ce Ee ; hist Tater © Shevera noma oas es coe siete, nection ciate tee a “e., as >: F mS rican inne, pean te wie tg i To a oe, es Pt mee yi ue 4 i y4 y 1 Banat l , ; . Sh oe s,,, my eS wy f ‘ vy , a 1 ' I o - 5 , 4 ah. = j if i rt Die ~ ' i ‘ i ‘ Y A ¥ ‘ 1 : n i ( -_, j i ‘ ii ; vat ' ; i 1 ‘ fell bs 12 SrA , j 4 it ' ; K i oy = ' ss ' i : ' ts : i ‘eb i? y i H we i ra en hor ee et a | “ é i j { , : ' G) D . i 1 mH ‘ { Wh 1 i j . i 4 + { i : \ \ ’ ry i Ls ‘ a \ 4 ne, 4 i o + , 1 f = i 7 3 1 i i j j 4 i hy k ’ F J AN J t y P ; Wh grt Vat en 7 ‘ A on yy M RON i i ne THE JOURNAL OF THE BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY INDEX AND TITLE PAGE VOL. XLII NOS. 1 & 2 % i” 7 4 em), a how Maca how 2D et Price a Rs. 3-0-0 MADRAS PRINTED AT THE DIOCESAN PRESS 1943 INSTRUCTIONS TO BINDER The contents of these two parts should be arranged in the following order when they are being bound :— Title page or hee a Contents of Nos. 1 and 2 of Vol. XLIII... } : To follow frontis- List of Contributors Rue ree piece in this order. List of Plates... aon ee Index to Illustrations el ae Errata ” | wet a | Torco at nomen cMnOr: Index to Species E, an | two numbers. THE JOURNAL OF THE DOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY EDITED BY Rev. Fr. J. F. CAIUS, S.J..F.L.S., H. M. MCGUSTY, and S. H. PRATER, M.L.A., J.P. VOL. XLII Nos. 1 & 2 Containing Coloured Plates, Black and White Plates, Text-figures, Photos Dates of Publication Part I. (Pages 1 to 114) nae April 1942 » I. ¢( ,, 115 to 290) re August 1942 LONDON AGENTS DAVID NUTT, (A. G. BERRY) 212, Shaftesbury Avenue, LONDON, W.C. 2. PRINTED AT THE DIOCESAN PRESS, MADRAS 1943 ; ae i . aa yi J; : Bos a en 7” iF 1, op « ar . > ku) ‘ hei t 7 ‘ “ 2 Y 7 ? ‘ x ‘ t 5 i “4 i - ‘ an ue t en ©. Oo ee oA < \ Te rere ele) a ie aay 2 i ees | : 7 ; = ¥ “Ss os at ar ieee ae ds A M 1 7 seer “5 eth ay ‘K y ; ; ; ae r i 1s e : Se ee 7. ONS po iamen Captian by - ; ye , . : i - . - : hal Kn . . a “1 a are eeey.| hee ie / ’ ie. y Wane, oe : : “ é 4 wwe eae ARE a ae 2 n } , ny , ¥ ca 1 ft , . ast fale oh : , ' oes io oe I A i ye , / f my . * ie my ld i , CONTENTS, OF VOLOME XLITL No. 1 Some BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS. Fart X. By N. L. Bor, M.A., D.SC., F.L.S., I.F.S,, and M, B. Raizada, M.Sc. (With one coloured plate of the Golden Cestrum, Cestrum aurantiacum Lindl. and eight black and white plates, and five text-tigur Ay) SAR ACD Cnet HE OER oon On ereee NotEs ON THE BirDs OF THE LONDA NEIGHBOURHOOD, BomBAY PRESIDENCY. By Walter Koelz. cae mentany by H. Whistler)... BRS th THE EARLY eines OF INDIAN er onan seat IDG. By D. G. Sevastopulo, F.R.E.S.. Seco ei ON THE BANKS OF THE NARBADA, “1a ia, ey Tents one R. W. cea TA. ay (With four black and white plates)... Se RieiasToene ScloweleSopmesisettiewctes shes A MoNTH IN THE wine yee By Lieut.-Col. R. S. P. Bates, M.B.0.U. ae eight black and white plates)... soe caeess . : THE Sos Tense OF THE Sono Dee SGnei on. By W. C. Osman Hill, M.p., F.L.S., F.Z.S. (With one PRUGISO) ob Co SOB COE TOO OO ECE OOO ee eee ree FisH oF Poona. PartI. By Capt. A. G. L. Fraser, I.M.D.... A CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF THE BIOLOGY AND _ PHYSIOLOGICAL ANATOMY OF INDIAN MARSH AND AguaTic Prants. Part II. By J. F. R. D’Almeida, BaAerm Me SCouml (LVALULELILLCE DIQLCS))’. -dectitcernaces'ssitost asouscoticen ioe REVIEWS :— 1. Shells and other Animal Remains found on the Madras Beach. By F. H. Gravely... é 2. The Ecology and Control of the Rireed lasects of India and the neighbouring countries. By CRTC IS CES OMe seemiccdiet socncetaiers resco sat MISCELLANEOUS NOTES :— I. An Hermaphrodite Tiger. By C. Fraser............. ‘Ti: -Fhe-Indian: Wild Dog. By Lt.-Col. R. W. Burton, Indian Army (Retd.)... Adcodot III. Widespread rabies among Wila maoe on tie Billigirirangan Hills (S. India). By Captain ERs CANTOR IS toto cee see nelc ee oe ae oie leet we ecs.eee are PAGE lei 39 48 60 9? a uw) iden) DO 97 98 ug 99 100 iv XT: ING, KV. XVI. XVII: DWAIN XIX. XXIT. XXIII. . The Distribution of CONTENTS OF VOLUME XLIII A Coin lodged in a Tiger’s Palate. By A. St. John Macdonald.. ss hacslsleeuenrs Measurements of an ihaian Eicon reread (Bile gaurus), By S.C; H. Robinsons. ses--0- sae Notes on the Occurrence of the English Partridge (Perdix perdix L.) in North Persia. By ‘ Perdrix ’. me The Nesting! ot ine Malabar Grae. Hornbill. “Bs Humayun Abdulali.. Paces els The Identification ae ie Small Cuciee. “Be Humayun Abdulali... mice The Common Hawk- euceoe: or Bein ‘Paver Bird. By Dr Ge MestOniere scce cocecetes ta ees es onan ‘the Rosy Tern. By Humayun Abdulaii.. or Some Birds seen ou (ns train” in the ‘Madras Presidency. By Humayun Abdulali.............. The Distribution of the Nukta or Comb Duck in Sind. By N. H. Menesse, 1s.k£.. po Occurrence of the Chinese Hawk Basle i in cue Chin Hills. By Major A. C. Moore.. The Crocodile in Burma. By J. A. M. “Syanie.. Note on an experience with an Indian Python. By7E. J- Ss) Lurners. The number of eggs in “the: ‘Clutch: Of ne Checkered Water Snake. By N. G. Pillai. (With a photo)... Glow-W orm (Lisnpirodnones ie He feed. ing onaslug. ByR. E. Parsons, F.R.E.S.. The Plant-Bug Cyclopelta sicctpolia Westw. on Pongamia glabra. By C. McCann....2.....0.5- see A Battle between Black and Red Ants. By Ne Go Pillai. a Wanted male specimens of ‘ins, Beall (Alle myrina dichotomus) from India. Parsons. (With a photo)... Saab shawn The Distribution of the Suotpion Hormaras nigripes Pocock). By J. F. Caius... Additions to the Flora of Waziristan. “By Major D. G. Lowndes.. =e cay Fasciated Taaote cena rok CAGROA Fone precaies folius Wight. By N.L. Bor. (With a photo)... By R. HE. PAGE 100 100 101 102 103 104 104 104 106 106 107 107 108 109 109 110 alae 112 112 113 CONTENTS OF VOLUME XLIII No. 2 SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS. Part XI. Bye Nee DOL vaAcn DISC.) Ube Sem Tah-Gs, range MM. Bs Raizada, M.sc. (W2zth one coloured plate of the Potato Creeper, Solanium seaforthianum Andr. and three black and white plates, and nine lext-LIQures) co.cc. cesses ceccercccece THE Birps oF Mysore. Part I. By Salim Ali. ee: four plates)... SB cane eyee sive cel Negiseies toeetis Onkeeeeee ON “TSmUs DES eaEuDS: Deere ee “By C. McCann, F.L.S. ee nine plates and one text- figure.)... Steere SGaeciete ot Galea i nwtews vebieot THE GAME Pienes OF Tara: apa XV. By Sunder Lal Hora, D.Sc., F.R.S.E., F.Z.S., F.R.A.S.B., BNI. (With one coloured plate and one black and white Plate)... ....ceceveeesee SOME CoMMON INDIAN HERBS WITH NOTES ON THEIR ANA- TOMICAL CHARACTERS. Part IX. By M. Sayeedud- Dime GU2eL LAV CE PlAleS) owiivae Vast esnasicwesinceth « cebiieydhe~ ceases CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER AND OTHER SPORTING FISH IN INDIA AND BormaA. Part I. By A. St. J. Macdonald. (Wath one Plate And two tect tt CUrves) spine eclicceciiecs so> soe ss NOTES ON THE LIVERWORTS OF MURREE HILL. By Abdul Hameed, m.sc. (With eight plates)... deel ened SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE MRC ‘Wanths OF THE INDIAN CouURSER, Cursorius coromandelicus [Gmelin]. By M. M. A. Phillips, F.L.s., M.B.o.U. (With three plates)... A ‘BusMAN’s’ HOLIDAY IN THE AzU Hits. By C. McCann, F.L.S. (With one plate and ome lext-f71 Ure) .es.o..orcoe res see FisH oF Poona. Part II. By Dr. S. L. Hora, p.sc. F.r.s.8., F.N.I., and K. S. Misra, M.sc. (W2th one text-figure)...... THE MEDICINAL MALLOWwWoRTS OF INDIA. By J. F. Caius, OBITUARY :— H. H. Shri Khengarji, Maharao of Cutch. 1886-1942 REVIEWS :— ate @onietin and Display among Birds................. 2. Popular Handbook of Indian Birds. III Edition. 3. The Mammals of India. (The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma, Vol. II). MISCELLANEOUS NOTES :— J... Adaptive colouration of Desert Animals. By AP Wee burdons BISC.r ec. PAGE 148 163 170 173 190 246 250 vi TT. MENG [We VII. VIII. CONTENTS OF VOLUME XLIII The Wolf (Canzs lupus Linn.) in Baluchistan. BytCaptrinwekey Mei Ba thy cars. eee eee Extension of Range of the Marbled Pole Cat (Vormela peregusna Gild.). By Major R. S. Johnson.. se Notes on ‘he Eaneoun (Manis CPasSenH HID). Eh A. Aiyappan. (With two text-figures and a Why ‘Red-Biiled’ Babbler? F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.. Extension of Rone of Rafoueneene Seine By H. Whistler, Babbler (Pomatorhinus ruttcollis ee By W.A. Hewitt.. Shes A visit to Macian air adhe ict in the Persian Gulf, off Kuwait. May 7th, 1942. By Mrs. Violet Dickson... 3 a cic ai Black Mahseer. By R. ‘, Pi F.R.E.S. (With a plate)... ES EMa tas Black Mahseer. By ‘M. ©. manne O.B.E.. Can Hilsa be taken with Rod and pian “Be R. E. Parsons, F.R.E.S.. se Sees Acclimatization of Horeiees Bien in Deane By R. Gopinath, M.sc.. ; On the role of Binopius: sinieusis (es) coal Etroplus maculatus (Bloch) in the control of mosquitoes. By.V. O. Sebastian, M.Sc........... Stag Beetles (Lucanus ee in combat. By W. A. Hewitt.. < sich ae ee Extension of Rave “6s ‘He Ae pene Chalcosoma atlas. By Lieut.-Col. R. S. P.: Bates, I.A.. eo On the tatonte of some Sot ain Ur ents. “TBs M. Sayeedud-Din and M. Abdus Salam. (Wzth a plate)... A Note on apne Pane in “ebias ee venulosum Seem. By M. J. Thirumalachar, B. G. L. Swamy and K. B. A. Khan. (With a DUA sth 9000.00 00 0030 050.000006000090 00000 950062000 68006 PROCEEDINGS AND ACCOUNTS :— Proceedings of the Annual General Meeting......... ...... RAGE ZG 29 254 Zo 274 274 276 278 VSR BDRIGAL, LEST OF CONTRIBUTORS | VOLUME XLII Nos. 1 and 2 ABDULALI, Humayun; ‘The Meeting of the Malabar Grey Hornbill ———_ —_—_-——_-——-; The Identification of the Small Cuckoo ... --——; The Dis- tribution of the Rosy Tern ... —; Some Birds seen from the train in the Madras Presidency AIVAPPAN, A.; Notes on the Pangolin (Manis crassicau- data) (With two text-figures and a plate) — os ALI, Satim; The Birds of . Mysore. PartI. (With four plates) BATHS. wi-COl. Raat. Al. B. o.u., A month in the Kazinag Range. (With eight black and white plates)... ° Extension of Range of the Atlas Beetle—Chalcosoma atlas ees BATTVE, CAPT, R. 1G ie: The Wolf (Canis lupus Tanal) in Baluchistan wee die BORING Gee M.A. D:SC., HelSe5 I.F.S.% atid “RAIZADA,;“M.B., M.Sc. ; Some Beautiful Indian Climbers and Shrubs. (With two coloured plates, eleven black and white plates, and fourteen text-figures). Parts X& XI aoe O bf Fasciated Inflorescence of Acro- carpus fraxinifolius Wight. (With a photo) ve BuRpDON, T. W., B.SC. dant: ive colouration oft Desert Animals PAGE 102 104 254 130 60 274 252 BuRTON, Lt.-Cor. R. W., 1. A. (retd.) ; On the Banks of the Narbada. Part II (With four black and white plates). The Indian Wild Dog ae CATUS, Jean Se gelis hase. elhe Distribution of the Scorpion (Hormurus nigripes Po- cock) a we AN ave) Medicinal Mallowworts india a D’ ALMEIDA, J.F RQ, B.A., M.SC.; A Contribution to the Study of the Biology and Physiolo- gical Anatomy of Indian Marsh and Aquatic Plants. Part Il. (With three plates). Dickson, Mrs. VIOLET; A visit to Maskan and Auha Islands in the Persian Gulf, off Kuwait, May 7th, 1942 FRASER, Capt, A.G.L., 1.M.D. ; Fish of Poona. Part I FRASER, C.; An Hermaphrodite Tiger see 500 o00 GOPINATH, R., M.Sc.; Acclima- tization of Horton Fish in Travancore HAMEED, ABDUL, M.SC.; “Nas on the Liverworts of Murree Hill. (With eight plates) .. Hewitt, W.A.; Extension of Range of Rufous-necked Scimitar Babbler ( Pomatorhi- nus ruficollis Hodgs.) ——; Stag Beetles (Lucanus lunifer) in combat. HILL, ‘W. C...OSMAN, M.D., F.L.S.,. F.Z.S.; The. Slender Loris of the Horton Plains, Ceylon. (With one plate) ... of. PAGE- 92 99 267 190 Viii LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS PAGE PAGE Hora, SUNDER LAL, D-Sc., Moore, Masor“A. C.; Occur- MI RARINIGA Ui4AsSoy — WotktaSSigi a5 rence of the Chinese Hawk F.N.I.; The Game Fishes of Eagle in the Chin Hills 106: India. Part XV. (With one Morris, Capt. R. C., Wide- coloured plate and one black spread rabies among Wild and white plate) 163 Dogs on the Billigirirangan poet anment : Hills (S. India) 100. and Misra, K. S., M.Sc.; OBITUARY :— Mish sof BPeonas erattan ll. H. H. SHRI KHENGARJI, (With one text-figure) SERS 1886-1942, Maharas of Cutch 242 JOHNSON, Major R. S.; Exten- Parsons, R. E., F.R.E.S., sion of Range of the Marbled Glow-Worm (Lamphropho- Pole Cat (Vormela peregusna rus nepalensis 1.) feeding on Gild.) aa 253 a slug)? <. aoe 500 109 Kuan, K.B.A.; See eae —_—— —-—-; LACHAR, M. ih 276 Wanted male specimens of KOELZ, WALTER ; Notes on fae the Beetle (Allomyrina Birds of the Londa Neighbour- dichotomus) from _ India. hood, Bombay Presidency 131 (With a photo) INDE LOWNDES, Masor D.G.; Addi- SS ee ) tions to the Flora of Waziris- Black Mahseer. (Witha plate) 264 tan Be re ae fon SUZ a SSSI SET ES § MACDONALD, A. St. JoHN; A Can Hilsa be taken with Rod Coin lodged in a Tiger’s and Line ?is > .s. 266 Palate . 100] ‘ PERDRIX’; Note on che lacie: —————_——__—_—__ - —— rence of the English Partridge Circumventing the Mahseer (Perdix perdix a in North and other Sporting Fish in Persia 500 eeu LOL India and Burma. Part I. PHILLIPS, W. W. tA 12 bs Ish5g (With one a and two text- M.B.O.U., Some Observa- figures) as ae soon, eye) tions on the Nesting Habits of McCANN, C.F.L.S.; The Plant the Indian Courser, Cursorius Bug Cyclopelta siccifolia | coromandelicus (Gmelin). Westw. on Pongamia glabra... 109 (With three plates) 200 —_——————_——_—_; Observa- Pirial, N. G. ; The Number afi tions on Indian Duckwecds) eggs in the Clutch of the Lemnaceae. (With nine plates Checkered Water Snake. and one text-figure) Meas (With a photo) ah Ales -——— ; A ‘ Bus- — A Battle man’s’ Holiday in the Abu between Black and Red Ants. 110 Hills. (With one plate and one Rarzapa, M. B., M.Sc.; See text-figUure) ae fe ease (206 Bors WN. Eee MorAs, b DsCe, MENESSE, N. H., 1.S.E.; The Pin SRG eeleH. Ss ] Distribution of the Nukta or REVIEWS :— Comb Duck in Sind ... see ELOG Shells and other Animal Re- MestTon, D. G.; The Common mains found on the Madras Hawk-Cuckoo or Brain Fever Beach. By F. H. GRAVELY. 97 Bird) tees. ne 50 104 The Ecology and Control of MISRA, K.S.,M.Sc.; See Hone the Forest Insects of India SUNDER LAL, D.SC., F.R.S.E., and the neighbouring coun- EoNeLs tua ose a0 218 tries. By C. F. C. BEESON. 98 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS ix PAGE PAGE Courtship and Display among tensis (Bloch) and 4troplus Birds ... : 244 maculatus (Bloch) in the con- Popular Handbook of indian trol of mosquitoes So CA Birds. III Edition .. 245 | SEVASTOPULO, D.G. F.R.E.S. The Mammals of Tnaia (The (Commentary by H. Whist- Fauna of British India in- ler); The Early Stages of cluding Ceylon and Burma, Indian Lepidoptera. Part Vol. I) we 246 IX 39 Rosinson, S.C. H.; Mensune. Swamy, G. L.; he A sTERIORWN ments of an Indian Bison’s LACHAR, M. 5. boo KS Head (760s gaurus) 100 | Symns, J. A. M.; The Croco- SALAM, M. ABDUS; See Saas ) dile in Burma ads eee LO puUD-Di1n, M. .. 2/4 | TANNER, M. O., 0.B.E.; Black SAYEEDUD-DIN, M.; Some Mahseer 265 Common Indian Herbs with ‘THIRUMALACHAR, M. ie WANG Notes on their Anatomical on the Epiphytism in epiah: Characters. Part IX. (With leurum venulosum Seem. three plates) vers “oo ARZAD) (With a plate) e276 os ;On the TURNER, F.J.S.; Note on an Anatomy of some of the Experience with an Indian OTVEaC HG. (With a Python ... : wee Ae eeolUe/ plate) ... bes eee / 4 eNVHISTEER.. El oR Zoe, MBs SEBASTIAN, V. O., M.Sc.; On o.U., Why ‘ Red-billed ’ Bab- the role of Htroplus sura- bler ? ee aes 257; IES SIE MOVE Veil WES VOLUME XLIII Nos. 1 and 2 PAGE Some Beautiful Indian Climbers and Shrubs Plate X. The Golden Cestrum (Cestrum aurantiacum. Lindl.) os - Plate The Golden Cestrum (Geri auphieen Lindl. ), Botanic Gardens. Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun iss 6 Plate The Golden Cestrum (C esti Wy anb Loner Lindl. \, New Forest, Dehra Dun ... 6 Plate The Day Jasmine (Cestrum diurnum i inn.), New Forest, Dehra Dun whe eee 6 Plate The Day Jasmine (Cestrum diurnum Linn.), Wee Forest, Dehra Dun ap we 7 Plate Lady of the Night (Cestrum Vechonin ieee ), New Forest, Dehra Dun 506 8 Plate Lady of the Night (Cestrum nocturnum eins Ne Nev ew Forest, Dehra Dun oO : ae ) Plate Willow- eave Jasmine (eee Range L’ Heri- tier), New Forest, Dehra Dun te: 8 Willow-leaved Jasmine (Cestrum Pargui L’ IGE tier), New Forest, Dehra Dun Sat ue i) On the Banks of the Narbada Plate The Temple of Omkar on the Island of Mandhata..., 48 A Narbada Crossing, The Fort Ferry ... tis 48 Plate A Narbada Tiger sO 600 aa 49 Little Ben’s fifth Panther... 600 060 49 Plate Omkarji: The Sacrificial Precipice o6 oe 52 A Narbada Fort of Pindari Days Bei aie 52 Plate A Korku Amazon 500 ses one 38) ‘ Simba ’ das ane ue 606 Se) A month in the Kazinag Range Plate Eastern Jackdaws (Corvus monedula soommeringit). 60 Plate Scully’s Wood Owl (Strix aluco biddulphi) ao BY Plate Slaty-headed Paroquets (Psitlacula h. himalayana). 64 Plate White-browed Blue Fly-catcher (Cyornis s. super- ciliaris) ao bee 300 aes 67 Plate Jerdon’s Hedge-Sparrow (Prunella strophiata jer dont) oC one 68 Plate Blue-headed Rock- Thrush (Monticola RENAUD). 70 Plate Blue-headed Rock-Thrush (Monticola cinclorhyncha). 70 Plate Indian Red-breasted Flycatcher (Siphia parva hy perythra) 50 800 eae oes 72 LIST OF PLATES xi PAGE The Slender Loris of the Horton Plains, Ceylon Plate (1) Skulls of Loris tardigradus nycticeboides (left) and L.t. tardigradus (right) in norma lateralis. (2) Skulls of Loris tardigradus nycticeboides (left) and L.t. tardigradus (right) in norma verticalis ... 74 Loris tardigradus nycticeboides subsp. nov. (Type ad 2). Horton plains, circa 6,0)0, Central Ceylon. 74 A Contribution to the Study of the Biology and Physiological Anatomy of Indian Marsh and Aquatic Plants—Part II. Plate I. Sergia capensis Linn. ee 500 3 96 Plate 106 Do. ans sae en 96 Plate III. Do. ists es Bae 96 The number of Eggs in the Clutch of the Checkered Water-Snake (Verodia piscator). . : Photograph av 108 Wanted Male Specimens of the Beetle Cieninn enone) from toda Photograph 400 Soo Saal Fasciated Inflorescence of Wiovetarbus Fe mole Wight. Photograph ave 000 eee tS Some Beautiful Indian Glmber: and Sanabe Plate II. The Potato Creeper (Solanum Seatorthianum Andr.) 115 Plate Giant Potato Vine (Solanum wendlandii Hook) ... 119 Plate Datura fastuosa Linn. New Forest, Dehra Dun .. 124 Plate Angel’s Trumpet (Datura suaveolens Humb. et. } Bonpl.). New Forest, Dehra Dun ... setae cD The Birds of Mysore Plate I. 1. A portion of the Biligirirangan Hills showing typical lay-out of evergreen sholas or forested ravines. 2. Bird’s-eye view (close-up) of a typical skola PARDO 3. A coffee plantation with Silver Oak (Gyrevillea robusta) shade trees oa: 500 ao 10) Plate II, 1. The edge of a Shola. Open hillside covered with tall, coarse Andrcpogon grass and sparse scrub. 2. Secondary jungle facies of Deciduous Biotope ... 132 Plate III. 1. A Cardamom plantation with lofty eyelets natural shade trees. 2. Dry stony hills country—Chitaldrug environs ... 134 Plate IV. The Gersoppa cr Jog Falls, Sagar District ee 36 Observation on Indian Duckweeds, Lemnacee Plate J. Indian Duckweeds aa aoe Ado ales Plate we 1Ule Do. Lemna £leanorae, sp. nov. coo Lod Plate III. Do. Do. no lise! Plate We Do. Do. ae wl 54: Plate We IDs Spirodela polyrrhiza (Linn.) ... 156 Plate VI. Do. Do. 5 alsy/ Plate: VI. Do. Spirodela oligorrhiza eee 158 ' Plate Vill, Do. Wolftfia arrhiza (Linn.) LOO Plate IX. Do. Do. aoe 161 xii LIST OF PLATES The Game Fishes of India ; Plate I. The Khudree Mahseer; Barbus (Tor) khudree Sykes Plate II. Copies of Sykes’s nee ‘bE Peciens paemIleR and B. kolus Some Common Indian Herbs with notes on their Abeeymicall Ghavactent Plate I. Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. Plate Il. . Do. Plate Ill. Do. sek Circumventing the Mahseer and other Sporting Fish in initia. ard Burma Plate A Brace of ‘Grandmothers’, 55 and 75 pounds, taken at the famous Confluence N. of Myitkyina. Notes on the Liverworts of Murree Hill Plate I. Liverworts of Murree Hill Plate II Do. Plate TL: Do. Plate IV. Do. Plate Viz Do. Plate VI. Do. Plate VII. Do. bon Plate VIII. Do. Some Observations on the Nesting Habits of the Indian Conia, Giories coromandelicus [Gmelin]. Plate I. The Indian Courser (Cursorius coromandelicus [Gmelin]), (Incubating her two eggs) Plate Il. Hatching of Indian Courser. Chick of Indian Courser Plate III. Indian Courser approaching nest. Eggs of the Indian Courser A ‘Busman’s’ Holiday in the Abu Hills. Plate Butterflies on Migration a0 Obituary—H. H. Shri Khengarji, Maharao of Cutch Plate H. H. Shri Khengarji, Maharao of Cutch, 1886- 1942 a eae bc Notes on the Pangolin (A/ants prassian dar) ) Plate 1. Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) 2. Ventral view of tail showing genito-anal region. Black Mahseer Plate I. 1. 113-lb Fish. Kamrup District. 2. 18-lb. Fish. Syom River. 3. Smallest Black Mahseer seen ost On the Anatomy of some of the U rticaceae Plate On the Anatomy of some of the Urticaceae A Note on the Epiphytism in Heptapteurum venulosum, Seem. Plate Heptapleurum venulosum, Seem PAGE 163: 166 170 170 171 242 254 264 274 276 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS VOLUME XLIII Nos. 1 and 2 PAGE PAGE Alcrocarpus traxinifolius Cestrum aurantiacum Photograph 113 Pl. X we Are roe 1 Allomyrina dichotomus a ee Photograph aes eo) weed! ls: 6 Anatomy of Urticacez -——_——. diurnum Fs. 6-7 Pa Pl: re 274 Text-fig. 3 7 Banks of the Narbada ——_—— elegans Pl. Temple of Omkar Text-fig. 2 a she 5 Hort Herrys 2s: .. 48 | ——— nocturnum Pl. Narbada Tiger Pls. nies soles «. 8-9 Panther 49 Text-fig. 4 ave oy 8 Pl. Omkarji ——_—— Pargui Narbada Fort bys | Pls. oon oat .. 8-9 Pl. Korku Amazon Text-fig. § a ae 8) Sac Simbay, 53 | Corvus monedula Barbus kolus eal. ae se 60 12, DE ook ac 166 | Cursorius coremandelicus - ——— —— mussullah Leas At tes 200 Pl. TI PP ee GG Cyornis s. superciliaris ———— (Puntius) jerdoni PI: 67 Text-fig. 1 ae .. 224 | Datura fastuosa ———_——. (Tor) khudree let des 124 ir are 163 Text-fig. 5 123 mee pulitora - suaveolens Text-figs. 1-2 180-181 els ‘ 125 Birds of Mysore Text-fig. 6 125 ee 130 | Harvesting the Mandrake eal, = IO 132 Text-fig. 1 inh aoe 3 Pl. Ill 134 | Heptapleurum venulosum P].1V 136 lle 276 Black Mahseer Indian Courser laces 264 Pls, II-III 202-204 Bruntelsia americana Indian Duckweeds Text-fig. 9 129 Pls. I-IX 152-161 —-—_ latifolia Indian Marsh and Aquatic Plants Text-fig. 7 127 Pls. 560 96 ———. undulata Lemna Eleanorae Text-fig. 8 128 Pls. II-1V see 154 Butterflies on Migration Liverworts of Murree Hill Pi. and text-fig. jan UY) Pls, I-V1II 198-199 Xiv LIST OF PLATES PAGE Loris tardigrvadus myticeboides 12k, sa ee seen nade: ——- -—— tardigradus Be Sac bc8 sui 474 Maharao Shri Khengarji Pl: es ue apd | A Mahseer and other Sporting Fish leak eee ses oe ASE Manis crassicaudata Jedk 605 a6 a 204 Text-figs. 3-4... voeie LOO Monticola cinclorhyncha Pls. 606 See sree AU Nerodia piscator Photograph ee els Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Pls, I=Itl <. wes 170-171 Prunella strophiata jerdont Bl cee La ce OS Psittacula h. himalayana Pl. ee C8: | Siphia parva hyperythra Pl: see a3 ware Te. Solanum jasminoides Text-fig. 4 ———. pseudo-capsicum pee Rext hom eae -——— FRantonnetii Text-fig. 2 ——— Seaforthianum LAls «ae ——-— Wendlandii 12% p Text-fig. 3 Spirodela maxima Text-fig. 1 ée ——-— oligorrhiza Pl. -VII ——-— polyrrhiza Pls. V-VI eee Strix aluco biddul phi Bi ‘ AS Woltfia arrhiza Pls, VIII-IX 160-161 ERRATA VOUs ei Now Contents of Volume: The sub-title (Commentary by Whistler) has been misplaced and should appear as a sub-title to the Notes on the Birds of the Londa neighbourhood, printed immediately above. Page 106, Misc. Note XI. The date at the end of the note should vead ‘ November 30, 1941’ instead of ‘ November 30, 1942’. Misc. Note XIV, page 107. The date at the end of the note should vead ‘ September 10, 1941’ instead of ‘September 10, 1942’. VO XIETM Non 2: Page 242, line 2 (Obituary Note). The date of His Highness’s birth should vead ‘1866’ instead of ‘1886’. Page 254—plate opposite. In the description of Fig. 2 facing page 254, for ‘ genito-anal region’ vead ‘terminal scale’. ‘The refer- ences to this figure in the text should likewise be revised. { \ = x 1 \ oni i ' Pan 5 =) to 1 : oe (e x - i} ‘ ‘ Ln ; ; rt LF is f AH: Ctinig a +t 1 ahs YY tle ae iabres? be fei ie beslaicea toad ‘ail => Bbetd ehh gate teats We sur ei aca eave % Se. = Pri Mabie divalent Pr Tie wong alee S 4 1. na Se wil ss tenets phation} peer Rai DS eee OTE. ane bint his gies 383 eet aaa ye a i a) ‘ : a <= ee! ia d te ee hae ide ‘ 5 ; fn ee ee. em 7 ay Te ere = . i? ie: | vee ot r= ee Me i Pe id _— ; nD we ea ei = tae 2 /" - ; i fs ' . : if ig ho et a J : ‘he To : ‘ ’ , 1% ee ee ee ; cpa Dee Sa ‘ Fh ‘ : ye a my ; .! - ; = - ¥ * : ® _ 4 . ie ; a= 7 \ - y a i . a ¥ y >= =~ (+, — en - nn ld > prey ve ~ Pro r 7 = ( ' : : ig ty 4 : P o's . , » = ; . jot | My : 5% ; ' ; : > re ” > me ; - “¢ ” ; car = 3 ’ ¥ con ty ‘ ne J ; ot a INDEX OF SPECIES. 2 PAGE | Abutilon asiaticum soot GE) ——-——_ avicennz 227, 229 ————— exstipulare 227 —_——— glaucum en AL ————- hirtum ... a06 : 227, 228 ——-——- indicum... 227, 228, 229 ——-——_ maturitianum ... Most 220), —— Theophrasti 227, 229 Acacia arabica 135 - eburneus 200 - planifrens 200 Acanthion leucurus PANS) Accipiter badius dussumieri 29 ——— nisus nisosimilis 30 ——-——- trivirgatus trivirgatus 29 ————-_ virgatus besra... 30 Acherontia styx ..s 217 Achillea santolina 112 Acridotheres tristis tristis 20 Acrocarpus fraxinifolius 113 -Acrocephalus agricola agricola 18 - dumetorum = 18 - stentoreus pronmeseene 18 Actias selene ZA Atgithina tiphia ... 139 ———— humei... m3 ——_—_—~ -— septentrionalis 34 Zegle marmelos ... 135 A®golius funerea juniperi 30 /Ethiopsar fuscus 304 139 -———_—_- +—-—— mahrattensis 20 Ageratum .. ‘ Or Cp ea: Alauda calle auseranis nee ree 205 Alcedo atthis 140, 213, 216 bengailensis — taprobana ~ - meninting asiatica Alcemerops athertoni athertoni Alcippe poioicephala brucei 13 Alomyrina dichotomus ... 111 Alseonax latirostris oe 139 aosSe a - poonensis 1 ———- muttui muttui ——=+ ruficaudus 71 PAGE Althzea cannabina 229 — hirsuta 229 - Ludwigii... so A - officinalis... 