinds seen in the Dapha bed.

Early in the morning I took the temperature of the water in the pool

at 39,° no doubt it was caused by the intense radiation. At the Dapha

muk I had several times taken the temperature of the river in the morning

and found it generally 51° F. air being 40° to 43.° The temperature of the

soil at the same time by springs was, 62.° The temperature of sand must

fall a good deal in clear nights. In the mornings all the boulders embedded

in it, had a white band of dry sand right round. Here and there white

patches were seen, large and small ; one imvariably found a boulder just

below, at an inch to 13, the heat from which had prevented the deposition

of dew, on the sand over it.

Late at night and early in the morning we had heard the rush of the

Dapha river, to the east, so in starting I calculated as if marching from

that river, and we got off at about 10 A. m. as I always make the people

eat first, (also their own custom).

We very soon came to the Nchong stream now a little dell and with not

much water, all of us had a good drink as we should not get another chance

till late in the day, At one place we came on a party of nine Mishmis, and

some of our people exchanged opium for rice, they were crossing from the

Teng kha (Tenga Pani) to the new Jtms on Dapha, one girl had the

peculiar pewter or silver coronet as an inverted crescent over the forehead,

several had cross-bows, others spears, and one a sword. We then crossed

the saddle between Nchong Bum and Joitho, which was pointed out by

the Singphu, and over a long flat tract, in which we were shewn the site

of old Bishi, where Wilcox passed, and which he marks. It could hardly

have been noticed but for the forest being just there almost entirely of

“ Kot kora,” the fruit of which can be eaten, raw or dried. The present

Bishi Gam was born here.

46 S. E, Peal—WNofes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

Some way on I detected a peculiar smell in the jungles, and on enquiry

was told we were close to a Pung, and ere long descended into a deep

triangular depression with swampy bottom, on sand. The water, of a pale

bluish colour (as if diluted with shale mud) rose in an irregular jet about

6” and 8” high in a little pool and passed off as a stream. It had a pecu-

liar saline taste, I took a sample, but later on lost it, the Singphus look on

this water as a cure for goitre.

About fifty galls per minute rose. The place has been used as an

elephant trap, a skull and bones lay there of one shot some time before.

The Muttok Gosain now and then shikars here I believe. The Hingori

seeds were all day a perfect nuisance, first one then another got the thorns

in their feet, and I now ascertained why the Singphus took us round by

the gorge. It was to avoid them. There are thus three quite distinct

routes for passing Nchong Bum, one by the gorge which we took, and

which is very nearly what Wilcox calls “ impossible,” another straight over

the hill at once, very steep and fatiguing, so all say; and the other which

Wilcox went by, and we were now on, tolerably level and easy, (bar the

thorns). The men all tried sandels of wood and bark, but they tripped

and caught so often, that one pair after another, were blessed and flung

away, and they hobbled along here and there, like a row of cripples in pre-

ference. Eventually ‘“ Uren nong” lost his way, and I called a halt for

half an hour, as the wandering about was only wearisome. On his finding

it we soon after came to the Dungan kha, and as Wilcox says, it is ‘‘ one

continued rapid.” And we emerged from it, at last! opposite the mouth

of the gorge where we were all so nearly blown away. Not wishing to chance

a repetition of the gale we went on and camped in a cosy corner under a

big bluff that projected into the river, and where we found already, two

log huts and piles of firewood, we were here very nearly at the end of our

rations, and had only one good meal all round left, so they had half now,

and kept the rest for the morning. During the night the wind rose and

though no rain fell, we should have again fared badly if it had not been

for the shelter of the corner we were in. They say that this is always a

windy site, and the name is “ Dungan yup.”

Very early in the morning I made three of the Singphus start off at

once for Bishi for rice and to return and meet us, they went very much

against the grain, but there was no help for it, we then started at about

9 a. M. the load men by a detour, to avoid the steep rock, up which the

Kamti and I climbed, with difficulty, as it in places overhung. As we

started, a large party of men and seven women, appeared on the off-bank,

from Khomong having come vid the gorge, Lutak and I soon after cross-

ing the bluff, met them as they emerged from the bad ford, where all the

women joined hands, (held up) as they crossed, in a line up-stream, a very

sensible plan.

a eh

~ 1883.] S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. 47

Hardly one of the men, and none of the women had ever seen a

European before, so I was considerably and closely criticized. Many

brought over daos to exchange for salt, to carry which specially some of

these strong girls had been brought over, and were to take back 2 maunds

each, 2. e., 180Ibs., all seemed in good spirits, however, and soon after waded

the river again, and pushed on faster than we cared to follow. By slow but

steady walking we at last got to “ Pen” gaon, by about 3 p. m. and found

that our men had failed here in getting rice, which was at famine rates,

and had gone on to Bishi, where we followed, and camped at about 4 Pp. .

having done from near Dapha Pani, in two days, what took four in going

- and in a pinch might perhaps be done in one, if certain of the road. Of

course we here got plenty of rice, vegetables, &c., which mainly we were

short of. Some old fellows, and one who could speak Asamese, came to

enquire how we had got on, and confirmed a good deal I had heard as to

routes, &c. It seems the Dapha Gam, when he fled from Bishi, went to

the site we had passed at Nchong bum, and was there some time, but his

unruly habits and raidings obliged us to follow him up with the “ Singphu

expedition”’ and he then fled to the Mbong Yang to be safe. He was, how-

ever, dislodged from there by a party under native officers (Lola Sing

Sylhetia) the Europeans being I hear, wounded en route near Bishi and

Miao, and at last decamped for Hukong via Khomong, from whence there

is aroute into upper Turong.

It is said that for some time, the cattle that had belonged to the Gam

and his people, ran wild, and even had been seen not many years ago, I

could get nothing certain as to this, and doubt there being any now with

~ Mishmis, and rubber-hunters all through the hills.

Early next morning we packed up and I made some small presents, an

electro-mug to the Gam, assortment of needles, tapes, and such, to his wife,

&e. The load-men I paid, Rs 6 each for the trip of about eleven days,

and gave them some opium in, I should like to have been able to be more

liberal, but there are many incidental expenses connected with an expedi-

tion of this kind that swell the sum total, to no small amount ere all is

over. What would be considered extremely moderate, by Government, or

to any subsidised expedition, may be heavy on any single individual, espe-

cially when no return in the way of profitable trade is yet possible.

Passing west for Loang village we first saw the site where these Sing-

phus devoted offerings to their demons or nats. It was a picturesque site

among some tall Jutuli trees that threw a more or less mysterious shade

on the cleared space below, where there was a house some 830 x 12, of

the usual kind, and the skulls of buffalo here and there tied to the tree

stems, as relics of the feasts and offerings. Singphus are grossly supersti-

tious, and their entire belief seems to consist in a series of demons who

48 S E. Peal—Notes of a trip up the Dihing. [No, 1,

must be propitiated or evil results will follow. The slightest pain or sick-

ness, is considered the work of a Nat, and must be counteracted by an

oifering of eatables, a bad spleen will therefore cost a man of standing

seven or eight buffaloes, ere he is killed or cured himself, and the chances

of the latter are small.

Any ordinary native doctor should here make a fortune in a very

short time, as the people are ready to look on all drugs as charms, more or

less, and pay accordingly. In a rice flat west of Bishi we were warned to

look out for a wild male buffalo that was gradually becoming one of a herd

of tame ones, and which the Singphus soon intended to shoot for a feast ;

sure enough as we turned into a small flat of open land we saw about eight

or ten buffaloes, mostly lying down, one of these a male then got up and

stared at us, gradually but slowly moving off to the edge of the scrub,

where he disappeared when we were only about eighty yards off, the others

all remained. As an instance, where a large and usually very wild animal

can become more or less tamed, and semi-domestic, by associating with

tame cattle, it was a very good case, and noteworthy to naturalists.

The very marked difference towards eastern Asam especially between

the tame buffalo there, and in Bengal is due to the above, and that the

large wild males so often have access to the tame herds. The Bengali

tame buffalo indeed can be usually picked out at once ina mixed herd by

the degraded horns. Smaller, more curved down, and giving the frontal

region a rounder contour, the horns also are not so nearly in the plane of

the face and nose, less effectual as weapons in fact. When two male

buffaloes fight they first appear to circle around and take each other’s

measure. ‘Then suddenly with a rush collide, their heads held down and

face to the ground, the skulls meet with a fearful blow. ach then en-

deavours to force the other backwards using all their huge force and making

the sods and jungle fly. If well matched they struggle thus for some time

and endeavour to gore each other’s shoulders and neck, by lateral thrusts

of the horns, twisting the head round as they push, and this explains the

peculiar sweeping curve the horns have as (9.

Once turned, the victor pursues the vanquished for hours, if not a

whole day. At first, strength and weight are the elements in a buffaloe’s

favour, subsequently speed. The wild males in Asam are at times fully

twice the weight of an ordinary male as seen in Bengal.

After reaching Loang and pitching the camp, I wandered out north

for a sketch of Patkai if possible, but the distance all along was haze.

Coming home I saw some Singphus returning from “ Turong ku,’ whence

they had brought buffalo, and who found Patkai no difficulty. One of the

party, a native of Hukong, was particularly inquisitive, and a great opium

smoker.

1833. ] S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. i ae

The night was cold and windy with a little rain, the morning cold and

foggy tillll a.m. The men after eating tied a large bambu on each side

of the canoe to steady her at the rapids, and we packed up for departure :

some boxes and a tent, by four men, went off by land for Bisa, and were

to meet me there three days hence. We then embarked and after shooting

several rapids, found that two of the men in the boat were hardly equal

to emergencies ; so I landed them and several of the boxes that I desired

to keep dry, telling them to meet me at Bisa, and if possible overtake those

who had started first and recall the Kamti.

We therefore had only Thang as steersman, while self and servant were

in the bow, several rapids we shot thus, very well, though the pace was no

joke now and then, and I donned my swimming belt as precaution. At

one rapid we found a second shoot near the bottom, and taking Thang’s

advice kept to the left side, flying down it at speed, though we bumped

here and there. When near the bottom where the river suddenly turned

sharply to the right, we saw to our dismay a huge snag right across our

path, which he had forgotten, so using all my strength I ran her ashore in

a little bay at the side, striking the shingle with such force that the canoe

ran a long way upon it and we were all thrown out. ‘The stream, however,

had caught the stern, swung her round, ending in a capsize, just as we had

jumped up and were pushing her off. Luckily by pushing hard as she

rolled over she cleared the snag and was carried down the rapid. Running

along the bank we got ahead, waded in and caught her ; but no easy job to

hold and bring to shore. The lashings we found intact that had been passed

over the boxes tent &c., and the two guns were safe (for a wonder) ; in fact

very little was lost though everything was wet. While the other two got

some firewood, I opened a cartridge, rubbed some of the powder on piece

of the lining of my hat, which was dry, and with about quarter of a dram

powder fired it in the air, getting fire at once ; some dry leaves and grass

soon were blazing and the logs caught.

Afterwards we lit several roaring fires and hung everything we could

about to dry. My man at once started a kettle of tea and we got on very

fairly. Our great anxiety, however, was to dry our clothes ere night, as

rain threatened. Thang and I now got in more fuel while the servant got

me dinner.

From what he said there was no possibility of avoiding a spill, and the

Singphu’s belief was that if we had held on, the canoe would have jammed

under the snag and we should have lost all, and been unable to get her out.

Ere dark we had a good many things dry and rain came on at night. Karly

next day we again got big fires going and about 11 a. M. were surprised to

see the old Kamti, Lutak, our guide, and my Asamese “ Milbor” turn up.

Luckily for us the old. fellow was superstitious, and got quite uncomfort-

50 S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1,

able the night before, because one of the men had a dream that we had met

some disaster in the canoe, so he had started at dawn and hunted up-

stream and came upon us, quite expecting, as he said, all he saw, and heard.

For once I was thankful as to a “belief in dreams.” With their

help we got the bamboos relashed, everything again stowed, and embarked,

going down the first five or six rapids most carefully but getting more

confidence as we wenton. Certainly the way we shot some, was enough

to make any one hold his breath; there was little or no danger from

rocks: it was mainly from the speed and bumping on boulders, that

often threw the canoe violently aside, and at times the want of room

to turn suddenly where the stream rushed down a side channel. The ex-

citement was considerable, as often from the canoe we could not see the

proper channel lower down, where all was hidden by the frothy tops of

the small waves. There was hardly time to speak ; in fact, one could not

be easily heard with the rush of the water; and each time as we emerged

into the deep and agitated water below (going fully ten miles an hour),

we felt a relief. By and by we reached the rapid at the entrance to “ Buri

Dihing”’ and all got out, holding the canoe as we waded, and let her down,

each getting in as he came to the deep water. Now and then we hada

little trouble but gradually rapid after rapid was passed till we had come

down a distance that had taken us three days in going up, and camped at

one of the places we stopped at when coming up. Early next morning we

got off and again got over what had taken three days going up, camping

close to Bisa at Kherim Pani mouth.

At Jagon we got out and procured some rice as what we had been eat-

ing was bad, having got wet. We also found time to bargain for some

vegetables that we were much in need of.

At Bisa I received my dak (letters); and after the land party had

joined, I procured a second canoe and we all went down by water,

Nothing of moment occurred till we reached Bor Phakial, the Kamti

village above Makum, where I again stopped to see the Kunungs, and

men over from “ Mung Kamti.” They came and spent a day with me,

which enabled me to collect and verify a good deal of geographical matter,

and write a limited Kunung Vocabulary. These men are called “ Aung”

by the Chinese (so they say), and trade with them eastward. I observe

that these are the race that M. Desgodin locates there as ‘‘ Loutse,” and

says the Chinese call them ‘‘ A-nong ;” undoubtedly they are these people

who call themselves “ Kunnung” as did also Wilcox in 1827. They say

their tribes and villages are scattered all over the country from the Mli

kha and Mung Kamti, to the eastwards, and are not confined to the Mli

kha alone. They are celebrated as workers in iron which they smelt from

ore of two sorts, sandy, and in lumps, like stone.

1883. ] S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. 51

They extend somewhat to the north, and also a little southwards, and

have colonies in the valley of the Nam sang or Disang, the tributary of the

Trawadi about three days east of, and parallel to Mli kha. |

As the trip practically ended here I may as well summarise the results,

some of the information was new, and some of value as either corroborating

former reports, or useful for checking them. First as to the direct route

east up Dihing, or Diyun kha, past Bisa, Bishi, and Khomong for Mung

Kamti, I learnt that the route as far as I went, and possibly to Khomong,

was not so very difficult, was in fact much easier than I had expected as

far as the Dapha Pani, being in the main a wide flat valley, and not a

gorge.

From Khomong it is said to be ten days to Manchi, and the route

soon leaves the Dihing or Diyun, crossing Songsan group, though between

December and February snow may lie on the passes. This route or ‘ Song-

san bat,’’ then goes to, and down the “Mung lang kha” from which a

_ path leads north-east to Manchi, and the Mung Kamti villages. It is

' reputed easier than the Tsaurang bat route followed by Wilcox in 1827,

north of Phungan Boom, and also shorter. A difficulty on each being

that it is all uninhabited, and supplies for some ten days or so must be

carried. Indeed, now there are fewer villages than when Wilcox passed ; as

between Pen or Kusan, and Kbomong, while some five or six are mentioned

by him, there are none now. The signs of former population we saw pretty

often, and always where indicated on Wilcox’s map; though the names are

sometimes oddly spelt, thus his “Insoong” is the Nchong, “ Puseelah” is

Bisa-la, “ Koomkoor” is Kum-ku. At each of these there were villages in

1827, as also at Oglok and Lujong.

The want of villages is insisted on, by the Singphus and Kamtis them-

selves, as the greatest difficulty, as people must now travel fast and have

no time to spare, either to look for easier tracks, or improve those in use.

At the same time it is not so very long ago that these villages existed, and

that, “ Lall Chand Kyah”’ sold his wares on the Mbong yang plateau east

of Dapha Pani, as I am told.

This want of population (which is also a drawback on the route over

Patkai to Namyang for Hukong), does not exist to the same degree east

of the Mli kha, whence there are several routes east, over low hills,

then a central ridge, occasionally snowed, and down to the Disang or Sang

kha (called also Nam sang), a journey of some three days. Thence they

say the route crosses a range dividing this Disang from the Do ma or Nam

Do Mai, also a tributary if not the main stream, of the Irawadi, and which

is known under so many names.* Last of this there are ranges north and

* Shue mai, Sgin mai, Shuey mai, or Shoe mai, Zin mai Phung mai Kha, Myit

nge, Do Mai.

52 S. E. Peal—WNotes of a trip up the Dihing. [No. 1;

south that divide this river from another (evidently the Salwin) ; but none

of them had been so far, and they seemed to confuse the Salwin and the

Mikong together; traders, however, pass east and west across the tract

dividing them from the boundary of China.

According to these Kunungs and a Kamti who seemed well acquainted

with these matters, the Do mai is the same as the Shoe mai and a somewhat

larger stream than the Mli kha, or Sang kha, confirming the supposition of

Dr. Clement Williams, and the paper on this river by Dr. Anderson (read

before the R. Geographical Society some eight or ten years ago) in which

he fairly demonstrated it as the main source of the Irawadi. ‘This, and the

references thereto, in Mr. Jenkins’ paper and my former reports, seem to

have been overlooked by Mr. C. H. Lepper when lately claiming this as a

new discovery. There can be very little doubt but that Dr. Anderson is

right, that the Shoe mai kha rises in Tibet. The only doubt in my mind

was whether it was the lower portion (or not) of the river known north as

Nd kiang. Recent observations, however, by Gill, M. Desgodin and others

seem to prove that the Nu kiang and Salwin are rea!ly the same as shewn

on the map by M. Desgodin.

While on the matter of routes I may mention that the Kunungs re-

port routes north ; one of these men, indeed, had been that way into Tibet ;

another route from the Mli kha, led north-west towards Brahmakund, and

the Mishmi country. They could give me no information as to any from

their villages towards the north-east, though it may exist. Routes south

seem pretty numerous. People often come and go by them to Bamo and

the Shan states, also to Hukong.

It is a noteworthy fact, and one deserving careful attention that the

country lying east of Asam, between it and China, seems even in our day

so little known through the absence of traffic over it, that we cannot even

name the rivers in succession, with absolute certainty.

