In a letter from Lanchow, Kansu, which has been accidentally delayed, Brigadier-General Pereira gives us some further notes on that elusive creature the giant panda, sometimes but erroneously the cat bear. called I saw Sowerby's article of December 11. After my experience I think the giant panda is the rarest animal in China, perhaps in the world, I don't think Sowerby is right in saying nothing (is known?) of its habits or distribution. 1 know that it exists in the Mup'ing district west of Chengtu and as far north as Shawan on the Sungpan River, 51 miles north of Mowchow, now called Mowhsien. In fact at the small village of Pingchiaokou, two miles further south, they told me they were quite common in the hills one day only to the east of the big road. If I had the time 1 would return to Shawan, a village of some 28 families and make it my H. Q. Further south Baber states that one of the abbots of the Mount Omei Monasteries told him a white bear existed in the wild country, occupied by Lolos to the west of the mountain. It is found in the country of the Tibetan tribes, who occupy Western Szechuan. Though not found around Tachienlu, Mr. King told me it exists two or three days further south. Mr. Edgar, of the China Inland Mission, told' me that when he was at Maonin. 38 miles southwest of Tanpa (or Romichangku) and 57 miles north of Tachienlu, the Tibetans told him that there were white bears slong the small road leading over the ills to the Tachinho (great gold river) further west, and that as they attacked single Passengers, people usually went in parties. How much further south and west it extends I don't know, but as far as I know, it is not found further north than Sungpan.
As regards its habits it lives in the dense bamboo, which it feeds on, living at high altitudes in the summer, and coming down for food when the snow covers the ground in the winter. The colour of the one I saw was of a dirty white or yellowish tinge, and the black marking round the neck was not like_an even band, but more like a collar increasing in thickness from the neck to the shoulder. The natives assured me it had no tail, and there was no sign of any on the one I saw, though of course the natives might have cut it off. hope still to have a chance of getting one when I go southwards. As far as I can ascertain he unknown in Kansu.
I have just received a letter from Mr. Roy Andrews, in which he kindly gives me some information
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.