229, 231 - pallida 7ei38) - - rosea sae 229, 230 Aimandava amandava ... 139 Amaurornis phoenicurus phoenicurus 31 Ambassis ranga ... 83, 84, 87-89, 233 Ammomanes phcenicurus . 139 Anabasis setifera 258 Anatoma stillata 217 Anguilla bengalensis 82, 219 ————— elphinstoni 24S) Anhinga melanogaster .., 32 Anogeissus wae ; . 214 Anopheles sundaicus ... a ae «=» 24 Anthoceros himalayensis . 190, 191, 193 Anthus campestris godlewskii * me 22 - hodgsoni burzil... 36 inopinatus ... eas 22 -rufulus malayensis ... A 22 - trivialis trivialis ... wee 22 Aplochilus lineatus a 88, 91, 222 Apus melba Seek ees: a3 Ane 27 Aquila clanga ... oes . 28 -——— rapax vindhiana Nee Ai 28 Arachis hypogeea 44 Arachnothera longirostra yantenel 23, 37 _ longirostris BSH 137- Ardea cinerea ae : 32 Ardeola grayii ... Bre ves a 33 Argya caudata 105 subrufa ... aes Is ee 12 Artamus fuscus ... a an 4 ae 17 Artocarpus hirsuta 134 —— integrifolia ... 135 Astragalus ancistrocarpus 300 See ares —— purpurascens 112 Astur badius t41 Astycus pythias ba aS is 41 Atella phalantha... 210, 217 . 191, 192, 195 . 191-192, 195 Athalamia pingtis ——~-—— pusilla INDEX OF SPECIES PAGE PAGE Athene brama_ ... : 141 | Brachypteryx major... 600 ANS I7/ Bambusa arundinacea ... 134 | ———____________ major 142 Baoris zelleri cinnara ... ES ZA? Ys SS “ AUG I 2 194 Dea PUBLISHED BY THE BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY G6, Apollo Street, Bombay. : LONDON AGENTS: DAVID NUTT. (A. G. BERRY) 212, SHAFTESBURY AVENUE, LONDON, W.C. 2. 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SS MEMBERS RESIDING OUTSIDE INDIA. The terms are the same for members living outside India. _Such members should pay their subscriptions by means of orders on their Bankers to pay the amount of the subscription, plus postage—in all Rs. 26-8-o—to the Society in Bombay on the 1st January in each year. If this cannot be done, then the sum of 2-0-6 should be paid annually to the Society’s London Bankers—The National Bank of India, Bishopsgate Street, London, E.C, CONTENTS OP SOLO M EEX, No. ~ le Willow AGW \ JouRN. BomBAY Nat. HI SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS 9 provided at the junction with a linear-acute appendage. Ovary globular, seated on a fleshy disk which probably secretes nectar ; style filiform, glabrous; stigma capitate, above the stamens. Fruit a blue or blackish berry, ovoid in shape, about .16 in. long. Seeds numerous, compressed. Flowers.—Practically throughout the year, but most profusely during the rains. Fruit cold season. Distribution.-_Indigenous to the West Indies. Largely culti- vated throughout the plains of this country. Gardening.—A hardy sub-scandent, quick-growing shrub about to ft. high. The small, greenish and rather inconspicuous flowers, which are produced in great profusion open at night, and are strongly sweet-scented. It 1s a great favourite with Indians and is exten- sively cultivated in their gardens. This shrub is well adapted for tall borders and screens and can easily be trained on a trellis. It is hardy and drought resistant. Very easily propagated by cuttings. Cestrum Parqui L’Héritier WILLOW-LEAVED JASMINE. (Parqui is the Chilean name of this plant and was once proposed as the generic name). Fig. 5.—Cestrum Parqui L’Herit. x 1/2. _Description.—A. shrub reaching 4-5 ft. in height. Branches cylindrical, glabrous, greenish, covered with small greenish-white lenticels. Leaves petioled, alternate, exstipulate, lanceolate, long tapering at the apex, up to 6 in. long, .5-.75 in. wide, very foetid when bruised, entire, glabrous, margins undulate; petioles short, scarcely .1 in. long. 10 jOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Inflorescence in pedunculate unbellitorm cymes or panicles, many-flowered, not exceeding the leaves in length. Individual flowers sessile, supported by a linear bract. Calyx gamosepalous, cylindrical, sparsely glandular without, about .1 in. long, with 5 acute, triangular, ciliate teeth. Corolla gamopetalous, fragrant at night, glabrous, pale yellow in colour, about .75 in. long, narrowly infundibuliform in shape, .15 in. wide at the top. Lobes ovate-acute, ciliate on the margins which become revolute in age, slightly tinged with purple on the outside. Stamens 5; alternate with the lobes of the corolla; filaments inserted on the corolla about 1/3 its length from the top; stamens globose; appendage absent. Ovary globose, seated on an inconspicuous disk; style elongate, glabrous; stigmas truncate-capitate. Flowers.—More or less throughout the year. Fruits cold season. Distribution.—Native in the mountains of Chile, South America, now largely cultivated in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the globe. Gardening.—A shrub about 4-5 ft. high, with leaves that have a foetid smell when bruised.. The greenish-yellow flowers are very fragrant at night. It was introduced into England in the year 1787. Easily propagated by seed. (Lo be continued.) NOTES ON. THE BIRDS OF THE LONDA NEIGHBOURHOOD, BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. BY WALTER KOELZ. In 1938 I spent from January 7 to March 13 in the vicinity of Londa, North Kanara, Bombay Presidency, and among other things, collected birds. The region covered during the course of this collecting was roughly the triangle, about 15 miles on a side, formed by a line joining Londa, Supa and Castle Rock. The area is in the peneplain of the Western Ghats with an average elevation of about 2,000 feet. The terrain consists of worn-down knobs and low hills with well-formed and numerous drainage channels. In general, the mountain-core is covered with earth, with outcroppings only on certain shoulders, and most of the region is forested. The soil on the elevations is generally thin and there the forest growth is scrubby and the species are mainly deciduous. Where the soil is deeper the growths become denser and evergreens become increas- ingly important. Scattered through most of the area there are small clearings, given over to rice growing, with somewhere at the side, the clustered huts of the cultivators. For the most part, the fields were fallow in winter, for want of water to irrigate them, but in favoured places at the lower levels the rice was being transplanted in February. The largest of these small settlements are Castle ‘Rock and Londa, each with a railroad station, Supa and Jagalbed, all of them with a post office. The only extensive strip of un- broken forest in the delimited area is that between Jagalbed and Supa, and in it there are patches of well-grown trees. One also sees groves of such even among the clearings. There is abundant water in the streams, even in winter, so that crocodiles lived within a stone’s throw of the railway station at Londa, and the large river at Supa was far too deep to wade. Ponds were small and rare. Water birds were limited in numbers and of few species, and some widely-distributed species, like ducks, were totally absent. Land birds were plentiful and many of the species were generally distributed and of common occurrence. Only a few were rare. There were few suitable habitats for species like Saxicoloides fult- cata, Monticola s. pandoo and Rhophodytes viridirostris, and some like Ceyx tridactylus, Halcyon pileata, Dinopium j. malabaricum, Arachnothera 1. vantynei, Alseonax m. muttui seemed to prefer relatively restricted parts of major habitats. A few species like Oreocincla d. neilgherriensis, Hippolais c. rama, Muscicapa p. albi- cilla, Lalage m. melaschista, Ploceus p. tvavancoreensis, Circus pygargus, Ducula b. cuprea, reported from single specimens, may be strays in the region or seasonally absent. Anthus r. godlewskii was apparently a short-stay visitor. 12 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII Specimens collected are in my collection. Corvus macrorhynchos culminatus Sykes. The Southern Jungle-Crow. Occurred in some numbers around the villages. Wing measurements 3 ¢ 289-304; 3 @ 278-301 mm. Corvus splendens splendens Vieillot. The Common Indian House-Crow. Occurred with the preceding. Wing measurements 2 6 267, 270; 3 @ 262-264 mm. Dendrocitta vagabunda. The Indian Tree-Pie. Common, in pairs in the open jungle. Londa birds are much larger and paler than the Malabar race parvula and are darker than pallida of the north. Wing measurements 7 ¢ 143-150; 6 @Q@ 140-150 mm. Machlolophus xanthogenys xanthonotus Koelz’. Occurred everywhere except in the dense forest, usually in small flocks or in pairs most often in company with foraging flocks of other birds. These troupes usually contained: Sitta f. simplex, Alcippe p. brucei, Atgithina t. humet, lole icterica, Hemipus p. picatus, Tephrodornis g. sylvicola, Chaptia a. malayensis, Pericrocotus flammeus, P. c. cinnamomeus, Phylloscopus o. occipitalis, P. n. nitidus, with at least a half dozen of each species. Other species were often to be found also and it was always worthwhile to follow the army as it moved, not too leisurely, in a broad band through the forest. Several such troupes could be found in the course of a halfday’s travel. In early morning the members were most conspicuous. Sitta frontalis simplex Koelz’. The species was found frequently, single or in pairs, often in the wandering troupes. Garrulax delesserti (Jerdon). The Wynaad Laughing-Thrush. A flock of about a dozen was found in a dense thicket near Castle Rock on March 6 and 7 and three were collected. No others were seen. Turdoides somervillei malabaricus (Jerdon). The Malabar Jungle Babbler. This species was abundantly represented in flocks of about a dozen noisy members at the border of fields or throughout the scrub forest. They liked particularly the camps where the oxcart-drivers stopped to refresh themselves and their animals, and were there very tame. I always looked to see what the cause was when they made a special commotion, because elsewhere I have found the species helpful in locating small owls, but here I seldom found out a reason for their excitement and only a few times found a bird, always Ketupa. Wing measurements 4 @ 101-106; 6 @ (93) I0I-109 mm. Argya subrufa (Jerdon). The Rufous Babbler. Occurred in flocks of 6-8, most often at the edge of the forest. The birds were as a rule rather quiet and probably were often overlooked. A_ flock might be found everyday by looking in the right places. Wing measurements 7 ¢ 90-93; 6 Q 88-92.5 mm. Pomatorhinus horsfieldii travancoreensis Harington. The Southern Indian Scimitar-Babbler. Common in small flocks usually in the thickets but also often in the tree tops with the mixed troupes. They have a variety of notes and_ their _ oe , LL * Walter Koelz, ‘New Birds from Asia, Chiefly from India’, Proc. Biol. Soc., Washington, 52, June 5, 1939, pp. 61-82. NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE LONDA NEIGHBOURHOOD 18 vocalization is one of the liveliest features of the jungle. Londa_ birds_are similar to my series from the Palnis and Nilgiris. Wing measurements 8 4 (94) 99-101.5; 7 Q 88-96 mm. Dumetia hyperythra albogularis (Blyth). The White-throated Babbler. Flocks of about 10 were found occasionally, most often in the thickets at the edge of fields or along water. Wing measurements 8 ¢ (52) 55-57; 8 @ 52-55.5 mm. Pellorneum ruficeps ruficeps Swainson. The Spotted Babbler. An abundant species, occurring in pairs, always in the scrub forest. Collected specimens are much like a_ series from Mahendra Giri, Orissa with a tendency to be somewhat richer in color. Wing measurements 10 <6 (70) 73-76; Q 66-73 mm. Alcippe poioicephala brucei Hume. The Bombay Quaker-Babbler. One of the common species, found in flocks of 6-10 in deep woods or in Open scrub, a common constituent of the mixed troupes. Specimens taken in early March were breeding. Collected specimens are like a series from Mahendra Giri, Orissa. Wing measurements 4 6 72-73.53; 9 @Q 66.5-71 mm. Rhopocichla atriceps atriceps (Jerdon). The Black-headed Babbler. Like the preceding but not so commonly found in the travelling flocks and more often near the ground. March specimens were nesting. Wing measurements 4 G 58.5-61; 7 @ 56.5-58.5 mm. Agithina tiphia humei Stuart Baker. The Central Indian Tora. One of the common elements of the troupes. Specimens taken prior to March show no black feathers on the body proper. Wing measurements 8 3 63-66; 6 Q 62-63.5 (65) mm. Chloropsis auriirons dayidsoni Stuart Baker. The Malabar Chloropsis. Usually occurred in pairs and were found feeding on the Butea frondosa blooms. Wing measurements 10 ¢ (87.5) 91-97; 3 Q 86-88.5 mm. Microscelis psaroides ganeesa (Sykes). The Southern Indian Black Bulbul. I have usually found this and others of its races to occur in flocks, but at Londa I never saw more than pairs. They were not common but occurred throughout the region wherever there were trees. Wing measurements 10 @ 112-120; 3 Q 107.5-I11 mm. Molpastes cafer cafer (Linnaeus). The Ceylon Red-vented Bulbul. This was one of the commonest birds. Usually small flocks were seen, most often in the thickets around fields. Wing measurements 4 9 91.5-96; 11 Q 87.5-90 (92) mm. Otocompsa jccosa fuscicaudata Gould. The Southern Red-whiskered Bulbul. Like the preceding, but more numerous. One specimen taken January 26 has only one leg. The stump is completely healed. One Q has albino primaries on both wings. One other specimen has the entire plumage stained light brown. Wing measurements 8 dG 84-87; 2 @ 80, 81 mm. lole icterica icterica (Strickland). The Yellow-browed Bulbul. This was a common element in the troupes and occurred most often in flocks of 6-10. Wing measurements 10 G (90) 92-96; 4 Q 88.5-90.5 mm, 14 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST SOCIEDY> Violy XT Pycnonotus gularis (Gould). The Ruby-throated Bulbul. Only four specimens were taken, though others were seen. The species was rather rare and was seen only in the thickets on low ground along the rivers. Wing measurements ¢ 76; 3 @ 70-72 mm. Pycnonotus futeolus luteolus (Lesson). The White-browed Bulbul. This species was not seen except at Londa where one or two were found on several occasions in a suitable patch of bushes on a dry slope. The birds stay hidden in the bushes and unless they sing or call they would be over- looked. Wing measurements 2 @ 89, 90 mm. Microtarsus poiocephalus (Jerdon). The Grey-headed Bulbul. In the brushy country about Castle Rock the species was rather common. Usually several were found together. Though they stayed hidden in the thickets they were usually calling. Wing measurements 8 ¢ 76-79.5; 3 Q 73-5-77 mm. + Saxicola caprata rupchandi Koelz’. Occurred in the fallow fields, in pairs. Common. Saxicola torquata maura Pallas. Found in the same situations as the last, but rather rare. Wing measurements 3 ¢ 67-69.5; 2 Q 61.5, 66 mm. Pheenicurus ochruros rufiventris (Vieillot). The Eastern Indian Redstart. Two females were taken and two others were seen. Wing measurements 83 mm. Luscinia suecica (Linnaeus). A few individuals could always be found along the rivers where the beds were half dry and thin bushes and grass offered shelter. Around the fallow fields they also found a suitable habitat. For want of named material of the many Siberian races I am unable to assign a subspecific name to these birds. Wing measurements 3 ¢ 68, 72, 75; 10 9 (67.5) 69-72 mm. Luscinia pectoralis pectoralis (Gould). Only a single specimen was observed, a female collected in an old rice field on February 15 (W 75 mm.). Tarsiger brunnea brunnea (Hodgson). The Indian Blue Chat. Found singly, usually in the undergrowth of heavy forests, or in heavy undergrowth on damp ground. Wing measurements 7 3 73.5-80; 4 °Q 72-75.5 mm. Saxicoloides fulicata ptymatura (Viecillot), The Indian Black-backed Robin. Rare, probably because the dry open areas with low stunted bushes that the species likes are not developed in the Londa neighbourhood. Wing measurements ¢ 76; 2 92 68, 7o mm. Whistler (J.B.N.H.S., xxxviii, p. 286) has decided Vieillot’s name may be used for the race of Southern India. My Londa birds differ from the Ceylonese fulicata, intermedia of northern Madras Presidency, and the brown-backed race of Northern India. I have seen no specimens from anywhere near Pondicherry, which has been designated as the type locality (l.c.) and it may be that Vieillot’s name is not applicable to these specimens. * Walter Koelz, ‘New Birds from Asia, Chiefly from India’, Proc. Biol, Soc., Washington, 52, June 5, 1939, pp. 61-82, . NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE LONDA NEIGHBOURHOOD 15 Copsychus saularis saularis (Linnaeus). The Indian Magpie. Common in pairs, chiefly in the thickets around the edges of fields or along open streams. The specimens taken differ from Bengal birds in having a shorter wing and the females average somewhat darker. They differ more from the Ceylon race ceylonensis. Males of the later are possibly more purplish, and have a heavier bill and longer tail and temales are darker. Wing measurements 7-¢ 95-100.5; 5 2 91-5-94 (97) mm. Kittacincla malabarica malabarica (Scopoli). The Shama. Pairs were found not uncommonly, usually where there were bamboo clumps in shade. During the latter part of the collecting period, males were often singing. Wing measurements 13 ¢ 93-99; 7 @ (84) 86.5-91 mm. Turdus simillimus mahrattensis Kinnear and Whistler. The Black-capped Blackbird. This species was common, mostly in rather dark and damp forest. Usually a small flock was seen. Wing measurements 7 ¢ 126-133; 8 @ (118) 121-126 mm. Geokichla citrina cyanotus (Jardine and Selby). The White-throated Ground- Thrush. Scattered individuals were common in the forest, almost always near or on the ground. Wing measurements 4 @ 107-112; 10 Q 105-109 mm. Oreocincla dauma neilgherriensis Blyth. The Nilgiri Thrush. A single specimen was taken in a dark ravine on January 13 and though I always kept on the look out, no more were seen. Monticola cinclorhyncha (Vigors). The Blue-headed Rock-Thrush. Scattered individuals were not uncommon in the dry scrub jungle, often with the travelling troupes. Wing measurements 10 ¢ (97) 99-106; 11 9 96-103 mm. Monticola solitaria pandoo (Sykes). The Indian Blue Rock-Thrush. Two males were collected, the only individuals of the species seen, on March 1 and 12. There are in the Londa neighbourhood low peaks with rock out- croppings, such as this species likes to frequent, but I did not visit them. Wing measurements 114, 115.5 mm. Myophonus ceruleus horsfieldii Vigors. The Malabar Whistling Thrush. The species was found on wet ground in heavy forest only, where it was commmon. No birds were singing. Wing measurements 8 6 (150) 153.5-158 (168); 9 @ 143-151 (155) mm. Muscicapa parva parva Bechstein. The European Red-breasted Flycatcher. Individuals were frequently found, usually in the thin brush fringes around the clearings. About half of collected specimens were in immature plumage. Wing measurements 10 3 (65.5) 67-71.5; 7 G 64-67 mm. Muscicapa parva albicilla Pallas. The Eastern Red-breasted Flycatcher. An adult male was taken on January 13; Wing 71 mm. Muscicapula patlipes pallipes (Jerdon). The White-bellied Blue Flycatcher. Individuals or pairs were commonly found in the low cover of dense shade, Wing measurements 15 © (73-5) 75-80; 16 Q 70.5-74 mm, ~ 16 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Muscicapula rubeculoides rubeculoides (Vigors). The Blue-throated Flycatcher. The species was rare. It occurred in thickets, usually at the edge of heavy forest. Specimens collected appear indistinguishable from those of a series taken in Bhadwar, Kangra District, Punjab. Wing measurements 5 G 71.5-77.5; Q@ 68 mm. Muscicapula tickelliz tickelliz (Blyth). Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher. A common species, usually in the scrub jungle, and elsewhere, mainly in bushes. Wing measurements 9 G (69) 71-74.5; 12 Q 68-72.5 mm. Eumyias thalassina thalassina (Swainson). The Verditer Flycatcher. Occasional specimens were found, usually in dense trees, like Mango, most often in clearings. Wing measurements 5 ¢ 81.5-85 (88.5); 6 Q 78-81.5 mm. Alseonax latirostris poonensis (Sykes). The Indian Brown Flycatcher. The species was not common. Occasional specimens were found in such situations as Eumyias frequented. Collections of this species from various parts of India show curious variations in size and color and only when breeding material is available will it be possible to understand their meaning. Wing measurements 6 ¢ 69-72; 2 @ 67, 69 mm. Breeding birds of Baijnath, Kangra Dt., Punjab: 5 3 69-71.5; 2 9 69, 70 mm. Alseonax muttui muttui (Layard). Layard’s Flycatcher. Along open streams in thick forest these flycatchers were occasionally found. Wing measurements: 2) 6) 72575 392 ON67a5 5) 7s mms Tchitrea paradisi paradisi (Linnaeus). The Indian Paradise Flycatcher. Tchitrea paradisi leucogaster (Swainson). Paradise flycatchers were not uncommon and _ occurred generally, except in the deep forest. Only two specimens of the to in female plumage are of the typical race, and two of the 11 adult males. The rest are leucogaster. Hypothymis azurea similis Koelz’. A common bird, usually found in thickets and scrub jungle in pairs. It was often associated with the travelling troupes. Lanius schach erythronotus (Vigors). The Rufous-backed Shrike. Shrikes were rather common, singly or in pairs, usually in the thickets about fields. Wing measurements 9 4 (92.5) 94-98; 6 Q 92-95 mm., as compared with Kulu (virtually topotypical) 12 od (86) 88-95; 2 @ 87-89 mm. Strangely, no specimens of caniceps were taken, though I have found that race in the Nilgiris and at Udaipur. Lanius cristatus cristatus Linnaeus. The Brown Shrike. Occasional specimens were found in all sorts of woody habitats, even in the undergrowth of the dense forest. Wing measurements 7 ‘3 82-88; 9 CG 84.5-88 mm. ' Walter Koelz, ‘New Birds from Asia, Chiefly from India’, Proc. Biol, Soca Washington, 52, June 5, 1939, pp. 61-82. te NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE LONDA NEIGHBOURHOOD i% Hemipus picatus picatus (Sykes). The Black-backed Pied Shrike. This was one of the common species of the hunting bands; some half dozen were usually found together. Wing measurements 7 ¢ 60.5-60; 6 @ 61-63 mm. Tephrodornis gularis sylyicola Jerdon. The Malabar Wood-Shrike. This was one of the common elements of the hunting troupes; often a dozen or more were seen together. When called, they were tame and curious. Wing measurements 7 9 114.5-120; 9 Q 114-119.5 mm. Tephrodornis pondicerianus warei [Koelz’. Common in pairs or in small parties in the thin scrub jungle. Birds taken in early March were getting ready to breed. Pericrocotus flammeus (lorster). The Orange Minivet. A common element of the mixed assemblies, usually in small parties. Wing measurements 12 adult ¢G 87.5-94; 7 Q 87-95.5 mm. Pericrocotus cinnamomeus cinnamomeus (Linnaeus). About as common as Tephrodornis p. warei and of about the same ecolog- ical preferences. Specimens taken are like those of Ceylon in color. Wing measurements 7 ¢ 68.5-71; 5 @ 68-71.5 mim. Lalage melaschista melaschista (Hodgson). The Dark Grey Cuckoo-Shrike. 1 got a female on February 8, the only time the species was seen. Lalage sykesi sykesi Strickland. The Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike. Usually found singly, and not uncommonly in the bamboo clumps in more open country. Wing. measurements 13 ¢ (98) 100-100; 8 Y 98-103 mm. Graucalus javensis macei (Lesson). The Large Indian Cuckoo-Shrike. Rather rare. Seen singly or in pairs in the heavy forest or in the larger trees of the open country. Wing measurements 4 G 157-161; 2 Q 160, 161.5 mm. Artamus fuscus Vieillot. The Ashy Swallow-Shrike. Occasional flocks, of up to 8 individuals, were seen in the clearings, where the birds perched on some high dead tree, and from thence hunted flying insects. Wing measurements 7 @ 132-138; 5 Y 130-137 mm. Dicrurus longicaudatus longicaudatus (Jerdon). The Indian Grey Drongo. Common in small flocks in the scrub jungle. March birds are moulting. Wing measurements 11 G 128-138 (148); 4 @Q 127.5-144 mm. Dicrurus ccorulescens ccerulescens (Linnaeus). The White-bellied Drongo. Found in such situations as frequented by the last, but singly or in pairs. Wing measurements 5 6G 116-127; 7 Q 115-122.5 mm. Chaptia enea malayensis A. Hay. The Southern Bronzed Drongo. A common element of the hunting bands, in pairs or small flocks. Wing measurements 6 O I11.5-122.5; 5 @Q 111-118 mm. 1 Walter Koelz, ‘New Birds from Asia, Chiefly from India’, Proc. Biol. Soe., Washington, 52, June 5, 1939, pp. 61-82. 2 is jOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIil Chibia hottentotta londe Koelz'. Not uncommon in the blooming Bombaz trees. Dissemurus paradiseus malabaricus (Latham). The Malabar Large Racket- tailed Drongo. One of the common birds of the forest trees. They occurred in pairs, or sometimes there would be a band of 4 or 5. Immature birds seemed to prefer dense thickets. Wing measurements 6 @ 152-102.5; 7 @Q@ 140.5-152.5 mm. Acrocephalus Stentoreus brunnescens (Jerdon). the Indian Great Reed-Warbler. A single specimen was collected, but several were seen in the grassy edging of a small stream near Supa. Acrocephalus dumetorum Blyth. Blyth’s Reed-Warbler. One of the common birds, and found in most of the habitats. The series of collected specimens shows more olive, less brown, than birds in fresh fall plumage from Afghanistan, Baltistan and Ladakh. Acrocephalus agricola agricola Jerdon. The Paddy-field Warbler. A tew birds stayed along the grassy. border of a small stream running through rice fields near Londa. Elsewhere none were seen. ‘They are like a topotypical specimen from Madras Presidency. Wing measurements 4 ¢ 55-58.5 mm. 2=7-8, once 6-7. Orthoto mus sutorius londe# oelz’'. Tailor-birds occurred not uncommonly in pairs, usually in the dry scrub and along field borders. | Franklinia gracilis albogularis (Walden). The Coorg Wren-Warbler. The species frequented the open forests and scrub jungle and flocks of about 10 were occasionally seen. I follow Whistler (J.B.N.H.S., xxxviii, p. 408) in using Walden’s name as a trinomial, assuming that my specimens are like those of Coorg. Wing measurements 6 ¢ (43) 45-48-53; 5 @ 42-44 (47) mm. Hippolais caligata annectans Sushkin. A single specimen (wing 58 mm.) was taken in the scrub jungle on January 18 and though search was regularly made, no more were seen. This bird is darker than specimens I have_trom Sidhout and Kodur, in the Madras Presidency (topotypical rama), and from Sind and Punjab. Phylloscopus tytleri (Brooks). Tytler’s Willow-Warbler. Occasional specimens seen; two collected. Phylloscopus nitidus nitidus Blyth. The Green Willow-Warbler. Recorded only three times, when specimens were taken: January 26, February 27 and March 11. Wing measurements 2 ¢ 61, 61.5; Q 60 mm. Phylloscopus nitidus viridanus Blyth. The Greenish Willow-Warbler. A common element of the hunting parties. Specimens taken throughout the season are in worn plumage ‘and some in lTebruary were moulting primaries. 