This is no doubt caused by the difficulties due to its peculiar fotmas

tion. It is situated at the south-east corner of the great Tibetan plateau, |

where the rivers converge, and have such a rapid fall, to the level of the

southern plains, in channels more or less parallel, that they have cut out

deep valleys and even gorges, extremely difficult to ford, or ferry, or bridge,

except by iron chains. very here and there the line of route, otherwise

not easy, is completely severed by a deep valley and gorge, and long detours

are necessary.

Here and there on this tract we see the iron chain bridges that demon-

strate the character of the obstacles, and that have successfully Jinked the

route fragments together so far. The local engineering capabilities,

however, are crude, and no doubt if longer spans were possible, these im-

passable gorges could be crossed at far more eligible sites for a route.

1883. | S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihing. 53

If one is ever feasible between Asam and say Atentse vid Mung Kamti

and the Lutze or Kunung country, it will be by the construction of a few

light wire bridges, at a few selected sites at present impassable.

Even in times long past, when both the Government and people of

China were, from religious motives, anxious to find easy routes to India

there was none known, over this short section. ‘Those used were the sea

route vid Quantung or Canton, the Straits, and the Bay of Bengal ; the other

_ was “the old route” through the northern deserts to Khoten and Kashmir.

In the Journal R. A. Society, October 1881, page 552, the Rev. S.

Beal, in an article on the “ Chinese Buddhist inscriptions found at Buddha

Gaya” gives a list of priests and others who travelled by these routes, and

are recorded by I-tsang, A. D. 671 to 690, (1,200 years ago). In one case

reference is made to a party who came over 500 years before, so that even

under far more favourable conditions and great inducements to find a solu-

tion to this problem in the far past, it remained insoluble. I attribute it

mainly to the gorges and river torrents that defied the engineering capacity

then available. Ifa route from Asam due eastward vid Mung Kamti is ever

feasible, it will be by means of light wire bridges at carefully selected points.

With the experiences of Gill, Baber, and others before us, it seems,

however, doubtful now if the game is really worth the candle. The difficul-

ty of getting out of Asam at the eastern extremity is one thing, that of

getting into China is quite another. The former I have drawn attention

to for some ten years as quite feasible, vid the Nongyang pass over Patkai ;

the latter has I fear been equally well demonstrated as the reverse, by

others who have actually passed over the country in question.

I may also here say that the idea of a “neutral zone,” surrounding

Asam on the east and south-east, must appear erroneous to most of those

who have studied this matter, and I observe that Mr. H. L. Jenkins is

ominously silent on it.

As far as the tracts lying to the east and south are concerned, I believe

them to be claimed by the king of Burma. It is not so very long ago that

the Burmese Woon, attempted to overreach us, and step over Patkai to

place his boundary north, onthe Namtsik. Burmese influence also in Mung

Kamti is equally assertive, and I heard complaints regarding it this last

time, so that we may rest assured that the Burmese will be the last to

admit Hukong as “ neutral,’ even though filled by various unruly clans

disclaiming their authority.

When making enquiry as to the comparative value of various routes,

east and south, I ascertained that the one from Makum vid Khomong to

Mung Kamti, east, was about equal in distance and difficulties to the one

from Makum via Naga hills to Hukong, (now commonly used and called

the Tirap route). The elevations too, were much the same, and we hence

54 S. E. Peal—Wotes of a trip up the Dihingq. [ No. 1,

get a clue to its feasibility. When examined on the map it will be seen

that this distance is about half the total on a direct line to Aten-tzu on

the Kinsha kiang. One-third of this total I had just seen, presented no

great obstacles, z. e., from Makum to the eastern end of the Mbong yang

plateau Longitude 96°45’ (near Khomong). Thence to Mung Kamti is

over the Songsan Boom with perhaps elevation of 8,000 feet. The Mli kha

valley is pretty level (see Wilcox also) and the hills east of it have passes at

about 3,000 feet leading to the Disang. Thus we know something of this

route for rather more than half the way, (¢. e., four-seventh) and only

about fifty miles remain, to join it to Gills’ route. But of this fifty miles

all I know, is, that it must cross the Shoemai, Salwin, and Mikong. It is

a great pity that Government has not finished up the survey of Asam even

within our own frontier, as far as Phungan Boom, and the head of the

Dihing valley, especially as there cannot possibly be any objection locally ;

and we have men such as Col. R. G Woodthorpe, R. E., thoroughly com-

petent and probably willing for the work ; were the Surveys on our own

side executed, it would go a long way towards simplifying this rather com-

plicated question.

The possibilities or otherwise, of opening a route from Asam either

direct to Aten-tzu, or vid Hukong to Tali fu, and western Yunan is one

thing, the advantages or otherwise of such routes compared to their

difficulties is another, and a matter I at present do not discuss, especially

after the late Capt. Gill, E. Colbourne Baber, and Colquhoun have so

emphatically denied the value. In the present I confine myself to the

borders of Asam eastwards and the passes and people around.

1883.]

‘ S. E

. Peal—Notes of a tri

rip up th Te

ip the Dihin

Some 4 d. . q-

cords in Kunung, 8. H

Vowel aas in Rat cpio davai

els. @as in Father u as 00 in

e as a in say. poor. i as ee, h .

One ch as tah. ai as in aisle

Two ti E aw as in awe

: a

Three en Fast a na Neck

” c

Four a vii a ae a Nail ia

Hive pines le. 3 ake

a i

os kru Father ‘ thee a gui

ven sve Fence a@ pal sa na@

Bigh ap Fin duen

ght a oe de gon Oil

Nine t kyat Wish tami 8 Opium Avie

Tie al gu Flo na chi Y

Twenty ti san F y Si. ‘i Plantain mae

anil san aa hi b Plough angu si

owl kh = 7 pung kang

Arm Frog a 2 Rain

Arrow Veh E eriand dri. Rice su wa

a pa ee mtr tane k Rivulet ? mé kum

sam jeng old if g kre Ri vang chit

Mong N Go kham ver ? ae: 1 tu

ORE. Gost tsen Road o sin de kha

oose obi ee pa ra

aba ma san Ha —

Bead { re sit : Hand. ae to jan pine Te hi

Bear re cit Head ie Eee ta ga va

Bellows im Hill a phe | ees ya

Big ‘s a Horse ar Jui a nam

Bird ga ba House Kj ng rang Small nya chan

Blood p@ chi in mee

Boat Bu Tron e ak

Bone kong si sam. EK :

Bo ra ga Jungl paake ie peer)

tyek Br? ar Snow bur

oem a Ri Son ta nan

panes ee, Ste Ana a chan

uffalo phan k’m ju Steel ka ni ta

nu ga Knif r’kom j

Cat Ri a aa ie" tsam and tsi

3 s gu met

China ning aw Tap aie si eae

Cloth om khe a sang Lead ta wa lap ri phala

Coal sl Leg age Tibet Ae

Crow warn Calf of le ma chi 40 : Chin

Countr posh Loom a phat T Ff kan

Cow ¥. ya ga yo ra ast ya me

pan su Man -sioaatil pa ii

Mat a sang ; :

a Milk pal ‘ea me

pee axe, } gam sum Mo nkey nung 2 (small) ee guba

Dax ran Moon xa Ww anne

aughter Maar j Moxon se la ge queel

ce n mai aeror tum la lu ys

, a ets es

8 gui Mount vig Wind nam nup pha

Mouth jin n

noe Woman am bung.

Wood ipsa shang

56 J. Cockburn—On the recent existence of Rhinoceros indicus. [No. 1,

IV.—On the recent existence of Rhinoceros indicus in the North Western

Provinces ; and a description of a tracing of an archaic rock pamting

Srom Mirzapore representing the hunting of this animal.—By Joun

CocKBuRN, Esq.

[With Plates VII and VIII.]

[Received 7th June—read Ist August, 1883.]

On the 5th of July 1881 while hunting in the ravines of the Ken river

two miles due south of the town of Banda, [ had the good fortune to dis-

cover the fossil remains of a rhinoceros.

My attention was first attracted by a number of minute fragments

of teeth which whitened the surface of a ridge. On closer examination I

clearly identified the outlines of the skull of a Rhinoceros, marked by a

faint trace of fragments of bone. A glance at the pattern of a fragment of

a molar satisfied me of the correctness of my identification ; and carefully

marking the spot, I returned next morning accompanied by J. La Touche,

Esq., the Collector, H. Miller, Esq., the Assistant Magistrate, and C. F.

Knyvett, Esq., the Superintendent of Police. These gentlemen with much

spirit, aided me, and we dug up an area of about 4 square feet with our own

hands till no further trace of bone occurred.

The appearance first presented was deceptive ; the inferior lateral half

of the skull was not perfect as might have been expected from the outline

observed, and all the bones were in a fragmentary condition.

The bones and teeth obtained were the ascending ramus of the left

inferior maxilla as far as the insertion of the last molar in four fragments ;

a fragment of the glenoid cavity of the right scapula; the right incisive

tusk nearly perfect ; several lower molars; and one perfect upper molar,

which I regret to say was much split and dropped to pieces, when it was

found impracticable to put it together again.

A large quantity of fragments of teeth together with some longitu-

dinally split pieces of the shafts of long bones were also obtained.

The presence of well defined cingulum on the upper molar led me

at first to suppose that the remains belonged to an extinct species, but

on carefully comparing the extremely fragmentary fossils in company

with Mr. Richard Lydekker, the remains were found to resemble those of

Ehinoceros indicus sufficiently closely to enable us to tentatively assign

them to that species.

R. namadicus to which species we might otherwise have assigned the

fossil is now admitted to be identical with R. indicus.

The mineral state of the fossil, the nature of the locality it was

obtained from, and the associated genera found in the Banda ravines closely

J. Cockburn.—Journal, As. Soc. Bengal. VoL LIT. Pt. IT. 1633

Lith, & Pmuted by W. Newinan & Co., Ld., Calcutta.

“a A SO Tk

18% 3.] J. Cockburn—On the recent ewistence of Rhinoceros indicus. 57

_ resemble the conditions under which Mr. Foote’s 2. decannensis was

; found.

| Immediately below the rhinoceros bones was a hard stratum, 4 feet

thick, which has yielded bones of Bos, Hguus, Portax, and antelope.*

_~* he rhinoceros bones were slightly impregnated with mineral matter and

_ studded with small nodules of kankar but not sufficiently so to imply

any great antiquity. Other fossil bones picked up in these ravines are

very highly impregnated with mineral matter possibly with a ferric base.

Within 4 feet of the rhinoceros bones I picked up several chert and shell

knives on the surface of the soil.

A molar of Rhinoceros indicus considered recent was obtained by

Mr. Bruce Foote in the alluvium of Madras and is remarked on by Mr,

Lydekker as “ very interesting as showing the former range of that species

far to the south of its present habitat, which Jerdon gives as the Terai

from Bhotan to Nepal.” (J. A.8. B. Part II for 1880, page 32.)

| Carefully weighing the facts I came to the conclusion that these re-

mains were not necessarily very ancient, and the split bones and shell and

chert implements were evidence to my mind that the animal had been

killed and cut up by savage man, at no remote period. Recently, (October

1881,) when asked by R. A. Sterndale, Esq., to contribute a chapter on

Rhinoceros for his forthcoming work—‘“ A Popular Natural History of the

Mammalia’’—describing £&. indicus I wrote as follows:

“Tt is probable that this Rhinoceros was found throughout the plains

of the North Western Provinces in unreclaimed spots as late as the fifth

or sixth century.”

According to the observations of Dr. Andrew Smith in South Africa

these huge pachyderms do not absolutely require for their support the

dense tropical vegetation we should think necessary to supply food to such

huge beasts.t Since marching through the forests of the Maharaja of

Benares in Keyra and noticing forest forms like Shorea, Tectona, Dias-

peros in alluvial country, their gradual disappearance when the humidity

is lowered by debasement and the substitution of forms like Butea and

Zizyphus characteristic of the scrubby jungles of the N. W. P., my ideas

on the subject have considerably enlarged. I was not aware at the time

that the Emperor Baber had recorded that he found both the rhinoceros

and elephant common under the walls of Chunar when he visited that

* A list of the fossil shells found by me in the same locality and presented

to the Indian Museum was given me by Mr. G. Neville, but I have unfortunately mis.

laid his letter.

t+ The tapir alluded to by General Cunningham as occurring on the sculptures

of the Bharhut stupa is a mythical rhinocerote. The pensile lip is tolerably charac-

teristic.

58 J. Cockburn—On the recent existence of Rhinoceros indicus. [No. 1,

fortress in 1529, never having had the good fortune to meet with a copy

of that rare work, Erskine’s “ Baber.”

The accompanying tracing of an archaic petroglyph from the Ghor-

mangur rock-shelter near the fortress of Bidjeygurh in the Mirzapore

district, testifies to the recent existence of the Rhinoceros over this tract.

This drawing is of surpassing interest not so much on account of the

portrait of this huge animal fast receding before civilization, and practically

extinct in continental India—or of the vivid and spirited hunting scene

probably many centuries old which it recalls, as owing to the clear and char-

acteristic manner in which the spears used are depicted.

These spears I consider to have been made of wood and stone only.

The reasons for this conclusion will be stated further on.

Admirably executed drawings of Bos arni, Bos gaurus, Rhinoceros,

Elephas, &c. occur in most of the rock shelters in the neighbourhood and at

first sight might be supposed to be of great antiquity, but it appears to me

that they need not be more than 300 years old, if not less. For if the

rhinoceros and elephant were found near Chunar on the banks of the Ganges

in 1529 they were probably more numerous at the same time and continued

to exist later, on the banks of the Sone where these shelters occur, a country

yet covered with forests harbouring the tiger, bear and sambar.

Granting the possibility of these drawings being comparatively mo-

dern, we find ourselves face to face with the astounding conclusion that the

“stone age” has but recently passed away among the aborigines of the

Kymores.

A. state of stone culture calls up a host of anthropological questions ;

but before going further I may mention that I had long before come

to the conclusion that the aborigines of the Kymores were in a stone age

as late as the 10th century A. D. The remarkable piece of sculpture from

Kalinjar, now in the Indian Museum, which was supposed in the short

note by H. J. Rivett-Carnac, Esq. (read by me before the Society, P. A.S. B.

January, 1883,) to represent an aborigine armed with a stone axe is possibly,

from the absolute identity of the axes and chert implements found in the rock

shelters of Mirzapore and on the surface in the vicinity of Kalinjar, intend-

ed to represent one of the same race as those who hunted the rhinoceros in

Mirzapore.

The tracing of the rhinoceros hunt Plate [VII] is a faithful tracing

of a petroglyph in the Ghormangur cave in Pergunnah Bidjeygurh of the

Mirzapore District.

This cave was visited by me on the 17th of March 1883. Its exact

position is two miles due south of Mow Kullan bridge, and within three

miles of the celebrated fortress of Bidjeygurh, and five of the river Sone.

This rock shelter has the appearance of a huge mushroom. It isa

1883. ] J. Cockburn—On the recent existence of Rhinoceros indicus. 59

_ gigantic boulder, the remnant of some rocky ridge with the sides scooped

_ out by atmospheric agency for three-fourths of its circumference leaving

a huge central pedestal or stalk on which the drawings have been executed.

f The drawings are in the usual red pigment which was generally

_ hematite, pieces of which were dug up in caves. This was probably mixed

with animal fat and laid on with a fibrous brush, while the outlines were

executed with a pointed stick.

These drawings are as a rule in tolerable preservation probably owing

to the fact that they have been protected from the weather by the situa-

tion of the cave.

The first drawing of a rhinoceros observed by me was in a shelter about

400 yards south of the camping ground at the village of Roup in Pergunnah

Burhur. It was at this village that Dr. Hooker camped on the 3rd of:

March 1848, (See Him. Jour, Vol. I, p. 60) and its position is plainly

marked on the map that accompanies his work. The sketch was about 3”

Jong, and I am not ashamed to confess that I did not recognise the animal

at the time, probably unconsciously deeming it incredible that the animal

could have occurred here. The following extract bearing on the subject

is from my note book.

“February 9th.—There is a group of three men attacking a boar

whose tusk is planted on the tip of his nose like the horn of a rhinoceros.

Two of the men who are in advance wear short skirts, but the form of their

lance heads is on too small a scale to be defined. Attacking him from the

rear is the obliterated figure of a man ona large scale, and the form of

lance-head he is using plainly indicates the chip spear.”

The next step in the process of the discovery is detailed below in an

extract from my note book.

“March 14th.—Harni Harna cave near Bidjeygurh. There are nu-

merous well executed drawings of Sambar hinds identified by the stag along-

side, but the most remarkable drawing is what looks much like a rhinoceros

hunt. The drawing is much injured ; there are traces of six men (whose

uplifted arms are evidently discharging spears) pursuing an animal, which

the evidence of my senses compels me to say resembles a rhinoceros. The

horn is perfectly represented, and had not half an inch more of the

snout scaled away, I should have been able to identify the animal with

certainty.”

The same night in a foot note to the notice of their Roup cave, I

remarked.—“ Having since found several drawings of boars with the tusko

in the right position I consider it improbable that men who represented

animals so accurately as these savages, would have drawn a boar’s tusko,

thus (on the top of the nose). This may be evidence in favour of the animal

seen to-day in the Harni Harna cave being a rhinoceros.” Knowing I was

60 J. Cockburn—On the recent existence of Rhinoceros indicus. [No. 1,

in a promising locality, I strained every nerve to find a more perfect draw-

ing, walking twenty miles a day, and undergoing more fasting and privation

than the most enthusiastic votary of superstition.

The question no longer admits of doubt for the animal in the draw-

ing now exhibited is as plainly a rhinoceros as the objects around it are

men.

On the 17th of March I had the good fortune to be shown to the

Ghormangur cave which is well-known to the Kol and Gond wood-cutters

in the locality, though they were quite ignorant of the fact that scores

of other caves with paintings existed higher up the bluff. This cave

is called the Ghormangur or horse cave, and was said to contain

drawings of horses, but I was quite unable to find a single drawing of

the horse although this animal is not uncommonly depicted in other

caves.

I may now proceed to a description of the sketch [Pl. VII,] which is

a faithful tracing taken by brushing tissue paper with kerosine oil to render

it transparent securing it on the rock with pellets of wax and going over

the lines with a blue pencil, The kerosine oil afterwards readily evaporates

on exposure to the air.

