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SUMMARY:
Diary notes describe severe midges and rain while collecting Primula cortusoides and rhododendrons off the Nyug La ridge, followed by a weather-hampered attempt along the ridge. The party returns to Lalung where Tsongpen shoots a tragopan near camp and the diarist has a good day of bird shooting as weather improves; plant notes include R. edgeworthii, Pinus wallichiana, Cypripedium hookerae, and Monotropa uniflora.

CONTENT:
P. laciniata 3649
Here, off the ridge, Primula cortusoides No. 3649, is in masses and very pretty. Otherwise the only thing we got was a very fine Rhododendron 3708 (Rh. rude 3707), which is the same as that found in bud on the Nyug La (= 3670). Otherwise there was nothing, and the only bird I wanted to shoot was an Ixulus - beside the tragopan. The midges at these two camps have been too awful for words. They simply swarm in dense clouds everywhere, and it is impossible to stand still for a minute. I have a smoke fire in my tent, which is infinitely preferable to the midges. Gulla and Tsongpen are with me - Gulla as cook, he is perfectly good. Tsongpen and I will try our luck as far as we can go tomorrow. I'm afraid a new primula on my birthday is hardly likely. (Sherriff's birthday)

3rd May. Same camp. Rained all night, and has rained hard all day today without a stop. A perfectly filthy day. Tsongpen and I, with two men, cut our way up as far as we could go along the ridge. There cliffs blocked our way, and we could not go either side. So, soaked through and freezing cold, we returned to camp. I am very glad that the coolies agree, or say they do, to go back in one day. It seemed easily possible, none of us have any desire for any more of this ridge. At the highest point reached, we found some rhododendrons in flower, but only those seen before. There was no sign of any primulas, or of anything else for that matter. Heavy rain and dense forest is too much to compete with, either for birds or flowers. So I am just sitting in camp, hoping for the day to pass quickly, which of course it won't do. This camp is just mud now, and everything we have is wet and filthy. I think Gulla will be happiest when he gets back tomorrow. When used to driving cars, this is a change in the wrong direction.

4th May. Camp Lalung. 5 miles. Rained in morning, some sun at Lalung at midday, rained in evening. It only took the coolies 5 1/2 hours to return here, instead of the 12 going. Just as we were ready to leave camp, we heard tragopan calling, and one came close to camp (Tragopan in perfect plumage). Tsongpen went after it and got it in a rhododendron. I saw two more, but could not get a shot with the rifle. All were within 50 yards of camp. I got a few other birds too on the way down. Ludlow had had a bad day of rain yesterday too, and was pretty fed up with getting few birds. We were all glad to get back to a decent dry level camp again.

5th May. Halt Lalung. Fine and sunny the whole day. Looks as if we were in for a spell of fine weather - a rash thing to prophesy here. I went out on a ridge 500 ft above camp and had some good shooting. Every morning about 7.30, spine-tailed swifts arrive, and then spend the day feeding in this valley, going home wherever that is, in the evening. They are said to fly at 200 mph, and they are a...

R. edgeworthii 3709, 3720 Pinus wallichiana 3711
Cypripedium hookerae 3708, Monotropa uniflora 3710

SUMMARY:
Field notes from Lhalung and Nyug La record observations on Rhododendron and Primula species, including diagnostic features and flowering behavior. Local river names around Lhalung are listed. Rhododendron xanthostephanum is noted as previously found by David under No. 3666.

CONTENT:
26a
Lhalung

3720. Rhod. edgeworthii bullatum? This seems to agree with R. bullatum, except for the pink flowers, more distinct on the lobes to base lines: 10 stamens: perhaps the size of the flower, which measured 3" across, even as in nature not pressed. It is common here, but on very high trees, & smaller at the top. A marked difference to all Edgeworthii Series is that the flowers are terminal, but only 1 flowered. X 1/5 Found a good many 2-flowered. No 3-fld.

N.B. Name of Main River at Lhalung is YARGYAP CHONG CHU, called usually, YARGYAP CHU.
" - side river passing camp is the NETSANG CHU.
" - river between Kangma La & Nyug La is CHACHURONG CHU.
" - W of Nyug La is CHUDI CHU.

3726. Rhod. xanthostephanum yellow. Found by David under NO. 3666. There mentioned as being a small shrub, but now seen to be 10-12 ft. Number label attached to tree.