1 Walter Koelz, ‘New Birds from Asia, Chiefly from India’, Proc. Biol. Soe., Washington, 52, June §, 1939, pp. 61-82. NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE LONDA NEIGHBOURHOOD i9 Phylloscopus magnirostris Blyth. The Large-billed Willow-Watrbler. A rather rare species. ‘Occurred usually in the heavy forest. Wing measurements 2 ¢ 64; 5 @ 58.5-64.5 mm. Phylloscopus occipitalis occipitalis (Blyth.). The Large Crowned Willow- Warbler. A common element of the hunting parties. All specimens collected were males. Wing measurements 17 ¢ 64-70 mm. Irena puella puella (Latham). The Fairy Biue-bird. A common bird of the forest, often with the hunting parties, and in the fig trees, eating the ripe fruits, along with Orioles, Barbets, Piprisoma, Fruit Pigeons, Starlings, Mynas, Hornbills, Bulbuls, Turdus. Often a half dozen or so occurred together. Wing measurements 9 G 123-129; 7 Q 117.5-126.5 mm. A male taken on March 12 had testes enlarged to breeding condation. Oriolus oriolus kundoo Sykes. The Indian Oriole. Orioles were found commonly, feeding on the fruits of the various species of figs, and often also in the flowering Bombaz: trees. Wing measurements 6 G 135-147; 6 Q 133-143 mm. Oriolus chinensis diffusus Sharpe. The Indian Black-naped Oriole. A single female (wing 147 mm.) was collected on February 3. No others were seen. Oriolus xanthornus maderaSpatanus Franklin. The South Indian Black-headed Oriole. Found usually in the scrub jungle and around clearings. led less commonly on the figs than O. 0. kundoo. Wing measurements 10 ¢ 129-140; 2 Q@ 131 mm. Eulabes religiosa indica (Cuvier). The Southern Grackle. The species was not common till mid February, and thereafter flocks of 2-20 or so were often seen, usually in the fig- or Bombax trees. Specimens appear to be of the Ceylonese race. Wing measurements 10 ¢ 137-140; 5 @Q 136-140 mm. Pastor roseus (Linnaeus). The Rosy Pastor or Rose-coloured Starling. Pastors occurred in parties of half dozen, or even singly, mainly in the elds. Wing measurements 4 6 127.5-130.5; @ 123.5 mm. Sturnia malabarica malabarica (Gmelin). The Grey-headed Myna. Sturnia malabarica blythii (Jerdon). Blyth’s Myna. The species occurred in flocks, often of a5 or more, and were frequently seen in the flowering Butea trees. Most of the individuals collected belong to the race blythit. Temenuchus pagodarum sylvestris (Hodgson). Like the Rosy Pastors, this species kept to the fields. It occurred in small groups like that form, but was more often met. It fed in the Bombax often, but. rarely in the fig trees. Wing measurements 5 ¢ 100-110; 5 Q 99-104 mm. 20 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIit Acridotheres tristis tristis (Linnaeus). The Common Myna. _ In habits and abundance like the last, except that it was often seen eating figs. Specimens taken are not in fresh plumage and are lighter and more vinous than fresh Afghan birds. Wing measurements 6 ¢ 148-153; 6 Q 139-147 mm. AAthiopsar fuscus mahrattensis (Sykes). The Southern Jungle Myna. Commoner than’ the last; common in the fig trees. Wing measurements 6 G 126-129; 5 Q 121-126 mm. Ploceus philippinus trayancoreensis Whistler. The Travancore Baya _ or Weaver-Bird. A single record: a male (wing 71 mm.) taken in a sugar cane patch on January 19. Lonchura striata estriata Koelz’,, ; This was a common bird in the open scrub jungle and in the fields. Flocks were met usually containing birds in mature and immature plumage, both usually in moult. Breeding specimens were, however, taken throughout our stay. Lonchura punctulata lineoyenter (Hodgson). The Spotted Munia. This species also occurred in flocks of adult and juvenile birds and none of them were in stable plumage. Moult had usually just begun and in adults the primaries were much frayed. Clearings were the favorite habitats and the Lantana berries were approved food. Wing measurements 10 ¢ 53-58; 8 Q 53-5-59 mm. Erythrina erythrina kubanensis (Laubmann). Common in flocks, of up to about 25, usually about clearings. They often fed on the blooms of Butea frondosa. I have seen an adult male of kubanensis from the Caucasus in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology which fits into the series of specimens collected from Londa and from _ the mountain districts of the Punjab, Ladakh and Afghanistan. Roseatus is a more saturated form that breeds farther east and occurs in winter in the Nilgiris. and Palnis. Gymnoris xanthocollis xanthocollis (Burton). The Yellow-throated Sparrow. Common in the scrub jungle and about the clearings. Breeding had begun in late February. Wing measurements 10 ¢ 81-89; 6 Q 78-81 mm. Passer domesticus indicus Jardine and Selby. The Indian House-Sparrow. _ Except at Londa, there were few House Sparrows, probably because the native house architecture is too simple to afford them shelter. Wing measurements 4 ¢ 70.5-74 mm. Riparia rupestris (Scopoli). The Crag-Martin. An occasional specimen was seen in the air near Castle Rock in early March. Riparia concolor (Sykes). The Dusky Crag-Martin. Seen in pairs, most often around railroad bridges. Wing measurements 4 109; Q 107 mm. ! Walter Koelz, ‘New Birds from Asia, Chiefly from India’, Proc. Biol. Soc., Washington, 52, June 5, 1939, pp. 61-82. NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE LONDA NEIGHBOURHOOD 21 Hirundo smithii filifera Stephens. The Indian Wire-tailed Swallow. A common species, often seen in early morning on the telegraph wires beside a clearing. Breeding had begun in mid January. Wing measurements 5 < 112-118; 5 Q I1I-114 mm. Birds from North India and Afghanistan average larger. The intensity of head color is variable. Hirundo daurica nipalensis Hodgson. _Hodgson’s Striated Swallow. The commonest swallow. Large flocks often were hunting over the clearings or resting on the telegraph wires. Sometimes swarming ants would cause a congregation to spend hours over a forest area. Mostly the individuals taken were in various stages of moult. Wing measurements 8 ¢G (105) 112-119; 4 Q 113-117.5 mm. Hirundo daurica erythropygia Sykes. Sykes’s Striated Swallow. A female (wing 108 mm.) that appears to be of this race was taken on January 11. Motacilla alba dukhunensis Sykes. The Indian White Wagtail. Species of Motacilla, along with Dendronanthus and Cyanosylvia came in large numbers to roost in a small patch of sugar cane near Londa. The various forms probably came from afar because some of them were rarely seen during the day. This was not a common Wagtail but one or a few could usually be found in some wet rice fields. Specimens taken in March were moulting to breeding dress. Wing measurements G 90.5; 5 Q 83.5-88 mm. Motacilla alba personata Gould. The Masked Wagtail. Rather rarer than the last. Wing measurements ¢ 91; 3 9 88 mm. Motacilla maderaspatensis maderaspatensis Gmelin. The Large Pied Wagtail. A common form, found in pairs, usually along the larger streams with open banks. March birds were breeding. Wing measurements 7 © 97-101.5; 6 Q 92-97.5 mm. Motacilla cinerea caSpica (Gmelin). The Eastern Grey Wagtail. Found in such situations as frequented by the last, but singly or in pairs. Wing measurements ¢ 84; 10 Q 78-82 mm. Motacilla flava beema Sykes. The Indian Blue-headed Wagtail. Rather common in the dry rice fields. A few of the specimens, all in winter dress, have a yellowish supercilium. ~ Motacilla flava thunbergi Pillberg. The Grey-headed Wagtail. _ Rather abundant in the roosting parties. Wing measurements 2 ¢ 82 mm. Motacilla citreola were Buturlin. ‘One’ of the commonest Wagtails. Specimens were mostly in immature plumage. Wing measurements 7 < 80-83; 2 Q 72, 78 mm. Dendronanthus indica (Gmelin). The Forest Wagtail. Abundant in the roosting parties and rather common in the open forest and along streams where a few could be Helsinee from the ground. Usually they were very shy in the day time. Wing measurements 10 ¢ 709-83 ; 6 Q 76-81.5 mm. - i) LW) JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Anthus trivialis trivialis (Linnaeus). The Tree-Pipit. Flocks of up to about 10 individuals were common in the clearings. Most of the specimens taken were moulting. Wing measurements 4 <¢ 86-90; 13 @ 83-86 (89) mm. Anthus hodgsoni inopinatus Hartert and Steinbacher. Common in flocks like the last, but in the scrub jungle, not in the openings. Wing measurements 6 ¢ 84-88; 7 Q 80-85 mm. Anthus rufulus malayensis Eyton. The Malay Pipit. Common in pairs in the fields. Breeding had begun in early January. Wing measurements 11 G 80.5-84; 2 Q 79, 81 mm. Anthus campestris godlewskii Taczanowski. Seen only on the pasture plain at Jagalbed, where a flock of perhaps 20— arrived on March 9g. Wing measurements 3 ¢ 92-94 mm. | Galerida malabarica propinqua [Koelz’. Common in pairs in the fields. Birds were breeding all during our stay, and on January 27 a full fledged young was collected. Zosterops palpebrosa salimalii Whistler. The White-eye. Not found until mid February when it was common in certain blooming trees in the scrub forest. Wing measurements 10 ¢G 53-560; 4 Q@ 52-55 mm. Leptocoma lotenia (Linnaeus). Loten’s Sunbird. Rare except in the scrub jungle around Castle Rock where breeding pairs were found in early March. Wing measurements 3 G 57-58.5; 2 2 54, 55 mm. Leptocoma asiatica brevirostris (Blanford). The Sind Purple Sunbird. Common. They frequented the Butea frondosa blooms as well as the less showy flowers of forest trees, shrubs and climbers.. Some specimens were breeding all during our stay and full fledged young were seen and collected. Some males taken were not yet in full plumage in early March and many were in full plumage on our arrival. Wing measurements 16 ¢ 54.5-59; 8 @Q 51-54.5 mm. I have 16 males and 8 females from Londa, mostly in adult plumage, except that four of the January males are moulting to adult plumage and one March bird has not completed the change. Compared with 4 adult males and a female from Kalaigulaman, Afghanistan and a series from Sind (brevirostris), 11 males, including. all the immature ones and 6 females (one juvenile) have bills that match closely in length and depth those of Sind and Afghanistan. I have a pair of birds from Dacca, Bengal which should’ be intermedia, and a pair from Patna, Bihar, a male from Benares, U.P., and a female from near Darjeeling which may be like typical asiatica=Gurgaon. These birds have heavier, not longer bills, than the 6 males and a female from Londa that do not match the brevirostris just mentioned. I can see no color differ- ences in the males of these groups, but the female from Dacca and that from Darjeeling are richer yellow below than any of the others, except juveniles from Londa. It may be that brevirostris is distinguished by a somewhat weaker bill and extends along the west coast of India, and that intermedia is separable by richer color of females, not males. ‘ Walter Koelz, ‘New Birds from Asia, ‘Chiefly from India’, Proc, Biol. So« Washington, 52, June 5, 1939, pp. 61-82, , NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE LONDA NEIGHBOURHOOD 23 Leptocoma minima (Sykes). The Small Sunbird. Common, and found like the last, except that it did not frequent the Buiea trees. Specimens taken in mid February were breeding. Wing measurements 14 ¢ 44-48; 9 Q 42.5-45.5 mm. Leptocoma zeylonica (Linnaeus). The Purple-rumped Sunbird. Found mostly in the scrub jungle and not so common as the two last. Wing measurements 5 6 54-560; 2 Q 54 mm. Arachnothera longirostra vantynei Koelz’. Rare. Breeding pairs were found in March in the heavy jungle of the river bottoms near Supa and Castle Rock. Diceum concolor subflavam Stuart Baker. The Belgaum Flower-pecker. A common bird feeding chiefly in the Loranthus. Specimens taken in early March were breeding. Whistler (J.B.N.H.S., xxxvii, p. 284) is probably right in considering subflavum a synonym of concolor. These specimens are virtually topotypical and are like birds from the foothills of the Nilgiris, except possibly they are paler. Wing measurements 6 ; | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 46o6d 20-21 70-82 39-42 nam. . 3 18.5-20 77-78.5 38-41.5 mm.—H.. W.] Pairs and family parties of 3 to 5 in deciduous forest, usually in the itinerant hunting parties of small insectivorous birds. Utters a mousy, quick-repeated chtp..chip..chip. THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 147 Sitta frontalis frontalis Swainson. The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch. Specimens collected: 354 0? 15-12-39 Devarbetta (3,000); 738 Q 26-1-40, 781 Q 30-1-40 Settihalli (2,500). Biligirirangan Hills: GG 22-12-32 (5,000 Honnametti); 5 ¢ 6-11-39, 15 GO 8-11-39 (4,000° Bedagili); Ms59(H) 0? 24-4-34, M26(H) ¢, M27(H) 2 9-5-34, M1(H) od 7-5-34 (4,000°) ; M32(H) 0? juv. 10-5-34, Mr15(G) ¢ 16-10-34 (5,000’). Elsewhere noted: Bandiptr, Karaptr, Sakléshpur, Jagar Valley and Baba- budan Hills (2-4,500’). [| Measurements : Bill Wing Tail TOG 15-10.5 75-80 39-45-5 mm. | 5 2@e 15.5-17 73-755 38-42 mm.—H. W.] Common. Frequents evergreen sholas, creeping up, along and around the moss- and lichen-covered branches. Usually met with as a member of the mixed hunting parties of which Culicicapa, Phylloscopus occipitalis and Pert- crocotus flammeus are some of the most constant components. It is also common in the intermediate zone particularly in the moist-inter belt, in patches where plenty of bamboo clumps occur amongst the scattered trees. In dry-inter forest I occasionally found it in the same patch as the Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch though it is essentially a bird of evergreen biotope while castanea is more or less restricted to the deciduous. (To be continued) OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN DUCKWEEDS, LEMNACEAE | BY CHARLES MCCANN, F.L.S. (With nine plates and one text-figure). INTRODUCTION The Indian Lemnaceae, though they offer no particular pro- blem of their own, present to the research-worker a large number of possibilities, for their study raises many interrogation marks common to the order as a whole. The usually small size of the plants—the smallest Phanerogams in the world—with naturally minute and obscure floral parts is enough to cool the enthusiasm of all but the keenest botanists. Further, the comparatively short flowering period ot some of the species in a _ particular locality, makes it necessary that the plants be collected at the right time. This brief periodicity probably explains the oft- repeated statement ‘rarely flowering’ found in so many botanical works. The difficulties of the botanist are further increased when he comes to determining the diagnostic characters. The size of the plants is so restricted and the form so variable, particularly those of the genus Lemna, that the botanist is immediately faced with the difhculty of separating the species. Numerous species have been described from various quarters of the globe, many of which were perhaps never obtained in flower, so that the specificity rests merely on the description of the vegetative organs, an admittedly very variable set of characters. When I undertook the study of the order some years ago, 1 had no idea of the difficulties involved. season, but where water is perennial, it will rise again to the surface after a few days’ rest and become a normal frond, except that it is generally smaller, and more orbicular than the ordinary fronds. Dried resting buds shrink and curl, but remain unimpaired. The dry condition facilitates their rise to the surface as soon as favourable conditions obtain. Resting buds vegetated readily when placed in water after being kept dry under normal conditions for two years. Roots.—The roots may be short or long, few or many, deeply pigmented or not. The number of roots often varies with the size of the plant, but there is always more than one. Flowers.—As in the order. Spathe.—The spathe is orbicular and composed of two layers of cells. Pistil.—The pistil is flask-shaped, flatter on the ventral than on the dorsal side. Ovules.—There are two ovules (more than two according to some authors). Neither ovule appears to mature to seed (S. polyrrhiza), and I have failed to obtain seed. I suspect some imperfection in the floral organs; hence the pro- fuse production of resting buds. Spirodela polyrrhiza (Linn.) Schleid. in Linn. V. 13 (1839) 392. (PI. V & VI) Lemna polyrrhiza Linn. Sp. Pl. (1753) 970. Description'.—Fronds herbaceous, broadly obovate or orbicular, not tailed, floating, opaque, thick, flat above, slightly convex below, 4-4? in. in diam., dark green above, usually purplish beneath, 7-viewed ;° epidermal cells with sinuous walls; young fronds sessile, each frond giving rise to a tuft-fibre.‘ Spathe 2-lipped.2 Stamens 2. Ovules 1-2,8 semianatropous.’ Distribution.—Temperate and tropical regions throughout the globe. Localities.—Royal Botanic Gardens, (3-8-35) Biswas!; McCann!; Rangoon, Kamayut pond (10-8-36, 26-9-36) Khanna!; Mandalay (Mav 1935) Khanna!; Kolapur (7-9-35) Col. Frere!; Secunderabad, Deccan-(Oct.-Nov. 1937) Fernan- des!: Condita Tank, Salsette (1-12-35) McCann!; Powai Lake, Salsette (22-8-37 in flower) McCann!; Matunga, in a borrow pit, Bombay, McCann! Note.—Resting buds: The resting buds measure 5-7X%4-5 mm. They are orbicular or broadly elliptical, thick and firm. The dorsal surface is flat or slightly convex, the lower strongly concave. On the dorsal surface is a small orbicular scale equalling the bud in size or somewhat smaller; free from its base. Below is a ventral scale, obovate-oblong and slightly narrowed at the base. It is persistent throughout. The lower half or two-thirds of this scale is fixed, the remainder free. It exhibits a more or less lunate arrangement of raphids. On either side of the ventral scale there is a small broadly ovate scale. Both scales are composed of single layers of cells and are transparent. A longitudinal section through the centre of a resting bud at an early stage of development into.a new frond reveals an elliptic body of embryonic tissue ' Description mainly after Cooke. 2 2-4 lines, Gray (Man. Bot. N.U.S.A., 479). ® e-1y nerved: Hegelmaier. In figure 12 of table xv Hegelmaier. “ *Rocts many’ Hook, ‘up to 16 roots’ Hegelmaier. 5 Not observed by me in fresh. material. ‘It has been my experience that two ovules only are developed, ” Position ovule has already been discussed, ) Journ, Bombay Nat. Hist. Sos. PLATE V. Del. McCann. McCann—Indian Duckweeds. Spirodela polyrrhiza (Linn.) For explanation see end of article, Journ. Bembay Nat. Hist. Soc. . i: 2 * ad We Css ig a5, SONS, . e BY ws Del. McCann. McCann—Indian Duckweeds. Spirodela polyrrhiza (Linn.) For explanation see end of article, PLATE VI- 1 OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN DUCKWEEDS 157 in a cavity with a narrow passage leading to the base of the dorsal scale. A similar section at a later stage of growth shows the elongation of the embry- onic tissue up the passage, while at the same time, another projection of the embryonic tissue thrusts its way towards the free base of the ventral scale. These developments represent the formation of the future frond and_ root respectively. As the new frond develops it protrudes below the dorsal scale and finally pushes it to the ventral surface. The new root does not displace the ventral scale but perforates it. In S. polyrrhiza usually only one root pierces the scale but occasionally two may do so, particularly in large speci- mens. The other roots form-below the free portion of the scale thereby push- ing it aside. Spathe.—The spathe is an orbicular ‘saccate’ organ enclosing the floral parts. It is composed of two layers of cells, is firmer in texture than in Lemna and the protruding stamens rupture the top giving it the appearance of being bifid or bilobed. Numerous aggregate crystals and raphids are present in the cells. Flowering and Fruiting.—Few botanists have ever seen the flowers of polvrrhiza as it seldom flowers, the place of the flowers being taken by resting buds. When in flower two ovules are developed, but they never (in mv experience) mature to seed. The reason for this, as already remarked, I suspect is due to some imperfection in the floral elements, as the anthers do not appear to dehisce. Spirodela oligorrhiza Hegelmaier, Lemnae (1868) 147, t. 16. (PI. I, fig. re Ge PL WAU) Lemna oligorrhiza Kurz. Journ. Linn. Soc., ix (1867) 267. Description.'—Fronds flat, thin suboblique, oblong or obtuse, 2-3 rooted, purple below. Fronds arranged in circinate groups, 3-4 lines long by 14-2 lines broad, deep green, shining, 1-3 ridges. Roots two, often three, yellow or greenish, flaccid, very long. Flowers as in L. minor,” but filaments of the anthers slightly exerted. Pollen granular. Ovules 2—, rarely one, rosy. Distribution.—India. Localities.—None. Note.—A comparison of Kurz’s illustration with those of Hegelmaier’s plate xvi clearly indicates that these two authors had totally different conceptions of S. oligorrhiza. Kurz figures the inflorescence minus the spathe, but evid- ently Hegelmaier had not seen any flowers, as they are not illustrated in his work: Hegelmaier’s figures of oligorrhiza appear much like those of polyrrhiza. The number of roots also exceeds the number mentioned by Kurz. A curious fact is that no worker, as far as I am aware, appears to have found Kurz’s oligorrhiza since it was described in 1867. Yet Hegelmaier includes varieties under this species (S. oligorrhiza)! I am inclined to the view that Hegelmaier’s oligorrhiza is no other than S. polyrrhiza. How are we to account for the disappearance of oligorrhiza? A critical analysis of Kurz’s illustrations tempts me to say that the artist has confused two different plants, a Lemna and a Sphirodela. In his description of S. oligorrhiza Kurz indicates that the fronds are arranged in ‘circinate groups’, figure 1 does not bear this out. Such grouping of fronds as depicted in figure 1 I have not observed in any Indian species. Figures 2, 3 and 4 are enlargements of the plants showing fronds, roots and inflorescence in situ. In my opinion the shape of the frond is that of L. minor. Kurz recognised this fact and wrote, ‘It has the size and form of L. minor, but the bright green surface and purple- coloured undersurface of L. polvrrhiza’. The last clause of this sentence is difficult to explain—no Indian Lemna or Spivodela, 1 know, has a_ purple undersurface barring S. polyrrhiza (and S. maxima). Again multiple roots in a Lemna are difficult to account for—in Lemna the root is solitary—unless we admit that the artist has confused two different plants. Figure 4 seems ? Description after Kurz. 4 This -statement is rather misleading as the inflorescence in Lemna and Spirodela is similar in arrangement, but the ovule in L. minor is always solitary whereas in Spirodela there are two ovules, 168 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII to me to be a flowering frond of L. minor, but here again the three roots is the obstacle. Figure 5 is undoubtedly the inflorescence of a Spirodela, but the spathe has been omitted. The female flower as depicted agrees closely with my own figure of the inflorescence of S. polvrrhiza. As the plants were growing together such an error may quite easily occur. Young and feeble plants of S. polyrrhiza frequently have but few roots. The type sheet of Kurz’s Ll. oligorrhiza is in the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sibpur, Calcutta. Unfortunately circumstances do not per- mit my examining this sheet. Pressed material of Lemnaceae is very unsatis- factory as the size of the plants and the delicateness of the tissues, particularly the roots, soon damage and examination of such material will undoubtedly lead to poor results. Strangely enough Kurz’s oligorrhiza was recorded from Australia in 1888. Dr. W..Wools in an article, Lemnaceae or Duckweeds [Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 2nd series iii (1888) 1247] records :— ‘Of the genus Lemna, the Baron (Baron Mueller) gives for Australia five species, three of which, L. trisulca (Linn.), L. minor (Linn.) and L. gibba (Linn.), have only one root or fibre; whilst L. oligorrhiza (Kurz), which the writer collected in Paramatta, has five roots or more, and L. polyrrhiza (Linn.) a cluster of many. Dr. Wools says that oligorrhiza ‘has five roots or more’ while Kurz says, ‘reots 2-3’; and this seems to show that the two, oligorrhiza and polyrrhiza were merely separated by him (Dr. Wools) on the number of roots. As I doubt the specific value of oligorrhiza, I am of opinion that the two Australian ‘species’ as recorded by Dr. Wools are one and the same plant. Spirodela maxima McCann nov. comb. (Text-fig. 1). Lemna maxima Blatt. & Hall. Journ. Ind. Bot., v, 11 (1921) 49. Description’.—Fronds herbaceous, flat on both surfaces, not spongy, grow- ing in humid soil, thinly coriaceous, brittle, opaque, symmetrical, suborbicular, Fig. 1.—Spivodela maxima comb. nov. broadly ovate or obovate, about 13 mm. long by 10 mm. broad, g_nerved.” upper surface deep green, lower purple, from the lower surface numerous (about 17), fascicled roots 30 mm. long are given off, young fronds sessile. ‘ Description after Blatter & Hallberg. * Many more nerved. Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. PLATE VII. Wz one ane ome een any, NO arm PPR ET GET OS oe McCann—Indian Duckweeds. Spirodela oligorrhiza Hegelm. (figs. 1-6). Reproduced from Kurz’s illustration (Linn. Soc. Journ. Bot., Vol. TEX, p. 5). For explanation see end of article. OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN DUCK WEEDS 159 Distribution.—India. Localities —Achalgar, Mt. Abu, 1,300 mm. Rajputana (Blatter 1856, type), McCann! Note.—The type No. 1856, Herb. St. Xavier’s College, Bombay, I fear is now non-existant. 1 was with the authors at the time when the original plants were collected. On the 15th December 1938 I had the opportunity of revisiting Achalgar where I obtained fresh material for study. The original material was collected from a gently flowing stream, an overflow of an arti- ficial tank. At the time of my second visit the stream was dry, but I obtained sufficient material from the tank, which material, in the absence of the type, may now be considered the topotype. The slushy banks of the tank were covered thickly with growths of maxima, which had sent roots into the soil. In the original description the authors stated 9-nerved; on an examination of the fresh material obtained by me I find that there are many more nerves, double the number. In the preserved specimens the nerves appear canali- culate and radiate from the point above where the roots appear below, to the margin. The margin is hyaline or nearly so and tinged with purple (fresh). The basal scale is perforated by two roots as a general rule. In my opinion S. maxima is very likely an extremely large and vigorous form of S. polyrrhiza, but until such time as I am able to obtain the flowers the species must stand. Genus: Wolffia Wolffia the smallest flowering plants in the world. Here the entire plant is reduced to a minute ‘globule’ of vegetative tissue with an_ internal ‘axial’ portion embedded in it, which gives rise to new fronds and the floral elements. The axial portion is inseparable from the rest of the plant. When not in flower there is no indication of any groove or ‘pit’ in which the floral elements appear, but when in flower the single stamen and pistil appear oul of a circular ‘pit’. The frond as a definite anterior and posterior end, and the new frond is developed from the posterior ‘pocket’. Soon after bearing fruit the entire frond dies and sinks to the bottom of its habitat together with the seed. Roots.—None. Resting buds.—No resting buds: have been observed. Male flower.—-The male flower is solitary, composed of a single stamen. The anther is globular, mounted on a short filament. It splits across the top when mature. Hooker and Fischer refer to the ‘anther as being sessile, but actually this is not the case, as the anther is shortly stalked. Pollen as in the order. Pistil—As in Lemna. The stigma matures a little after the anther. On the mature stigma there is always a globule of a viscid (?) secretion. When removed another droplet appears shortly after, as in Lemna. ‘This stigmatic droplet was first observed in Wolffia. Its significance is difficult to surmise, but it probably has some bearing on fertilization—the pollen grains sticking readily to the globule. Fertilization.—The anther matures a little before the stigma. The pollen spreads over the surface of the plant, but fertilization may be effected by contact with adjacent plants, by insects crawling over the plants resulting in cross-fertilization ; or self-fertilization may result .by the pollen of the same individual reaching the droplet on the stigma. Ovule.—Solitary and erect. The plants seed profusely. Spathe.—None. Dispersal—As in the order. Wolffia arrhiza (Linn.). (Pl. VII, figs. 7-12, Pl. VII] & IX). Lemna arrhiza “Linn. Mant. 2 (1771) 294. Description’.—A minute, granular, floating plant. Fronds opaque, sub- globose, ovate or ovate-oblong or elliptical when viewed from above, I-1.5 mm. long, silghtly convex above, highly convex below, rootless; young fronds soli- tary and sessile, arising from a pocket at the base of the old frond. Flowers + Description partly after Cooke. i60 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XLII arising from a central cup-like hollow in the centre of the frond. Spathe o. Male flower solitary. Stamen short, slightly exceeding the depth of the floral cup; anther globose, 1-celled; pollen echinate. Female flower solitary. Ovary globose or ovoid; ovule solitary. Seed ovoid, slightly umbonate at the top. ; | ' Distribution.—Cosmopolitan. Localities.—Dehli, 12-2-36 (S. H. Meheralli 174!); Sibpur, Royal Botanic Gardens, 2-8-35 (Biswas!), (McCann!); Lat, Ichalkaranji Jagir, Deccan, mix with Lemna (K. V. Tamhankar !); Alapakham, Chingleput Dist., Nov. 1937 (Barnes !); Thana, in a weedy tank mixed with Lemna, 2-9-35 (H. Abdulali !); Ghorbundar,! Salsette, in a masonry tank, 11-3-37 in flower (McCann !); Uttan,* Thana Dist., in a well mixed with Lemna, 24-2-40 (McCann !); Belgaum, in a well, 6-6-38 (McCann !). a CONCLUSION. Of the six species of Lemna mentioned in this paper two L. trisulca and L. gibba, do not appear to occur in India and must accordingly be excluded from the Indian Flora. L. paucicostata, L. Blatteri and perhaps also L. Eleanorae are probably identical with L. minor, but must for the present be regarded as distinct till the subject has been further investigated. The original des- criptions are in many cases so meagre and the plants so variable within limits, that they have tempted authors (myself included) to create new species often based on the fronds alone. In the case of L. Eleanorae, I created the species in order to give a description which would include details which do not tally with those of the other species as described at present. Further I have given details of the development and other notes of interest. Of the three species of Spirodela, | regard S. maxima as being an extreme form of S. polyrrhiza, but must leave it separate for the present until such time as flowers are obtained. S. oligorrhiza | regard as a composition of the characters of L. minor and S. polyr- rhiza and therefore no species. Wolffia arrhiza I believe to be the only species of the genus occurring within Indian limits. Thus, if my views are correct, the Indian members of Lemnaceae amount to three: L. minor L.; S. polyrrhiza L. and W. arrhiza L. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I wish to express my thanks to the following gentlemen for sending me material of Lemnaceae from their respective districts: Mr. K. Biswas, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sibpur, Calcutta; the late Col. A. G. Frere, 1.a.; Mr. H. Abdulali, Andheri, Bombay Suburb ; Mir Barnes) Vin ey hanna ean aOony a: blancs Vim) Fernandes, Hyderabad (Deccan). Dr. W. C. O. Hill, Medical College, Colombo, Ceylon. To Mr. C. E. C. Fischer, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for copies of certain literature; to Dr. Baini Prashad. Indian Museum, Calcutta, for the photographic copy of Kurz’s plate; and lastly but not least to Rev. Fr. J. F. Caius, St. Xavier’s ' Entire surface of tank covered thick with this plant only. * The well was not more than 500 yds. from high tide level. “aj93j40 fo pua aes uosypunidxa 40g (UUITT) BZFQIIe BOW “Spaomyonqg ueipuy—uurgoj, ‘UURDIW ‘JOE oot © tS JIA ALVId ae °90G ‘“JSIEF “3UN) Avqmog ‘usnor “XI ALVI1d = Snel ao. oats te em ane aos aanaszamesens Taw 7 uul” YT) BZpYIIB BOA -spoom3onq ueIpuj—uuE DOI “UUBDIW “eq FS Rr Ree "905 ‘JSIE] "UN Avqmiog ‘uiner —_- OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN DUCKWEEDS 161 College, Bombay, for going through the MS. and making useful suggestions. EXPLANATION OF PLATES. PiatTeE I. kig. 1.—Lemna minor (Seedling). Figs. 2, 3 and 4.—L. paucicostata. Fig. 5.—L. gibba. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9.—L. trisulca. Fig. 10.—Spirodela oligorrhiza. PuateE II. Lemna Eleanorae McCann sp. nov. _ Fig. 1.—Entire plants. (9) ot Fig, 2.—Longitudinal outline of fronds showing conical spikes. Figs. 3 and 5.—Inflorescence. Figs. 4 and 7.—Pistil. Figs. 6, 8 and g.—Fruit: (6) Young fruit; (8) a little older, seed horizontal ; seed in vertical position. Prate III. Lemna Eleanorae McCann sp. nov. Fig. 1.—Germinating pollen. Fig. 2.—Transverse section of frond. P. pistil; L.F. lower flap of ‘pocket’ ; . ovule; R.A. root appendage; R. root. (spathe not drawn). Figs. 3-7.—Sections of germinating seed. 3, 6 and 7, L.S.. of seed; 4 T.S. seed; 5 L.S. of embryo. PLaTE IV. Lemna Eieanorae McCann. sp. nov. Fig. 1.—Germinating seed showing cotyledon (ist stage, 14-5-36). Fig. 2.—Further stage in development with first frond (19-5-36). Fig. 3.—Fig. 2 viewed from above. Fig. 4.—Same as Fig. 2 but frond reversed to show root appearing. Fig. 5.—The same plant with two fronds on 26-5-36 (No roots developed as yet). eesti LLOnd pies 2nd: trondem ke snoot: PLATE V. Spirodela polyrrhiza (Linn.) Fig. 1.—Dorsal view of plants. Fig. 2.—Ventral aspect. Fig. 3.—Texture of undersurface. . Fig. 4.—Spathe only. : Figs. 5 and 6.—Inflorescence with spathe. Fig. 7.—Pistil (side view). Fig. 8.—Pistil and stamens (ventral view). Fig. 9.—Anther. Fig. 10.—Ventral aspect of frond showing details. Fig. 11.—Dorsal'aspect of frond. (L.F.=lower flap of frond; N.F.=new frond; R.=roots; V.S.=ventral scale of frond; A.X.=axial thread). 162 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIIt PiateE VI. Spirodela polyrrhiza (Linn.). Fig. 1.—Resting bud (dorsal aspect). Fig. 2.—Resting bud (ventral aspect). Fig. 3.—Developing resting bud (dorsal aspect). Fig. 4.—Same (ventral aspect). Figs. 5 and 6.—L. S. through resting bud. _ A=attachment; C=raphids; D.S.=dorsal scale; I*'.=flap of ventral scale, prety frond; Pb=pigment body; R=root; Rbresting bud; V.S.=ventral scale. PiLatE VII. Figs. 1-6.—Spirodela oligorrhiza Hegelm. Figs. 7-12.—Wolffia arrhiza (Linn.) Figs. \ For explanation vide text, pp. 120-21. Pirate VIII. Wolffia arrhiza (Linn.). Figs. 1, 2 and 3.—Top view of flowering plants. Figs. 4, 5 and 6.—Side view of same. Note the droplet of secretion on the stigma in Fig. 6. Piate IX. Wolffia arrhiza (Linn.). Fig. 1.—Dorsal outline of plant with bud of new frond. Fig. 2.—Transverse outline of plant. Fig. 3.—Plant showing ‘socket’ of new frond. Fig. 4.—Showing position of floral parts. Fig. 5.—Pistil and stamen. : Fig. 6.—As fig. 5, showing texture of stamen. Fig. 7.—Stamen dehieced. Fig. 8.—Cross-section of outline of seed. Fig. 9.—Seed. Fig. 10.—Structure of floral cavity. lig. 11.—Stomata. ‘soy4g TAUGNHM (YOL) sAgUVa ‘Joosye VIpNyy oy], ‘90S “LSI “LYN AvaINOg ‘NuNof THE GAME FISHES OF INDIA.*: BY ( , SUNDER LaL Hora, D.Sc., F.R.S.E., F.Z.S., F-R-A.S.B., F.N.I. Assistant Superintendent, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta. (With one coloured plate and one black and white plate) (Continued from page 815 of Vol, xi, No. 4.) XV. THE MAHSEERS OR THE LARGE-SCALED BARBELS OF INDIA. 8. ON THE SPECIFIC IDENTITY OF SYKES’S SPECIES OF Barbus FROM THE DECCAN. CONTENTS. PAGE Introduction ape an ee 58 dh PeilOS Barbus mussullah Sykes an & Bae te Be FS oe LO Barbus khudree Sykes one Ti an stele os er LOd Acknowledgments sit te yt bls Aes LOS List of References 3 re ae aon Py. ca 168 Explanation of Plates be SB 3% ts sas HOD INTRODUCTION. Having discussed chronologically in the preceding six articles the specific limits of the Large-scaled Barbels described by Hamilton (4, pp. 303-307)? and McClelland (7, pp. 333-338) from Northern India, we now turn to the species of Barbus described by Sykes torn iavey IDeecgym, Iba insite, Sykes) “(Gia GG) ep IS aoa eetoR 38 pp. 356-358) read a paper before the Zoological Society of London ‘On the Fishes of the Deccan’, and described 3 new Barbels, viz., B. mussullah, B. khudree and B. kolus. Of these, B. kolus with two barbels, an interrupted labial groove and_ pertaining to Hamilton’s subgenus Puntius has been recognised as a valid species by later workers (3, p. 136; 2, p. 573), while the taxonomy of the other two has till recently been in a state of great confusion. In 1919, Annandale (1, p. 135) referred certain specimens from the Kistna river to B. mussullah and commented upon the specific characters of the species; while in 1938, Hora and Misra (9, p. 24) discussed and defined the specific limits of Barbus khudree. It must, however, be understood that, judging by the present standards, 1 Published with permission of the Director, Zoological Survey of India. * Numerals in thick type within brackets refer to the serial numbers of the various publications listed in the bibliography at the end of the paper. 4 164 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII Sykes’s descriptions are inadequate and his drawings! inaccurate in several respects. We have, therefore, very meagre data to rely upon for elucidating the taxonomy of his species, and a collection of topotypes is essential for defining the specific limits of all the forms described by him from the Deccan. In view of the examina- tion of a large amount of additional material of B. khudree from the Western Ghats and the information collected, through the kind- ness of Dr. M. Suter, p.sc., from the respective type localities of B. mussullah and B. khudree, 1 am in a somewhat better position to evaluate the specific limits of these forms. Barbus mussullah Sykes, The following is the full description of the species as given by Sykes. (11, pp--356, 357): ‘Pectoral fins of .16 rays; ventral of g rays; dorsal fin of 12 rays, including the first double ray: tail forked, of 24 rays, including the short rays at each exterior side of the insertion of the tail: a remarkabie projecting prominence between the upper lip and nostrils, giving to the fish the appearance of being Roman-nosed: the eyes are situated far back, and between the eyes and the corners of the mouth there are a number of circular, rough, prominent papillae, but these are not constant: corners of the mouth furnished with a short teeler, and the base of the nasal prominence, near the tip, also furnished with one on each side: dorsal fin in the centre of the back, on a prominence which slopes suddenly behind; ventral fins on the centre of ‘the belly, on a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray: tail suddenly narrows below, atter the anal fin; anal fin with the posterior angle bluntly rounded off. The lateral line is slightly arched at the shoulder, then falls,” and runs straight to the anal fin; over this it rises a little, and then runs straight to the centre of the fork of the tail. The whole of the upper parts of the fish are covered with large’, coarse silvery scales, having blue and red reflections, and on the under parts a yellow tinge prevails ; it is very bony, and its length, to the end of the tork of the tail, is 12 inches, and height, 3 inches; but its greatest growth is 5 feet. When small this species resembles the Kolus, but in the latter the colour is more reddish-silvery : the fins are reddish, and the Mussullah is a much coarser, and infinitely larger fish. A male brought to me at Seroor*, from the Goreh river, measured in ' Regarding his fish illustrations, Sykes (9, p. 157) observed : ‘lt only remains to state that the whole of my fishes were drawn from absolute measurements, and have a scale of size attached to each figure ; they were caught in the various rivers on whose banks I encamped, as _ indi- viduals were required; so that my draftsman, who worked constantly under my own eye, never had to finish his drawings from shrivelled and discoloured specimens.’ f In spite of this assurance, unfortunately much reliance cannot be placed on Sykes’s illustrations for the correct identification of the species described by him. * A perusal of the account of the species described by Sykes shows that by ‘large’ scales he means up to 44 scales along the lateral line, as all his species with ‘small’ scales possess 60-70 scales along the lateral line. Sykes’s drawing of B. mussullah clearly shows that the species is not characterised by large scales in the sense the term is used in the present series of articles. * Regarding the type-locality of Barbus mussullah, Dr. M. Suter has very kindly given the following note :— ‘I believe that Sykes’s ‘‘Seroor’’ must be identical with the place called “Sirur’? on modern maps. This is a large village 43 miles from Poona on the road to Ahmednagar. It figures in Grant Duff’s History of the Mahrattas as ‘*Seroor’’ and also in the Gazetteers, and was formerly a military Cantonment. It is situated on the Ghod river. The last consonant, being palatal, is pro- nounced more like an ry than like ad and the name sounds more like Ghore.’ THE GAME FISHES OF INDIA 165 length 3 feet 4 inches, and in height 1 foot, and weighed nearly 42 Ibs. avoirdu- pois. Lhe flesh wanted flavour. The Mussullah differs from the Mosal of Dr. Hamilton, in having 1 ray less in the dorsal and pectoral fins, and in the first rays of these fins being double instead of quadruple; in the latter respect, and indeed in many others, resembling the C. Putitora: it also difiers in having the nose and upper lip tuberculated, and in colour. The prominence on the nose is also marked. Russell describes three Barbels, calling them Cyprini, but none of them are identical with the present fish.’ In spite of the above fairly long but generalised description and figure of B. mussullah, it was not possible for later ichthyologists to recognise its identity. Ginther (5, p. 83) regarded it as a species inguirendum and Day (2, p. 565) included it in the synonymy of his composite Barbus tor. Annandale (1, p. 135) in rescuing this species from obscurity observed : ‘Sykes’s description of this fish is inadequate, and his figure inaccurate, but he refers to and illustrates one trivial but apparently constant? character that gives me confidence in identifying specimens sent by Mr. Mclver. ‘Lhis character is the presence under the eye of a group ot small tubercles not confined to one sex and visible with the aid of a lens in quite young fish. ‘A more important differential character, not recognized by Sykes but shown in his figure, is, however, to be found in the structure of the mouth, the opening of which is much more oblique than in any race of Barbus tor. The extremity of the maxillary les directly under the middle part of the eye. [his feature is well shown on plate III. There are 13 (3/10) dorsal and 8 (3/5) anal fin-rays; 25-26 scales in the lateral line, 4 rows of scales above it and 3 below. ‘B. mussullah is common in the upper Kistna, where it occurs with the local race of B. tor. The Mahratta fishermen of Satara never fail to distinguish the two species. B. tor they call Kudis; B. mussullah, Masundi. Mr. McIver, to whom I am indebted for this information, has caught a , Sesetontesa of the Masundi 21 lbs. in weight.’ Spence and Prater (9, p. 46) have given a brief account. of B. mussullah after Annandale and have also recorded B. tor from the Deccan. I have examined Annandale’s specimens of B. mussullah (local name: Masundi) and B. tor (local name: Kudis) from the Kistna river. If the tubercles’ on the snout constitute a valid specific character, then we certainly have two distinct species in this material; the nature of the mouth opening is variable and the two species cannot be distinguished on this character. An examina- tion of a large number of specimens from the Western Ghats and Central India shows that the presence of tubercles on the head is not a constant feature as was pointed out by Sykes himself. I now find that some of the specimens from Deolali referred to B. khudree by Misra and myself (9, pp. 24-28) also possess tubercles. In fact, the large specimen figured by us has a patch of tubercles on the sides of the head. These tubercles are small and low, and not as prominent as those of the Bokar Mahseer, Barbus (Lissochilus) hexagonolepis McClelland. For this reason, unless they are care- fully looked for, they are liable to be missed. I am now convinced 1 Sykes stated that the tuberculated condition of the sides of the head is not constant. In the case of Barbus kolus, Misra and I (5, p. 28, pl. i) found that in the males the tubercles on the snout are more numerous and prominent, while in the females only a few small tubercles are present on the sides of the snout, Similar sexual dimor phism is perhaps characteristic of B. mussullah also, i66 /OURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLITI that Annandale’s B. mussullah and B. tor are referrable to a single species B. khudree Sykes. What then is Sykes’s B. mussullah? A reference to his des- cription given above shows that ‘When small, this species resembles the Avolus, but in the latter, the colour is more reddish-silvery : the fins are reddish, and the Mussullah is a much coarser, and infinitely larger fish’. Under the description of B. kolus, Sykes observed: ‘This fish resembies the Mussullah much in form, but the latter is a larger and coarser fish, and bluer in colour’. He also compared B. kolus with Hamilton’s Cyprinus curmuca and stated ‘Differs slightly from the Cyprinus curmuca of Hamilton, in having 2 rays in the dorsal and 1 in the ventral more, and in the scaly appendage to the ventral fins.’ A comparison of Sykes’s figures of B. mussullah and B. kolus, reproduced here, clearly shows the great similarity between the two — species in the form of the head and the presence of tubercles on the snout. The differences are in the number of barbels, 4 in the former and 2 in the latter, and the form of the body. In the fish-fauna of the Western Ghats, there are two kinds of Barbels, B. curmuca and B. kolus, in which the snout is produced and covered with series of tubercles. According to Day (2, p. 567), B. curmuca attains ‘at least 4 feet in length,’ while B. kolus ‘up- wards of a foot in length’. It would thus appear that the larger fish, B. mussullah Sykes, may be identical with Cyprinus curmuca Hamilton. Unfortunately, Curmuca was described and figured by Hamilton (Buchanan’s Journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Canara, and, Malabar, III, p. 344, pl. xxx, 1807; 4, p. 294) with 2 barbels, though in reality this species possesses 4 barbels as described by Day (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 707, 1873; 2, p. 567). This species, as pointed out by Day, is remarkable in possessing both pairs of barbels on the maxillaries and none on the snout; the lower barbels are stated to be equal to the length of the orbit while the upper ones are much shorter and are, there- fore, liable to be missed, especially when hidden in the maxillary grooves. It is likely that both Buchanan (afterwards Hamilton) and Jerdon (Madras Journ, Lit. Sci. XV, p. 306, 1848) overlooked the upper pair of barbels. In Sykes’s figure of B. mussullah, how- ever, both pairs of barbels are shown as subequal and arising from the maxillaries. The above information regarding the possible identity of B. mussullah with B. curmuca was supplied to Dr. Suter, who very kindly undertook to visit Sirur and collect specimens from the type- locality. He visited Sirur in the latter half of November and sent. me the following report about his trip in his letter dated the 3rd December 1941: ‘My trip to Sirur ete. unfortunately proved abortive as far as collecting specimen of Barbus mussullah Sykes is concerned. The Ghod river at Sirur is nowadays very silted up and large fish are there available only during and just after the rainy season. ‘I also visited the pools above and below the confluent of the Mutta-Mulah and Bhima rivers, which are famous for holding large fish. These pools were, however, still too deep for netting, and the local fishermen asked me to come sometime in January or I*ebruary, PLATE II. JourN. Bomsay Nat. Hist. Soc. Copies of Sykes’s drawings of Barbus mussullah and B. kolus. a. Barbus mussullah Sykes; b. Barbus kolus Sykes. THE GAME FISHES OF iNDIA 167 ‘In all the places visited ‘‘imussullah’’ seems to be well known to the fisher- men. ‘There is no question of these men confusing it with mahaseer, as they all declared that ‘mussullah’ is quite distinct from mahaseer. They describe it as a long fish with large scales and with a long head, the mouth being more blunt than in mahaseer, owing to the upper parts of head and mouth being higher. This feature corresponds to Sykes’s remark about its being Roman nosed. It is described as silvery on lower parts and sides and dark on the back. | ‘When shown the pictures in Day’s book they picked out the picture of Barbus curmuca as representing ‘mussullah’. This is indeed very interesting, and I hope another visit to the pools below and above the confluent of the Bhima and the Mutta-Mulah in the netting season will solve the question. ‘I further visited a large pool in the Mutta-Mulah some 15 miles south-east of Poona, where the local men gave the same description of ‘mussullah’ as mentioned by their colleagues at Sirur ete. . They say that they catch this fish mainly in August and September, after which time the fish retire to the much deeper pools further downriver.’ Though the absolute identity of B. mussullah with B. curmuca can only be established after an examination of the specimens from the type-locality, from the taxonomic findings detailed above and the field investigations carried out by Dr. Suter, there seems hardly any doubt that B. mussullah is in all probability a synonym of B. curmuca. If that be so, mussullah is not a fish of the Mahseer or Tor-type, but of the Puntius-type. Barbus khudree Sykes. Hora and Misra (5, pp. 24-28) have already discussed and defined the specific limits of Barbus khudree and from the material that has recently become available from the type-locality it is clear that this is the Mahseer of the Poona Waterways. Though the form varies to some extent with age, its general resemblance to B. mosal (Hamilton) is very striking. As pointed out above, in a number of specimens of all sizes the lateral sides of the snout are covered with a patch of small, rather indistinct, tubercles and_ it was this character which led Aenmnenracalle (1, p. 135) to divide young specimens from the Kistna river into B. jonesnllan with tubercles and B. tor without tubercles. The presence or absence of tubercles may be a secondary sexual character, but the material available is not sufficient to elucidate this point. According to Sykes, the anal, ventral and pectoral fins of B. Rhudree are tipped with blood-colour, but “The same fish, under varied circumstances of age, has the fins tipped with bluish instead of red’. Dr. Suter, who has seen many hundreds of Mahseer from all the rivers of Poona and its environs, informs me that he has never caught a specimen of B. khudree having the fins tipped with heGeae lit iS probable that in this region only young specimens up to ro inches in length have the fins tipped with red while the fins are bluish in older “individuals. According to Dr. Suter, ‘the fish attains a much larger size than the limit of 14 feet mentioned by Sykes, mahaseer up to 35 Ibs. and over having been caught here on many occasions and fish over 30 Ibs. are caught every year in the Mutta-Mulah river at Kirkee in the hot weather on balls of atta (wheat flour)’. These fish are known to reach a weight of 168 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII 50 Ibs. However, in a colour sketch of the Khudree Mahseer col- lected from Mysore by Messrs. Van Ingen & Van Ingen and sent to me by Mr. S. H. Prater of the Bombay Natural History Society the colouration is similar to that described by Sykes. I take the present opportunity to reproduce it here. I shall deal later with the sketches and specimens of B. khudree received from Dr. Suter. It may, however, be pointed out that the vernacular name ‘Khudree’ is not very helpful in determining Sykes’s B. khudree, since Barbus sarana (Ham.) is called ‘Lal Puree Khadree’ and B. jerdoni Day ‘Sufed Puree Khadree’. Though both these species possess 4 barbels, the dorsal spine of the former is serrated while that of the latter is weak. Basing his identification on colouration, Dr. Suter is inclined to regard B. khudree as identical with B. sarana, but Sykes’s three species of Barbels were characterized by the possession of a smooth spine, and the allied species with a serrated spine were included -by him in other genera. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge with sincere thanks the help I have received from Dr. M. Suter in elucidating the probable systematic position ore Sykes’s species of Barbus. My thanks are also due to Mr. K. S. Misra who helped me in various ways; in fact the suggestion abe B. mussullah may be identical with B. curymuca came from him in the first instance. The Bombay Natural History Society has borne the entire cost of the illustrations and for this I am indebted to the authorities of the Society. For the colour sketch of the Mahseer from the Bhavani River and for several other courtesies, I am obliged to Mr. S. H. Prater. List OF REFERENCES. 1. Annandale, N.—‘The Fauna of certain small streams in the Bombay Presidency. V. Notes on Freshwater fish mostly from the Satara and Poona Districts.’ Rec. Ind. Mus., vol. xvi, pp. 134-7 (1919). 2. Day, F.—Fishes of India, p. 573 (I. auton, 1878). 3. Giinther, A.—Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum, vol. vil, p. 136 (London, 1868). 4. Hamilton, F.—An Account of the Fishes found in the River Ganges and its bvanches, pp. 303-307 (Edinburgh, 1822). s. Hora, S. L. and Misra, K. S.—‘Fish of Deolali. Part III. On Two New Species and Notes on some other forms.’ Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. xl, pp. 24-28 (1938). 6. Hora, S. L.—‘The Game Fishes of India. X.—The Mahseers or the Large-scaled Barbels of India. 3. The Mosal Mahseer, Barbus (Tor) mosal (Hamilton).’ Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. xli, pp. 384-394 (1940). 7. McClelland, J.—‘Indian Cyprinidae.’ Asiatic Researches, vol. xix, PP. 333-8 (1839). . | 8. Spence, R. and Prater, S..H.—‘Game Fishes of Bombay, the Deccan and the Neighbouring Districts of the Bombay Presidency.’ Journ, Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. xxxvi, pp. 29-66, pls. 19 (1932) 9. Sykes, W. H.—On the Fishes of the Deccan’. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, Pt. vi. pp. 157-165 (1838). 10. Sykes, W. H.—‘On the Fishes of the Deccan.’ Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. iv, pp. 54-62 (1840). t1. Sykes, W. H.—‘On the Fishes of the Deccan.’ Trans, Zool, Sac. London, vol, ii, pp. 349-378, pl. Ix-Ixvii (1841). THE GAME FISHES OF INDIA 169 4XPLANATION OF PLATES. IPE lL, A colcur sketch of Barbus (Tor) khudree Sykes. The drawing was made from a specimen collected at Poona, while the colours were taken from a sketch made by Messrs. Van Ingen & Van Ingen of Mysore of a Bhavani River Mahseer 4 feet g inches in length and go lbs. in weight. The general colour is mauvish neutral above and silvery below; each scale is provided with a black margin and golden line in the middle. The sides of the head are marked with pale gold or pale greenish gold colours and the iris is golden silvery. The ventral surface of the head is bright silvery-white. The pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are pinkish while the dorsal and caudal fins are pinkish red. BeArrols Copies of Sykes’s drawings of Barbus mussullah and B. kolus, a, Barbus mussullah Sykes; b, Barbus kolus Sykes, SOME COMMON INDIAN HERBS WITH NOTES ON THEIR ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS. By M. SayrEpup-Drn, Prof. of Botany, Osmania University, Hyderabad Deccan. (IVith three plates). (Continued from page 818 of Vol. xlii, No. 4). ’ I[X.—NICOTIANA PLUMBAGINIFOLIA VIV. (Solanaceae). SYSTEMATIC. DESCRIPTION. Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv., Elench, pl. Hort. Dinegro, 26, t. 5 H.F.B.I., V. iv, 246; Mayuranathan, F!. Madras, City, 201 Sayeedud-Din, Common FI, Pits. Hyd., 67; Kashyap, Lahore Dist. IIR 1ke2e An erect annual branched herb attaining a height of about 2 ft. All parts covered with-sticky glandular hairs. Lower leaves form- ing a rosette at the base, elliptic -lanceolate with entire margin and obtuse apex, reaching up to Jo in. in length (in some specimens these are not present); upper I saves lanceolate, more or less acute, up to 4 in. long, margin wavy. Flowers in distant racemes at the end of branches. Onis: shout 4 in. long, segments 5 or more cleft te more than half the length of the calyx, triangular-lanceolate, acuminate, Corolla narrow, salver-shaped with a long tube, linear, light pink, about 14 in, long, lobes 5, lanceolate-oblong. Stamens 5, attached to the ‘corolla-tube ; anthers opening by pores; pollen grains ellipsoidal. Ovary superior, 2-celled, with axile placentation. Fruit an ovoid capsule with many seeds (Plates I & II). Flowers during the rainy season between Aug. & Nov. It flowers from Aug. to April in Madras, and from Feb. to June in the Punjab. we we HABITAT. This plant was evidently not found in North India when Stewart (15), Collett (2), and Bamber (1) wrote their floras, nor was it to be met with in Western India when Dalzell (4), Cooke (3) and Nairne (11) took up their floras. Hooker (7) records it and mentions that ‘it is the only species of Nicotiana that has established itself in 1 As the galley proof of this paper was being corrected I was reminded of a reference to this plant by M. B. Raizada who mentions that this plant is a weed of waste places in Dehra Dun and several other localities within the AveaN (Jets Baas VCuEKY MeN Onn) MDH mTOR ROO). Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. PLAGE I: Sayeedud-Din.—Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. For explanation see end of article. PLATE II. Sac, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Sayeedud-Din.— Nicotiana plumbagiaifolia Viv. For explanation see end of article, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist, Soc. PLATE FUL. Sayeedud-Din.—Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. For explanation see end of articie. SOME COMMON INDIAN HERBS 171 India’. Even Gamble (6) does not record it as growing in the Madras Presidency, while Mayuranathan (10) in his more recent publication mentions it as growing along roadsides in Eemore, and remarks that it has RECS thoroughly established i in the city. The other references are by Sayeedud-Din (13) and Kashyap (9). The author first found it In 1934, growing near a gutter, and subsequently it was found in many moist spots. Kashyap remarks that “it is a common in- troduced weed. It first came to Benegal but has now spread all over northern India from Assam to Punjab.’ _ Distribution: A native of Mexico and the West Indies, naturalized in Bengal, Punjab and South India. ANATOMICAL NOTES. Structure of the leaf. Leaves are bifacial. Stomata occur on both sides of the leaf, but. are more iL Me ROUT on the lower side. Vhey are surrounded by three or four ordinary epidermal cells, and develop according to the Cruciferous type (according to Vesque-—- Solereder, 14)s (Plate Wim iics 3). Oxalate of lime occurs in the form of crystal sand and solitary crystals of varied shapes. The occurrence of crystal sand in the genera Solanum and Lycium has been recorded by Sabnis (12). The hairy covering consists of ordinary clothing and glandular hairs which are present both on the leaves and the stem. The ordinary trichomes are simple, uniseriate, and provided with a pointed ter- minal cell. The glandular hairs consist of a stalk of varied length and an ellipsoidal head divided into several (usually 2 to 4) cells by horizontal walls only. The head Colmes dense contents (Plate Ill, Figs. 1 & 2). Structure of the stem (Plate III, Figs. 4 & 5). Stomata occur on the epidermis and are slireouncded by ordinary eotdermial cells as in the leaf. In the young stem the cortex contains chlorenchyma differentiated like palisade tissue, and collenchyma. The presence of intraxylary phloem i is very characteristic, but it is not accompanied by sclerenchymatous fibres as in other genera. Isolated groups of bast fibres are present in the pericycle. The vessels have simple perforations. The medullary rays are uniseriate and narrow. An en- dodermis is present. The pith consists of unlignified cells. In the old stem development of cork has been noticed. It is sub-epidermal! in origin, and consists of thin-walled cells with wide lumina, and includes scattered groups of stone-cells. . Structure of the petiole. The vascular system consists of a bi- collateral are of xylem and phloem. Many of the observations tally with those recorded by Solereder in other species of Nicotiana, and by him and Sabnis in other genera and species. This shows that many of these features are character- istic of Solanaceae. . The following are the chief anatomical features of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. : 1. Stomata are surrounded by three or four ordinary epidermal cells. 2. The development of cork is sub- -epidermal, Cork includes stone-cells also, 172, JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol XLT 3. The hairy covering consists of ordinary uniseriate trichomes, and stalked glandular hairs. The latter consist of a stalk and an ellipsoidal head divided by horizontal walls only. 4. Oxalate of lime occurs in the form of crystal sand and ordinary solitary crystals. . 5. Inthe stem occurrence of intraxylary soft bast is characteristic. Besides this, palisade-like chlorenchyma and collenchyma occur in the cortex. | 6. Petiole contains a bicollateral arc of xylem and phloem. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I am thankful to Mr. Sri Ramloo for the preparation of the drawings, and to my pupils for preparing the slides. LITERATURE CONSULTED. Bamber, Col. C.J.—Plants of the Punjab, p. 311 (1916). Collet, Col. Sir Henry—Flora Simlensis, p. 341 (1902). . Cooke, T.—Flora of the Presidency of Bombay, vol. ii, pt. ii, p. 276 (1905). Dalzell, N. A. and Gibson, A.—The Bombay Flora, pp. 174-176; and Suppl. pp. 60-63 (1861). s. Duthie, J. F.—Flora of the Upper Gangetic Plain, vol. ii, p. 134 (1911). 6. Gamble, J. S.—Flora of the Presidency of Madras, pt. v. p. 932 (1932): >. Hooker, J.D.—The Flora of British India, vol. iv, p. 246 (1882). 8. Kanjilal, P. C.—A Forest Flora for Pilibhit, Oudh,. Gorakhpur and Bundelkhand, p. 270. (1933). 9. Kashyap, S. R.—Lahore District Flora, pp. 182-183 (1936). ro. Mayuranathan, P. V.—The Flowering Plants of Madras City and its immediate neighbourhood, pp. 201-202 (1929). ‘ir. Nairne, A. K.—The Flowering Plants of Western India, p. 210 (1894). 12. Sabnis, T. S.—The Physiological Anatomy of the Plants of the Indian Desert. J. I. B., vol. ii, No. 3, pp. 71-73 (1921). Ie eae None ene Common Flowering Plants of the Hyderabad State, their distribution, economic and medicinal importance. [BAPSEB eran Ces Oy yh INCE. ty fds “yA (08 ; : 14. arene VR A Anatomy of the Dicotyledons. Engl. Ed., vol. 1, Pp. 575-582 (1908). 15. Stewart, J. L.Punjab Plants, p. 157 (1860). tO) N & EXPLANATION OF PLaTEs I-ITT. PuateE I. Photograph of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. Puate II. Fig. 1. Black and white drawing of a young plant of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv., after removing the side branches (Nat. size). Fig. 2. Corolla opened out (x 1). Figy 3. Pistil with calyx attached (Seis Asa Se Ovatsya (ietO)) 5 Fig. : =) . . Pollen grain (xX 150). Fig. Prate III. Fig. 1. An ordinary trichome (1150): Fig. 2. A glandular hair (x _150). Fig. 3. Leaf-epidermis, showing stomata (X 300). Fig. 4. Stem-epidermis, showing stomata (X 150). , a IMbety Bo bo ts Stem, showing s, stoma; ¢, chlorenchyma ; coll, collenchyma ; e, endodermis; p, pericycle; s.b., soft bast; x, xylem portion ; i. ph., intraxylary phloem ; pi, pith. (X 300), Sp a ant at ” a 044 Pay eet a -¢ JourRN. BomBay Nat. Hist. Soc. OF “GRANDMOTHERS”. 55 and 75 pounds. taken at the famous Confluence N. of Myitkyina, A BRACI (4a CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER AND OTHER SPORTING FISH IN INDIA‘AND BURMA. _ BY A. St. J. Macpona.p. (With 1 plate and 2 text-figures). RAR I INTRODUCTION. It is chiefly because I have been pressed by friends, both through the press and directly, and that the last book published on Indian fishing is eighteen years old (The Mighty Mahseer by Skene Dhu} that I am attempting to w rite this account. plant showing male receptacles (m). 6. through on their northern migration, but I was not able to identify: them. Six Curlew were seen-on the shore. = —_————— ..* Ibrahim said the-bird had a ‘forked tail like a swallow, but I could not determine this properly. 264 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIITI Birps’ NESTS FOUND ON MASKAN ISLAND. (7-5-42). (a) The Crested Lark, ‘Goba’, were nesting. I found one small nest under a “Hamdh’ bush with three eggs. The nest was completely made of dry ‘Samaa’ grass and very neat. I also found a similar nest under a bush but very small and only about one and a half inches across, but with no eggs. The larks sang each morning and evening. (b) The Green Bee-eater ‘Kadhari’ had some fifteen to twenty nests all in burrows. One small white almost spherical ege was picked up at the entrance to one of these tiny burrows. They are dug obliquely into the ground for quite ten feet. (c) Kentish Plover, ‘Garawi’ were nesting. Their nests were usually on the dry hard patches of earth away from the shore, and were just a circular depression lined with chips of dried mud and pieces of broken sea shell. I found two nests containing three eggs and one nest with one egg. One bird was seen run- ning ahead of us trailing her wing and taking a zigzag shoreward course. She probably had young, but I could not find them. _ (d) The small Terns, ‘Juwaida’ were also nesting and flew over-head screeching. One nest under a ‘Hamdh’ bush contained one egg slightly more pointed than (c) above was possibly a Tern’s, though the nest was similar. Kuwalt, VIOLET DICKSON, PERSIAN GULF, May 7, 1942. VUI.—BLACK MAHSEER. (With a plate) With reference to your letter of the 14th January; when I originally wrote to you on the subject of Black Mahseer which led to the publication of an article in the Journal (vol. xlii, p. 804 et seq.) by Dr. Sundar Lal Hora, I did not realize the importance which was likely to be attached to photographs of these fish. I therefore only sent a picture of one caught by me. Luckily, however, I had photographed all four Black Mahseer caught by me and mentioned by Dr. Hora in his article. A photograph of one was published in his article and I now enclose those of the other three. The 113 lb. fish caught at Ukiam on the Umkhri river in Kamrup District on the 20th December 1937 is illustrated in Plate I, Fig. 1. This fish was caught in gin clear, almost still, water and came rush- ing out from behind a rock to take a brass backed and silvery fronted 2 inch hog backed spoon, mounted with two flying trebles. In the photograph, the head looks something like a Boka. This is, however, due to the background and to the tension on the lower jaw by the spring balance on which the fish was being held at the time, | PLATE Tf, Journ. Bembay Nat. Hist. Soc. es IXamrup Dist. 113-Ib. Fish, seen er * ce ah: ick M rc c Smallest Bl R 4 Di Maus! BLack by author. Photos > beet ip L : c : j ’ a as J ry ’ t , a 7 : i i fi b 7 , » AY) ' : ce : o } s a . y ; y ; E| ve es a . ’ ay Pa 7 7 iM ; = ai 2 ca z ’ ee ney b Nel fe a ; Pm fe avd ' eed ars 4) - ? 7 , a : bs : sie a bay aire ; : 75 oak 7 : : " : } p ' s % 5 | t i s ; pe 7 ou 1 moa i ‘ ', bathe Sale - 3 i me. - y : { i ; eT cnt 7 Ae ; pee kK : ae ae nS ad ne! = ' a a 2 = ' ‘ ) i i t 5 a : : ; = CF aa ian 7 a { : a Ta 3 a oY ho. ott Hi -, : i eat — : ona at ‘ ; > 3 y Uv - a 7 i eo , . t ‘7 ; a! q aks Dae | i} j . + a rs 2 BPS bape Sasha BE : SEP hy Tay salty te ‘ os Tage wae aft iic2h sie sis aes id A ; i F ‘ : ‘ i m . ii} j j 1 a E} = F . ri let iy F o 2 2 i 7 ~ 4 2 ke t ant : ” t , ve Ai ” a) ; ' ‘ i i t Hie at en i 7 a - ; - e444 A " . ; | ' ' ‘ vy, ne ‘ : “ ‘ ‘ 1 ‘ 7 «* ‘ ; fer eine es : : ¢ { re $ ‘ lea or ih 5 al - he : r Ho Mm (UP cr at i - } 1, i - , . Fi d j , i ed ai Wane ; ‘ m 3 i sh oi oop te cont eo a rol a , weWo ' , +b 3 ; ey, ety, Ae a3 | ; f " by . v : 7 . ; cial 4 : i 4 mu I al) i res he U ru i - A 1 ‘ ] is Ny ver ly Nadie (ula, dhe ko ( fi ie i ‘ ' ’ er , 1 a / Li ba n i ; | i \ : ; . a i Ps 7 ; : 1 ' 1 Li d ' 1 j te : ‘ \ en 7D) 4 , ; s) ra f , i t ‘ 1 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 266 Plate I, Fig. 2 illustrates the 18 lb. Black Mahseer obtained on the Syom river on the 21st November 1935. The other fish in this photograph is a Boka of 54 Ibs. caught earlier in the day on the same river. This black specimen was caught in a still backwater and, curiously enough, long after the sun had gone off the water, which was in deep shade at the time in contrast to the conditions of bright sun usually necessary to catch good fish in those waters. Plate I, fig. 3 is a photograph of the smallest Black Mahseer I have so far caught or seen. This fish was obtained at Rongdoi near the confluence of the Lohit and Brahmaputra rivers on the 29th January 1937 and was hooked in very deep water on a copper backed and silvery fronted 2 inch hogbacked spoon. Immediately to the right of the Black Mahseer is a Boka and the other two are also Mahseer, but of the usual colouration. The contrast in colour is very well illustrated between the black and the ordinary type. This black specimen was caught, incidentally, in water where the river bed consisted of light grey-coloured sand over an area of many miles and the spot was thirty miles from the point where the Brahmaputra leaves the Abor Hills for the open plains and similarly over sixty miles from where the Lohit emerges from the Mishmi Hills. So any question of protective colouration can safely be ruled out in this instance, unless the fish was migrating; but this, however, was very unlikely having regard to the date on which it was caught. Re Haare AUN SON SRSHORGESSo. SHILLONG, Indian Police. ASSAM, February 17, 1942. IX.—BLACK MAHSEER. Owing to destruction by white-ants of most of my fishing diaries while on leave in 1939, I am afraid that I have very few original records to which I can refer but speaking from memory, I cannot think of any occasion upon which I have caught a black mahseer and in fact, the suggestion is strange to me. I have, however, fished extensively in certain rivers which flow through limestonie formations. In such rivers, as is well known, you get extremely deep pools and clefts which very frequently har- bour big fish. In such rivers I have often seen, what I took to be, extremely dark if not black fish, and on quite a number of occasions, I have seen such fish break the surface of the water, either because they came up from the depths to seize something or because they were in shallows. In fact I can remember on one occasion when a fish about 14 Ibs. in weight was hiding behind a stone and plung- ing out in pursuit of food. Every time he came out I could see a big black back. I caught him by trickling’ the spoon past the rock and after a long fight I got him out; but when I got him in the sunlight he was not black but a very dark blue. 266 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII For five years I fished in. the upper waters of the Yunzalin River where the fish were all dark blue in colour. Many of these from the upper waters were so dark that until you had them in the bright sunlight you would have said they were black but the fact remains that, taken out of water, they were all seen to be various shades of blue. My impression is that as we got higher up among the limestone gorges the fish became darker and darker and even the fins’ themselves were deep blue. In no instance did I ever come across a really black mahseer. As I have said, in the water the fish do look black. When taken out of water, if seen in a poor light, they would also be black but seen in strong sunlight, the blue colour shows up very prominently. In these fish too, the belly was extremely white. The fins were dark blue sometimes and at other times, only a powder blue. I am afraid that, although I have spent nearly 30 years fishing all over Burma, I cannot throw any particular light on this problem. As a personal opinion I should say that the black mahseer is a case of melanism pure and simple. The examples I have quoted from the limestone rivers seem to show that where you got fish from these high narrow gorges of the water to which the sun can only -penetrate for a very few hours out of the 24, the fish are naturally very dark in colour; but I have certainly never experienced anything in the nature of definite black strains among mahseer ; whenever I have taken these dark fish out of water and examined them in the sunlight I have always found that they were really blue in colour, I am inclined to be a little sceptical about the existence of black mahseer. I suppose that one would be liable to get examples here and there, but anything in the nature.of a wholly black mahseer, I have never found or even heard of. I note the description of black mahseer says that: it has little white belly scales. This was never the case with any of the dark blue fish from the limestone gorges. The whole of the belly was absolutely white, and I can. recollect no occasion upon which the colour was blue all over. I feel sure that if I had ever come across such a fish I should have remembered such an unusual departure from the normal. I may add that my record shows that I caught several hundreds of fish every year from the upper reaches of the Yunzalin River and I was on it for 5 years; so I saw a good many blue fish. RANGOON, M: O. TANNER) ©:8B-E:, _ September 1941. D.I.G. of Police. xX —CAN HILSA™ BE -“DAKEN, Wale ROD WANDS Ic liNii: As is well known the Hilsa (Hilsa ilisha Ham.) which are marketed all over Bengal and Assam are caught in nets of a somewhat curious shape and modus operandi. While watching fishermen at work with these nets I have often wondered if it is possible to catch this fish with a rod and line, since a Hilsa straight from the river into frying pan is hard to beat. Can you let me have any information as to MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 267 whether it can be caught on a rod, please, and if so with what bait? . SHILLONG, | Re ey Nin ON Sh baRJEsSen ASSAM, Indian Police. Pebruary 3, 1942. XI.—ACCLIMATIZATION OF FOREIGN FISH. IN TRAVANCORE. All through the history of civilisation we find mention of Game fishing. This form of fishing was common even at the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans and is mentioned in many of their writings. . Fishes for game purposes have been introduced in al! countries at all times in history, and in more recent years with the application of Science to fisheries and their developments, they have been introduced for commercial and other divers purposes. The earliest and probably the first acclimatization ever recorded was that effected by the Romans at the time of Emperor Tiberius, when Scarus from the Carpathian Sea was introduced into the Ostian and Campanian shores.* As early as the eleventh century Carp from Central Asia was introduced and acclimatized in European countries,” and by the middle of the nineteenth century acclimatization had become a common thing in all countries of the world. At one time it was held that introduction of exotic fish into countries was harmful to the indigenous species. Years of experience gained in all parts of the world have proved otherwise. Even inter-zonary acclimati- zations have been carried out with remarkable success. A well known instance of acclimatization is the introduction of European and American Salmonidae into New Zealand in the year 1864.° This country, in spite of its unique flora and fauna and also its magnificent system of water ways, had no indigenous fish of commercial or sporting importance. But now certain rivers and streams there teem with trout. American fishes have been intro- duced into the Argentine Republic (1904) and then in European countries like Italy and Austria,* and even in the United Kingdom. Gourami, a native fish of the Malay Archipelago, was introduced into many countries such as Mauritius, Cayenne, Australia (1864), the " Radcliffe, W. (1926)—‘Fishing from the Earliest Times’, pp. 159-61. (London, 1926). | et i Wehbe W. O. (1883)—The Fisheries Exhibition Literature, vol. xi, part iv, pp. 489-97. * Ayson, L. F. (1908)—Bull. of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, vol. xxviii, part ii, pp. 968-73. * Ayson, L. F. (1908)—Bull. of the U. S,. Bureau of Fisheries, vol. xxviii, part li, Pp. 949-54. 