A group of six men have-attacked a rhinoceros identified at present

with . zndicus.* One of these the animal has tossed with his horn and

the position of the man sprawling in the air is comically like our own draw=

ings of people tossed. A man wearing an unusually large head-plume who

is in the rear has tried to draw the animal off by plunging his spear into its

hind-quarters. His attitude indicates that he has thrown his entire weight

into the thrust.

In front of the enraged animal are two men, the lower of whom in an

attitude highly indicative of action, has what appears to be a simple spear

of hardened wood with two supplementary barbs, levelled at the animal’s

breast. The upper of these two figures has nothing remarkable about him,

his head-plume differs slightly, and he seems to be armed with the ordinary

triangular-headed spear with two supplementary barbs which is found

throughout these cave drawings.

* The sentence in Jerdon’s Mammals, p. 234 under BR. sondaicus ‘ One of these

species formerly existed on the banks of the Indus where it was hunted by the Em-

peror Baber,’ has been usually considered by subsequent writers to allude to

R. sondaicus. I am strongly inclined to think that the species hunted by Baber was

R. indicus. Yam not aware what authority Jerdon had for saying that R. sondaicus was

found on the northern range of the Rajmahal Hills near the Ganges, but have a faint

recollection of seeing some such statement in an old Indian sporting publication.

Ball questions the fact. It is, however, unfortunately but too true that neither

Blyth nor Jerdon knew R. sondaicus, Blyth having named a characteristic stuffed

specimen of R. indicus as R. sondaicus. Blyth Cat. M. M. A. 8, No. 460 A.

ee a

1883.] J. Cockburn—On the recent existence of Rhinoceros indicus. 61

Only one of these men appears to be absolutely naked, the others

appear to have on a short kilt which is elsewhere represented in this cave

and may have resembled the fringed kilts commonly worn by savages in

all parts of the world.

All save two it may be noted wear head-plumes, a characteristic of

savages although our field marshals might demur to this statement. In

the hindmost individual this plume is of unusual size. An examination

of a head 3” long in which the plume is plainly shown leads me to believe

these plumes were coloured feathers and other objects worked into a queue

or scalp lock somewhat similar to those indulged in by the Nagas and

North American Indians at the present day. The lines which occupy the

head and body of the rhinoceros I have noticed elsewhere. They may

be intended to represent the segments into which this animal almost

appears to be divided by the overlapping coat of mail, but are more pro-

bably a conventional way of filling up blank space in adrawing. There are

a few other objects of interest in this cave which have not been noticed

elsewhere. In the hand of a plumed individual to the left of the rhinoceros

hunt is a spear valuable as being drawn ona somewhat large scale and

being in a very perfect state of preservation. [See Plate VII.]

This spear closely resembles the mongile or double-barbed spear which

is a favourite pattern with the modern Australians and Polynesians, and is

always cut out of solid hard heavy wood.*

A very similar spear but with eight such barbs is figured by Brough

Smith, in his Aborigines of Victoria. [PI. VIII, F.§

It occurs to me at this stage that I have not yet brought forward the

evidence, which has led to so bold a hypothesis regarding the material of

which these spears are made and will do so now.

Stone-tipped implements of three kinds are, I consider, figured in the

various caves I have hitherto examined, viz : spears, arrows and stone knives ;

but it must not be inferred from this that iron implements are wanting.

* With reference to the efficiency of wooden and stone spears for destroying large

mammalia, it may not be generally known that an Australian savage has been

seen not only to transfix but nail a man to a tree at 80 yards with a wooden

chip spear thrown by the womerah.

They readily kill Macropus major, cows and even horses belonging to the settlers

with these weapons and even the mighty whale succumbs to a slate harpoon-head in

the hands of an Esquimaux.

Nearer home the Naga panjie which will penetrate any living thing shews how

effective pointed bamboo may be. It is more than probable that some of the spears

here represented were of bamboo. The bamboo found in the vicinity of Bedjeygurh

is valued at the present day for spear shafts and latties beyond all others, and having

had my own hog spears shafted with it I can testify to its superiority.

62 J. Cockburn—On the recent existence of Rhinoceros indicus. [No. 1,

On the contrary almost every cave contains well defined drawings of

iron implements which form one of the best proofs I have that the other

implements so closely resembling those of modern savages were made of

stone and wood.

For example, in a painting in a cave at Lohri I found what is an

iron-headed spear [Pl]. VIII B] But in this very shelter occurs also a

drawing of a man spearing a stag sambar with a weapon, which is similar

to one represented in the Likunia rock-shelter, and which I am convinced

every anthropologist will be prepared to accept asa non-metal weapon.

[Pl. VIII, E] Another form of iron spear head, not uncommonly found

in the hands of horsemen, is a typical form not unlike a lozenge-shaped

form of head yet used among ourselves. [Pl. VIII, A.]

The metal arrow-heads here and there observed [Pl. VIII, C] are as

obviously of metal* as the pike staves of the spears are of wood.

Lastly, I may mention that the foreigners usually represented in these

drawings are often armed with round shields and curved sabres which

apparently differ in no wise from the modern tulwar. I have also to state

that I have actually found a portion of an iron arrow-head in a cave.

The best evidence we can have in support of the idea that the drawings

above alluded to represent stone weapons is the fact that stone implements

occur in abundance in the soil of the caves mingled with the identical

material with which the drawings were executed.

The spear head D [Pl. VIII.] is I believe intended to represent a

wooden spear as it is yet a favourite pattern with savages. <A painting in

the Lickunia rock shelter near Shahgunge represents a man about to spear

a hind. The weapon in his hand referred to above is a spear with a broadly

angular head followed by nine barbs. [Pl. VILI, E] The aboriginal Austra-

lians in smoked bark-drawings, and doubtless in caves, represent their stone

spears in a manner so very similar to this drawing [See Pl. VIII, G]

that I have no hesitation in expressing my opinion, that the similar weapons

represented in the Mirzapore rock shelters were headed with stone, wood

and bone, convinced as I am that further researches will abundantly prove

the truth of this theory whatever the age of the drawings may be.

No modern form of iron spear-head resembling E is known to me.

In a single instance I have observed, that the huge sword-shaped blade

of the Naga spear was followed by two supplementary barbs which were

of a piece with the blade.

The Andamanese not uncommonly whip on two or three supplementary

iron or bone barbs to their pig arrows, but these latter are not usually

in pairs but alternate.

* Specimens of this type made of iron are in the Indian Museum.

1883.] J. Cockburn—On the recent existence of Rhinoceros indicus. 63

Both these Tribes have not long passed out of a stone age and the

persistence of the custom points to the fact of their having used many

barbed spears in other material at no distant period.

A multibarbed form of copper harpoon or spear-head appears to have

been used in India during what here corresponds to the Bronze Age.

Three such harpoon-heads were ploughed up in a field in the Mainpuri

District of the Gangetic Duab, associated with flat copper celts and copper

bangles. [See P. A. S. B. 1868, pp. 251-262. |

The celts were of exactly the same type as one found in a Buddhist

mound at Muttra by General Cunningham (Arch, Surv. of India, Vol. II,

p. 16). One of these copper spear-heads is now in the collection of the

Indian Museum, and two other similar specimens were in the Allahabad

Museum when I was Curator of that Institution.

The specimen in the Indian Museum is well worn on the first barb by

grinding and has two eyelets at the base. The short thick truncated

rounded tang in all three specimens favours the idea that they were fixed in

a shifting socket as the Andamanese pig arrow is at the present day. They

were not therefore necessarily harpoons for spearing aquatic creatures.

A larger and different form of copper spear-head, said to be from

Bithur ? near Cawnpore) is also in the collection of the Indian Museum.

It has three pairs of blunt rounded supplementary barbs below the

blade. J am not disposed to think that the broadly triangular head and

fine sloping lines of the barbs of the cave-spears were intended to repre-

sent either of these forms in copper. The great number of barbs on the

cave-spear adds much to the probability of these barbs having been of

stone.

A peculiar class of angular flakes [P]. VIII, H] very common in

these caves were I would suppose let into grooves in wood as shown in the

restoration of a stone spear [ Pl. VIII, I.]

I cannot here refrain from stating that this discovery is entirely due to

the liberality of H. Rivett-Carnac, Esq., C. S.,C. I. E., F. S. A. without

whose constant aid I should neither have been able to find the caves nor write

this paper.

Note to the above,

Two important objections might fairly occur to a critic after reading the above.

First, that Baber’s identification of the rhinoceros at Chunar in 1529 is at the best

doubtful. Secondly, that the occurrence of the rhinoceros in the vicinity of Chunar

would imply the presence of forests there, whereas the district now is semi-arid.

With regard to the first objection I would point out that Baber was previously

acquainted with the rhinoceros. His description of the rhinoceros hunted by his son

on the banks of the Indus is most accurate, and leaves no room for doubt as to the

genus of the animal he described. He compares the folds of its skin to housings and

its internal anatomy to that of the horse, a fact which subsequently required the

64 J. Cockburn—On the recent existence of Rhinoceros indicus. [ No. 1,

genus of Cuvier to detect. "With regard to the second objection as to the existence of

forests in the vicinity, there is in my opinion ample evidence to show that tree

forests existed not only near Chunar, but right through the Gangetic Duab as high as

Cawnpore till the 16th century and later.

It requires same abstraction to conceive that this now semi-arid region largely

productive of reh and usar was covered with forest so recently, but such was without

doubt the case. Wild elephants are stated in the Ayeen Akbari to have been found

near Kalinjar in Banda, in Kuntil, in Mirzapore, Kurrah Manickpore, in Allahabad and

Chunar. These points define a former forest tract throughout which stone implements

occur.

Rhinoceros indicus, it may be noted, frequents grass by preference, while Rhinoceros

sondaicus is a forest and mountain loving species. But the habitat of R. indicus

at the present day, the great grass jungles on the banks of the Brahmaputra, and

those of the Himalayan terai are in either case bordered by forest, in which the

rhinoceros is occasionally found, and seeks refuge when pursued, In the occurrence

of both the rhinoceros and elephant near Chunar in 1529 there is evidence that

extensive forests did exist in the immediate vicinity of the river’s bank; for granting

that the rhinoceros did frequent the heavy grass which was certain in places to

have covered the alluvium within the immediate influence of the great river, such

would not have been the case with the elephant, for the food of Hlephas indicus consists

of succulent leaves, shoots and twigs, and it requires large tracts of forest to maintain

itself; differing in this respect from its African ally. We have, however, the evidence

of a modern Englishman which shows that my supposition regarding the bordering

forest is correct. Capt. Blunt who marched from Chunar to Ellora in 1795 records

that a ‘‘thick forest’ existed between the Jurgo nadi below Chunar and Suktesgurh,

(Asiatic Researches, Vol. VII, 1801, p 57 .) The Chinese Pilgrim who in the 7th century

marched from Allahabad to Kosim stated that he passed for several days through a

vast forest infested with wild bulls. I have marched by what is considered by General

Cunningham the same route, and was struck by the absence of vegetation, and the

prevalence of reh. Bits of dhak jungle (Butea) scattered over this tract may be the

remains of what was once a forest. ‘This growth everywhere in the N. W. P. appears

to replace true forest forms, once the conditions necessary for their existence are

altered.

The change effected in the climate has undoubtedly been great, and everywhere

in the plains of the N. W. P. dried watercourses and rivulets, barren ravines, and saline

efflorescence, attest to the slow but certain progress of aridity and exhaustion,

As regards the precise locality where the drawing of the rhinoceros hunt was found,

sal forests yet exist there in patches, and the occurrence of numerous characteristic

drawings of the Bison (B. gawrus,) a forest loving animal, renders it nearly certain that

primeval forest existed at the time. In the swamps engendered by these forests I

would suppose the rhinoceros depicted to have lived. Both R. sondaicus and R. swma-

trensis frequent what must be very similar localities at the foot of the Garo, Khassia

and Naga hills where I was informed by the late Major C. R. Cock that he had seen

both species.

The cover frequented by the rhinoceros seen by Baber on the banks of the Indus

would better be discussed by some one more familiar with the Province than I am,

but there is much probability that forests harbouring elephants existed at the period of

the invasion of Semiramis.

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JOURNAL

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL.

—o—-

Part II.—NATURAL SCIENCE.

Nos. II, HI & IV.—1883.

V.—On new and little-known Rhopalocera from the Indian region.

By LionEL DE NICE'VILLE.

[Received and read the 7th March, 1883.]

[ With Plates I, IX and X.]

Family NYMPHALIDA.

Subfamily NyMpPHALINA.

1. Hesrina zeta, (Plate I, fig. 2, ?.)

Hestina zella, Butler, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1869, p. 9 (with a woodcut), male ;

id., Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1882, p. 240.

Mr. Butler in describing the male of this species, but not knowing the

exact locality from whence it was obtained, stated that ‘ it is remarkable

as being an excellent mimic of Danais juventa, a widely distributed and

tolerably common East Indian and Oceanic species.”” Danais (fadena)

juventa is certainly superficially very similar in markings to H. zella, but

according to present knowledge it does not occur in the N.-W. Himalayas,

being in fact confined to the islands of Java, Lombock and Billiton as far

as Tam aware. Nor is there any other common Danais occurring in the

same region as H. zel/a that it could mimic, except it be D. limniace. It

at once struck me when capturing the female here figured on the forest-clad

road between Chumba and Kujiah on the 22nd May, 1879, that it was an

excellent mimic both in the slow and sailing mode of its flight and

in general appearance of Metaporia caphusa, Moore (Proce. Zool. Soc. Lond.

1872, p. 564), which is an exceedingly common butterfly in the Spring

in many parts of the outer N.-W. Himalayas, and is doubtless a protected

species. It is more probable that our H. ze//a mimics the Pieris rather

66 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

than a Danais, especially as on the underside both species are washed with

yellow on the hindwing, which the Danais are not.

The female has not been described. It differs from the male (known

to me by Butler’s description and figure only) in being considerably larger,

both wings broader, and the outer margin of the forewing less emarginate.

Expanse 3°4 inches. It is not a common species apparently, though Mr.

Moore in describing Mr, Hocking’s collection gives for it “ Kangra district

generally.”

Family LYCHANIDA.

2. LiycmnaP LEELA, n. sp. (Plate I, figs. 3, ¢ ; 3 a, 2.)

Has, Ladak.

EXxpansE: 1'1 to 1'2 inches.

Description. Marz. Uppersipe, both wings blackish, powdered

up to the discal rows of spots with metallic pale green scales. ore-

wing with a prominent black white-encircled spot at the end of the cell,

and a discal curved series of five (in one specimen) or six (in two speci-

mens) whitish spots, with indistinct dark centres. Hindwing with a spot

closing the cell, less prominently black than in the forewing, a white spot

placed outwardly above it, and four spots on the disc, whitish. UNDERSIDE,

greyish-white, pale brown on the disc of both wings, and the base pale

greenish. Horewing with a spot in the middle of the cell, a large one clos-

ing it, a discal series of six or seven spots, of which the two lower ones are

smaller than the rest and (when both are present) geminate; all black with

prominent white margins; the outer margin almost pure white with an

indistinct series of spots. Hindwing with a spot below the costa near the

base, a very large spot at the end of the cell, a very irregular discal series

of seven spots, and a marginal double series of coalescing lunules, white.

Cilia very long and white. FErmMate. Uppersinn, both wings deeper colour-

ed, with a few scattered pale greenish metallic scales at the base only.

Forewing with the discal series of spots prominently centred with black,

and variable in number from four to six. Hindwing with the spots smaller

and less prominent than in the male. UNpeErsrpe variable in tone of colour,

being much darker in some specimens (including the type specimen figured)

than in others, the discal markings sometimes blurred and running into the

pale margin beyond, otherwise much as in the male.

Closely allied to Polyommatus ellist, Marshall (Journ. A. S. B., vol.

li, pt. ii, p. 41, pl. iv, fig. 4 1882), male, but the male differing from

the type specimen of that species now before me in having the apex and

the outer margin of the forewing more rounded, in P. ellisz the apex is acute,

and the outer margin straight ; the upperside of both wings paler in colour

and more broadly irrorated with greenish scales, the discal spots more

numerous, the markings on the underside throughout more prominent, and

with an additional spot in the cell of the forewing. The colouring of the

1883.] —L. de Nieéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera, 67

figure of P. ellist is much too vivid, the metallic colouring of the base of

the wings and the body is a very pale green.

Lycena wosnesenskii, Ménétriés, (Cat. Mus. Petr., Lep , vol. i, pp. 58,

and 95, no. 964, pl. iv, fig. 6 1855), is also a closely allied species, the

upperside being figured with the apex of the forewing very acute, the figure of

the underside showing it quite rounded. Itis recorded from “ Kamtchatka.”

This species was found by me only on passes; the female figured was

taken near the top of the Zoji-la on the Ladak side at about 11,000 feet

elevation on June 27th, 1879; on July 2nd seven specimens of both sexes

on the Mamyika Pass, Ladak, 18,000 feet; and lastly, on July 8rd seven

more specimens on the Fotu-la, Ladak, at about the same elevation.

The next seven species described and figured belong to the puspa

group of the genus Cyaniris of Dalman, described by Moore at page 74 of

his “ Lepidoptera of Ceylon.” As these species are all more or less closely

_ allied, a few preliminary remarks regarding them may perhaps be of inter-

est, and enable entomologists to separate them more easily, which remarks are

perhaps best embodied in a key.

Key to the males of certain species of Cyaniris allied to puspa.

A, Upperside without any pure white or irrorated white patches.

C. PLAcIDA.

B. Upperside with irrorated white patches more or less prominent on both wings,

sometimes obsolete on the hindwing.

a. With the black border of the forewing very narrow, not reaching the

hinder angle or obsolete, leaving the anteciliary black thread only;

no black border to the hindwing.

C,. DILECTUs.

4b. With the black border of the forewing broader, especially at the apex ;

hindwing with a somewhat narrower similar border.

a, The markings on the underside small and regular.

C. IYNTEANA,

61, The markings on the underside much larger and placed irregu-

larly.

