INSECTS, Of benign insects such as butterflies there are singularly few. Both mosquitoes and flies are very troublesome during the hot weather in the valley. Visits to native huts will probably lead to an introduction to other insects. In India ants become a nuisance: I met with a foraging party of extremely large and well-nourished ones as I entered my bath place one morning. I recognised them for the descendants—decadent somewhat—of the famous fellows who played Alberich to the Gold of Hindostan and regarding which Herodotus (commonly known as the Father of History, or of Lies, I forget which) asserted that they were of the bigness of foxes and ran with incredible swiftness. He evidently got this yarn from Pliny—
“Indicae Formicae. Aurum ex cavernus egerunt terrae Ipsis autem color Fehum magnitudo Aegypti Luporum” (Lib. xi. ch. 31)—
and passed it on to Sir J. Maundevil, who swallowed it greedily. “Theise pissmyres ben grete as houndes; so that no man dar come to the hilles, for the pissmyres wolde assaylen hem and devouren hem” (ch. xxx) For the wily method of catching the ants napping, together with other contes drolatiques, read Maundevil’s Travels.
Iris, (Kashmiri, Krishm) Succeeds the tulip and precedes the rose as typical of Kashmirian Flora, is used as fodder, and the fibre makes ropes, which are, however, not durable.
Islamabad, (Or Anant Nag, the “Place of Countless Springs.”) Is the second city in Kashmir, having about 9000 inhabitants; stands at the head of the navigable Jhelum, fifty miles by water and thirty-two by land above Srinagar.
Jade,
Jagganath,
Jain, A small sect founded by Mahavera, a contemporary of Gautama. The Jains were great temple-builders.
Jehangir,
Jeimal, With Putta, one of the national heroes of the Rajputs. They fell, while mere boys, in the heroic defence of Chitor against Akbar.