268 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Philippines (1927) and Ceylon (1908).' These are but a few of the well known instances from other parts of the world. In India, too, instances of such introduction are not wanting. Brown trout and rainbow trout were introduced in the rivers of Punjab (1909)’ and in the Nilghiris in Madras (1866 .* Gourami from the Malay Archipelago, and Gambusia, a species of Top Minnow from America, have also been introduced in different parts of India. Attempts at the introduction of ‘Barbados Miuillions’, however, have not been successful.* In Travancore, the importance of game fishing was realised only by a small percentage of the population, namely Europeans, mostly resident planters of the high range hills. The Department of Fisheries, which had until recently been a purely administrative body was amalgamated with the recent scientific research section only a couple of years ago. Consequently, all attempts at acclima- tization hitherto have been undertaken by other agencies such as the Munnar Game Association and the Department of Public Health. The resident planters of the State took the initiative by introducing trout into the country and their attempts are still being continued with vigour.” Their enterprise has cost a good amount of money and all the necessary funds have been raised through private donations. TROUT. Acclimatization of foreign fish in this State dates back to 1906, when the introduction of Trout was first attempted by the Munnar Game Association. The Kannan Devan Hills, at the north-eastern extremity of Travancore, having an _ altitude ranging for 4o0oo to 8000 feet above sea level and forming a part of the main chain of the Western Ghats, were selected for . this purpose. This part of the country lies roughly between 77° and 77° 20 East Longitude.and 9° 55/ and 10° 20! North Latitude and is absolutely mountainous and covered over with evergreen forests and mountain slopes converted into extensive Tea Planta- tions. Its numerous valleys are strewn with small rivers, streams, waterfalls and lakes which are fed by the heavy annual rainfall ranging from 113 to 153 inches. Between 1906 and 1916, eggs of Brown Trout (Salmo fario) were brought down four or five times from Scotland at great cost, hatched out at Chundavurrai and planted in the iiss. and streams of Kundale Valley (6118 ft.) and Nymakad (6043 ft.) a * Roxas, H. A. and Umali, A. F. (1937)—The Philippine Journal of Science, vol. 63, No. 4, pp. 433-82. 2 Report on the Trout cultural operations in the Punjab and Native States under its control for the period Oct. 1912 to March 1914.’ (Lahore, 1914.) * Molesworth and Bryant, J. F.—Journ. of Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. xxvii, pp. 898-910. “ Prashad B. and Hora, S. L. (1936)—Records of the Malarial Survey of India, 6, iv, pp. 631-48. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 269 within the Kannan Devan Hill Concessions. In 1916, eggs of Rainbow Trout (Salmo irideus) were obtained from the Govern- ment hatchery at Ooty, through the late Mr. H. C. Wilson, Pisci- cultural Expert to the Government of Madras and planted in the above streams. Brown Trout were found to thrive with great difficulty and specimens weighing upto six pounds have been taken from Munnar stream and the Eraviculam stream in Hamil- ton’s Plateau (Eravimala).' This latter place which is at an altitude of about 7800 feet above sea level and has a very low temperature proved a suitable breeding place for this fish, and in 1918 some of them were observed to breed. In order to protect the fish in the above areas from poachers and other destructive agencies, the Travancore Government at the request of the High Range Angling Association, closed in 1921, all the streams and lakes within the limits of the aforesaid Concessions for fishing at all times of the year except under a licence issued by the Commissioner of Deviculam in consultation with the Secretary of the said Angling Association. The attempts at acclimatization of trout between 1906 and 1916 were, however failures, and between the years 1921 and 1932 there was a lull in the attempts. In 1932 on the initiative of some of the planters, a few hundred Rainbow trout fry were successfully brought by lorry from the Avalanche hatchery in the Niighiris and liberated in a number of sluggish ponds at Chitta- vurrai (7096 ft.). Though these ponds served as _ temporary abodes for these fish, they. proved in the long run to be quite unsuitable, owing to the lack of clear running water and enough moving space. The fry showed a tendency to abnormal increase in weight and after the first year ceased rising to the fly and subsequently died. Thus these attempts also proved futile. In 1933, a hatchery was constructed at Arivikad (6057 ft.), and between 1933 and 1937, the Deviculam lake and the Loch Finlay were repeatedly stocked with trout fry. In the former lake the introduction proved quite a success although there was no evidence of the trout breeding during that period. Several good catches of fish were recorded, the heaviest taken being about 4 Ibs. in weight. Unfortunately, owing to unsuitable location the hatchery proved a failure in spite of the earnest efforts of the authorities concerned to resuscitate it, and was subsequently closed down in 1937. The stock fish in the hatchery ponds, about 170 in number, were liberated in the streams of Hamilton's Plateau, which had by then been definitely proved to be an ideal home for these fish. i In December 1940, definite proof of the breeding of trout in the waters of Hamilton’s Plateau was obtained. As it was thought that further stocking was necessary, 10,000 eggs (Rain- bow trout) were purchased from the hatchery at Nuwara Eliya in Ceylon and were brought by ‘plane to Trichinopoly and thence There are conflicting views about this in the reports of the Hon. Secretaries of the High Range Angling Association then and now, 270 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII by car to Thaliar. From the latter place the chest containing the ova was brought in slow stages to Hamilton’s Plateau, where the ova were hatched out by the ‘riverbox’. method, and the 5,000 fry thus obtained planted in the waters of the Plateau. At present there is ample evidence to show that a mafority of these have come through to maturity. Again in January 1941, a second consignment of 5,000 eggs of the same fish was brought by ’plane from Ceylon. But this time many delays and difficulties in trans- port resulted in a high percentage of mortality. Nevertheless, the rest of the lot was hatched out by the same method at Rajamallay (7738 ft.), and the 1,300 fry obtained were planted at Devikulam and Chittavurrai. A hatchery which has now been completed (Nov. 1941) at Rajamallay will begin to function as soon as the ova ordered from Ceylon have been received. ~ Trout acclimatization in Travancore is still in an experimental stage and may take some more years before it reaches perfection. However, the results of past experiments have been encouraging, and the Associations concerned in this enterprise are optimistic about their success in the near future. Based on the results of ‘plants’ of fry made in the past couple of years, it is anticipated that in 1943 the High Range Angling Association will be in a pesition to take ova from its own stock of fish, with the result that future importations wil] decrease. TOP-MINNOW. In 1937, the Department of Public Health introduced into this country, a species of American Top-Minnow, named Gambusia affinis (Baird and Girard) for malaria control work. This’ small viviparous, cyprinodont fish is a native of the south-eastern Atlantic coast of the United States of America, extending as far north as Maryland, and is usually found in great numbers in the shallow margins of lakes, ponds and streams in the tide water regions, where there is aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetation, and also in shallow ditches and surface drains. On account of its high effi- ciency as a destroyer of mosquito larvae thereby controlling malaria and yellow fever, it has been introduced into many parts of the world. In this State, this fish was introduced from Mysore, where it was brought from Italy in 1928 by Dr. B. A. Rao. The first consignment of Gambusia was brought to Travancore in February 1937, but due to the sudden change of temperature and the imperfect transport arrangements, most of these died soon after arrival here. Onty about hundred and_ fifty specimens survived. About 600 to 800 fish, which were brought with -more. care a second time in July 1938, were introduced into the rearing ponds of a hatchery constructed at Perungadavila, an important malarial centre, three miles away from the town of Neyyattinkara. They have happily acclimatized themselves to the climatic and other conditions in this country and are at present thriving well in three specially constructed rearing ponds at the above mentioned place. The District Health Unit at Neyyattinkara was experiment- ing on the efficiency. of. this fish as a destroyer of -Anopheline MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 271 larvae under local conditions, and finding its utility in limited bodies of water free from vegetation, has stocked all the wells in the malarial districts with a limited number of fish. The Health Unit is contemplating the extension of this scheme to other malarial centres as well, (GOURAMI. The Department of Marine Biology and Fisheries has now undertaken to introduce the Giant Gourami, (Osphronemus gourami Lacépéde), into the State, and the preliminary arrangements such as the construction of the pond system, etc., are in progress. It is proposed at present only to experiment on the possibilities of acclimatizing the fish over here, and later on the basis of these experiments it is proposed to launch out a commercial project. This fish, aS mentioned in an earlier part of this note, is a native of the Malay Archipelago and is essentially vegetarian and therefore neither predaceous nor cannibalistic. Being a labyrinthine fish, it is able to carry on aerial respiration as well as to resist considerable pollution of water. On account of such simple habits and extreme adaptability, it has earned the name of ‘poor man’s fish’. It was introduced into Madras in 1886 and there is no reason why it Should not bé a success here too. Dr. A. W..C. YT. Herre,’ of Stanford University, California, who had done a lot of work on this particular fish, was on a visit to this country in January 1941, and when consulted on this subject remarked that the topographical and meteorological conditions of this country being almost identical with that of the Philippines; acclimatization of Gourami is bound to be a success. If this proves correct, it may enable us, to a considerable extent, to make such a cheap and nutritious article of food as fish, accessible even to the poor living in the interior of the country. , In concluding, I have to express my deep indebtedness to Mr. Paitin skorancitsy of the: Kannan Devan Hills. Produce Ltd, “and to Mr. W. S. S. Mackay, Hon. Secretary of the High Range Angting Association for kindly placing at my disposal some valuable data regarding trout in the High Range, and also to Dr. C. C. John, Professor of Marine Biology and Fisheries for kindly going through the manuscript of this note and making necessary corrections. UNIVERSITY OF TRAVANCORE, R, GOPINATH, 8.4.;,.™M-Se. TRIVANDRUM, TRAVANCORE, February 20, 1942. ° XTE—ON THE ROLE OF ETROPLUS SURATENSIS (BLOGH) AND ETROPLUS MACULATUS (BLOCH) IN THE CONTROL OF MOSQUITOES. The use of fishes in the control of mosquitoes varies according to their feeding habits. Certain herbivorous species are helpful in 272 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII clearing the weeds from the water thus making the place less suitable for the breeding of mosquitoes, while some carnivorous fishes destroy the larvae by preying upon them. Stomach contents of several fishes, which are considered as larvicidal, have often shown only very low percentage of mosquito larvae. Such. instances have led different authors to doubt the use of fishes in the biological control of mosquitoes. It is, however, not enough if attention is paid only to the amount of larvae that a fish eats, as certain fishes with snapping habits are also helpful in destroying larvae though they may not leave any evidence in their gut of their larvicidal activity. Most fishes snap at objects of suitable size, possibly to test their edibility. Those not to the taste of the fish are spat out. Certain fishes, whether carnivorous or not, have a tendency to snap at any moving object whether worm, insect larva, or even a floating fibre. When they see anything moving near, they snap at it, take it into the mouth and spit it out, doing this several times before they finally swallow the object or discard it. Perhaps this is done to discover whether the object snapped at is edible or not and, if edible, to ensure thorough killing before it is finally swallowed. This treatment no living larva could survive. I can illustrate this from observations made on Etroplus suratensis and Etroplus maculatus. The Irwin Park, Ernakulam (Capital of Cochin State), is situated on the eastern shore of the Cochin Backwaters facing the harbour. At the southern end of this park there are two lotus ponds. Kach has a diameter of about 20 feet and a depth of 6 feet, and their sides are plastered with cement. Both ponds are always full of water, although in the very hot months the water level goes down sometimes to half its depth. In one of these ponds the gardener had put in two Etroplus suratensis, which grew to a size of about 7 inches from snout to tail. These fishes were a special attraction to the visitors in the park because they were so tame that they came near anybody who made a splash in the water. They showed no signs of fear and snapped at everything that was thrown in the water, such as petals of flowers, grass blades, paper pieces etc. Several people had the nasty habit of spitting into the water, espe- cially when chewing pansupari, and the fishes snapped at the objects that were spat in. They also snapped at one’s fingers if dipped in the water, and it was possible to lift them partly above the surface if the finger was raised just at the time of snapping! In the evenings the pond was surrounded by people, and it was really interesting to see fishes as familiar with visitors as monkeys and deer in a zoo. This was an observation I was able to make in 1938. Since then the fishes have disappeared from the pond for reasons unknown. Perhaps, they may have been carried away by somebody, or have died in the hot months for want of adequate protection from the sun. There is also the possibility of premature death, as the people who played with the fishes may have worried them tee much. From the behaviour described above, it is evident, that EF. sura- tensis will not spare mosquito larvae appearing before. them. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ; 273 As it required elaborate arrangements to conduct further experiments on KE. suratensis, 1 selected E. maculatus for the purpose, because it is small in size and very commonly met with along the shores of the brackish water areas. Even though this is a carnivorous fish, mosquito larvae do not form an important constituent of its diet. During low tide E. maculatus gets temporarily confined to pools of water in the small canals adjoining the mudbanks of brackish water regions. Into such a pool, a fingerbowl of water containing mosquito larvae was thrown in and carefully watched.
    ; Glow- ——oes 531 Worms (Lamphrophorus sp.) — feeding on Molluscs —— —; The Rains come to the Abu Hills. (With a plate) Be MACDONAT Dy Aw OD Jinn Cir= cumventing the Mahseer and other Sporting Fish in India and Burma. Part Il. (With one plate and one text-figure) . eebane Ill. (With one plate and eighteen text-figures) MAHARAO VIJAYARAJJI OF KutcH; The Great Indian Bustard [Choriotis nigviceps (Vigors)] - Early arrival of the nas Sandgrouse [Pterocles sene- gallus (Linn.)] in Kutch [ee On the occurrence of Wood: cock [Scolopax ~rusticola (Linn.)] in Kutch... a0 MALDEN, F. R. E.; River pollu: tion and Fish mortality MENESSE, N.H.., I.S.E.; Occur- rence of the Crab Plover (Dro- mas ardeola Payk) in Sind ... Menon, M. GOVINDAN KuTTy, M.A.; King Cobra (lNaza hannah) in captivity Morris, Major R.C.; Rivers as barriers to the Distribution of Gibbons a aonieer Giaw marks on trees ae es PATWARDHAN, S. 8. ; Occur- rence of the White-cheeked Bulbul (Molpastes leucogenys leucotis) in the C. P. a PHYTHIAN-ADAMsS, Major E.G., Neeser bookingy cao PILLAI, N.G.; Migration of Pied Crested Cuckoo [C/a- mator jacobinus (Boddaert) ]. 536 641 342 596 660 660 661 534 661 531 656 656 524 517 589 POCOCK Ae Rela: Z-S-m ie Larger Deer of British India. (With eight text-figures) —_——__ —__ -—_-——_;; Part II. (With seven text- figures) Be doris: is RAHIMULLAH, M., M. SC., F.Z.S.; Fish Survey of bay ce bad State er Rarizapa, M, B., m.sc.; See Bor, N.L.. M.A., D.SCc., F.L.S., I.F.S. Ras. J. SAMUEL ; OA nae on Hie Egg-laying habits of the Indian Glow-Worm (Lamprophorus tenebrosus Wlk.) (With a plate) oe 506 90 SAVEEDUD-DIN, M. Some Common Indian Seen. with notes on their Anatomical Characters X—J. sufftrutico- sum Ging. (With three plates). SEVASTOPULO, D. G., F.R.ES. The Early Stages of Indian Lepidoptera. Part X CoC Simon, E.S.; Notes on the Breeding Habits of some Snakes. (With a plate) SMITH, H.C., M.B.0.U., GARTH- WAITE, P. F., and SMYTHIES, B.E.; On the Birds of the PAGE | 298 553 648 675 475 409 533 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS Karen Hills and Karenni | found over 3,000 feet SMYTHIES, B. E.; See Smiru, H.C., M.B.o.u. = STONEY, R. F.; The occurrence of the Corti. Duck (Sarci- diornis snelanota) in Mysore State STUART BAKER, E. C, NGueres Problems (Review) Ses SUTER, M., D.sc.; Observations on the Breeding Colouration of Barbus (Puntius) kolus Sykes. (With a _ coloured plate) 66 aa coe —— ; Additions to the Game fishes of Bombay and neighbouring Districts .., WILTSHIRE, E. P., E.R.ES.; Karly Stages of Oriental Palearctic Lepidoptera—V. (With two plates) WriGutT, Mrs. M.D. : Notes ¢ on the Birds of Berar ie WYNTER-BLYTH, M. A.; Note en Curetis species at Kallar,,. , Addi- tions to the List of Simla Butterflies published in Vol. xli, No. 4 —— PAGE 455 525 507 407 663 621 428 671 672 JEMS TO (UE JALIL SS VOLUME XLII Nos. 3 and 4 Some Beautiful Indian Climbers and Shrubs Plate XII. Purple Wreath (Petrea volubtlis Linn.) Plate Stachytarpheta mutabilis Vahl Plate Do. ee Plate Purple Wreath ( Petvea volubilis Linn.) Plate Do. do. Circumventing the Mahseer and other Sporting Fish in India ane Burma Plate The young novice aged 53 years: my son with his first Mahseer 3} lbs. ‘White Feather’ of water just above ine figure A Revision of the Indian Species of Hodgsonia and Trichosanthes Plate I. TZvrichosanthes pachyrrhachis Kundu Plate Il. 7Zyvichosanthes brevibracteata Kundu Plate Ill. Tvichosanthes majuscula Kundu Plate IV. TZvrichosanthes khasiana Kundu Notes on Some Indian Birds Plate I, Common Grey Hornbill (Zockus birostris) 60 Plate II, Malabar Pied Hornbill (female). (Hydrocissa mala- barica malabarica) Plate III. Malabar Pied Hornbill (niale) feeding his wife Plate © IV. Malabar Pied Hornbill (female, white ring round the eye) at the nest hole Plate V. Common Grey Hornbill (male) feeding his wife ‘ Holding on to the bark by his claws’ vwzde C. Horne in Hume’s ‘ Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds ’ wee 500 Plate VI. The Common Grey ‘Hornbill. “The ‘ Olive Branch ’, The next berry is coming up 500 The berry reaches the tip of the bill More usually the male fed his wife in this MANNeTe | ss. 560 0 500 Plate VII. Common Grey Hornbill, The male throws his head back, then forward, the beak open the while, this action (except in rare miastances) producing an- other berfy eee oes Plate VIII. Common Grey Hornbill atrcine the young to leave the nest with offerings of food Observations on the Breeding Colouration of Barbus (Puntius) kolis Sykes. Plate Barbus kolus (Sykes) aes cee cee PAGE 291 292 293 296 297 342 342 372 373 378 379 389 390 391 393 392 394 394 394 394 395 400 407 xii LIST OF PLATES Some Common Indian Herbs with Notes on their Anatomical Characters Plate I. Lonidium suffruticosum Ging. Plate Il. Do. Plate IGM Do. Deformed Tusk in a Boar Plate Malformed Tushes of Wild Boar Some Experiments in Albinism Plate Albino Chital (male) ; Albino Chital fawn (male) ; Chital doe (normal colouration). In the back- ground the original albino sire Notes on the Breeding habits of some Snakes Plate Python with its eggs; Python brooding over its clutch © 600 S05 40 200 Some Beautiful Indian Climbers and Shrubs Plate XIII. Cup and Saucer Plants (Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz) we 006 200 Circumventing the Mahseer and anes Sporting Fish in India and Burma Plate Bag of eleven fish weighing eighty-seven pounds, taken on half-inch fly spoon, out of rapid below ... Typical fly spoon water. Note ‘ White Feathers ’. Early Stages of Oriental Palearctic Lepidoptera Plate I. Figs. 1—16 5a Bh see 600 Plate II. Figs. 1—3i Fish-eating Bats of India and Burma Plate Flying Foxes in their tree... OC Plate General view of Mt. Abu from the top of : a hill Guru Shikar, 5,650 ft., the highest peak of the Abu Hills (in the Iba leesrorercil —Clouds over the valley aon aoe cee see Record Mahseer | Plate Mahseer, 119 lbs., caught by the late Lt.-Col. J. S. Rivett-Carnac, on the 28th December 1919 in the Cauvery River, Mysore State Plate Mahseer, 110 Ibs., caught by Mr. A. E. Lobb on 22nd October 1938 in the Kabani River, large ee of the Cauvery, Mysore State oe Notes on two Major Caterpillar Pests of Hugenza ambos (Rose Axayeites) Plate Figs. 1—5. Bombotelia delatrix; Fig.6. Argyro- pioce mormopa A note on the egg-laying habits of the Indian ‘Clow ‘Weise eonre phorus tenebrosus W1k.) Plate Fig. 1. Normal resting position of female; Fig. 2. . Egg-laying position of the female; Fig.3. Re- productive system of female see The morphology of the spines of Hygrophila spinosa T. Anders Plate Fig. 1. A portion of the stem; Fig. 2. Ditto; Fig. 3. Astem-node; Fig. 4. Ditto—of A. spinosa TT. Anders a cou eer 4 . 2.00 PAGE 475 476 477 922 524 534 539 612 612 621 624 638 641 641 662 663 675 676 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS VOLUME XLII Nos. 3 and 4 PAGE PAGE Barbus kolus | Hugenia jambos (Rose apple) Pl, 407 Pir .. 674 Cervus atfinis Fish-eating Bats af Tae Ae Text-fig. 1 300 Burma -—-—— hanglu Py or 608 coo Lees) Text-fig. 7 300 Text-figs. 1-4 636-640 ———— thoroldi Flangul antlers Text-fig. 7 i 310 Text-fig, 5 apes coe ©6308 Text-fig. 8 ese 311 | ————nasal bone —_—_ wallichii Text-fig. 6 es 309 Textefig. 1 300 | Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz Circumventing the Waneeen JEN, OOO Go. seo 999 Pl. 342 | Hydrocissa malabarica malaba- Text-fig. iL 357 vica ———— and other Sporting Fish i, iol as: 390 in India and Burma Pi. Tide ay 391 Text-figs. 1-18 599-618 Pl, IV... a 393 Pl. - 612 | Aygrophila spinosa Clerodendron fragrans Pl, ee - . 679 Text-fig. 5 547 | Jonidium suttruticosum — inerme Text-fig. 3 544 | ran Se Se prophorus tenebrosus —_———. infortunatum Pl, i! 676 Text-fig. 6 548 Larger Deer of British India SES Text-figs. 1-7 955-571 Text-fig. 7 8% ee OU ite : =o Macaca sinica opisthomelas ——— phlomidis Text-fir. 1 4 Text-fig. 9 DO aa = 05 —_—— — siphonanthus eens 8 Text-fig. 1 549 Text-fig. 1 i? » 405 =- squamatum Malformed Tusks of Wild oer Textfig, 4 546 Pl. eee ye i590 — ame Petvrea volubilis Text-fig. 2 543 Pls, 291, 296, 297 —trichotomum Przewalskium albtrostris Text-fig. 8 551 Text-fig. 7 310 Congea tomentosa Text-fig. 8 311 Text-fig. 3 295 | Python and Eggs Early Stages of Oriental Pl. tee tee O84 Palearctic Lepidoptera Record Mahseer Pe : OZ, Eola pl sees. 662 12 eee OZ S ello Wb 9 oe 663 xiv Shou antlers Text-fig. 2 Text-fig. 3 ———— nasal bone Text-fig. 4 Some Experiments in Albinism Pl. 556 Spawning Grounds of Carp Text-fig. 1 Text-figs. 2 & 3 Text-fig. 4 Text-fig. 5 Stachytarpheta indica Text-fig. 1 ——_—— mutabilis Pls, Text-fig. 2 PAGE 303 sce 304 i. 305 524 417 419 420 422 293 292-293 oe. cod INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS The Rains come to the Abu Hills Pl. Tockus birostris Pl. I Jae WY PLS Vite BG \WEOE aa, JEG NAO occ won Trichosanthes brevibracteata Plt ile ee ——— Khasiana IPM, AY 60 -———— majuscula Peet ——— pachyrrhachis Pl. Lae eee PAGE 64] 389 392 394 395 400 373 379 378 372 ERRATA VOL. XLITI—Nos. 3 & 4 Page 359—under Lakes, line 29 from top. “ The correct weight of the fish caught by Major Corbet is 50 Ibs., not 60 as stated. ” ; Page 658—under Misc. Note V, last but one line of the note—for ‘Himalayas and Assam ’, etc., etc. read ‘Himalayas from Nepal, Assam’ etc., etc OL ERS OR ee be Reo LER Bay, ¢; 2 ese, s TOs (3. OS Stat Ho stat jabait =) \( ‘ . wa | ink ve jdanaa Hah ont io Ure ree 2 sate GDS baits ~.. Snethte an Otitor Lat OF nb vod Onde 7 4 CURE Oa yee , 4 A * wi STO SHI TO Sait Piro qickjanh GIG pel sob : ay j * ; ee. ord ‘ i yee pir. a 4 \ ‘ \ \ \ F a INDEX OF SPECIES Ablepharus grayanus Abraxas wehrilii ... 600 Acacia 900 000 900 Accipiter nisus meiamose nistas ————. nisosimilis ... PAGE Acer 200 6c ... 626, 629, Acolus Pechinaans Acridotheres tristis ae ... 444, 580, tristis Acrocephalus agricola ... ——— agricola —_—__—__— ———_—_ stevensi —-— dumetorum ——— scirpaceus ——_—— stentoreus = Beunneecens Actinodura ramsayi ramsayi ... Aegithaliscus concinnus pulchellus Aigithina nigrolutea ... 