C. PUSPA.

e. With the black border of the forewing a little broader still, perceptibly

broader in the hindwing, apex of forewing more produced than in

C. puspa.

C. TRANSPECTUS.

C. Upperside with pure white patches on both wings.

a. A small patch on both wings, outer black margins very wide, markings

on the underside usually exactly as in C. puspa.

C. MARGINATA.

6. Patches large on both wings, outer black border of the forewing less wide

than in C. marginata, and not reaching the hinder angle; no black

border to the hindwing ; markings on the underside very small and

regular,

C, ALBOCERULEUS.

68 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

O. akasa, C. lavendularis, C. lanka, OQ. singalensis, and C. limbatus all

apparently belong to this group, but the absence of specimens makes it

impossible to place them in their proper places in the key.

8. CYANIRIS PLACIDA, n. sp. (Plate I, fig. 8, g.)

C. placida, Moore, MW. S.

Has. Sikkim; Sibsagar, Upper Assam (S. H. Peal).

Expanse: ¢, 1'1 to 14 inches,

Description: Mate. UPpersipe, both wings rather deep lavender

blue. orewing with the costa very narrowly, and the outer margin more

widely but decreasingly to the hinder angle black. Hindwing narrowly

black, the inner edge of the black border lunulated, sometimes reduced to

black spots between the nervules, and a black anteciliary line. UNDEKSIDE,

both wings white, slightly tinted with blue. Forewing with a fine disco-

cellular streak defined outwardly with whitish ; a discal series of five or

six more or less irregularly shaped and placed spots; a submarginal lunu-

lated line, marginal spots and anteciliary line. Hindwing with three sub-

basal black spots; a faint slender disco-cellular line ; a discal very sinuous

series of eight spots, the upper one on the costa and the lower one on the

abdominal margin deep black and the most distinct ; marginal markings as

on the forewing. Cilia white on both sides. |

Next to C. puspa, this seems the commonest Cyansris in Sikkim; I

took it at various elevations in October, and Mr. Otto Moller has taken it

in large numbers in the Spring. The males are very constant, but I have

not seen the female.

C. placida is very close to, if not identieal with, the Lycena cagaya

of Felder (Reise Novara, Lep., p. 278, no. 347, pl. xxxiv, figs. 11,12 4, 18

¢, 1865, from Luzon). In C. cagaya the marginal spots on the upperside

of the hindwing in the male are more prominent than in C. placida.

4, CYANIRIS DILEcTUS. (Plate I, fig. 5,4.)

Polyommatus dilectus, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1879, p. 189.

Has. Simla; Nepal; Sikkim; N. Cachar; Sibsagar, Upper Assam

(8. E. Peal) ; and Upper Burma (brought by the Yunan Expedition).

ExpansE: 6,1°05 to 1:40; $, 85 to 1°85 inches.

Description: Mate. UPpersipe, both wings pale blue, with a very

fine black anteciliary line, which towards the apex of the forewing in some

specimens becomes slightly diffused inwardly. Forewing with a patch of

irrorated white scales on the disc below the cell and between the median

nervules, very prominent in some specimens, obsolete in others (as in the

Sikkim specimen figured). Mzndwing with a similar patch, but placed be-

ie tl

eso.

1883. ] L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 69

tween the second median nervule and costal nervure, and almost reaching the

apex. UNDERSIDE, both wings asin C. alboceruleus, but with a more or less

prominent submarginal series of dusky lunules. FrMaty. UPPERSIDE

almost as in C. alboceruleus, but the outer margin less broadly black, the

basal area glossed with very bright metallic blue, not unmetallic pale laven-

der-blue as in the latter species ; the disco-cellular streak more prominent.

Hindwing with the submarginal series of round dusky prominent spots

inwardly defined by bluish lunules. UnbDERSIDE as in the male.

Both sexes of this species were taken by me in the neighbourhood of

Simla, most frequently on Tawa Devi, also at different elevations in Sikkim

in October. Mr. Otto Moller has also taken males in large numbers in

Sikkim at low elevations in the Spring.

Figure 5a of Plate Irepresents what is now believed by me to be the

female of O. puspa from Simla, but which was at first mistaken for the

female of C. dilectus,

5. CYANIRIS IYNTEANA, n. sp. (Plate I, fig. 7,3; 7a, 2.)

C. iynteana, Moore, H. 8S.

Has. Sikkim ; Shillong.

EXpanse: 6,1:05 tol'4; 2, ‘9 to 1:25 inches.

Description: Matz. Uvpprrsipe, both wings somewhat deep laven-

der-blue. Horewing with the outer margin, widest at the apex, sometimes

reduced to a point at the hinder angle, dusky black ; an indistinct disco-

cellular streak sometimes absent; and the disc between the median nervules

just beyond the cell irrorated with white scales in some specimens. -Hind-

wing with the outer margin dusky-black, its inner edge lunulated. In

some specimens the apical area is obscurely irrorated with white. UNprER-

SIDE, both wings pale grey. Horewing witha pale brown slender disco-

cellular streak, a discal series of five similar spots, of which the upper one

is much out of line, being placed nearer to the base of the wing; a sub-

marginal lunulated line and marginal spots very pale brown ; the usual fine

anteciliary black line. Hindwing with three subbasal black spots; a

slender brown discoecellular streak ; a very sinuous discal series of nine

spots; marginal markings as on the forewing. FEmMate. UpprrsipE,

forewing with all but the middle of the dise (which is white glossed with

irridescent blue) black ; a disco-cellular black spot. Hindwing blackish,

white in the middle, glossed with blue, and along the veins irrorated

with black scales ; a submarginal series of pale lunules. UNpbzERsIDE marked

exactly as in the male,

Four male and two female specimens of this species were taken by me

at different elevations in Sikkim in October. The males differ in size, in

, the absence in two of them of the white patch on the disc of the forewing

70 ~—L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

on the upperside, and also in the width of the marginal black border,

which in some specimens disappears at the hinder angle. The underside is

very constant, all the spots and markings being very small and distinct.

6. CYANIRIS TRANSPECTUS. (Plate I, fig. 6, # ; 6a, 9.)

Polyommatus transpectus, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1879, p. 139.

Hazs. Sikkim; Khasi Hills.

ExpanseE: @, 95 to 1:4; %, 1:20 to 1:35 inches.

Descrrprion: Mate. UppersipE, both wings lavender-blue. Fore-

wing with the costal margin somewhat broadly, and the outer margin very

broadly, especially at the apex, dusky black: a patch of irrorated white

scales on the disc between the third median nervule and submedian nervure,

obsolete in some specimens. Hindwing with a broad even outer black

border, somewhat divided by a series of bluish lunules, which are most pro-

minent at the anal angle, and often enclose black spots. Unprrsipz, both

wings white, slightly tinted with blue. Forewing with a slender dusky

disco-cellular streak, a discal series of six elongate spots, arranged in a

regular sinuous line in some specimens (as in the female figured), or in

others more irregularly (as in the male figured) ; a submarginal lunular line,

a marginal series of linear spots, and a fine anteciliary line. Hindwing

with the spots arranged as in C. puspa but they are less prominent, those

on the margin reduced to linear marks. Ozlia white on both sides in both

sexes. Frmate. UPPERSIDE, both wings very deep blue, almost black.

Forewing with a broad pure white patch from near the subcostal nervure to

the inner margin, a prominent disco-cellular streak, and the base thickly

irrorated with deep blue scales. Hindwing with the outer margin rather

less deeply blue than in the forewing, and bearing a series of pale lunules

including black spots, the dise white but irrorated towards the abdominal

margin with blue scales, as is also the base of the wing. In some speci-

mens the white area on both wings is much restricted, appearing on the

hindwing only at the middle of the costal margin. UNDERSIDE as in the

male.

Both sexes of this species were taken by me at different elevations in

Sikkim in October, there are specimens also in Mr. Otto Moller’s collection

taken in the Spring.

7. CYANIRIS MARGINATA, n. sp. (Plate I, fig. 9, g.)

C. marginata, Moore, HM. 8.

Has. Sikkim.

EXxpanse: ¢, 1'45 inches.

Description: Mair. Uprersipe, both wings highly irridescent deep

lavender-blue. forewing with the costal margin including the upper halt |

1883.] L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. Zt

of the cell, and the outer margin, widely, especially at the apex, black ; ‘a

patch of pure white scales on the disc outside the cell between the lower

discoidal and first median nervules ; a black disco-cellular streak. Hindwing

with the costal and outer margins broadly black, including a submarginal

lunular series of bluish marks, obsolete in some specimens except at the

anal angle; a patch of pure white scales above the discoidal nervule.

UnpersipE, both wings white, slightly tinted with blue. Forewing with a

disco-cellular blackish streak, a discal series of six large very irregularly

shaped and’ placed spots, a submarginal lunular line and marginal linear

spots blackish ; a black anteciliary line. Hindwing with three subbasal

spots, a disco-cellular streak, and irregular discal series of eight to ten

spots: marginal markings as in the forewing. OZziia white on both wings

on both sides.

Three males of this species were taken by me on the Darjiling cart-road

at about 5,000 feet elevation in October. There isasingle male in Mr. Otto

Moller’s collection taken on Senchal, Sikkim, at about 8,000 feet elevation,

in August, and another taken at a low elevation in December.

8. CYANIRIS ALBOCHRULEUS. (Plate I, figs. 4, do; 4a, 9.)

Polyommatus alboceruleus, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc, Lond., 1879, p. 139.

Has. Simla; Deyra Doon; Nepal; Sikkim.

ExpanseE: 6, 1'°2 and 14; 9$,1°35 inches.

Description: Mate. UPpeErsipE pure pearly white. Forewing with

the outer margin broadly at the apex and decreasingly towards the hinder

angle dusky black, this black border being reduced to a very fine black line

at the hinder angle; the base, broadly along the costa and inner margin

and within the outer black band pale clear shining blue, thus Jeaving a

patch of the white ground-colour on the dise of the wing only. Hindwing

with the base and abdominal half of the wing irrorated with very pale

shining blue ; the spots of the underside showing through slightly on the

disc ; an indistinct marginal series of dusky spots, and a fine anteciliary

black line. UNbrERsIDE, both wings white, slightly tinted with blue.

Forewing with a slender blackish disco-cellular streak, a curved discal series

of five or six elongate spots, and a marginal series of very indistinct small

spots, obsolete at the hinder angle. Hindwing with ten or eleven small

dusky spots, of which three are subbasal, the rest arranged irregularly across

the dise ; a submarginal series of small spots, and a fine marginal black line.

FeMate with the costal and outer borders very broadly dusky black,

the discal patch white, the inner margin broadly irrorated with blue.

Hindwing with the discal area between the nervules bluish-white, all

the rest dusky ; a submarginal series of oval dusky spots, and the marginal

72 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

black line. Unpersipg, both wings exactly asin the male. Cilia white

on both sides in both sexes,

Nearly allied to Cyaniris akasa, Horsfield, from which (apud Moore

in ‘ Lep. Cey.”) the male differs on the upperside of the forewing having no

dusky on the base and costal margin, and the outer black border being

narrower throughout.

Two males were taken by me in the bed of the Simla river on the

26th October and 2nd November, 1879, respectively, and one female also

at Simla but the exact locality and date were not recorded. All three spe-

cimens are quite perfect ; and the males agree absolutely except in size. I

also took one male in Sikkim in October at about 3,500 feet elevation.

Mr. Moore seems to have described the female of some other species

as the female of C. alboceruleus, as he states that in that sex the broad

outer marginal black band on the upperside of the forewing does not reach

the posterior angle, whereas in my female the band is very wide at that

point. As the undersides of both sexes of the specimens described above

agree absolutely, I think I have paired them correctly, while if the females

of this species be variable Mr. Moore’s description would be correct.

9. CYANIRIS CHENNELLII, n. sp. (Plate I, fig. 10, 3.)

Has. Shillong, Assam.

ExpansE: , 1'l and 1:25 inches.

Description: Mae. UppeErsipE, both wings lavender-blue. Fore-

wing with the outer margin widely dusky-black, widest at the apex; a

dusky disco-cellular streak. Hindwing with the costal and outer margins

widely dusky-black. UNDERSIDE pale grey. Forewing with a slender disco-

cellular streak outwardly defined with whitish, a discal slightly sinuous

series of six rounded spots also outwardly defined with whitish ; very pale

and indistinct submarginal lunular line, marginal linear spots, and anteciliary

line. Hindwing with two subbasal small black spots, a faint disco-cellular

streak, and an irregular discal series of nine black spots outwardly defined

with whitish, of which the third, fourth and fifth from the costa are much

paler ; marginal markings as on the forewing. Cilia of both wings somewhat

dusky on the upperside, concolourous with the wings on the underside.

There are two male specimens in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, which

were taken by Mr. A. W. Chennell, after whom | have named the species ;

they differ only in size.

10. NacapUBA BHUTEA, n. sp. (Plate I, fig. 13, 3.)

Has. Sikkim.

Expanse: &, 1'1 inches.

Descetprion. Mate. Differs from Sikkim specimens of WV. ardates,

Moore, in being larger, the band crossing the middle of the cell on the

1883.) L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 73

UNDERSIDE of the forewing in WN. ardates not extending below it in WV.

bhutea, and the lower spot of the discal series well retired from the line of

the five spots above it, whereas in WV. ardates there are two lower spots

out of line, one being additional.

I took a single specimen on the Darjiling cartroad between 2,000 and

5,000 feet elevation, in October, 1880, and numerous specimens have since

been taken in Sikkim at low elevations. It seems a constant and well-

marked species.

11. Nacapupa nora. (Plate I, fig. 14.)

Lycena nora, Felder, Reise Novara, Lep., vol. ii, p. 275, no. 341, pl. xxxiv, fig.

34, g (1865). | ;

Hap. Amboyna (Felder); South Andamans,

EXpansE: 1 inch.

Description. UpprrstpDE smoky deep purple. Mindwing with a

marginal series of increasing lunules, the one between the first and second

’ median nervules inclosing a prominent black spot, the final one two much

smaller spots. UnprrsipE bright castaneous brown. forewing with a

eatenulated band across the middle of the cell from the subcostal nervure to

the inner margin, a similar band closing the cell, a discal band of spots some-

what broken and directed inwards at the fifth spot from the costa, a submar-

ginal band of lunules, marginal linear spots and black anteciliary fine line.

Hindwing with a basal chain of spots, another closing the cell, and a discal

much curved and broken band; marginal markings as on forewing, but

with a prominent subanal black spot between the first and second median

nervules, crowned with an orange lunule, and marked outwardly with a few

metallic green scales ; two minute similar spots at the anal angle.

Mr. de Roepstorff has sent a single specimen which seems to be identi-

eal with Felder’s Z. (== h.) nora. It is allied to WV. ardates, Moore, but

differs in the discal chain of spots on the underside of the forewing which

are larger and less broken, also in the straighter outer margin of that wing.

12. Nacapupa? pana, n. sp. (Plate I, fig. 15, 3.)

Has. Bholahat, Malda; Buxa, Bhutan; Sikkim; Chittagong Dis-

trict.

ExpansE: ¢,°95 to 1:05; 9, 1:05 inches,

Description: Mate. Upprrsrpe, both wings violet blue, with the

outer margins evenly narrowly black. UnprErsipe both wings fawn colour.

Forewing with a white-bordered dusky spot in the middle of the cell, a

similar one at its end, a discal chain of six similar spots, the two lower ones

out of line, (in some specimens the sixth lowest spot is absent) ; submarginal

and marginal indistinct series of pale lunules. Hindwing crossed by three

74 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2 —4,

much broken bands of white-bordered dusky spots, and submarginal and

marginal lunules as in the forewing; two small black spots at the anal angle

on the margin. O%lia dusky throughout. FemMate. Upprrsipe, forewing

black, the dise whitish and covered with pale blue metallic scales, the disco=

cellulars marked with a black spot. Hindwing dusky, with pale bluish-white

streaks between the nervules, a black disco-cellular spot, and obscure margi-

nal pale lunules. UNpDsERSIDE Cream-coloured, the markings as in the male,

but all the spots and bands (except the two black anal spots) pale ochreous.

Two male specimens were taken in the Sikkim Tarai in July and

August. 1881, by Mr. Otto Moller, and four males from Bhurkhul and one

from Demagiri in the Chittagong District were taken by Mr. H. M. Parish

in February, 18838. ‘All these specimens are very constant, showing no

variation whatever. They present a superficial resemblance to WV. ardates,

Moore, but are a different colour on the upperside; they have also no

tail, and should therefore probably be placed in a different genus. Mr.

Otto Moller has also obtained numerous males at low elevations in Sikkim

during the summer and autumn including the female described, Mr. Irvine

has sent it from the Malda District, the Museum collector took it at

Buxa, and I took it in the Great Runjit valley, Sikkim, in October.

13. CasTALIUS INTERRUPTUS, n. sp. (Plate I, fig. 12, 9.)

C. interruptus, Moore, I. §.

Has. Khurda, Orissa; Bholahat, Malda; Sikkim.

ExpanseE: 1:15 to 1:20 inches.

Description. Mate and FEMaLe. Upprrsipe, both wings pure

white. Horewing with the base thickly irrorated with black scales, beyond

with a dense black patch widest on the costa, inwardly recurved below the

submedian nervure, from whence it suddenly narrows. (In some specimens

the irrorated black scales at the base of the wing and the black patch

beyond are entirely merged into one black basal patch, and the costa through-

out is widely black.) ‘The apex widely, the outer margin as far as the first

median nervule less widely, then to the inner margin more widely again deep

black ; with a round black spot above the first median nervule coalescing

with the black border, this spot is sometimes entirely separated, in other

specimens very indistinct, and lastly in others its form is entirely lost in the

black margin. Hindwing with the immediate base and afew irrorated spots

beyond black, the outer margin also black, enclosing immediately within a

black anteciliary fine line a more or less prominent and complete series

of white oblong marks between the nervules. UNnbiERsIDE with the

markings arranged as in C. hamatus, Moore, but smaller and more

restricted, especially on the hindwing. Cilia on both sides on both wings

white, marked with a black spot at the tip of each nervule ; tae/ black with

1883.] L de Nicévilla—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 75

a white tip. The male differs from the female only in having the apex of

the forewing more produced.

Closely allied to O. decidia, Hewitson, and ©. hamatus, Moore, but

differing from Ceylon specimens of the latter in that the black mark-

ings on the upperside of both wings are far more restricted, and on the un-

derside of the hindwing much smaller and partially separated into spots.

