Black and white Kingfisher, Alcedo rudis, Snippets, Curlews of the B. pooter, with chesnutish back occur in the valley, together with Toucans:  and Ravens occur as in Assam.

At the village of Kidding there are silkworms fed.

March 22nd.—­Started at 6 P.M., reached Shelling khet on the Prong Prongkha in about two hours; it is distant about seven miles.  The village is now deserted.  The nullah is small, with a very slow stream; direction from Kidding nearly S.E.  It was at this place that Bayfield got his specimen of tea, but on enquiry we found that it was brought from some distance; it is said to grow on a low range of hills.  We started after breakfast, and reached Culleyang, on the same nullah, about 12 o’clock.  Total distance thirteen miles; direction S.S.E.  Path very winding.  The country traversed is much less open than that of Nempean, but few Putars occurred; and the whole tract is covered either with tree or Megala jungle.  Water boiled at Shelling khet at 209.5 Fahr.  Temp. of the air 68.5 degrees.  Elevation 1340 feet.  Noticed but very little clearing for cultivation, neither did the Putars appear to have been lately under cultivation.

Culleyang is a village containing about eight houses; it is not stockaded, and has the usual slovenly appearance of Singpho villages.  The natives keep silkworms, which they feed on the Chykwar or Assam morus, which they cultivate.  I noticed likewise Kanee, or Opium, and Urtica nivea, which they use for nets; Acanthaceae, Indigofera, and Peach trees.

Close to the village are the burying places of two Singphos.  These have the usual structure of the cemeteries of the tribe, the graves being covered by a high conical thatched roof.  I find from Bayfield, that they first dry their dead, preserving them in odd shaped coffins, until the drying process is completed.  They then burn the body, afterwards collecting the ashes, which are finally deposited in the mounds over which the conical sheds are erected.  Between the village and the graves I saw one of these coffins which, if it contained a full-grown man, must have admitted the remains in a mutilated shape; and close to this were the bones of a corpse lately burnt.

To-day I shot the beautiful yellow and black crested Bird we first saw on the Cossiya hills, Parus Sultaneus, and two handsome Birds, Orioles, or Pastor Traillii, quite new to me, blackish and bright crimson, probably allied to the Shrikes.

Of fishes, Cyprinus falcata, or Nepoora of the Assamese, together with the Sentooree {75} of the Assamese, both occur.  Of plants, we noticed Stauntonia, Vitis, Cissampelos, Butomus pygmaeus, Dicksonia, Hedychia 2, Croton Malvaefolium of Suddiya, Xanthium indicum; Cheilosandra ferruginea, Pothos scandens decursiva, etc., Liriodendrum, Kydia.  Ficus elastica?  Asplenium nidus, Conyza graveolens, south of the old clearings.  Lemna, Valisneria, Azolla, AEsculus asamicus in abundance.  Limes in profusion near Culleyang; Paederia faetida and the other species, Naravelia, Hiraea, Phrynium dichotomum, Gaertnera, and Carallia lucida.  New plants, Ophioglossum, Carex, Gnetum sp. nov.  Choripetalum, and two incerta.  Noticed Pladera justicioides during the first part of the march, and the small Squirrel of Kujoodoo.