200 ——-—-tiphia .. —_____——— humei ... —-tiphia .. Pe des Axthiopsar frets mahrattensis Agrotis (Oxygia) facunda (Dichagyris) singularis... Alcedo atthis pallasia 500 Alcippe fratercula fratercula ... poioicephala... brucei karenni Alcurus striatus ... ees Alseonax latirostris aes — — —-- latirostris —— muttui muttui — ruficauda wee Amandava amandava amandava Amaryllidacez... PG Amata (Syntomis) eee Ambassis nama ... ———-— ranga Amblypodia alemon airs Ammomanes phoenicura Wes 481, 456, 482, 651, 646 630 581 484 484 630 450 646 580 973 480 457 573 480 433 973 463 458 323 430 P23 465 643 580 , 634 , 634 438 433 462 430 322 462 466 334 473 334 334 582 643 409 652 454 673 437 PAGE Ammomanes phoenicura phoenicura... 588 Anygdalus ne bop | (OZALS 474, (OS), SHI eburnea ots 630, 633 ———— horrida... : OO spartioides 629, 630 Anas aneustirostris 486 CrECCAes: 444 penelope 5 44 —— —— platyrhyncha ... O06 oe «= AA ——— querquedula ... 444 ——-—. strepera nee 444 Anhinga melanogaster... 443 Anonchotenia? globata 587 Anser indicus se 486 Anthipes moniliger exaRaNE 400 «. 473 Anthracoceros albirostris 389 Anthreans fasciatus 449 Anthus campestris griseus OO ——-—— hodgsoni 436, 586 ———- culgula sae 437 —— —— rufulus... oes 537 a rufulus... 586 ——-— similis similis ... 9586 ——-—— thermophilus ... 587 ——-—— trivialis swb.'sp. harringtoni 447 — trivialis 586 Aporia crategi ie 621, 633 Appias lalage lalage_ ... 673 Araceze an 643, 644 Arachnothera lonwincsrrs longirostra 590 Ardea cinerea 443 manillensis 0 .. 486 — purpurea » 443, 486 Ardeola grayii we «= 444 Argyacandata ... O00 429 — candata oo, ek) ———— malcolmi 319, 429 —— subrufa see nee 319 Argyroploce mormopa 673, 674 Artamus fuscus 339 Asclepiadaceze .. 644 Aspidoparia morar 651, 652 Asteracantha longifolia... 678 Astur badius 440 4 xviii PAGE Atethmia xerampelina pallida 626, 634 Athene brama 440 Attagenus sf. 449 Aythya ferina 445 —~—— fuligula 445 —-—— rufa ae 445 Bagarius bagarius 453, 651, 652 Barbus kolus aoe . 407, 408 (Puutius) dorsalis 651 ( ) jerdoni 452 ——--—_———._ ( -) kolus... 407, 651, 653 ————— (———-) parrah 652 —__-—_——. ( -) sophore 423, 651, 653 —— (———~) ticto ... 651, 653, 453 sarana oe 417 ——_ Spp. 452 ticto tee 651 —— (Tor.) rnareen 492, 651, 653 (——-) neilli 652 Barilius, barila ... 651: —- barna 651, 652 -— bendelisis 651, 652 Belenois mesentina 647 Blyxia roxburghi 664 Biuterina sp. 326 Bombax Ceioa 451 Bombotelia delatrix 673, 674 -———-- (Eutelia) delatniet 673 Botaurus stellaris stellaris 485 Brachionycha atossa €25, 634 Brachypternus benghalensis 437 --- - puncti- collis oe Soc 600 one 592 Brachypteryx cruralis w. 468 - leucophrys nipalensis ... 468 ——-—— major major 327 Bruchus theobromee 450 Bryonia cucumeroides ... 367 Bubulcus ibis merida Bufo andersoni ig 644, 645 —— melanostictus nod we 644 Bungarus ceeruleus 534, 645 Butastur teesa ta . 440 Butea frondasa 444, 642, 645 Butorides striatus did Cacomantis merolinus ... Boo Cha) Calandrella brachydactyla 437, 587 Calendula : 627 Callichrous piacalattie 651, 664 Calliope calliope ae eee 469 INDEX OF SPECIES Pack Calotes versicolor 646 Camponotus 593 Capella gallinago 443 ~ solitaria Sc ne 485 Caprimulgus egyptius SOVptILS 483 asiaticus ... ‘ 439 Carassius auratus 423 Carduelis caniceps 482 | ——_——- major 482 ——-—— paropanisi 482 ——-—— subulata 482 Carissa Carandas 642 Carpodacus erythrinus 445, 481 —-——- ————~— roseatus 582 ——- —— kubanensis 481 ~ -—— roseatus , coe = 1. Catla catla 416, 420, 422, 653 Catocala lesbia 628, 634 Celerio euphorbiae mae 621 Celosia 366 ot - 448 Centropus sinensis Bae aot oo. 439%) Centrorhynchus sp. § 588 Cerasophila thompsoni ... 465 — Ceratosanthes tuberosa 365 Cercomela fusca dn es 647 Ceropegia ae 644 Certhia discolor chanensic 467 Cerura furcula, spp. 624 | - pulcherrima | 624 | - sp. 624, 634 ——— » syra 624, 633 | - turbida ... ; 624, 634 | Cervus affinis 300, “302, 315, 553 | - albirostris 2090 310 | oo ~ cashmeerianus ... 307 | -—_——- cashmerensis >, 30M —s cashmirianus ... 307 —_———--——-. cashmiriensis 307 | ————~——-- casperianus ... ... 307 |) ——_—_—_-—_— dimorphe 996 | —_———-- duvaucelii ane «oe 90 —_—_—.- -———_ dybowskii 500 «3s . elaphoides Pee 554, 556 | 7 = - eldi 565, 566 ———~-———-- —-cornipes .. 566 | oe clephas ... 313 | ——-- eucladoceros ... oe O07 | —_—_—__-—— hahrainja 556 | oe hanglu 300, 306, 312, 553 | —- Kashmiriensis 307 | ——-~ nariyanus 301. —— Cervus sellatus —— - thoroldi ——- tibetanus — - wallichii INDEX OF SPECIES PAGE 313 311, 312, 315 ese 301 298, 301, 553 Ceryle rudis 438, 647 Chaetocnema Sp. 450 Chaimarrhornis jeucocephiala i 469, 479 Chaptia 594 ——-— senea TaAlayonels 340 Chara spp. - . 665 Charadrius eechenault: 485 Chela bacaila 651 boopis 452 clupeoides 452, 651-653 phuto soo | OY phulo 651, 652 Spp. Bs 452 Chelidorynx Re poenatnam 474 Chibia hottentotta londze 340 Chilo zonellus 488, 490 Chlerondendron inerme 447 Chloridea peltigera 621 Chloropsis aurifrons aurifrons 465 — ——--—— frontalis 323 — cochinchinensis cochin- chinensis : 465 -—— hardwickii Poe ernee 465 _— jerdoni 323, 430 Choriotis nigriceps a 406 660 Chrysocolaptes festivus 593 — guttacristatus 594 ——————_—_—— ————- ——- cherso- nesus een OUS Chrysomma sinensis 430 —__-—_——_—_ ———- sinensis ... 320, 461 Cinnyris asiatica asiatica 589 ~————_. —----——_ brevirostris 482 ———— asiaticus 437 a lotenia 589 —————._ minima ae 589, 590 — zeylonica 590 Circus zruginosus 440, 484 macrourus ». 440 Cirrhina mrigala 416, 420, 421, 422 ———— reba . 651, 653 Cissa chinensis chinensis 457 Cisticola exilis erythrocephala 574 juncidis 433 —_— — cursitans 974 Clamator jacobinus "439, EL, 658 xix PAGE Clamator splendens 641 Clangula hyemalis See) 3SV/ Clarias batrachus ia 651 Clerodendron ... os 291, 292, 540 - fragrans ... 541, 546, 547 oa inerme 541, 544 —— infortunatum ... 541, 548 --———— MUtanSy were 541, 549, 550 ——. —— phlomidis ... 941, 551, 552 ————-—— siphonanthus ... 541, 542 —_ —---—. squamatum 541, 145, 546 —_—— ---—-- Thomsonee 541, 543 trichotomum 541, 550, 551 Clytie delunaris ee ae ELOZO -~—--- distincta iranica ... 628, 634 Cochoa purpurea 471 viridis chs 471 Collacolia fuciphaga anicoler 449 Colocasia antiquorum 644 Coluber helena 645 —livia... BHC 44] Congea : 291, 292 - fonicntoea 295 Copsychus saularis eae ooo 431 ———— ——— — ceylonensis 329 —_____—_— ~saularis ... we 469 Coracias bengalensis 438 Corvus corax ruficollis ... 478 - corone orientalis wo» 478 ———— - macrorhynchos ees 420 —-—- - subsp. 457 — splendens Ss ae 429 -.-__—_ - ———~ —— insolens 457 -—- protegatus 514 Coturnix coromandelicus 441 ——~——. coturnix o. 44] Crataegus 622, 625, 630, 631 Cremastogaster aa 591, 592 Criniger flaveolus parmenionse 456, 465 Crocopus phoenicopterus 440 Crotalaria sp. 411 Crypsirhina temia 458 Cuculus canorus : AC nop GS) ———~- telephonus felepbonee .. 641 Cucumis integrifolius ... ae 367, 384 ——-——. missionis 600 see 372 Culicicapa a3 594 ——— ceylonensis .. 431 ne eelloeneg ees 473 —_—_-——- ——_——- ceylonensis w. 334 INDEX OF SPECIES XX PAGE Culicicapa ceylonensis pallidus 335 Curcuma ... 644 Curetis acuta Tenis 671, 672 - bulis 671, 672 - thetis Rtas §71 Cursorius ae omandelicns 600 442 Cutia nipalensis nipalensis 464 Cyanosylvia svecica 431 —-— ———- subsp. 328 Cydnus varians ... adc 450 Cygnus olor 006 sec 486 Cypsiurus batassiensis ... 439 Dafila acuta 444 Danio equipinnatus 452, 647, 651-653 Dasychira mendosa 409 Deilephila nerii ... 412 Dendrocitta formose 456 — —____—- ——-—— subsp. 457 ——___ ——- vagabunda 429 —-. ——___-——_ subsp. oe Cy Dendrocygna javanica ... ve «=. 444 Dendronanthus indicus 585 Derris sp. 447 Dromas ardeola .. aes 661 Drymocataphus tickelli rckel 46 | Dryobates auriceps 482 —_-——- hardwickii 438, 594 ee ——- cinereigula 592 oo —— hardwickii 992 ——_——— mahrattensis Sao G8) ————— —-mahrattensis... 592 —— sindianus O00 482 Dryonastes chinensis propinquus 459 Dryopicus martius 594 Diagora nicevillei 937 Diczeum concolor concolor 590 ~- erythrorhynchos erythro- rhynchos 990 Dicrurus coerulescens 433 — coerulescens 340 -———— longicaudatus 339, 433 ————- macrocercus .. 433 ——— —_—- peninsularis ... 339 Dinopium javanense malabaricum 593 Dipsas forstenii 645 trigonata 645 Dissemurus paradiseus 433 —- — malabaricus,.. 341 Dissoura episcopus 443 Distira sp. ae 448 Dumetia hyperythra Dumetia hyperythra albogularis Duranta Plumieri 500 006 Echis carinata ... we 00 Egretta alba oe 500 500 — garzetta... Hichhornia... eats Ree Eleocharis spp. Elaphria bodenheimeri Elasmus zehntneri eos “ae Eleagnus ... 380 Emberiza prunitens 000 a00 ———— - buchanani ——_ ——- huttoni ————-- meilanocephala Enargia abluta ~- badiofasciata .. Ennomos... 600 : Epitherina mredonalecel Eriogaster amyegdali Erolia minuta Erymopteryx grisea —~— grisea Esacus recurvirostris Esomus danricus Ktroplus i — suratensis Eucalyptus robusta 500 000 Eudynamis scolopaceus Kugenia Gardneri —- jambos Eulophia ochreata Eumichtis muscosa Eumiyas albicaudata thalassina — craleseiiee Euphorbia Falco esalon isnignis —- chicquera ... ——_——— jugger 20 ———-— peregrinus cutiaas see —— peregrinus — subbuteo subbuteo — tinnunculus Fevillea cordifolia Fici 56 Francolinus mice pondicerianus Franklinia gracilis albogularis... _ — fee Hinemenins PAGE 627, 435, 445, 627, 627, 630, 623, coe 664, 673, eoo 626, 333, 440, 430 320 291 645 444 443 665 665 634 488 622 583 583 445 583 634 634 633 — 634 634 — 442 437 588 442 651 650 665 589 439 406 674 643 — 634 333 431 473 623 484 484 484 483 527 484 440 484 365 595 658 441 433 575 | Fraxinus ... Fulica atra Gagata viridescens Galerida cristata ... — malabarica ... Gallinula chloropus Galloperdix spadicea ... see ’ Gallus sonnerati ... Gambusia affinis Gampsorhynchus rufulus — —-— torquatus Garra mullya ... wae 600 — stenorhynchus Garrulax delesserti — leucolophus ———— belangeri ——_—— moniliger suds. pectoralis meridionalis Garrulus leucotis leucotis Geokichla citrina — cyanotus ~ sibirica sibirica davisoni — wardii... Glaucion clangula soe Glossogobius giuris Gmelina arborea Gnophos dubitarius —hoerhammeri ... ed —stevenarius ... ae Gnophosema palumba ... Goniozus indicus .. 488, Grancalus javensis —_——_ — macei Gracula religiosa intermedia ... Gymnopetalum cochinchinense — integrifolium... Gymnorhis xanthocollis — xanthocollis Gyps fulvus Haliaetus albicilla Haliastur indus ... Halcyon smyrnensis — ——— smyrnensis Hapalia machaeralis Harana wallichii Hemichelidon ferruginea — sibirica fuliginosa Hemicircus eae ———— canente cordatus Hemidactylus brookei ... INDEX OF SPECIES xxi PAGE PAGE 627, 629, 630 | Hemidactylus flaviviridis 646 441, 484 | Hemiprocne coronata 439 652, 653 | Hemipus picatus picatus 337 588 | Henicurus leschenaulti indicus 469 588 — schistaceus 600 468 441 | Herpornis xantholeuca xantholeuca w- 464 441 | Heterophasia picaoides cana 463 441 | Hicinia fusca .. 448 665 | Hierococcyx varius » 439 459 | Hilsa o00 66 530, 670 461 | Himantopus himantopus vo. 442 453 | Hippolais caligata caligata 575 OS1NGS20 || ia cama) 575 318 | Hirundo daurica Be 436, 647 461 — erythropygia ... 584 459 | -—-—-— nipalensis ... aoe, 460 — flavicola 447 460 — rustica... sae w- 436 458 —— fee AED RNS 355 584 47Q | —-——— — smithii ... 436 331 — filifera ... heee 584 470 | Hodgsonia 500 362-364 470 — capniocarpa 363, 364 330 | ——— heteroclita 363, 364, 486 366, 367 OST 0530 ieee UCT OCA TA mare 363, 364, 292 365, 366 633, 634 | Holmskioldia ... oe scotShh, A, SEY) 633, 634 — sanguinea 540 633 | Holothuria atra .. 448 628, 634 | Homona coffearia 673 490, 491,493 | Huphina n. evagete 647 432 | Hydrilla verticillata 664. .. 338 | Hydrocissa malabarica ... 389 30 ——— ——— ———— leucogaster 389 366 —— — malabarica 389 367, 384 | Hydrophasianus chirurgus 442 445 | Hygrophila spinosa 678, 680 582 | Hylobates hoolock O06 440 | Hypothymis azurea styani 335, 474 483 | Ischaemum sf. 448 ... 440 | Ideocerus atkinsoni e450 AS80475 ee — nivecsparsus ... 450 483 | Iole icterica 325 591 virescens subsp. 467 299 | Jonidium enneaspermum 475 471 | ———— heterophyllum co CYS 471 | ——-—— suffruticosum... we. 475, 476, 477 994 | Indicapus... oes 600 co” 450 593 | Involucraria wallachiana eS OO 449, 646 | Inyx torquilla torquilla 594 Xxii Irena puella puella Ismene aedipodea aegina Ixias pyrene Ixobrychus minutus SARS Jas ixOT aS Pee aes wee Ixos flavala hildebrandi.. —— macclelland: tickelli Ixulus humilis clarkii Iynx torquilla... ee Kedrostris foetidissima ... Kittacincla malabarica indica... — ——— subsp.... Kydia calycina ... 500 : Labeo boggut calbasu.... cee fimbriatus gonius —-— micropthalmus ... ———— porcellus .. rohita 0b aes Lagerstroemia indica Lalage sy kesi sykesi Lamphrophorus nepalensis —-+ tenebrosus .. Lanius cristatus ... am eas - —____——. cristatus -- excubitor... - schach —- caniceps... ethronotus - vittatus Lantana 566 Larus brunniceps fuscus taimyrensis rudibundas Larvivora cyane... 5 ‘ Lates spp. ... bp ne ee Laubuca laubuca... oa Leioptila annectans saturata ... ——_——. melanoleuca castanoptera ... Lemna “i Lepidocephalus Santen: Leucocirca aureola — pectoralis Liliaceae Limosa limosa 50 Lobipluvia malabarica ... Lobivanellus indicus -— compressirostris ... PAGE 577 672 647 486 394 466 466 464 vee ed38 365 469 329 .. 494 651, 652 420, 652 651, 652 417, 418 417 652 416, 417, 420, 422 411 432 338 536 675 432, 447 336 432 646 336 432 336, 432 292, 582 447 485 447 468 667 652 463 463 665 651, 652 432 336 432 643 485 442 442 INDEX OF SPECIES PAGE Lobivanellus indicus aigneri 485 Locustella neevia straminea ... as FSA Lonicera persica ... 622, 627 Loranthus... : 589, 590, 591 Luscinia megarhyncha golzii ... ade 48 Lycodon aulicus ... 534, 645 Lymantria amabilis 622, 634 —- ampla a we we 410 Macaca radiata 405 — sinica th «ss 402 ———- —- aurifrons... 402, 404 ———~ ——- sinica . 402, 403, 405, 406 ——-- (Zati) sinica opisthomelas ... 402, 403, 404, 405. Machlolophus _... -. O04 -- —- Suilonatnn eaewimale we = 498 -~xanthogenys .. 429, 647 ’ Macropicus javensis hodgsoni... 594 Malachra capitata 494 318 Malacocercus affinis pS 623, 634 Malacosma castrensis kirghisica Malva crispa 00 hie 504 co. ORS —— alcea ae os se eee. 495 ——— althaeoides es S00 a CS: hispanica... see ees 495 _ moschata ... 495 nicaeensis... 495 ———— parviflora... sot 495 rotundifolia 495 sylvestris .. 495, 496 onthe rorianel w. 495 —— —— verticilliata 495, 497 Malvastrum coccineum 497 ——— coromandelianum 497 ——— peruvianum 497 Mansonia (Mansonioides) annulifera. 665 -— ( -——) indiana 665 -——— ( -—) uniformis. 665 Martula urbica urbica ss) O83 Mastacembalus armatus 651-653 ———— pancalus 652 Megaderma lyra 636, 637 Meganephria renalis crassi- cornis ies 625, 634 Megalornis grus ak 485 lilfordi 485 Melanargia hylata f. irantica 622 ——- larissa 621, 622, 633 Melanochlora sultanea sultanea 458 Melophus lathami 436 ——-—— melanicterus are 647 PAGE Merganser merganser orientalis 487 Mergus serrator 487 Merops orientalis as 438 - ——-—— beludshicus 483 ~- superciliosus <6 438 | Mesia argentauris argentauris 465 Metanistria hyrtaca 673 Microhyla ornata 645 Micropternus brachyurus ferioni 592 Micropus affinis 900 438 Microscelis psaroides concolor 465 —— ——-— ganeesa noo BES Microtarsus atriceps 327, 467 —- poiocephalus Soo AD) Milvus migrans .. 440 Minia ignotincta ‘enone 465 Mirafra affinis affinis 587 ———--- erythroptera ae 437 ee erythroptera 587 — javanica cautillans 587 Mixornis gularis rubricapilla 321 - rubricapilla sulphurea 462 Mocis (Cauninda) undata ip 0 Calls} Modecea bracteata 366, 379 Monticola cinclorhyncha 331 —— rufiventris 470 —-—— solitaria ey ek —--——- —— —— pandoo 331, 470 Molpastes cafer ... - 430, 642 —_-— ——_- cafer ee ood ——-—— ——~ nigripileus 457, 466 -——-—— chrysorrhoides klossi 466 —-—__ -——___—_ ——_ burmanicus. 466 ——-—— leucogenys leucotis 524 Motacilla alba... ee 436 —--——- —— dukhunensis 584 —--——- —— _ personata 585 ——-~-—— cinerea 436 ——-—. - caspica c00 |e) —-— citreola | 436, 482 —_—--— flava we wo» 436 ——-—— -—— beema ... ee OGD ——-—— —— thunbergi 585 ———-— /, maderaspatanensis 646 ——~—— maderaspatensis 436 585 ——-—— werali doc w- «= 482 Mugil spp. Wie 000 000 cdo L8Y/ Munia malacca ... 50 580 Musicapa parva Asie, 500 moet 471 —— --——. parva 00 LS ——-—— strophiata eroemarel cog G/N INDEX OF SPECIES Musicapa tickelliae Aa Musicapula banyumas whitei ... -—— hodgsoni ————- ~— hyperythra ———-- -——— melanoleuca asta woe: ———-—— pallipes pallipes ... ———. -—— _rubeculoides dialilaema ... rubeculoides. _—_—_— -—___ —- —-—— sapphira -— supercilliaris ational tickellize -— ——— tickellie... ————— tricolor cerviniventris ——-——- unicolor unicolor -—— vivida oatesi Myiomela leucura Myophoneus coeruleus Conor — eugenei Myophenus horsfieldii Mystus aor ——— armatus —-— bleekeri —-—- gulio > Wee} vittatus Naia hannah ... Napothera brevicaudata vena -— exul bakeri Nemachilichthys ruppelli Nemachilus botius -~—— denisonii Neophron percnopterus Nerodia piscator Netta rufina Nettapus Boremandelianus Niltava grandis grandis - macgrigoriae - sundara sundara Nitella spp. , Notopterus notopterus ... Nucifraga multipunctata Numenius arquata lineatus Nychiodes — ~--—— admirabilis ——~—— divergaria -——— - —— farinosa - leviata ——-—— subfusca Jee tee Nychiodes variabilis Nycticorax nycticorax ... superciliaris. 652, 653 XXiii PAGE 647 473 471 471 472 332 472 333 472 472 332 330, 431 333 472 472 472 469 471 471 332 651-653 651 652, 653 667 651 531 461 462 453 652 652 440 533 445 444 473 473 473 . 665 452, 651 479 eun4ss 625, 630 632, 634 631, 634 632, 634 631 631, 634 630, 634 444, 486 xxiv INDEX OF SPECIES PAGE Ochromela nigrorufa ... 1G see ROO Ocinara varians Bo 506 ye lal Ocneria audeoudi at ee 622, 634 ——-—— insolita He doc npg. | OYA Oenanthe alboniger ... ia ... 480 -——_-——- capistrata ... eee ... 480 ——-—— deserti atrogularis ... .. 479 ——- oreophila ... son ae) —-—_——-finschi barnesi sate team C479 ——-—— isabellina 600 e3: ao CN) —-— leucomela ... te .. 480 —— -—— opistholeuca ... aes .. 480 ——-—— _ picata ... Se 500 oa CMY) rostrata ... wie we. 480 xanthoprymma Snmmaanye vice AID Cinopopelia tranquebarica ... we = AAT Oncocnemis idioglypha 000 626, 634 Ophicephalus gachua ... oe sto) (454 marulius ... -e 454, 651 ——_—\—— — punctatus ... BE 651, 652 — — spp. Sa coe w. «=—454 Ophioglossum oes 506 . 644 Ophiusa 600 ee O28 Oreocincla aun Anais wee tt 470 -————--— - ——--- nilgiriensis 5 FeSO — - dixoni ies af vec hLO Oriolus chinensis aiftie ue ee ie HOTS -oriolus .. AY De w. 444 — -kundoo ... eat OLS —- Xanthornus ... - «444 ——- —_--- — madenacnatenee 578 Orthotomus sutorius ... wae ii fo) —---——- guzurata ... stn wo. O74 Otellia alismoides as ad 7M 604 Otis tarda Roe oe aun. Gets) Otocompsa Faricontly nariventeiey w. 467 —— -——— jocosa tos .. 430 ————_—_—__ -—__. Fuscicatcren LR OLD -—— peguensis ... .. 466 Otolithus ac ese “ss 50 | (LOy/ Oxyspirura sp. ... B00 Mate 500. ley Oxyura leucocephala ... bide . 486 Pachypasa otus ... eee 506 eeOZo Palamneeus sp. ... eee aes .. 449 Pandanus Ae ads i. 406 « -Steil) Pandesma ate Son 0 ono. (6483 —— -—— anysa aa? OLS Panolia ... We 600 554, 555, 563, 564 - eldi rp See 563-565, 572 ———- — eldi se DOO MOO/ OOO OAL Panolia eldi platyceros ... ann POS), GYAN, SA PAGE Panolia eldi thamin see ae 561, 564 568, 569, 571 Papilio machaon asiatica Bes 09 OZ Parasa hilaris a 000 a2 Pardoxornis eateticolls Boe ww. 4058 Parus major 560 000 .. 429 —- ——-~ commixtus wee oe 4498 Passer domesticus sue ees we. ©. 44 —-—--——_ jndicus a 500 aheY rutilans ... Ses or ee ky/ Pastor roseus _... ee see 444, 579 Pavo cristatus ... see is .. = 441 Pavonia Bojeri... ae 400 woe 497 ——-- columella 467 —- cucullata ... See om .. 658 | ————-gularis... oe 50 BB Platalea leucorodia a aes .. 443 | ————-luteolus... oon ath BS Ploceus manyar flaviceps 006 soe EO OUM hing ae - luteolus ... So ee -- philippinus ah ae 45 ———-——_ xantholemus O00 325, 326 = —— eaiopnce ae 580 -~—— xanthorrhous cee 500 467 Pnoepyga albiventris albiventris .... 467 | Pyrrhocoraxgraculus ... ... ... 478 pusilla pusilla 2. en 467 ee DY ctNOCorax Sites Micky 440 Podiceps ruficollis Ses eer 445, 661 | Python molurus ... ae oe 533, 645 Polygonon ae RE aa 65800) Ouercus) -.. eee eee eee ae OeS Polygonum 500 | 686 60 ... 633 | Rana breviceps... ee a 644, 645 Polynemus spp. om OO cyanophlictis ... me .. 644 Pomatorhinus eitoaye Pner Die 461 tigrina... ae = p44 ——- ferruginosus mariz ... 460 | Rasboradaniconius ... y | 452, 651, 653 — horsfieldii -- « 430 | Ratufa indica Rear ans atieecerk i Dell ———_-_______ ______ horsfieldii ... 319 | ——— maxima ... aes a ere! ——- ochraceiceps ochracei- macroura oO cee or Oo ceps ... O00 .. 460 | Remusatia vivipara... ee ow. 644 ee olivaceus subsp. .. 460 | Rhamnus ie Bere eke) - schisticeps nuchalis ... 460 | Rhipidura albicollie albicollis w= 474 Populus euphratica ... one .. 624 —— aureola burmanica . 474 Porphyrio poliocephalus ws «e441 | Rhodophila ferrea Rein @c. 1 nr 's sci) 1408 -Porthesia melania Be aie 623, 634 | Rhopocichla atriceps atriceps... Sb ose Prinia inornata ° ... 600 .. 444 | Rhyacornis fuliginosa fuliginosa ... 469 ————franklinii... .. 9/75 | Rhynchosia minima ..._... ~ 414 ———_- —— —— inornata «. « 9/77 | Riopa guentheri ane ese ... 449 —— socialis sem atec. ddd Punctataee ie ak tin) ibeay 0646 —_—— - socialis ... ah .. 9/77 | Riparia chinensis a3 Silo gies” « 450 sylvatica sylvatica eee 577. | ———— concolor

    25— —— — Perrottetianay ...068,.369,3/79 —__— ——.——-- pilosa .-- 369, 367, 372 a erayeri 368, 370, 378, 381, 386 pees See beraiee: 365, 366, 367 —_—_——__-———-~ punctata 365 — ——-——-- quadricirrha ... oe BOY ——_ —-——- reniformis 367, 372 See scapra 365, 367 368, 371, 380, 384 —_.-—__ -——_= sikkimensis 368 - ——_——_ ——- subvelutina ... eee O80 —— ——_-——-- f{amnifolia 366 —__—__-—— - Thwaitesii 367, 368 —_-——__—-- tricuspidata 365, 367 —__—_—_——- tricuspis 367 —_-—_—- —- trifoliata 6c ww. — 865 ——__—_-___——- truncata ... 367, 369, 376 ——- tuberosa Bs 3, 365 —__—_—__——- villosa fea ss +365 ————villosula ... 368, 369, 375 ———_—_—__—_—_- — var. nilgir- rensis 368, 375, 386 ———___———— Wallichiana 366, 367, 368, 370, 377 —— —_——- var. majus- cula “pe 378 INDEX OF SPECIES PAGE Tringa erythropus ... we 435 glareola Pe oe He. Ma4e2 hypoleucus 000 300 w. = 442 nebularia 442 ochropus ae 442 --—=- stagnatilis AG6 ove w. 442 Triphosa subaudiata 629 taochata eee Ase 629, 634 Trochalcpteron erythrocephalum ramsayi 460 ripponi 460 Troglodytes troglodytes neglectus ... 481 Tropidonotus piscator zee - 647 Turdoides 000 646 somervillei ... 429 ——- —- orientalis 318 ——_———- striatus affinis pu . , 318 ——_—_ — polioplocamus 318 - terricolor sindianus cee O41 Turdus feae sh 469, 470 — obscurus obscurus 469 —— —- pallidus 459 ———- simiilimus Oe. 431, 646 —-—— ——__—_—_- mahrattensis 330 —_—_—~- — simillimus ... gaa 390 ———- unicolor 430 one toes ALD Typhlops ase ey & w. = 645 —-—-~ acutus no ue ho a)! brahminus ... es we 645 Umbelliferee “ke 560 res O23 Upupa epops 438 Urena lobata 504 -——-- repanda 504, 505. sinuata ... 504, 505. Urocissa erythrorhyncha magnirostris 457 Uroloncha kelaarti jerdoni ... 581 ————— malabarica 445, 581 ———— —— punctulata lineoventer ... 581 —— striata striata 581 Utricularia flexuosa... vee 664 Varanus flavescens Bo oe) —.—— monitor 530, 646 — salvator ‘ 530 Verbena 506 200 506 coo ecole ———— officinalis... ... aA a6 CRE Viola stocksti 476. Vipera russellii ... 662. Virachola. perse perse nics 673- Viscum se Sh 591- Vitex agnus-castus ohe . 292- —-littoralis .,. 006 wr ye «08 INDEX OF SPECIES PAGE Vitex peduacularis aoe 600 Pee 202 ——- trifolia Kee vee coo Geil Vivia innominatus avunculorum Ae O94 Wallagonia attu ... acd ne ber 408 Xanthixus flavescens ... meme | *467 ————- ——--——- vividus .. 466 Xanthlaoea hemacephala ... ey 430 Xantholoema hzemacephala indica ... 595 PRINTED AT THE DIOCESAN PRESS, (P.1.C.. NO. Q.H. MS. 5)—1,300 CorprHsS—20-3-47, xxix PAGE Xantholoema rubricapilla malabarica 595 Xenentodoncancila ... ab we = 404 Zoothera marginata ... ee .» 470 Zosterops @ misoxantha oa Pn SI) —- palpebrosa 437, 457 —— ---- cccidentis ... 989 Zygoptera Bg ere ish ee 40,0, MADRAS C3689 va ‘ ; i \ " ' ¥ 1 \ yay) f Eu men woe a Mela i At . ) ‘ i i ‘ . i} Sy | \ , . ' ~ a . il , heed . . ' + i ( ; gy oo = . “ ‘ ‘ if rn ) e : / ' e, , ~ : - 2) . : 7 ty uy lo, E Vou. XLIll,.No. 3 DECEMBER, 1942. ——~Prrice, Rs. 12 net. THE JOURNAL . Ves Ss Na i | OF THE SONA ee we ~Bompay Naruray History Sociery. EDITED BY REV. J. F. CAIUS, S.J., F-L.S. s. H. PRATER. M.L.A., C.M.Z.S., AND C. McCANN, F.L.S. PUBLISHED BY THE BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 6, Apollo Street, Bombay. LONDON AGENTS : | DAVID NUTT. (A. G. BERRY) ; ; 212, SHAFTESBURY AVENUE, LONDON, W.C. 2. THE SOCIE'TY’S PUBLICATIONS. Birds. Game Birds of India, Vol. II. 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Such members should pay their subscriptions by means of orders on their Bankers to pay the amount of the subscription, plus postage—in all Rs. 26-8-o—-to the Society in Bombay on the 1st January in each year. If this cannot be; done, then the sum of £2-0-6 should be paid annually to the Society’s London Bankers—The National Bank of India, Bishopsgate Street, London, E.C. “At CONTENTS OF VOLUME XLIII, No. 3 SoME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS. Part XII. By N. L. Bor, M-A., D-SC., F-L:S., I.F.S:, and M. B. Raizada, M.sc. (With one coloured, four black and white plates, and three text-figures) THE LarGer Derr oF BritisH INpia. By R. I. Pocock, F.z.s. (With eight text-figures) Tne Birps oF Mysore. Parr II. By Salim Ali —... CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER AND OTHER SPORTING FISH IN INDIA AND Burma. Part II. By A. St. J. Macdonald. (With one plate and one text-figure) A REVISION OF THE INDIAN SpEcIES OF Hodgsonia and Trichosauthes. By B. C. Kundu, M.A., ph.p., F.L.s. (With four plates) Notes ON SOME InpIAN Birps. WVIIl—Hornbills. By E. H. N. Lowther, M.B.O.U., F.Z.S. (With eight plates) Tue HiGHranpD MacagurE or Ceryton. By W. C. O. Hill, M.p. (With. one text-figure) eee OBSERVATIONS ON THE BREEDING COLOURATION OF Barbus (Puntius) kolus Sykes. By M. Suter, p.sc. (With a coloured plate) THE Early STAGES OF INDIAN LEPIDOPTERA. Part X. By D. G. Sevasto- pulo, F.R.E.S. SPAWNING OF CARP AND THEIR SPAWNING GROUNDS IN THE Punjan. By Hamid Khan, M.sc., PH.D., F.A.sc. (With five text-figures) Notes ON THE Brirps oF Berar. By Mrs. M. D. Wright TERNS AND EpipLte-Nest SwirTs at VENGURLA, WESTERN Inp1A. By Humayun Abdulali 3 ish OF Poona: ‘Part Ill. By A. G. L. Fraser, ‘1.m.p. ON THE BIRDS OF THE KaREN HILLS AND KARENNI FOUND OVER 3,000 FEET. By H. C. Smith, m.s.o.u., P. F. Garthwaite, and B. E. Smythies SOME COMMON INDIAN HERBS WITH NOTES ON THEIR ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS. X—I. suffruticosum. By M. Sayeedud-Din. (With three plates) Some AnDITIONAL NoTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE AVIFAUNA OF NorRtTH- ERN BALUCHISTAN. By Major-General A. F. P. Christison, M.c., P.s.c., B.A., M.B.O.U. Goniozus indicus Asu.