The specimen figured (a female) was taken at Khurda, Orissa, by Mr.

W. ©. Taylor; I have since received numerous males and females from

Bholahat in the Malda District, Bengal, where they were taken by Mr. W.

H. Irvine in the cold weather. There is also a single female specimen from

Sikkim in Mr. Otto Moller’s collection.

14. CasTaLius ANANDA, n. sp. (Plate I, fig. 11, ¢ ; lla, 9.)

Has. Sikkim; Kadur District, Mysore.

ExpansE: 6, °85 to 1°15; 2, °85 to 1:05 inches.

Descrietion. Mare. Uppersrpn, both wings deep shining purple,

_ the outer margins black ; and with all the black markings of the underside

showing through by transparency in some specimens. UNDERSIDE, fore-

wing Sullied white, with the following black markings :—a basal streak, a

transverse streak from the middle of the costa to near the middle of the

wing, almost joined to another wider streak placed within it from the sub-

costal to the submedian nervure; a very irregular discal series of four or

five oblong spots, an even submarginal series of seven spots, and a similar

but smaller series on the margin divided from the cilia by a very fine white

line. Hindwing with numerous spots placed irregularly over the whole

surface, and with the submarginal and marginal series as in the forewing ;

the spot, however, at the base of the tail, and the two confluent ones placed

within it irrorated with metallic greenish scales. Cv/ia dusky throughout ;

tail long, black with a white tip.

I have only seen three specimens of this species, the male figured and

another one much smaller I took in the valley of the Great Runjit, Sikkim,

in October, 1882, the third was sent to the Museum by Mr. Kearney from

the Kadur District, Mysore; the latter is much the largest specimen of

the three, and has the apex of the forewing more produced. All three

specimens differ slightly in the markings of the underside, but all undoubt-

edly belong to one sex of the same species.

Since the above was written I took a male and a female also in the

Great Runjit valley in October, 1888, and have seen numerous specimens

from Sikkim in Mr. Moller’s collection, including two females, which latter

differ from the male on the upperside in being pale dusky fuliginous, the

markings of the underside showing through even more prominently than

in the male, and the base of both wings thickly irrorated with metallic

blue seales. Underside as in the male.

76 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [ Nos. ee

15. Murterus wamapa. (Plate I, fig. 16, 3.)

M. hamada, Druce, Cist. Ent., vol. i, p. 361; id., Elwes, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond.,

1881, p. 882.

This pretty little species was recorded by Mr. Druce from Yokohama,

Japan, and has not hitherto been figured. I took two specimens in the

valley of the Great Runjit, Sikkim, in October, 1882, and Mr. Otto Mller

has several specimens of both sexes also taken in Sikkim during the summer

and autumn. The expanse of these specimens differs from *85 to ‘95 of

an inch; Mr. Druce’s specimens measured 14, inches. There is a consi-

derable general resemblance between the markings of the underside of

this species and of Castalius ananda, but the latter is very different on the

upperside, and is also furnished with a tail. The extent of the white

discal patches on the upperside are very variable, in some specimens they

are entirely wanting, but the markings of the underside are constant.

16. NipHanpa ? cympta, n. sp. (Plate IX, figs. 8, 6 ; 8a, 2.)

Has. Sikkim.

ExpansE: 3,1°:05 to 1:15; 2, 1°15 to 14 inches.

Description: Mate. Uprrrstpe, forewing shining violet ; the costa,

outer margin, a disco-cellular streak and the veins black. Hindwing also

violet, with the costal, outer and abdominal margins black, this black border

ascending in two conical-shaped spots between the median nervules. Un-

DERSIRE sullied white, the markings fuliginous. Forewing with a basal streak,

an increasing band from the subcostal nervure to the inner margin crossing the

middle of the cell, an oval spot closing the cell, a discal series of six quad-

rate spots broken at the second median nervule, the two lower ones nearer

the base of the wing, a patch beyond the four upper spots, wide on the

costa, decreasing to the fourth spot, where it ends in a fine point, a sub-

marginal irregular line and marginal spots, the two spots between the median

nervules the largest and most prominent, a fine anteciliary black line.

Hindwing with a spot at the base ; three spots beyond, the one on the costa

the largest and darkest ; a double spot closing the cell, with two spots above

it, the upper one very large oval and black ; a very irregular discal series,

marginal markings as on forewing. Cilia fuliginous on both sides of both

wings, very long at analangle of hindwing. Antenne black, with the slender

club tipped with white above, the shaft obscurely annulated with white

below. Body black above, whitish below, the segments laterally marked

with whitish. Frmane. UvpprrstpE fuliginous grey, paler on the dise of

both wings. Forewing with the disco-cellular and discal spots of the

underside showing through. Hindwing with a submarginal series of pale

spots, then a dark band, and finally a series of black roundish spots increas-

1883.] LL. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 17

ing to the fourth which is the largest, the two anal ones small and linear,

all outwardly defined with a fine gray line. Unpersipn with the ground-

colour much paler than in the male, being almost white, all the markings

larger and more prominent.

The markings of the female of this species are so like those of

Niphanda tesselata, Moore (Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1874, p. 572, pl. Ixvi,

fig. 6) from Penang, that in the Journ. A. S. B., vol. li, pt. ii, p. 61,

(1882), I entered this species as occurring in Sikkim, with the remark :

—‘¢ One female at about 1,500 feet elevation. It is rather smaller than the

specimen described by Mr. Moore from Penang, and the upperside is en-

tirely unglossed with blue,” believing that the sex of the species describ-

ed by Mr. Moore was male, my specimens being undoubtedly females.

Having since obtained both sexes of my species I am able to describe it. It

does not agree with Mr. Moore’s generic diagnosis of Niphanda, as N.?

cymbia has only three median nervules to the forewing instead of four as

stated by Mr. Moore, the subcostal nervules being probably meant for

median ; the first three subcostal nervules are all given off at regular inter-

vals before the apex of the cell, the fourth subcostal branching from the

third before its middle, and both reaching the costa before the apex of the

wing.

It seems a fairly common species in the low valleys below Darjiling,

the females largely predominating in numbers, however, over the males.

17. Hypotycmna nasaka. (Plate IX, fig. 2, 92.)

Thecla nasaka, Horsfield, Cat. Lep. H. I. Co., p. 91, n. 23 (1829), male ; Deudorix

nasaka, Hewitson, Il. Diurn. Lep., Lycenide, p. 24, n. 21, pl. v, figs. 45, 46 (1863),

male; Hypolycena nasaka, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc., Lond., 1882, p. 249.

Has. Java; Sikkim; Kangra District, N.-W. Himalayas.

ExpansE: 6,1°0 to 1:15; 2, 1:25 inches.

Description: Maur. Differs from MHorsfield’s description on the

UPPERSIDH of the hindwing in that the cyaneous colour is placed broadly

on the outer margin, extending upwards towards the middle of the wing

between the third median nervule and subcostal nervure, not as stated by

Horsfield covering the hindwing “excepting the exterior and interior

borders.”” Hewitson’s figure shows the hindwing entirely covered with the

blue colour. The forewing is furnished on the underside with a bunch

of long black hairs attached to the inner margin near the base and folded

beneath. There is a corresponding cup-like depression on the underside of

the hindwing, which is marked on the upperside by a shining bare round

patch near the costal base of the wing and covered by the forewing. There

are fourteen male specimens in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, all taken by

Mr. A. Graham Young in the Kulu valley, and a single male from Sikkim,

78 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

which differs from the other specimens in the ground-colour of the under-

side being much darker and of a cupreous purple shade. FrMatr. Ups

PERSIDE glossy fuliginous, paler on the disc of the forewing. Hindwing

with a conspicuous black spot on the margin between the first and second

median nervules, marked anteriorly with scattered white scales, which also

appear decreasingly in the two next interspaces beyond and in the one

before that containing the black spot, a fine marginal white line not reach-

ing the outer angle, then a black line, the ez/éa white between the tail and

the discoidal nervule, the anal lobe with an ochreous and metallic green

spot, tail black with a white tip. UNpbERsIDE agreeing in the ground-

colour with the N.-W. Himalayan specimens.

The single female specimen described is in Mr. Otto Méller’s collec-

tion, and was taken at a low elevation in Sikkim in October.

18. Hypotycmna cHanprana. (Plate IX, fig. 1, 2.)

H. chandrana, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1882, p. 249, pl. xi, figs. 2,

2a, male.

Has. Lahul; Kulu Valley.

EXxpansE: @, 1°15 inches.

Description: FremMALE. UprrrstpE dull uniform fuliginous, the

anal lobe (as in the male) black with an ochreous and metallic green spot.

UnpERsIDE paler than in the male, being almost pure white, the markings

similar but also paler and more diffused.

This species (of which there are two males and one female in the In-

dian Museum, Calcutta, all collected by Mr. A. Graham Young in the Kulu

valley) is very near to the Javan Thecla malika, Horsfield (Cat. Lep. E. I.

Co., p. 90, no. 22, 1829), and the male has similar secondary sexual charac-

ters as H. nasaka.

19. NuivaseRa? asoKa, n. sp. (Plate IX, fig. 6, 3 ; 6a, 2.)

EXPANSE: 6, 1°75; 2, 1°8 inches,

Has. Sikkim,

DescrieTion. UpprersipE dark glossy purple, the costa and outer

margin of the forewing narrowly black, the inner’ and outer margins of

the hindwing more widely black ; tazd long, narrow, black with a white tip.

UNDERSIDE, forewing with a pale line across the middle of the cell (some-

times absent), a spot near the end of the cell variable in size and shape,

a quadrate spot from one-fifth of the first median nervule to the inner

margin, a chain of square spots divided only by the nervules beyond the

cell from the costa to the first median nervule, the third lower spot being

posteriorly lengthened towards the outer margin, the two following it rect-

angular, thus giving the chain a broken appearance at the third median

1883.] LL. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 79

nervule—all these markings placed on a rich dark brown ground ; the apex

and deereasingly to the first median nervule paler and glossed with violet,

inwardly sharply defined, the outer margin dark brown at the apex paler

towards the inner angle. Hindwing with the base of the wing rich dark

brown, with a pale violet even streak from the costa to the base above the

cell ; a discal irregular dark brown band placed on a pale violet ground,

and other paler irregular markings beyond; a submarginal lunulated

line, and three black spots beyond it at the anal angle almost covered with

brilliant green irridescent scales. FEMALE. UPPERSIDE, forewing black ;

with the cell (all except its extreme end), the basal halt of the lower

discoidal, median, submedian and internal interspaces irridescent light ultra-

marine blue. Hindwing with the middle and base of the wing blue as

in the forewing. UnprrsipE with the markings as in the male.

The markings of the underside of the forewing of this species are

nearest to the Amblypodia diardi of Hewitson (Cat. Lycenide B. M., 1862,

p. 9, pl. v, figs. 41,42 ¢); they differ largely, however, in the hindwing.

There are numerous examples of both sexes of this species in Mr.

Otto Méller’s collection, three males and a female in Colonel Lang’s col-

lection, and several specimens of both sexes in the Indian Museum,

Calcutta, all from Sikkim.

20. Nuibasepa? ADRIANA, n. sp. (Plate IX, figs. 5, ¢ ; 5a, @.)

Has. Sikkim.

Expanse: 6,1:6t01°9; 92, 1°65 to 18 inches.

Description: Mate. UPpprrsipre as in WN. asoka, but the black

bordering at least twice as wide. UnprrsipE, forewing marked as in

NV. asoka. Hindwing dark brown glossed almost throughout with pale

violet grey but exceedingly variable, in some specimens the ground-colour

is very pale, the markings therefore being very prominent, in others so dark

that they are hardly traceable ; the male specimen figured is about midway

between these two extremes. ‘Three subbasal small round spots, a chain

of spots from the costa to the middle of the cell, another chain also from

the costa crossing the cell at its end, a third chain from the subcostal

nervure to the abdominal margin, a submarginal lunulated line, but no

black, green-irrorated, anal spots, which at once distinguishes this species

from WV. asoka. FrEMaLe. UPpersipE as in JV. asoka, but the blue colour

more of a purple shade. UNDERSIDE as in its male.

This is apparently one of the commonest “ hairstreaks” in Sikkim,

Mr. Otto Moller obtaining very numerous specimens of both sexes through-

out the warm weather. There are specimens of both sexes in Colonel

Lang’s collection.

80 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

21. NipaserRa? Futarpa. (Plate IX, figs. 3, g; 3a, 2.)

Amblypodia fulgida, Hewitson, Ill. Diurn. Lep., Lycenide, p. 11, pl. v, fig. 31

(1863), female.

Has. Sikkim; Dafla Hills; Philippines.

EXpaNsE: ¢,1:°6 to 1:9; 2, 1°6 to 1°7 inches.

Description: Maus. UpperstpE rich dark purple, the outer margin

of both wings very narrowly black, ¢aid black, short, tipped with white.

UNDERSIDE, forewing with the basal area dark rich brown; a pale quadrate

spot near the end of the cell, then a broad dark brown band from the

costa to the first median nervule, then a narrower pale band, and lastly an

even dark band also from the costa to the first median nervule ; an apical

decreasing violet patch, the outer margin dark brown. Hindwing with

a narrow dark brown streak from the costa, then a broader pale violet

streak, then a still broader dark brown streak; a dark brown streak from

the costa to the first median nervule closing the cell, with a spot beyond,

another streak beyond much diffused anteriorly, a black spot crowned

with golden yellow scales on the margin in the first median interspace,

‘and a similar larger one at the anal angle, with a smaller one attached to

it outwardly. Frmate with the middle only of both wings purple of a

brighter and lighter shade than in the male. UnNpDrERSID# as in the male.

As Hewitson’s figure of the underside of a female of this species from

the Philippines is not very clear, I have figured both sides of both sexes

of Sikkim specimens. There are several examples of both sexes from

Sikkim in Mr. Otto Moller’s collection, and I took two females on two

different years at the same place below Darjiling at about 3,500 feet eleva-

tion in October. There is also a male taken by the Dafla Hxpedition in

the Dafia Hills in the Indian Museum, Calcutta.

22. NILASERA ? MOELLERI, n. sp. (Plate IX, figs. 4, ¢ ; 4a, 2.)

Has. Sikkim; Sibsagar, Upper Assam.

EXpPaNsE: ¢@, L'75 to1'80; 2, 1°8 inches.

Description : Mate. UpprrrstpE magnificent shining ultramarine

blue, the costa and outer margin of the forewing and outer margin of the

hindwing narrowly black, the costa of the latter wing more widely black :

three short black tails, the middle one in continuation of the first median

nervule rather longer than the other two, and tipped with white. Unpsr-

sipE dark rich brown. Forewing marked exactly as in WV.? ariadna,

except that the discal chain of spots is Jess broken in the middle. Hindwing

with a narrow pale purple streak at the base, then a broad dark brown

1883.] LL. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 81

band, followed by a pale purple irregular streak, and irregular pale purple

and dark brown spots and streaks on the disc ; a submarginal waved dark

brown line, which is lost towards the apex in a large diffused patch of the

same colour; three subanal black spots almost covered with irridescent

green scales; a fine anteciliary dark line; the cz/za pale, dark at the end

of the nervules. Frmate. Uppersipe dark brown, with a patch of pur-

_ ple in the middle of both wings, very restricted in the hindwing. Unoprr-

SIDE as in the male,

The type male has been sent to the Indian Museum, Calcutta, by Mr.

S. EH. Peal from Sibsagar ; the female and a male in Mr. Moller’s collection,

(after whom I have named it, and to whom I am indebted for so many

of the specimens described in this paper) were taken in Sikkim. There are

three males and a female collected in Sikkim by Dr. T. C. Jerdon in Colonel

Lang’s collection.

On the upperside of the male this species is exactly of the same tint

of resplendant blue as WV. ? areste, Hewitson, which also occurs in Sikkim,

but the black marginal border is very considerably narrower. The mark-

ings of the underside are quite different.

23. PancHaLa ? PARAMUTA, n. sp. (Plate IX, figs. 7, 6; 7a, 9.)

Has. Sikkim.

ExpanseE: 6,13 to014; 9,12 to 1:3 inches.

Description: Mate. UpprrsipE glossy purple, the costa of the

Sorewing narrowly, and outer margin widely black. Hindwing with only

the middle of the wing purple, the rest black. UnprrsrpeE pale brown,

all the markings of a slightly darker shade with paler edges. Forewing

with an obscure round spot near the base of the cell, a reniform one in its

middle and another at its end; a spot at the base of the first median

interspace, and another below the point where the first median nervule is

given off ; a discal very even chain of seven spots, a submarginal lunulated

band and marginal spots. Hindwing with the markings arranged very

evenly over the whole surface, a subbasal line of four round spots, succeed-

ed by three larger spots also in line, then a bifurcated discal chain-like

irregular series; marginal markings as in the forewing. The FEMALE

differs from the male on the UPPERSIDE of the forewing only in the purple

area being more restricted. On the unperstpe the markings are rather

more prominent. It has no tail.

There are two male and a female specimen in Mr. Otto Moller’s col-

lection, and one male in Colonel Lang’s collection in addition to the type

pair in the Indian Museum, Calcutta.

82 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

Family PAPILIONIDA.

Subfamily Pieri.

24, Mancrprum DrEoTA, n. sp. (Plate LX, fig. 10, 3.)

Has. Ladak.

EXPaNnsE: ¢, 2°7 inches,

Description: Mate. Upprrrsipn, forewing differs from specimens

of MW. brassicae, Linneus, from Leh, Ladak, in having the black outer

margin continued to the first median nervule ; and in this black margin

on the hindwing being carried irregularly round the wing to the first median

nervule, instead of being confined to a spot on the costa. On the UNDER-

SIDE the apex and outer margin decreasingly to the first median nervule

are powdered with fuscous scales, and in addition to the two black spots

in the first and third median interspaces present in I. brassicae, there is a

third more diffused spot reaching from just below the subcostal nervure

to the costa midway between the end of the cell and the apex. Hindwing

thickly irrorated with fuscous scales throughout ; the outer dark marginal

border of the upperside showing through indistinctly, and the costa towards

the base of the wing not marked’ with yellow as in JZ. brassicae.

