The wood abounds with several species of birds, among which a green Bulbul is the most common, then the fan-tailed Parus, with its coquettish airs; judging from the voice there is a species of Bucco.  Both species of Phaenicornis, yellow and crimson, described in Gould’s Century as male and female, and the black Edolius are found.  The only animals are two species of squirrel, and a genet, of which I shot one, but although it fell from a height of 70 feet or so, I could not succeed in securing it; it is a lengthy animal, black and grey, with a long tail, climbing trees with great facility.  The ring-dove of Churra continues.

The weather during the four days I stayed at Myrung was unsettled; fine usually in the morning, but cloudy and showery in the evening; the range of the thermometer from 53 degrees, at 6.5 A.M. to 68 degrees in the afternoon in an open verandah.  The place, however, is not a cheerful one, for the aspect on every side except to the E. and NE. is dreary, marshes and the usual bleak grassy hills being alone visible.  My favourite spot in this direction would be the Nungbree hill, the altitude of which, at least of that part over which the road to the village runs, is 5,439, (or probably 5,700,) temperature of the air being **, and water boiling at 202.5 degrees.  There is a beautiful and very extensive wood at Nungbree, the largest I have yet seen; it consists, at least at the skirts, principally of oaks; a large Pyrus is also not uncommon.  Eurya, and an arborescent Buddleia likewise occur.

[THE OK-KLONG ROCK:  p167.jpg]

At this place Plectranthus azureus makes its appearance, otherwise the vegetation is that of Myrung; the most remarkable plant is a huge Sarcocordalis, parasitic on the roots of a large climbing Cissus cortice suberosa, foliis quinatis, on the wet parts of the wood, especially towards the mountain foot, mosses abound, chiefly the pendent Hypna and Neckerae.

On the 13th, I went to a celebrated rock called Kullung, bearing about NW. from Myrung, from the heights surrounding which it is visible; the road runs off from the Nunklow nearly opposite Monei, near to which village one passes; the village is of no great size, and as well as others in this direction is inhabited chiefly by blacksmiths, the iron being procured from the sand washed down the mountain torrents; the sound of their anvils when beaten is very soft and musical, not unlike that of a sheep bell.  The road to the rock is very circuitous; it finally ceases, and for an hour one traverses ridges on which no path exists, having the usual vegetation.  The rock is certainly a vast mass, forming a precipice of 700 feet to the westward, on which side it is nearly bare of vegetation, gradually shelving to the east, and covered with tree-jungle, among which huge mosses are to be found.  At its foot some fine fir trees occur, one at its very base measured nine feet in circumference, but had no great height.  The forest consists of Oaks, Pines, Panax, Erythrina Eurya, Gordonia.