Nyug La. 11th May.

3735. Primula Cortusoides Sect. lacerata = 3749. Nyug La. Specimens taken from low altitude, where flowers are nearly over. Shows the formation of bracts, in the same way as are formed on P. bracteosa. These begin when the plant is still in flower.

3736. Rhod. campylocarpum telopeum. Nyug La. Aff. R. campylocarpum. Very little of this was seen. It hardly seems to agree fully with any of the yellow flowered Thomsonii series.

3737. Rhod. micromeres. Nyug La. Flowers not yet open, but seems to agree with the description of R. micromeres. Little seen.

Note on Primula Normaniana: Flowers first seen all had the yellow eye. Now the eye varies a good deal. It seems that at first the eye is yellow, then turns either white, or very deep red.

3743. Primula Boothii gracilipes = 3671. Nyug La. This primula does not show any elongation of the scape just now. In fact the scape is hardly visible at all. The petioles have lengthened.

3744. Primula aff Bariensis porella = 3673. Nyug La. The leaves of this primula have increased a great deal in size. The color of leaves remains much the same, the upper surface being a little less red tinged. A magnificent primula common in a very limited area. Flower heads up to nine counted.

3745. " " " porella " "

P.T.O

SUMMARY:
Notes at Lo La include plant collections and a notable new Primula, with complaints about a soaked camp; David remarks on heavy rain. The following day details a march from Nyugda La to Karchung La through dense forest with rhododendrons and primulas, a hazardous descent on notched logs, late and unhappy coolies, a hut taken by Molo people, and unsuccessful attempts to obtain monal and tragopan despite sightings.

CONTENT:
Lo La. April 25. R. hookeri 3652 & 3655, ciliatum 3654, Phaeodopum 3656, megeratum 3657, Stachyurus himalaicus 3661. Daphne bholua 3658.

Chenogone wretched. The best find was a new petiolarid primula, No. 3648. But P. Normaniana is, when seen at this time, a most beautiful thing. Both are however easily beaten by P. cortusoides Sech, No. 3649 (P. laciniata), which is really a most beautiful one; other flowers, though like P. Normaniana, are much bigger.

Camping ground awful, everything soaking wet too. David is having his eyes opened. Today (27th) he was saying "what an awful place for rain". I agreed, but had to tell him that the rain would not start till after another month or a half.

Nyugda La to Karchung La
26th April. Camp near Karchung La. 8 miles. Fine morning, clouded by 10 am. Rain at 2.0 pm & most of the evening. After crossing the Chudi Chu, the ascent is steep. The hills are covered with dense forest the whole way. Tsuga (Brunoniana?) is a common tree here, & grows to a great size. Rhododendrons abound, but are yet not in full bloom mostly. Two primulas found, P. Boothii, No. 3671 (P. gracilipes), a really magnificent one, 3673 (Primula porecta?). The latter is a grand sight when growing in close clumps as we saw it about 1000 ft below the Nyugda. Over the La the descent is at first easy, then worse than ever, very steep indeed, & down notched logs the whole way. A good deal of repairing to the road had been done to these, but even so they were awful, the path is most tiring. The coolies however are very sad, many were not in camp till after 5.0 pm. We went on further than the coolies expected & they did not like having to come on. They are a very independent lot, more than once muttering of dropping the loads & refusing to go further, as they did yesterday. A Maddenii rhododendron, R. lindleyi 3667 (R. Nuttallii?) was the finest we saw. It really is a most magnificent sight when in full bloom, & like many others of the section, it has a wonderful scent. Ludlow saw some tragopan but failed to get one. Ramzana shot one yesterday, but it was never found. We have had very bad luck with monal & tragopan, having seen quite a number now, but not having got one of either yet. We had a late evening & a perfectly awful camp. My tent was in a bog, Ludlow's on a most uneven bit of ground, with just room for his bed to be put up more or less evenly. A hut had been built here on the only even good bit of ground, but this was pinched by some Molo people, & our own servants used the half we kept clean for them. A tiring day. We could have been in by 2.0 pm, & so saved the coolies, but they were almost pushed up the last mile of 1000 ft ascent, & came in very late.

Nyugda. Ludlow 44. "We are unlucky with monal & tragopan; the net result of 2 years pursuit of them so far is one monal & one tragopan."