A single specimen of this species at Gya, Ladak, was captured, on

the 1lth July, 1879, whilst three others owing to their swift flight

escaped me,

25. MancipIuM DEvTa, n. sp. (Plate IX, figs. 9, $'; 9a, 2.)

Has. Ladak.

EXPANSE: 6,2°3; 9, 2:20 to 2°35 inches.

Description: Mate. Uprersipe, forewing pure dead white, the

outer margin at the apex to the discoidal nervule marked with black, a

similar spot internal to this, and a large roundish spot between the second

and third median nervules. Hindwing with a black spot on the costa

below the first subcostal branch beyond its middle, otherwise unmarked.

UNDERSIDE, forewing as on the upperside, but the outer margin towards

the apex marked with greenish and fuscous irrorated scales. Hindwing

with the basal two-thirds irrorated with greenish and fuscous scales, except

an oblong patch from the costa to the middle of the cell which is clear of

these scales, the outer margin also marked between the nervules with simi-

lar irrorations. Frmate. UPPERSIDE, forewing with all the markings

larger and clearer, there being two additional black spots on the outer margin

between the third and second, and second and first median nervules; also

a diffused spot joined to the large round spot between the second and third

median nervules almost reaching the submedian nervure. Hindwing with

1883.] L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 83

the costal spot also much larger. UnpeErsipe, forewing differs from the

male in having the base of the wing diffused with pale yellow, the apex

and costal spot internal to it also suffused with yellow, and a prominent

black spot on the dise below the large spot between the second and third

median nervules as on the upperside. Hindwing with the base irrorated

with pale yellow ; and with an irregular discal band, its outer edge in the

same position as that edge of the irrorated dark basal portion in the male,

this band widest and deepest coloured at the costa, decreasing to the fold

below the submedian nervure, irrorated yellowish fuscous: the outer mar-

gin marked with yellowish fuscous irrorations.

This species was met with by me only amongst the irrigated fields ad-

joining the villages of Lama Yuru and Nurla, Ladak. The male, somewhat

worn and broken, was taken at the former place on July 3rd, 1879, and the

four females were captured the following day at the latter place, all in

perfect condition. It is unlike any Péerts known to me.

Family HESPERIID Ai.

26. CHOoASPES GomaTa. (Plate X, fig. 7, 2.)

Ismene gomata, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1865, p. 783, male.

Haz. N.-E. Bengal (Moore) ; Sikkim ; Wynaad, S. India.

EXPaNSE: @, 2°3 inches.

DESCRIPTION: Frmane. Upprersipe very dark glossy bronzy-green,

shading off into glossy indigo-blue at the apex and outer margin. UnNpER-

SIDE with the markings and ground-colour darker than in Sikkim males ;

JSorewing with a pale green spot in the second median interspace with a larger

one in the interspace below it, in the male these spots are merged in a

large patch of {the pale ochreous ground-colour from the inner margin.

The green markings everywhere more restricted and of a darker shade than

in the male.

The specimen figured, taken by Mr. Rhodes-Morgan in the Wynaad,

is the only female I have seen ; there are numerous males, however, in Mr,

Otto Moller’s collection from Sikkim.

27. CHOASPES ? ANADI, n. sp. (Plate X, fig. 6, 3.)

Haz. Sikkim; Masuri.

EXPaNSE: ¢,1:9to2:1; 2, 2°45 inches.

Description: Mate. Upprrsipe dark vinaceous brown distinctly

glossed with purple, slightly paler in the middle of the disc. Forewing

with a costal streak from the base to beyond the middle of the wing rich

orange ; cilia cinereous. Hindwing with the costa broadly pale ochreous ;

the czlza rich orange. Base of both wings and thorax clothed with long

pale green iridescent hairs. UNDERSIDE paler brown washed with ochreous,

84 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

which colour assumes indistinct streaks between the veins on the hindwing.

Forewing with the outer margin broadly washed with deep purple, the

inner margin broadly pale ochreous ; some pale streaks between the veins

beyond the end of the cell; a round black spot at the extreme base of the

wing with a spot of bright orange above it ; hindwing with a similar but

larger black spot. Antenne dark brown above, ochreous below; palpi

with the third joint dark brown, the second and first with the outer edge

brown, the rest orange, which is the colour of the legs, the underside of

the body and the anal tuft. The Fremaxe differs from the male only in

being larger and darker, the UPPERSIDE of the hindwing concolourous with

the rest of the wing, not broadly pale ochreous as in the male,

The male of this species closely resembles that sex of C. harisa, Moore

(Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1865, p. 782), but differs in the forewing being

much narrower, and on the hindwing in having the costal pale patch more

restricted ; on the underside the markings are less prominent. I have

figured (Plate X, fig. 8, ¢) a beautifully fresh male of OC. harisa taken by

myself in Sikkim to show these differences more clearly. There is a male

of C.? anadi from Masuri taken at 7,000 feet elevation on 27th May, 1868,

in Colonel Lang’s collection.

Genus Marapa, Moore.

This genus has hitherto contained three species, described under the

genus Ismene by Mr. Moore in the Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1865, p. 784,

viz., aria, druna and sasivarna from Bengal, and a fourth very beautifully

and distinctly marked species, Matapa subfasciata, from Ceyion, in his

‘Lepidoptera of Ceylon.’ I propose to describe a fifth species named

shalgrama. All the species except J. subfasciata are very closely allied,

yet in my opinion they can be separated, so constant in a large series of

each are the following characters.

M. aria. Cilia of both wings yellowish-white. Underside ferrugi-

nous, in some specimens inclined to ochreous. The long hairs which clothe

the body and base of the wings both above and below are hardly perceptibly

irridescent greenish, Anal segment of the female furnished with a very

close thick tuft of pale yellow hairs, Hxpanse averaging about 1°6 inches.

(Mr. Moore gives for the female 2:1 inches, but so large a specimen has

not been seen by me.)

MM. shalgrama. Cilia of forewing yellowish-white, of hindwing orange-

yellow, shading off into yellowish-brown at the apex. Underside varying

from dark ferruginous to bright ochreous. Anal segment of the female with

a dark brown thick tuft of hairs, marked with two paler brown streaks on

each side. Hxpanse averaging about 2°1 inches. Other characters as in

MM. aria.

1883.] IL. de Nicéville—On new aad little-known Rhopalocera. — 85

M. sasivarna. Cilia of forewing greyish-white, of hindwing broadly

from anal angle to two-thirds of the margin orange-yellow, thence to the

angle brown. Underside dull rich brown, in some lights beautifully gloss-

ed with irridescent greenish. Anal segment of the female furnished with

a fringe (not a very close thick tuft) of long yellow hairs. Long hairs on

body and base of wings brilliant (especially in the females) irridescent

green. Hxpanse averaging about 1°8 inches.

M, druna, Cilia as in MM. sasivarna. Underside dull rich brown

glossed with irridescent greenish, but the apex of the forewing perceptibly

lighter brown in the males. Long hairs also irridescent green. Anal tuft

of female as in JZ. sasivarna. Expanse averaging about 1°95 inches.

28. MarTapa SHALGRAMA, 0. sp.

Hesperia aria, Hewitson, Ex. Butt., vol. iv, Hesperia pl. iii, figs. 24, 25 (1868), female,

Has. Sikkim.

EXPANSE: ¢, 2:1; 2, 2:2 inches.

Description: Mate. UppeErsinE dull rich chocolate-brown, slightly

paler on the outer margin of the forewing. Cilia of forewing yellowish-

white, of hindwing orange-yellow, shading off into yellowish-brown at the

apex. UNDERSIDE dark ferruginous. FEMALE. UPppersipeE paler than in

the male, the forewing uniformly coloured and lacking the male sexual

streak ; with the area before the subcostal nervure from the base to half the

length of the wing ochreous. Unprrsipe lighter coloured than in the male,

in some specimens bright ochreous, except the inner margin which is brown

extending widely into the disc of the forewing. Anal segment furnished with

a very close thick tuft of dark brown hairs, marked on each side with two

pale brown bars. Body on the upperside dark brown, below ferruginous or

ochreous. yes scarlet.

Three males and seven females of this species seen by me show but

little variation. Hewitson’s figure of the female is suflicieutly charac-

teristic to make the species easily recognizable.

29. Baorts ocera. (Plate X, fig. 11, 2.)

Hesperia oceia, Hewitson, Desc. Hesp., p. 31, n. 22 (1868) ; id., Wood-Mason and

de Nicéville, Journ, A. S. B., vol. 1, pt. ii, p. 258 (1881); Baoris oceia, Moore, Lep.

Cey., vol. i, p. 166 (1881).

In the Journ. A. 8. B. (1. ¢.), a table of figures is given shewing the

great diversity in the number and position of the spots of the forewing

of South Andaman specimens of this species. A series of specimens of

both sexes from Sikkim exhibits even greater variation, from totally

unmarked specimens of both sexes through every gradation to the typical

number of eight spots. I have figured a female altogether without

markings to show one extreme of this variation,

86 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

30. PARNARA TULST, n. sp. (Plate X, fig. 1, $.)

Has. Sikkim.

ExpansE: 6,1°8; 9, 1:9 inches.

Description: Mate. UppersipE rich dark brown with a vinous

tinge. Forewing with three very small subapical spots, the middle one

out of line, placed nearer the base of the wing; an increasing series of

three spots outside the cell, placed one each at the bases of the

median interspaces, all the spots semi-transparent ochreous-white: the

base of the wing and the space below the submedian nervure as well as the

base and disc of the hindwing (which is otherwise unmarked) clothed with

long ochreous hairs. UnpErstpE. forewing marked as above, but the

costa to beyond the middle, and broadly across the disc of the hindwing pale

violet-white. Ozlia cinereous. No secondary sexual characters.

A single male was taken by me at about 3,000 feet elevation in Sikkim

in October. There is a FEMALE of this species also from Sikkim in Colonel

Lang’s collection. It differs from the male only in the wings being some-

what broader, and the apex of the forewing less acute.

31. IsoTEINON saTwa, n. sp. (Plate X, fig. 15, 3.)

Hap. Sikkim.

Expanse: 6, 1°3 to 14; 9, 1°55 inches,

Description: Maze. Upperrsipe rich dark brown. Forewing with

two small subapical spots, the lower one twice the size of the upper, a

rounded spot at the lower outer end of the cell, two similar spots at the

base of the median interspaces, the lower one twice the size of the upper ;

all semi-transparent diaphanous ochreous-white. A small ochreous spot

above the submedian nervure touching its middle. Hindwing with the

middle of the dise clothed with long greenish-ochreous hairs. Otlia,

cinereous. UNDERSIDE also dark brown, but the apex of the forewing

and the outer margin of the hindwing broadly washed with purple.

Forewing with the spots as above, but lacking the one placed against the

submedian nervure ; the costa to beyond the middle of the wing bears a

narrow bright yellow streak widest at its end. Hindwing with the

basal two-thirds also bright yellow, the outer margin of this yellow

area very irregular. A small round brown spot near the middle of the

cell, another above it and one beyond. No secondary sexual characters.

Body brown above, yellow below ; antenne brown above, obscurely annu-

lated with yellow below, club brown. Fermate differs only from the male

in being larger, the wings broader, and the apex of the forewing less acute.

There is a second minute spot above the large one in the cell of the

forewing.

—

1883.] L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 87

This is a fairly common species at low elevations below Darjiling ;

there are numerous specimens of both sexes in Mr. Moller’s collection.

32. PLESIONEURA AGNI, n. sp. (Plate X, fig. 4, ?.)

Has. Sikkim.

EXpansE: @,1°6; 2, 1'8 inches.

Description. Mare. UpprrsipE dark brown, but so thickly cover-

ed with large fulvous overlying scales as to leave the ground-colour visible

only on the outer margin, a streak within the apical spots, and narrowly

round all the transparent white spots. Forewing with a large quadrate

spot filling the end of the cell, a small spot above it, a rather larger one at

the base of the second median interspace, a large one nearly equal in size

to the spot in the cell at the base of the first median interspace, and two

small rounded spots in the submedian interspace placed obliquely, the upper

one below the outer lower angle of the spot above ; three or four small sub-

apical spots, the upper one rather larger than the rest, the second out of line,

being placed nearer the base of the wing :—all these spots lustrous semi-

transparent white. Cvzdéa dark brown, with a pale spot at the apex and

another larger one on the submedian interspace. Hindwing with a black

spot at the end of the cell (sometimes obsolete), and a curved series of

eight similar spots, the two upper ones round, the others oblong and placed

in pairs, (the two lowest spots—as in the specimen figured—sometimes

obsolete). Oz/ia dark brown, paler towards the apex. UnprrstmpE pale

brown. Forewing with the spots as above, but with a pale fulvous sub-

marginal curved fascia. Hindwing as above but paler fulvous, the spots

more prominent. Frmatr a little paler than the male, the spots somewhat

larger. Body fulvous, antenne black above, paler below.

Nearest to P. chamunda, Moore, which also oceurs in Sikkim, but

conspicuously differing from that species in having the hindwing marked

with black spots above and below, and the cilia not alternately brown and

white as in that species.

I have seen two pairs only of this species, they are similarly marked ;

and were all taken at low elevations in Sikkim.

33. PLESIONEURA AMBAREESA. (Plate X, fig. 9, 2.)

P. ambareesa, Moore, Proc. Zool. 8oc. Lond., 1865, p. 788.

Haz. Manbhum, Bengal (Moore); Akrain, Satpuras; Coonoor,

Nilgiris.

This is a rare species, I have only seen two specimens; a female from

Akrain, Satpuras, taken by Mr. J Davidson, C. S., is figured ; the other

taken by Mr. Alfred Lindsay at Coonoor in the Nilgiris.

88 L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

34, PLESIONEURA BADIA. (Plate X, fig. 10, 3.)

Pterygospidea badia, Hewitson, Ann. and Mag. of Nat Hist., fourth series, vol, xx,

p. 822 (1877); idem, id., Desc. Lep. coll. Atk., p. 4, (1879).

I have only seen two specimens of this insect, one in Colonel Lang’s

collection, the other in the Indian Museum, Calcutta ; both, as well as the

specimen described by Hewitson, are from Sikkim. These two specimens

have a fifth subapical small white spot, the extra one placed above the

minute spot described by Hewitson in the lower discoidal interspace. The

ring below the club of the antenna is ochreous, not white as stated by

Hewitson.

35. ABARATHA TAYLORII, n. sp. (Plate X, fig. 18, 9.)

Has. Khurda, Orissa.

ExpansE. @,1°5; 2, 1°75 inches.

Description: Mate. UPPErRsIpE ochreous. Forewing with the

following brown markings :—a spot near the middle of the cell and two

below and just beyond it, a subapical streak touching and beyond the three

subapical diaphanous spots, and a similar streak from the third median

nervule to the inner margin beyond the discal spots: also the following

diaphanous white spots with fine black margins :—two at the end of the

cell, the upper one much the smaller and sometimes joined to the lower

one; around spot below in the first median interspace with a minute one

above and beyond it in the second median interspace ; two minute spots

placed obliquely (the lower nearer the base of the wing) in the submedian

interspace ; three rather large subapical conjugated spots placed obliquely

outwards. Hindwing with a subbasal streak, a rounded spot near the

end of the cell, the disco-cellulars marked with a fine line, two spots

one on either side of and in a line with the cell spot, and a discal sinuous

macular series—all dark brown. Czlia dark brown. UNDERSIDE with the

markings as above, but the whole area except the outer margin of the

hindwing, and the apex widely and outer margin of the forewing, covered

with pure white scales. FEMALE rather larger, paler, the markings similar.

Very near to A. ransonnetit, Felder, which also occurs in Orissa, but

differs from it in being ochreous not dark brown above, and the dise of

the hindwing being unmarked with a group of ochreous spots and streaks

as in that species.

I have named this species after Mr. W. C. Taylor, who has sent me

from time to time large collections of Orissa Rhopalocera.

36. Pyraus DRAVIRA. (Plate X, fig. 5, 2.)

P. dravira, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1874, p. 576, pl. lxvii, fig. 5, female.

I am not quite certain of my identification of this species, Mr. Moore’s

figure is not very like my specimens, nor does his description exactly agree.

1883.] L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 89

I took two female specimens at Budrawah, Kashmir, on the 8th June,

1879, one of which is figured.

37. HEspERIA? NAGA, n.sp. (Plate X, fig. 2, ?.)

Has. Sibsagar, Upper Assam.

EXpaNsE: ?, 1°6 inches.

DescrieTIoN: Frmate. UPPeERSIDE brown, the cilia cinereous, dark

brown at the end of the nervules. Forewing with a spot at the end of the

cell; two smaller spots beyond, the lower one twice the size of the upper ;

an elongated spot near the middle of the second median interspace, and

another (the largest of all) near the base of the first median interspace ; all

these spots semi-transparent ochreous-white. A subcostal narrow yellow

streak extending from the base to beyond one-third of the length of the

wing, a similar one touching and placed above the submedian nervure

extending from the base to beyond half the length of the inner margin of

the wing. indwing with an elongated streak of ochreous hairs in the

cell, and a series of short ochreous streaks between the nervules placed

outside it; a similar streak extending from the base to near the margin

and touching the inner side of the submedian nervure. Cilia alternately

einereous and dark brown. Unperstpe lighter brown, the cz/za white,

brown at the end of the nervules. orewing with the spots as above but

whiter and edged with pure white ; a subcostal streak extending from the

base to nearly half the length of the wing, broadest at its end; beyond

which are some streaks between the subcostal branches, two similar streaks

in the discoidal interspaces, and a marginal series ending at the first median

nervule, the two middle spots small; a wide streak extending to beyond

the middle of the wing from the base placed in the submedian inter-

space :—all pure silvery white. Hindwing marked with about eighteen

silvery white spots and streaks disposed equally over the whole surface of

the wing. Body brown, the thorax thickly clothed with long ochreous

hairs, the abdominal segments ringed with ochreous, paler below.

A single specimen has been obtained by Mr. 8. E. Peal.

38, HesPERIA? sweraa, n. sp. (Plate X, fig. 12, 3.)

Has. Sikkim.

Expanse: ¢, 1:45 to 16; 2, 1°6 inches.

Description: Mate. Upprersipe dark brown. orewing with a

spot at the end of the cell, a larger one below it, and a third (sometimes

absent) much smaller placed outwardly between them at the base of the

second median interspace; three increasing conjugated subapical spots

(sometimes absent), all these spots semitransparent lustrous white; a pale

ochreous spot placed against and above the middle of the submedian

90 LL. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. [Nos. 2—4,

nervure. Otlia slightly paler than the ground-colour of the wing. Hind-

wing clothed with long pale brown hairs in the middle of the dise. COzlia

grey. UNDERSIDE. forewing dark brown, the apex widely pale ochreous,

this colour decreasing to the inner angle; the spots as above, except that

the pale ochreous one placed against the submedian nervure is absent.

Hindwing pale ochreous throughout, which is the colour of the cilia on

both wings. Body dark brown above, ochreous-white below. The FEMALE

resembles the male.

The forewing of this species is very long and narrow, and differs in

shape from all the Hesperids with which I am acquainted. There are

numerous specimens in Mr, Moller’s collection,

39. SaTaRupa BHAGAVA? (Plate X, fig. 14, 2.)

I have figured a female specimen from Sikkim whieh I refer very

doubtfully to this species. This specimen is not that female referred to in

the Journ. A. S. B., vol. 1, pt. 11, p. 256 (1881), which is very near to

the female of the variety named andamanica, but another subsequently

obtained. The most typical specimen (from the description) of S, bhagava

contained in the Indian Museum collection is from Upper Tenasserim. A

male from Cachar entirely wants the brownish-white streak from the middle

of the posterior margin on the upperside of the forewing, three males from

Sikkim have the streak more or less obsolete, while another male has this

streak and the subbasal band across the hindwing as wide as in the female

now figured, and pure instead of ochreous-white as in all the other males.

The white band across the middle of the abdomen is also very variable ; it

is present in allthe specimens of variety andamanica, in the Upper Tenas-

serim male, in the pure white-banded Sikkim male, and in both the Sikkim

females; in the Cachar male and three Sikkim males it is absent, all the

segments of the abdomen being narrowly banded posteriorly with whitish.

The spot in the cell is small in the Cachar male, in all the Sikkim males

and in the Sikkim female figured; it is large in all the Andaman varieties

and in the other Sikkim female. From the scanty material at my disposal,

I am unable to say whether these differences are constant and sufficient for

dividing the specimens into species.

EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES.

Puate I,

Fig. 1. Cyrestis tabula, n.sp., 3.

2. Hestina zella, Butler, 9.

3. Lycena ? leela, n. sp. g-

39 3a 99 99 9 4 .

4. Cyaniris alboceruleus, Moore, 2.

” 4a ” ” 19 9.

“e 5. i dilectus, Moore, 6.

# 5a 5 puspa, Horsfield, 9.

1883.] L. de Nicéville—On new and little-known Rhopalocera. 91

Fig.

ee ee

Pn SEG Sy ee

13.

Cyaniris transpectus, Moore, @.

”? 99 » ° .

A tynteana, D, 8p. d.

” ”? ” 2 Le

9 placida, 0. sp. od.

te marginata, D. Sp., 3.

ee chenneliit, D. SP.» Be

Castalius ananda, 0. 8p., d.

” ”? ”? 2 ®

é interruptus, D. Spy Q.

Nacaduba bhutea, nu. sp., 3.

3 nora, Felder.

Nacaduba ? dana, nu. sp. ¢-

Miletus hamada, Druce, 6.

Prate IX,

Hypolycena chandrana, Moore, ¢.

3 nasaka, Horsfield, 9.

Nilasera? fuigida, Hewitson, ¢.

39 ” 7 g .

moellert, D. Sp., @.

+P) ” ”? Go

As artadna, Q. sp., od.

99 99 ” 2 .

- asoka, 0. sp., 3.

99 ” ” 2 °.

Panchala ? paramuta, n. sp., g

9 ” 29 2 4

Niphanda ? cymbia, n. sp., g-

” ”? ” ¢ *

Mancipium devta, nu. sp., g.

3 ” ” ¥ :

- deota, D. Sp., g.

Puate X.

Parnara tulsi, 0. sp., G.

Hesperia ? naga, nu. sp., 2.

Astictopterus butlert, nu. sp., dQ.

Plesioneura agni, 0. 8p., Q.»

Pyrgus dravira, Moore, 9°.

Choaspes ? anadi, 0. sp., ¢.

Choaspes gomata, Moore, @.

» Aarisa, Moore, ¢.

Plesioneura ambareesa, Moore, 2.

rf badia, Hewitson, .

Baoris oceia, Hewitson, @.

Hesperia 2? swergd, D. 8p., d.

Abaratha taylorii, n, sp., .

Satarupa bhagava ?, Moore, @.

Isoteinon satwa, n. sp. do.

PDD LL OOO

92 L. de Nicéville—List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim. [Nos. 2—4,

VI.—TZhird List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim in October, 1883, with notes

on habits, Se.—By Lioyen pe Nice’viiwe.

[Received November 6th; read November 7th, 1883.]

[ With part of Plate X.]

In my two previous papers* on the Butterflies of Sikkim met with in

the month of October, I enumerated 203 species. The present list adds

81 species more, making a total of 284 species actually seen or taken at

different elevations in Sikkim ina single month in the year. This list is

even now by no means exhausted, and goes to show how very rich the

Rhopalocerous fauna of the hills and valleys near the Station of Darjiling

is. Except where otherwise specified, all the numbered species given below

were taken at low elevations (say between 1,000 and 2,000 feet above the

sea) ; and it is to be remarked that my experience proves that almost with-

out exception in the hills it is the bottoms of valleys through which streams

run that are the richest in Butterflies, the extreme tops and ridges being

the next most productive, while the sides and intermediate slopes produce

hardly anything.

In “The Butterflies of India” it is stated by Major Marshall and myself

(p. 87), that Huplea aleathoé“ appears to be not uncommon” in Sikkim. The

Indian Museum, Calcutta, possesses a single specimen of this species from

Sikkim collected by Schlagintweit, obtained from the late Hast India

Company’s Museum, but Mr. Otto Moller who has assiduously collected for

three years near Daryjiling and also in the Sikkim tarai, has not met with it,

so if it does occur in Sikkim, it will probably only be found far in the

interior in native territory. Danais limniace is not given in our book as

occurring in Sikkim, but Mr. Otto Moller has met with some two or three

specimens (one in the tarai, two in the Runjit valley), so it does occur

there, but rarely, however, and is not wholly replaced (as stated in my last

paper) by D. septentrionis.

Mr. Paul Mowis, who during the last summer purchased large

numbers of the boxes of Sikkim butterflies collected by the Lepchas, most

generously allowed me to select for the Museum what specimens I wanted,

and amongst others I obtained single examples of Hypolycena nasaka,

Horsfield, and Jsoteinon masuriensis, Moore, identical with North-West

Himalayan specimens, except that the ground-colour of the underside

of the former is darker; of Hesperia acroleuca, Wood-Mason and de

Nicéville (= H. hiraca, Moore) identical with specimens from the South

* Journ, A. S. B., vol. 1, pt. ii, pp. 49—60 (1881) ; and id., vol. li, pp. 54—66

(1882).

{

1883. | L. de Nicéville—List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim. 93

Andamans ; and a male of the very rare Jolaus maculatus, Hewitson. As

this sex has never been described, I append a description of the specimen.*

In 1865 Mr. Hewitson when describing this species stated that “ Two

examples only have, I believe, hitherto arrived in Europe.” Mr. Méwis

also gave me a male of Zophoessa atkinsonia, Hewitson, taken on Senchal,

8,000 feet, in August; and a fine male of the beautiful Argynnis gemmata,

Butler, out of several other species in his possession (Aulocera padma, Kol-

lar; Argynnis lathonia, Linnzeus ; and Papilio machaon, var. asiatica,

Ménétriés, &c.), which he had obtained from a native who collected them

at high elevations in Sikkim and Thibet.

LEPIDOPTERA RHOPALOCERA.

Family NYMPHALID A.

Subfamily Danarna.

204. Huplea deione, Westwood.

A single pair. It seems a rare species wherever it occurs.

Subfamily Saryrinz.

205. Lethe dyrta, Felder.

Males only.

206. Lethe dinarbas, Hewitson.

A worn male of this species was taken by me on Senchal, at 7,000 feet.

207. Zophoessa sura, Doubleday, Hewitson.

I saw a single specimen on Senchal, but was unable to net it. Mr.

Moller has taken it on the Birch Hill Road, Darjiling, at 7,000 feet eleva-

tion, in perfect condition in November.

208. Melanitis duryodana, Felder.

The Ypthima nareda of my former lists should be ¥. newara, Moore,

and Zipaétis should be written Zipetes.

Subfamily Morpuin az.

209. Enispe euthymius, Doubleday.

Mr. Otto Méller took two fine males in the Runjit valley, and the

Lepchas also obtained both sexes. It has the habits of a Discophora,

* Tolaus maculatus, Hewitson. Matz. Upperrsips, forewing black, with a bluish-

white streak at the base of the first median interspace not reaching the margin, also

a basal pale blue patch in the interno-median interspace still further removed from

the margin. Hindwing below the subcostal nervure suffused throughout with pale

blue. Unpnrsipe as in the female. No secondary sexual characters. ExpaNsr 1°6

inches.

It differs from the single female in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, from Sibsagar,

Upper Assam (S. E. Peal), in being smaller, the forewing less broad, the apex more

pointed, the outer margin straighter, and the markings of the upperside, especially in

the hindwing, much more blue,

94 L. de Nicéville—List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim. [Nos. 2—4,

flying off into the jungle when disturbed, and resting on a leaf with closed

wings,

Subfamily NymMpPuatin az.

210. Cupha erymanthis, Drury.

Mr. Otto Moller saw a single specimen of this and the following spe-

cies in the bed of a stream below Pashok, but was unable to capture them,

211. <Atella sinha, Kollar.

212. Pyrameis cardui, Linneus.

A single specimen seen. It is by no means a common species in Sik-

kim, owing probably to the scarcity of its food-plant, the thistle.

213. Junonia orithya, Linneus.

Common at about 4,000 feet elevation.

214. Junonia almana, Linneus.

The Junonia laomedia of my former lists should now stand as J.

atlites, Linneus, the latter having lately been found to be the prior name

given to this species.

215. Herona marathus, Doubleday, Hewitson.

A single male was taken by the Lepchas.

Huripus cinnamomeus, Wood-Mason. Up to date Mr. Moller and I

have seen about thirty specimens of this species, all of which are females.

Can it be that the female of H. halitherses is dimorphic? Certainly in

Sikkim where the males of the latter species are common, Z. cinnamomeus

is more frequently met with than the acknowledged female of Z. halitherses

(ZH. isa).

Athyma zeroca, Moore.

Fremate. Differs from female 4. selenophora, Kollar, in having all

the white bands and spots on the UPPERSIDE sordid instead of pure white,

the forewing has the apex more rounded, and as predicted in my last

Sikkim paper, the streak in the cell is undivided. The markings of the

UNDERSIDE are very much as in the male. HExpawnsE 2'S inches.

Three specimens were obtained by the Lepchas.

216. Huthalia telchinia, Ménétriés.

A single female ( == aphidas, Hewitson) was taken by the Lepchas,

and is the first specimen of this sex I have seen.

217. Huthalia phemius, Doubleday, Hewitson.

Several females ( = sancara, Moore) were taken.

family LEMONIIDA.

Subfamily NEMEOBIIN A,

218. Dodona eugenes, Bates.

219. Dodona dipea, Hewitson.

Both sexes of this and the preceding species common on the Birch

1883. ] L. de Nicéville—List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim. 95

Hill Road, Darjiling, at 7,000 feet elevation, in bright sunshine. They

usually settle on the sand by the roadside with half open wings.

220. Dodona adonira, Hewitson.

I took a single male specimen of this beautiful and rare species at

rest on filth with wide outspread wings on Senchal at 7,000 feet.

‘The species of the genus Dodona group themselves into two very

distinct sections, those with and those without tails. In the first are

D. egeon, D. eugenes and D. longicaudata ; in the other are D. dipea,

D. durga, D. adonira ( = fatna, Boisduval, W. S., of Horsfield and Moore’s

Cat. Lep. E. I. Co., 1857, p. 243, n. 523), D. owida and D. deodata,

221. <Abdbisara neophron, Hewitson.

A single male at about 3,000 feet elevation was taken by me.

Family LYCANIDA.

222. Pithecops zalmora, Butler.

Two very distinct species of this genus occur together in the Great

~ Runjit Valley.

Curetis bulis, Doubleday, Hewitson.

The female of this common Sikkim species was taken by the Lepchas,

and together with three other specimens in Mr. Moller’s collection are the

first of this sex that I have seen. They differ from the male in having the

cupreous colour of the upperside entirely replaced by pure white ; they are

also rather larger insects. Like C. thetys, Drury, this species is dimorphic

in the female sex, Mr. Moller having a specimen which was obtained sub-

sequently to the specimens described above, with the upperside of both

wings bright ochreous instead of pure white.

223, Cyaniris placida, Moore, I. S.

224, Cyaniris dilectus, Moore.

225. Cyaniris iynteana, Moore, UM. f.

226. Cyaniris transpectus, Moore.

227. Oyaniris alboceruleus, Moore.

Of the latter species and of C. zynteana I took but single specimens,

all the other species of this genus enumerated above are very common, and

occur at various elevations. The females of all are rare, and of some still

unknown.

Niphanda ? cymbia, de Nicéville.

I took two males of this species at low elevations. They fly with

great rapidity, but frequently settle on the tea bushes. It is a distinct

species from the J. tessel/ata given in my last paper.

228. Zizera pygmea, Snellen.

A single male.

229. Miletus hamada, Druce.

96 L. de Nicéville—List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim. [Nos, 2—4,

I took this species at low elevations, and the Lepchas obtained several

specimens,

230. Miletus boisduvah, Moore.

Obtained by the Lepchas, and apparently not very rare. This and

the preceeding species should certainly be separated generically.

231. Castalius ananda, de Nicéville.

A single male of this species was taken by me in the Great Runjit

Valley, the Lepchas obtained both sexes.

232. Castalius elna, Hewitson.

Not uncommon at low elevations sucking up moisture.

233. Nacaduba bhutea, de Nicéville.

Males only.

234. Horaga viola, Moore.

I have hitherto seen five specimens only, all females, of this species

from Sikkim, and one from the Kulu Valley (4A. Graham Young). They all

differ from Mr. Moore’s description of A. viola in having the upperside

uniform dark brown, not with the “ lower basal and discal area of both wings

dull cyaneous blue.” In other respects they agree with the description.

235. Horaga species.

Mate. Uprerstpe black. Forewing with the discal white spot small

and distinctly indented at the nervules, outwardly thrice, inwardly twice ; be-

low the median nervure basally cyaneous blue. Hindwing paler, the disc blue.

A fine marginal pale blue line, not reaching the apex. UnprrsrpE bright

ochreous ; forewing with the discal spot divided posteriorly by a brownish

line, the spot not quite reaching the subcostal nervure. Hindwing with

the discal band somewhat narrow, white, inwardly nearly straight and

sharply defined with a dark brown line. The black spot on the anal

lobe large; a large quadrate patch of irrorated black and white scales

beyond, then another large black spot in the first median interspace,

with a smaller linear one in the interspace beyond, all anteriorly defined

with a pale metallic greenish line, also a line of the same colour in continua-

tion of the discal white band, recurved to the abdominal margin. FEMALE

larger, wings broader, apex of forewing more rounded, discal spot larger.

Hindwing with the blue colour paler and more restricted ; four irrorated

bluish spots between the nervules at the anal angle within the marginal

pale blue line. UNDrrstpE as in the male.

The species described above may be known from Sikkim specimens of

H. ciniata by the ground-colour of the underside being bright ochreous and

the discal spot not nearly reaching the costa; in this latter respect it agrees

with Sikkim specimens of H. viola, but is otherwise abundantly distinct from

that species. It is well figured by Hewitson (Ill. Diurn. Lep., Lycenide, pl.

xiv, figs. 32, 33, 1863) under the name Myrina onya (Myrina syring on the

1888.] LL. de Nicéville—List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim, 97

plate ; the specimen figured being probably a male by reason of the pointed

_ apex to the forewing), The Myrina syrinx, Felder, 2, (Sitzb. Ak. Wiss.

Wien, Math. Nat. Cl., vol. xl, p. 452, no. 14, 1860) from Amboyna is

probably a distinct species.

A single pair was taken by the Lepchas.

The males of the genus Horaga may at once be distinguished from the

females by an oval ochreous glandular patch of closely packed scales on the

underside of the forewing placed on, and near the middle of, the submedian

nervure.

236. Lraota mecenas, Fabricius.

A single female.

237. Nadisepa jarbas, Fabricius.

238. Deudorix epijarbas, Moore.

A single male.

239. Rapala orseis, Hewitson.

A single male taken by the Lepchas is rather darker than typical

specimens from the South Andamans,

240. Rapala schistacea, Moore.

241. Loxura tripunctata, Hewitson.

242. Poritia hewitsoni, Moore.

Both sexes of this very beautiful species.

243. Sithon jangala, Horsfield.

244, Hypolycena nasaka, Horsfield.

A single female.

245. Nilasera ? fulgida, Hewitson.

I took one female at about 3,000 feet elevation.

246. Nilasera? abseus, Hewitson.

Both sexes. This is a very common Sikkim species.

247. Nilasera ? areste, Hewitson.

One male only. It differs from the female on the upperside in having

the outer margins only narrowly black, all the rest of the wings being a

most vivid ultramarine blue. UnprrsIpE with the markings similar.

248. Nilasera? ariadna, de Nicéville.

Both sexes. This is also a common species,

249, Nilasera ? bazalus, Hewitson.

A single female,

250. Panchala? paramuta, de Nicéville.

Both sexes.

251. Panchala ? perimuta, Hewitson.

One male,

98 L. de Nicéville—List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim. [Nos. 2—4,

Family PAPILIONIDA.

Subfamily PreRinz.

252. Colias myrmidone, Ksper.

This species occurs in Darjiling as low as about 500 feet, and is not

uncommon about the Station on grassy hill-sides. I have followed Mr.

Elwes in thus naming the species allied to C. edwsa which occurs in Sikkim,

as stated in his paper on “ Butterflies from Sikkim” (Proce. Zool. Soc. Lond.,

1882, p. 401).

253. Prioneris clemanthe, Doubleday.

254. Delias descombesi, Boisduval.

Subfamily PaprLionin”z.

255. Papilio (Ornithoptera) rhadamanthus, Boisduval.

A single male. It is far less common in Sikkim than P. pompeus.

256. Papilio erioleuca, Oberthur.

This species is not uncommon in Sikkim. The FEMALE may be known

from that sex of P. astorion, Westwood, by the ground-colour of the

upperside being of a bronzy-greenish instead of an indigo-greenish ; it

never has a paler diffused patch near the inner angle of the forewing as

occurs in many specimens of P. astorion ; and the lateral pale bands on

the body are of a much paler pink.

Females of this species stand as P. atdoneus, Doubleday, in Colonel

Lang’s collection, and it is possible that this identification is correct. The

type specimen we are informed by Mr. Distant is not in the British Museum,

and is probably lost.

257. Papilio ganesa, Doubleday.

Family HESPERIIDA.

258. Choaspes gomata, Moore.

259. Choaspes vasutana, Moore.

A single female.

260. Astictopterus butleri, Wood-Mason and de Nicéville. (Plate

Aiea. 6.)

This species will be more fully described hereafter, but the characters

given below will suffice to distinguish it. Maze. Uprerrsips uniform dark

fuliginous glossy brown. Unperstps slightly paler, the internal area up

to the median nervure much paler. Hindwing with a brush of long hairs

placed near the base of the costa, which when erected lie in a groove at

the end of the cell of the forewing. Frmate larger, the wings broader

and paler, and of course lacking the male tuft of hairs, AnTENNa, head,

body and legs concolourous with the wings.

ExpansE: @,1°5; 2, 1°7 inches.

Fc cri a

of -Sancpatte La on the

264, oe, narooa, Nace

Bone male.

265. Parnara tulsi, de N icéville.

_ A single male.

266. Parnara cahira, Moore.

267. Parnara bada, Moore.

268. Suastus gremius, Fabricius,

,: This is a rare Sikkim species, but it is very common in Caleutta and

E elsewhere. It rests with closed wings.

269. Chapra mathias, Fabricius.

270. Chapra prominens, Moore.

271. Padraona ? purreea, Moore.

I took a single- female, it rests with closed wings. This species was

first described from the South Andamans, I have received specimens besides

_ from Orissa; Buxa, Bhutan ; and Chittagong. The male has a bare patch

at the end of the cell on the upperside of the hindwing on which is placed

an oval patch of closely packed scales.

Halpe sikkima, Moore.

This is the ?Halpe homolea of my last list. Mr. Moore in his de-

scription of this species does not refer to H. homolea, so I am unable to

say what are the differences between the two species. At low elevations

near water this is the commonest Hesperid met with.

272. Isoteinon satwa, de Nicéville.

The males fly with immense rapidity, and continually fight with each

other in the air. They always, however, return to the same “ perch’, an

outer leaf of a bush, so are easily caught. They rest with closed wings.

273. Cyclopides subvittatus, Moore.

I took a single specimen.

274. Hyarotis adrastus, Cramer.

275. Lugiades atticus, Fabricius.

A single female, It rests with outspread wings. The only point of

100 = L. de Nicéville—List of Butterflies taken at Sikkim. [Nos. 2—4,

difference I can detect between this species and 7. menaka, Moore, is that

the former has two spots in the cell of the forewing, the latter only one,

Both occur in Sikkim, hitherto I have only received one or other species

never both, from any one locality.

276. Satarupa sambara, Moore.

277. Satarupa gopala, Moore.

278. Plesioneura restricta, Moore.

279. Plesionewra agni, de Nicéville.

I took a single male. It rests with wide outspread wings.

Plesioneura leucocera, Kollar.

This is the P. swmitra of my last list.

280. Plesioneura chamunda, Moore.

281. Coladenia indrani, Moore.

282. Coladenia dan, Fabricius.

All the species of Coladenia known to me rest with outstretched

wings.

283. Antigonus angulata, Felder.

Also rests with outspread wings, often on the bare ground.

284. Hesperia ? swerga, de Nicéville.

IN D

He X.

kas" Names of new Species have an asterisk (*) prefixed.

NI I tt nn nnnnnnn

Abaratha ransonnettii, 88

Ps taylorii, 88

Abisara neophron, 95 |

Amblypodia diardi, 79

fa fulgida, 80

Antigonus angulata, 100

Argynnis gemmata, 93

- lathonia, 93

Artocarpus chaplagsha, 18

Astictopterus butleri, 98

diocles, 99

Atella Sinha, 94,

Athyma selenophora, 94

4, zeroca, 94

Aulocera padma, 93

Baoris oceia, 85

Bombax malabarium, 18

Bos, 57

3» 2arni, 58

» gaurus, 58, 64

Butea, 57, 64

*Castalius ananda, 75, 76, 96

a decidia, 75

es elna, 96

hie, hamatus, 74, 75

are. interruptus, 74

Castenopsis, 40

Chapra mathias, 99

»» | prominens, 99

*Choaspes anadi, 83, 84

“ gomata, 83, 98

i harisa, 84

* vasutana, 98

Coladenia, 100

a dan, 100

+ indrani, 100

Colias edusa, 98

», Mmyrmidone, 98

Cupha erymanthis, 94

Curetis bulis, 95

», thetys, 95

Cyaniris, 67, 68

ya akasa, 68, 72

- alboceruleus, 67, 69,71, 72; 95°

a cagaya, 68

gov aniris chennellii, 72

+ dilectus, 67, 68, 69, 95

ae jynteana, 67, 69, 95

= lanka, 68

A lavendularis, 68

a limbatus, 68

ee marginata, 67, 70

a placida, 67, 68, 95

if puspa, 67, 68, 69, 70

re singalensis, 68

transpectus, 67, 70, 95

Cyclopides subvittatus, 99

Cyrestis, 1

ah ee tabula, 1

M thyonnenus, 2

Danainz, 93

Danais, 65, 66

mn juventa, 65

» limniace, 65, 92

» Yradena, 65

», septentrionis, 92

Delias descombesi, 98

Diasperos, 57

Dodona, 95

- adonira, 95

- deodata, 95

i dipoea, 94, 95

ie durga, 95

Me egeon, 95

a eugenes, 94, 95

» ° fatna, 95

» longicaudata, 95

ouida, 95

Deudorix epijarbas, 97

if nasaka, 77

Discophora, 93

Elephas, 58

* indicus, 64

Enispe euthymius, 93

Equus, 57

Hrithrina indica, 18, 40

| Huploea alcathoé, 92

re deione, 93

Euripus cinnamomens, 94

is halitherses, 94

102

Euripus isa, $4

Euthalia aphidas, 94

phemius, 94

sancara, 94

telchinia, 94

Index.

Miletus boisduvali, 96

H hamada, 76, 95

Morphine, 93

Myrina onyx, 96

yo eyrinx, 96, ‘07

Halpe homolea, 99 Nacaduba ardates, 72, 73, 74

», sikkima, 99 ve 4 bhutea, 72, 73, 96

Herona marathus, 94 a) ee, dana, 73 |

Hesperia, 85 es nora, 73 |

om acroleuca, 92 Nadisepa jarbas, 97 .

“5 aria, 85 Nemeobiine, 94 ;

»» hiraca, 92 Nilasera absens, 97 :

Acie naga, 89 * . 5) 2adriawa 72 ’

ss oceia, 85 Nilasera areste, 81, 97

* swerga, 89, 100 » ariadna, 80, 97 .

Hesperiidae, 83, 98 * ,, asoka, 78, 79 :

Hestina zella, ae » bazalus, 97 !

Horaga, 96, 97 », tfulgida, 80, 97

» ciniata, 96 * |, moelleri, 80 |

7 viola, 96 aad rks )

Hyarotis adrastus, 99

Hypolyczena chandrana, 78

~ nasaka, 77, 78, 92, 97

Iolaus maculatus, 93

Traota meecenas, 97

» cymbia, %6, 77,95

», tesselata, 77, 95

Nymphalidae, 65, 93

Nymphaline, 65, 94

Ornithoptera, 98

Ismene, 84 Padraona purreea, 99

» aria, 84 *Panchala paramuta, 81, 97

» druna, 84 perimuta, 97

» gomata, 83

» SaSivarna, 84

Tsoteinon masuriensis, 92

aes satwa, 86, 99

Junona almana, 94

» atlites, 94

» laomedia, 94:

orithya, 94

Temeande. 94,

Lepidoptera Rhopalocera, 93

Lagerstreemia regina, 18

Papilionide, 82, 98

Papilionine, 98

Papilio aidoneus, 98

» asiatica, 93

»» astorion, 98

» erioleuca, 98

» ganesa, 98

» machaon, 93

», pompeus, 98

rhadamanthus, 98

Parnara bada, 99

be elastica, 18 = cahira, 99

Lethe dinarbas, 93 ss narooa, 99

» adyrta, 93 . arene tulsi, 86, 99

Lirestona jenkinsia, 11 Pierine, 82, 98

Loxura tripunctata, 97 , Pieris, 65, 83

Lyczna cagaya, 68 Pithecops zalmora, 95

» leela, 66 Plectomia, 24

>, nora, Ve *Plesioneura agni, 87, 100

55 wosnesenskii, 67 * ambareesa, 87

Lycenide, 66, 77, 79, 80, 95, 96 c badia, 88

Macropus major, 61

crea ae brassicze, 82

3 deota, 82

* 3 devta, 82

Matapa, 84

x aria, 84

5. Gxuna, 85, 99

a chamunda, 87, 100

Be leucocera, 100

o restricta, 100

sumitra, 100

Polyommatus alboceeruleus, 71

i dilectus, 68

3 ellisi, 66, 67

» sasivarna, 85, 99 nt transpectus, 70

* ,, shalgrama, 84, 85, 99 Poritia hewitsoni, 97

subfasciata, 84 Portax, 57

Melanitis duryodana, 93

Metaporia caphusa, 65

Priovoris clemanthe, 98

Pterygospidea badia, 88

Puspa, 67

Pyrameis cardui, 94

Pyrgus dravira, 88

Radena, 65

Rapala orseis, 97

» schistacea, 97

Rhinoceros decannensis, 57

indicus, 56, 57; 60, 64

namadicus, 56

sondaicus, 60, 64

- sumatrensis, 64

Rhopalocera, 65, 88, 93

Satarupa andamanica, 90

a bhagava, 90

- gopala, 100

a sambara, 100

Satyrine, 93

Indew.

Sithon jangala, 97

Shorea, 57

Suastus gremius, 99

Tagiades atticus, 99

menaka, 100

Tectona, 57

Thecla malika, 78

”

nasaka, 77

Vatica lancifolia, 40]

Ypthima nareda, 93

newara, 93

Zipaétis, 93

Zipcetes, 93

Zizera pygmeeca, 95

Zizyphus, 57

Zophoessa atkinsonia, 93

oP)

sura, 93,

NS INI DN OL OOo ereeneeeeeG_oere eer eee oes

103

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available in about three months; containing the detailed descriptions gw all the @

Saryrina, Elymniine, Morphine and Acreine, with eight autotype plawss, and nine

or ten wood engravings. Price, Rs. 8.

The book will be completed in four or five volumes, the remaining » volumes to be

issued as prepared. The exact period of publication cannot be guaranteed, nor the

precise cost of the total work, but every effort will be made to complete the publication

within three ‘iip at the outside and to keep the cost within Rs. 60 for the entire a

work,

PUBLISHED BY THE

CALCUTTA CENTRAL PRESS COMPANY, LIMITED,

6, Councit Hovusz Street.

om Sf oo Ss

"= NEW SERIES, VOL. LI, SOENT.

JOURNAL

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL.

Vol. LIl. Part Tl, Nos. II, Ill, & IV.—1883.

EDITED BY

JHE NaTurac fiistoRY SECRETARY.

within these limits its inquiries will be extended to whatever is performed by

man or produced by nature.”—S1r WILLIAM JONES,

#,* Communications should be sent under cover to the Secretaries, Asiat, Soc.,

to whom all orders for the work are to be addressed in India; or, in Lon.

don, care of Messrs. Tritbner and Co., 57 & 59, Ludgate Hill,

LLL OOOO NLR IT eee -

BRR SAR SRS HAR peo PRE Te ON :

‘ POS PO No A Gh eet te

CALCUTTA:

PRINTED BY J, W. THOMAS, AT THE BAPTIST Mission PRESS,

AND PUBLISHED BY THE

|: ** The bounds of its investigation will be the doom cuahical limits of Asia: and

| ASIATIC SOCIBTY, 57, PARK STREET, |

1883. eae 1

)

Wa ee eee a

Price exclusive of postage) to Subscribers, Rs. 1-8.—To Non-& ubscribers Es, 2.

Price in England, 4 Shillings

Issued March 6th, 1884.

CONTENTS.

— Page

V.—On new and little-known Rhopalocera from the Indian region, me

—By Lionet pe Nicr’vinte. (With Plates I, IX & X).. 65 |

Vi.—WThird List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim in October, 1889, | .

with notes on habits, §&c.—By LIONEL DE NICE’VILLE ......... 92

—

Now Complete.

HISTORY OF THE BIRDS OF CEYLON.

Parts I ro III.

By Captain W. V. LEGGE, 8. 4., F. L. 8.

Royal 4to., pages xlvi. 1237, with 34 plates by Keulemans and a

Map. Complete in three parts, price £2 each. In this work the geogra-

phical range, habits and nidification of each species is fully worked out,

Intending purchasers should communicate with the author, whose >

address is Aberystwith, Wales.

CONTENTS

OF THE NATURAL HISTORY PART (PT. II.) OF THE

JOURNAL OF THE ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL FOR 1892,

No. 1, (issued August 21st, 1882). On a@ collection of Japanese Clau-

silie made by Brigade Surgeon R. Hungerford in 1881. (With Pl. I.)—

By O. F. von Méxtuenporr, Vice-Consul for Germany, Hongkong. Clau-

_ silia nevilliana, a new Species from the Nicobars.—By O. F. von MOuLEn-

porFr. Descriptions of some new Asiatic Clausilie.—By O. F. von Mot-

penvorr. Second List of Diurnal Lepidoptera inhabiting the Nicobar

Islands.—(With Pl. II. and two Woodcuts).—By J. Woop-Mason, Deputy

Superintendent, Indian Museum, Calcutta, and L. pe Nice'vinLE. On new

and little known Mantodea.—By J. Woop-Mason.

Nos. 2 & 3, (issued December 30th, 1882). Some new or rare species of

Rhopalocerous Lepidoptera from the Indian regions. (With Pl. IV.).—

By Mason G. F. L. Marswatt. On an abnormality in the horns of the

hog-deer, Axis porcinus, with an amplification of the theory of the evolu-

tion of antlers in Ruminants.—By Joun Cocksurn, Off. 2nd Asst. to Supdt.

Indian Museum, Calcutta. On the habits of a little known Lizard, Brachy-

saura Ornata.—By JoHn CocKksury, 2nd Assistant to Superintendent

Indian Museum. Second List of Butterflies taken in Sikkim in October,

1882, with notes on habits, fce.—By LIoNELL DE Nicer'vILxE.

No. 4, (issued March Ist, 1883). A new Species of Hipparchia (Le-

pidoptera Rhopalocera) from the NV. W. Himalayas.—By Masor G. F. L.

Marsuatt. No.2. Notes on and Drawings of the animals of various

Indian Land Mollusca (Pulmonifera). (With Pl. V.)\—By H. H. Gopwry-

Austen. Some further results of Sun-thermometer observations with refer-

ence to atmospheric absorption and the supposed variation of solar heat.—

By Henry F. Buanrorp, Meteorological Reporter to the Government of

India.

PUBLICATIONS

FOR SALE AT THE

ASIATIG SOCIETY OF BENGAL, —

No. 57, Park Street, Calewtta.

Journal, Asiatic Society, Bengal, from Vols. XII to XXI (1848

to 1851); Vols. XXVI, XXVII (1857, 1858), and Vols.

XXX, XXXII to XLVIIT, (1861, 1864 to 1881).

Asiatic Researches, from Vols. VII to XI, XIII, XVII, XIX and

WP CAGED a ee aia o's co e450 saree ee WER Ta ha 6 bin Sie ke

NOL eS CRULES tc ped § 516 Ces eRe pn ASL aM Moma enw e AB arn A noe Me rane te iE

Catalogue of Books and MSS. in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu,...... 1

The Ain-i-Akbari, Vol. I. Tyranslatedinto English, with notes and

indexes; by “Hi. Blochmanns MM. As re swes dae nea ae eee eae. ae

The Tabaqat-i-Nagiri. Translated by Major H. G. Raverty,

Ned Chr etapa ps Gr ait ae ge ET cae PA UMUE WS c"a ceo a eae eee

Aborigines of India, by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., B. C.8.,.....,000. 38

eco Ff OOO

THE BUTTERFLIES OF INDIA, BURMAH AND CEYLON,

BY : ;

Masor G. F. L. MARSHALL, R. E.,,

7 AND

LIONEL pre NICE’/VILLE.

A descriptive handbook of all the known species of Rhopalocerous Lepidoptera

inhabiting that region, with notices of allied species occurring in the neighbouring

countries along the border ; with numerous illustrations.

Vol. I, Part i, is now available at the Publishers, containing Glossary of Tech- —

nical Terms, Notes on Collecting and Preserving, Synopsis of the Families and Sub-

families, and detailed descriptions of all the Danaine, with one coloured plate, nine

autotype plates, and four wood engravings. Price, Rs. 6.

Part ii, which completes Vol. I, is also now available ; and contains the detailed

descriptions of all the Saryrinz, Elymniine, Morphine and Acreine, with eight

autotype plates, and eleven wood engravings. Price, Rs. 8. ¢

‘he book will be completed in four or five volumes, the remaining volumes to be

issued as prepared. ‘The exact period of publication cannot be guaranteed, nor the

precise cost of the total work, but every effort will be made to complete the publication

within three years at the outside, and to keep the cost within Rs. 60 for the entire

work, Pa

PUBLISHED BY THE

CALCUTTA CENTRAL PRESS COMPANY, LIMITED,

5, Counciz House Street,

RS. AS.