—A Naturat ENEMY OF THE SUGARCANE Wuitr Morn Borer (Scirpophaga rhodoproctalis). By M. C. Cherian, B.a., BesC., D-1.c. and P. Israel, M.A. Mrpicivar anp Potsonous MaLLowworrs. Part II. By J. F. Dolley Imes Caius, PaGs 409 416 428 478 488 494 ti (GOUMMTBINTES) (ie Waifs AULLIMG, IN Os. F OBITUARY :— Raja Sir Durjansalsingh,. K.C.1.£. REVIEW :— Cuckoo Problems by E. C. Stuart Baker AN APPEAL :— Cuckoo Problems. Ex ‘Field’ MIS CERLANE OUSENODES = —— I. Adaptive cclouration of Desert animals. By Salim Ali lf. The colouration of the newly-born young of the Capped Langur [Trachypithecus pileatus (Blyth)]. By C. McCann Ill. On the mating of Flying-Foxes (Pteropus giganteus). By \gndkee [Bie tete TEESE. he So ahs ae ee IV. Tigers swimming. By Capt. R. K. M. Battye V. Tiger ‘Pooking’. By Major E. G. Phythian-Adams, 1.a. VI. A coin lodged in a tiger’s palate. By C. McCann VII. Black Panthers. By H. H. the Maharawat of Partabgarh VIII. A Wine-bibbing Panther—and others. By H. H. the Maharawat of Partabgarh — ay Bas ANE aoe Je IX. Note on the breeding of the Malabar Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica maxima) in captivity. By W. C. O. Hill, m.p., ch.s., etc. X. Deformed Tush in a Boar. By H. H. the Maharawat of Partab- garh. (With a plate) XI. Some experiments in Albinism. By H. H. the Maharawat of Partabgarh. (With a plate) XII. Occurrence of the White-cheeked Bulbul (Molpasies leucogenys leucotis) in the C. P. By S. S. -Patwardhan XIII. The Occurrence of the Comb-Duck (Sarcidiornis melanota) in Mysore State. By R. F. Stoney XIV. The Birds of a Bombay Garden. By Richard Dyke Acland ... XV. Can Hilsa be taken with Rod and Line? Editors XVI. The Monitor Lizard (Varanus monitor). By Capt. R. K. M. Battye ic Bat 906 ole zs XVII. The Food of the Blind Snake (Typhlops acutus Boulenger). By C. McCann ; sa Sse 5 55 ae XVIIT. Wing Cobra (Naia hannah) in captivity. By M. Govindan Kutty Menon, M.A. 6 ote an 500 os XIX. Notes on the breeding habits of some snakes. By E. S. Simon (With a_ plate) XX: River pollution and Fish mortality. By F. R. E. Malden XXI. Glow-worms (Lamphrophorus sp.) feeding on Molluscs. By C. McCann Saath q XXII. The Butterfly Diagora nicevillei. By Lt.-Col. F. M. Bailey, c.1.£. JouRN. BomMBAy Nat. Hist. Soc. Purple Wreath PETREA VOLUBILIS Linn. (half nat. size ) PLATE XII JOURNAL OF THE Bombay Natural History Society. 1942. WOE, ILM Now 3: SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS. BY Nie DORM M.AnmDeSC.,) Hall: S., I.F.S., | Forest Botanist, AND M. B. RAtIzaDA, M.Sc., Assistant Forest Botanist, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun. Part XII (Continued from Vol. xliii, No. 2 (1942), p. 129). (With 1 coloured and four black and white plates and 3 text-figures). Verbenaceae, This family takes its name from one of its genera, the well-known garden plant, Verbena, About 7o genera comprising some~- 800 species are included in the family, which is for the most part con- fined to the tropics and sub-tropics of south-east Asia and the Malayan archipelago. Few genera penetrate to the cooler regions of the earth and the Verbenaceae are poorly represented in Africa. The family contains all types of plants from tiny herbs up to giant trees. The ultimate shoots are often quadrangular. The leaves are usually opposite, compound or simple, rarely whorled or alternate, exstipulate. The flowers are arranged in panicles or cymes. The calyx is inferior, bell-shaped, cylindrical or platter- like, 4-5- rarely 8-cleft, -lobed, or -toothed, occasionally entire. Corolla gamopetalous, cylindrical, expanded towards the top, straight or curved, 4-5-lobed, often 2-lipped; lobes imbricate. Stamens 4, rarely 2, inserted on the corolla; anthers 2-celled; cells often divergent, opening lengthwise. Ovary superior, seated on an obscure disk, 2-8-celled, often 4-celled; ovules solitary or paired, erect or rarely pendulous. Fruit a drupe or berry. Many genera of this family, Verbena, Clerodendron, Stachy- tarpheta, Congea, Petrea, and Holmskioldia are favourite garden plants. Duranta Plumieri is grown everywhere as a hedge. - The FEB 15 1943 292. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII best known species of the family, however, is Tectona grandis, the teak, whose timber is famous all over the world. Another tree is Gnelina arborea, which furnishes a timber of some value as a furniture wood. Many species of Verbenuceae contain bitter and astringent principles and often, also, contain a volatile oil. A decoction of the root and leaves of Verbena officinalis is a powerful astringent and is applied to inflamed and bleeding piles. A decoction of the leaves of several species of Lantana are used as an expectorant. Vitex agnus-castus, a European species, produces berries which were supposed to be an aphrodisiac, these when roasted were supplied to the monasteries in mediaeval times under the delightful name of “Monk’s pepper’. Vitex peduncularis a tree common in Assam, contains a light yellow crystalline substance which is identical with vitexin, the active principle of Saponaria officinalis and Vitex littoralis. Dr. S. Krishna (Biochemist, Forest Research Institute) informs us that the mature leaves of Vitex peduncularis lose their vitexin. In Assam a decoction of the leaves is always used in cases of black-water fever and many cases are reported to have been cured by its use. Its reputation is so great that a large quantity of seed and even seedlings have been sent from Assam to other provinces. The corolla of the species is usually tubular and is often brightly coloured and fragrant. Such an arrangement points to cross- pollination by insects or birds. In some species of Clerodendron the corolla tube is up to 6 in. long. In such cases the agents of cross-fertilisation are honey-birds and long-tongued Lepidoptera. According to Koorders a species of Clerodendron, endemic in the Celebes, possesses a calyx which is always full of water, pro- duced from numerous hydathodes seated upon the inner surface of the calyx (hydathodes are specialized epidermal cells which secrete water). The ostensible object of this production of water is to prevent robber insects from boring through the base of the corolla to the honey without cross-pollinating the flowers. This object is also achieved by certain species which develop extra floral nectaries on the calyx. The nectaries are occupied by ants which vigorously attack insects which attempt to get honey by. illegiti- mate .methods. Some Clerodendrons go so far as to allow ants to take up quarters in their stems in order to attain this object. An interesting feature in certain genera is the colour-change which takes place as a flower matures. In one species of Lantana the change is from orange-yellow to dark crimson. This change has doubtless some connection between the ripening of the pollen and the receptivity of the stigma and may act as a guide to insects. KEY TO THE GENERA. Flowers in a narrow spike. Bet 506 .. 1. Stachytarpheta. lowers panicled or cymose. Flowers clustered in a pink or mauve involucre ... Flowers not clustered in an involucre. NS Congea. Calyx blue, lobed. ae aie 500 Bo” LHERTAM. Calyx green, white or red. Calyx red. sale SHEL mae ... 4. Holmskioldia. Calyx white or green. .. 5. Clerodendron. Photo by M. N. Bakshi Stachytarpheta mutabilis Vahl. New Forest, Dehra Dun, TOURA S2/2qvINU PIA Gs4PILGIVIS gs4ard “NW «q ojoqg ‘90S “LSIE] “LYN Avawog ‘Nunof SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS. AND SHRUBS 293 PARDO 1. Stachytarpheta Vahl. (The generic name comes from two Greek words which mean ‘spike’ and “thick’ and together give a word-picture of the inflore- scence). Hairy or glabrous shrubs and herbs. Leaves opposite or alter- nate, toothed, exstipulate. Inflorescence a long terminal spike. Flowers solitary in the axils of bracts, sessile or half immersed in the rhachis; bracts lanceolate; bracteoles absent. Corolla-tube slender, cylindric; limb oblique with 5, equal or unequal, flat, spread- ing lobes. Perfect stamens 2 (the lower pair) included within the corolla-tube ; staminodes 2, minute or absent; filaments short; anther cells vertical, divaricate. Ovary 2-celled; ovules solitary in each cell; style long filiform. Fruit enclosed in the calyx, linear-oblong, separating into 2, hard, 1-seeded bodies. IXEY TO THE SPECIES. Corolla blue. aoe Ae Reg -.. O. tndica. Corolla crimson or rose. i cise .. 9. nutabilis. _ Stachytarpheta indica Vahl. (S. jamaicensis (L.) Vahl.). Description.—A branchy annual herb, 1-3 ft. tall. Branches almost quadrangular, sparsely f pubescent. ~ Leaves opposite, ‘i petiolate, ovate or obovate, i obtuse or acute at the tip, f a cuneate and long-decurrent at , the base, dentate in the upper two-thirds, chartaceous — or membranous in texture, glabr- ous on both surfaces or with a few hairs below, 1-4 in. long by 1-3 in. wide; petiole slender, winged, about .3 in. long. Inflorescence of terminal curved, slender, long, spikes, 4-13 in. long; rhachis about .12 in. broad, excavated at the insertion of the flowers and the cavities covered by the bracts. -Bracts lanceolate-acu- minate, ciliate, scarious, .2- .4 in. long; bracteoles absent. Flowers sessile, blue, .6-.8 in. long. Calyx cylindrical, nar- row, glabrous, membranous, 5-nerved, .25 in. long, split | fowards the rhachis, 4-5- i toothed; glabrous, curved, hairy above and within. — .3- se ; Fig. 1.-—Stachytarpheta indica Vahl... 3. 8 im, long, s-lobed ; ones g achy arpheta indica Vahl... xd. oblique spreading, rounded, about .4 in. long. Stamens: 2,-inserted 294. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII above the middle of the tube. Ovary glabrous. Fruit a pear-shaped long capsule, included in the calyx up to .2 in. long. Flowers and Fruits. —Rainy season. Distribution.—Native of tropical America, cultivated and naturalized in various parts of Asia and Africa. Gardening.—A herb with deep blue flowers in long spikes. Propagated by seed. Medicinal uses.—Said to be used in Malay as an abortifacient. Stachytarpheta mutabilis Vahl. (mutabilis is a Latin word meaning changeable or variable, and refers to the colour of the flower which changes from crimson to rose). Description.—A herb, woody at the base, branches quadrangular ; covered with a crisped pubescence. Leaves op- posite or alternate, when opposite joined by a stipular line, petiolate, ovate, ovate-oblong or elliptic, acute or acumin- ate at the tip, cuneate and long decurrent at the base, serrate-dentate on the margins, rather rough on the upper sur- face, softly pubescent or scabrid on the lower sur- face; petiole up to .5 in. long, slender, grooved above, pubescent. Inflorescence a stout terminal spike up to 1 ft. long. Rhachis _ terete, _ pubescent, excavated at the insertions of the sessile flowers; excava- tions covered by the ob- long, acuminately-awned bracts, bracts .3 in. long without the awn, pubes- cent, bracteoles absent. Calyx narrow-tubular, 4-ribbed, 4-toothed, .3-.5 in. long; teeth short, acute. Corolla tube cylindrical, curved, .4-.5 in. long; limbs 5-lobed; lobes orbicular, irregular in size, .2-.4 in. wide. Flowers crimson fading to rose. Stamens 2, included in the corolla tube. Ovary glabrous; style long slender; stigma capitate, exserted. Flowers and Fruits.—Rainy season. Distribution.—Native of tropical America, now cultivated in the plains throughout the country. Gardening.—A shrub 3-5 ft. high with 4-angled, tomentose- | villous branches. The flowers are scarlet fading to rose and are Fig. 2.—Stachytarpheta mutabilis Vahl. x3 SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS 295 borne in long spikes. To keep it in good shape it is advisable to trim it after the rainy season. .Easily propagated by seed. Medicinal uses.—The leaves are powdered and mixed with lime and applied to wounds and sores. It is also said to be used as an abortifacient. 2. Congea Roxb. Climbing shrubs with opposite leaves. Inflorescence of small, involucral cymes arranged in terminal panicles. Involucre 3-phy!l- lous, spreading, supporting a sessile 6-9-flowered cyme. Calyx tubular, widened at the mouth, 5-cleft, persistent. Corolla 2-lipped, the tube as long as the calyx; limb very unequal, the upper lip elongate, erect and 2-cleft, the lower spreading and shortly 2-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted in the throat and long exserted; filaments filiform; anthers dorsifixed, 2-celled. Ovary 2-celled; ovules 2 in each cell, pendulous; style capillary with a 2-cleft stigma. Fruit a coriaceous capsule, indehiscent, 1-seeded by abortion. Congea tomentosa Roxb. (tomentosa is derived from the Latin word tomentum, the stuff- ing of a pillow and is usually used to describe a shaggy pubescence). Description.—A large deci- duous_ scandant shrub. Branches and young parts covered with a soft or rough, short, shaggy pubescence. Leaves opposite, exstipulate, ovate to ovate-oblong in shape, petiolate, 4-5 in. long, 2-4 in. wide, obtuse or rounded at the base, acute or acumi- nate, entire; petiole about .2-.3 in. long, pubescent ; upper surface very rough to the touch; under surface softly hairy to almost hirsute on the mid-rib; nerves promin- ent below. Inflorescence simulating a large compound terminal panicle; main branches pubes- cent, opposite. On _ the branches are opposite, pedun- culate cymes of flowers. Peduncles supported at the base by a_ velvety bract, .25 in. long. Peduncle up to r in. long, hairy. At the top of the peduncle is an involucre of 3 bracteoles connate at the base, forming a very small cup; bracteoles elliptic-obtuse, oblanceolate, obovate in shape, Fig. 3.—Congea tomentosa Roxb. x wie 296 JOURNAL,. BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII velvety-tomentose on the inner surface, tomentose and veined out- side, pale purple, pink or whitish in colour, up to 1 in. long. Flowers in cymes sessile in the involucre. Calyx gamosepalous, covered with dense hairs. .25-3 in. long, 5-lobed; lobes acute. Corolla gamopetalous, as long as the calyx tube, tubular, constricted above the ovary, 2-lipped, glabrous, whitish. Stamens 4, didynamous; filaments as long as the corolla. Ovary glabrous; style filiform. ee an. indehiscent capsule. ~ Flomwers.—December-March. : Distribution.—Native of } Manipur, Ghiteivones Burma and Siam, Eyam cultivated in gardens in India. Gardening.—A strong deciduous climber allied to Petrea volubilis, and conspicuous for the persistent pinkish-mauve bracts which cover this vine during spring and remain on the plant for a long time. It is usually propagated by seed as cuttings take root with difficulty. The plant commonly cultivated in gardens is_ var. azurea Wall. | 3. Petrea (Petraea) Houst. ex Linn. (This genus was named in honour of Lord Petre (1713-1743) Thorn- don, Essex, who in his short life had managed to put together the finest collection of exotic plants then existing in Europe). Shrubs, trees, or woody vines. Leaves opposite or whorled, deciduous, exstipulate, rough. Inflorescence an axillary or ter- minal, many-flowered raceme. Calyx inferior, gamosepalous; tube campanulate, usually ribbed, 5-lobed, lobes longer than the tube, coloured. The rim of the ean: often bears a 5-lobed, calicinal crest. Corolla gamopetalous, inferior, darker blue or purple than the calyx or white, slightly irregular, 5-lobed; lobes collected into 2 lips; one of 2, the other of 3 eine. Stamens 4, didynamous, included in the corolla tube and inserted on it close together near the middle, filaments short and slender, anthers oblong. Ovary subglobose, 2-cellled; ovules 1 in each cell. Fruit a drupe enclosed by the mature calyx. Petrea volubilis Linn. PURPLE WREATH. (volubilis means twining in Latin and refers to the habit of the plant). Description.—A woody vine or undershrub with greyish bark on the old wood. Branches and branchlets slender, prominently lenticellate, shortly hairy. Leaves opposite, exstipulate, petiolate, firmly membranous, rather dull- -green above, brighter green beneath, very rough to the touch, 2-8 in. long by 1-4 in. wide, acute or shortly acuminate at the apex, cuneate at the base; petiole up to .5 in. long, densely or sparsely pubescent. Inflorescence a drooping, many-flowered raceme, solitary in the axils, up to 12 in. long; rhachis puberulent. Individual flowers pedicellate; pedicels .3 in. long, obscurely hairy. Calyx gamose- palous; tube cylindric, about .12 in, long, not ribbed, densely pubescent outside, 5-lobed; lobes membranous, oblong, .75 in. long JOURN. BomBAy Nat. Hisr. Soc. M. N. Bakshi Photo by Purple Wreath. Petrea volubilis, Linn. Dehra Dun, ew Forest, 4 JourN. BomBay Nat. Hist. SOc. YUM Mai Mdbiillldd bj Photo by M. N. Bakshi Purple Wreath. Petrea volubilis, Linn. New Forest, Dehra Dun, SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS 297 by .25 in. wide, lilac or blueish in colour, rounded at the apex; calicinal crest composed of five membranous, triangular-ovate lobes. Corolla hypocrateriform, .3 in. long deep blue or purple, with an infundibuliform tube, lower three quarters glabrous, upper quarter densely pubescent, 5-lobed; lobes broadly elliptic. Inner surface of the corolla-tube puberulent, densely pilose at the base of. the stamens. Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted on the tube; filaments filiform, glabrous; anthers oblong; staminode obsolete. Ovary oblong-obovoid, glabrous, seated on a conspicuous disk; style filiform; stigma obliquely capitate. Fruiting calyx up to .17 in. long, densely pubescent. Flowers.—March-April. Sométimes with a second flush in October. It does not fruit in this country. Distribution.—Native of tropical - America. Now commonly cultivated throughout the tropics. Gardening.—The ‘Purple wreath’ is one of the most distinct and beautiful of cultivated climbers. It bears long spikes of cloudy- blue star-like flowers which are extremely effective when massed It can be used not only as a climber but can be trained as a standard. The flowers begin to open at the base of the spike-like raceme and the showy 5-pointed star is the calyx, whose sepals are coloured like petals. The calyx spreads open while the corolla is still like a bud in the middle and remains long after the corolla) has fallen, so that the vine, at first glance, appears to bear two kinds of ‘flowers. Propagated by layers and gooties or from suckers which it frequently sends up. THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA. BY Rev lp ePOCOCK DEER YS: (Zoological Department of the British Museum, Natural History). (With 8 text-figures). The exceptionally interesting species of Deer (Cervidae) inhabit- ing British India are so well known to sportsmen and naturalists and, for the most part, so easily distinguished by their antlers and other external features that, recently at all events, no special atten- tion has been paid to the detailed structure of their skulls. In a series of papers dealing with them, which it is my intention to publish, an attempt has been made to remedy this defect and establish the resemblances and differences between the skulls of the various species. Of the species contained in this first instalment, two, namely the Kashmir Barasingh or Hangul and the Shou, are known to occur within the precincts of British India; but the precise habitat of the third, Wallich’s Deer, is not yet ascertained, although the species has been frequently quoted by writers on the Big Game of the country, has been exported from N. India, and is admittedly closely allied to the first two. To these has been added Przewalski’s Deer, an inhabitant of Tibet. The pretexts for its inclusion here are the record of the importation of a head and antlers to Darjiling, the realisation of the possibility of the recurrence of that event, and the difficulty a sportsman or museum curator might have in identifying such a_ trophy. The facts recorded in this paper are mainly based on specimens preserved in the British Museum. It 1s only necessary to add at present that the four species above referred to are distinguished from the rest of the British Indian Deer by the short and _ short- haired tail, the conspicuous pale area on the rump, the comparative narrowness of the rhinarium below the nostrils in front and by the antlers. These obvious external characters have been known for a long time, for the most part. Cervus wallichii, G. Cuvier. (Wallich’s Deer). Cervus wallichii G. Cuvier, Oss. Fossiles, 1812 (according to Pousargues Mem. Soc. Zool. Fr. 11, p. 195, 1898); id. Oss. Foss. ed, 3,4; p. 504, 1625) 1deop. cit eds 4alO Mp mCOMmoc ce mh Cunen and Geoff. St. Hilaire, Hist. Nat. Mamm., 4, No. 356, 1823. The description and figure published in these works have been cited by many subsequent authors, including Pocock, Proc. Zool, Soc., 1912, pp. 559-565 (photograph) and Lydekker Cat. Ung. Brit. Mus., 4, pp. I41-142, 1915. THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 299 Harana wallichi, Hodgson, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1, p. 154, 1838. Pseudocervus wallichti, Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc., ro, pt. 2, p. 914, 1841. Locality of the type’ and distribution not ascertained. A comparatively large stag, standing about 51 in., close on 13 hands, at the withers and characterised by the great size of the white rump-patch, which is very wide above the tail and reaches the summit of the croup, its median length above the tail a little surpassing twice the length of that organ. In the size of this area the species differs from all the known forms of Cervus, except the Wapiti, but the area differs from that of the Wapiti in being clean ~white instead of buffy and in being narrower below on the back of the thighs on a level with the apex of the tail, that organ being also clean white and quite short. The general colour (in March) is decidedly pale, being a tolerably uniform yellowish or sandy- brown all over, except on the forehead which is browner, the cheeks and backs of the ears which are greyer and the muzzle and chin which are pale fawn. The individual hairs show no dark and lighter speckling. This description is abridged from the account I published in 1912 of an adult stag presented to the late King by the Maharajah of Nepal and exhibited in the Zoological Gardens, London. It was stated by Col. Manners Smith (The Field, July 31, 1909, p. 239) to have been captured as a fawn in the upper reaches of the Sanpo Valley, close to Lake Mansarowar. So far as I am aware this specimen and the two exhibited in the Barrackpore Menagerie are the only representatives of C. wallichii that have ever been described and figured. The specimen in the Zoological Gardens lived several years after my account of it was published. A peculiarity of its moult was the shedding of the old dead hair before the new coat appeared, leaving the dark skin naked*—no doubt an individual peculiarity— ; but there was no noticeable seasonal change in tint; and three years before it reached England, while still in captivity in Nepal, Col. Manners Smith described its colour as ‘very light’. These facts suggest that wallichii is throughout the year paler in tint than the Shou and the Hangul or Kashmir Stag. The colour of the original specimen is doubtful since it was described from a coloured sketch and was said to be dark grey-brown or yellowish grey-brown. It is not clear how it could be both; but yellowish grey brown suggests a pale hue agreeing tolerably closely with that of the example I described. The antlers of the type were quite small and apparently degenerate with old age, the brow and bez tines being short and the trez absent. * Cuvier’s description was taken from a figure sent to him by Duvaucel of one of a pair, according to Blyth, exhibited in the menagerie at Barrackpore and alleged to have come from Maktinath, north of Dwalagiri in Nepal. Al- though Hodgson gave two generic names to this stag, he never saw it and knew it only from Cuvier’s figure. * Year after year at this period well meaning but misguided correspondents used to write to me denouncing the conduct of the Society for exhibiting such a disgracefully mangy animal ! d 300 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII The left antler of the example in the Zoological Gardens, which was shed on the voyage to England when the stag was about 5 years old, was normal but small and indistinguishable from the antlers of some Shou and of the Kashmir Barasingh, as shown by the photograph in my paper (p. 563). The same applies to a second pair shed in 1913 and preserved in the British Museum (no. 15.5.11.1). These antlers are only about qo ins. long, their small size, as in the case of the other pair referred to, being no doubt due to deficiency of diet in captivity. The skull is unknown. Probably it will prove to be like that of the Shou (C, affinis). I have provisionally regarded Wallich’s Stag as specifically dis- tinct from the Shou because so far as I am aware there is not any evidence that the two intergrade in the size of the rump patch. / iN Fig. 1.—A, rump of Wallich’s Deer (Cervus wallichii) copied from Proc- Zool, Soc., 1912, p. 561, Fig. 67; B, the same of the Shou (Cervus affinis) drawn from Col. Rennick’s specimen from the Chumbi Valley; C, the same ol the Hangul (Cervus hanglu) copied from Proc. Zool. Soc., 1912, p. 566, Fig. 70; I), the same of another Hangul drawn from Major Powell Cotton’s specimen ‘from the Sutlej Valley. Cervus affinis, Hodgson. (The Shou). Cervus a ints, Hodgson, Journ, As. Soc. Beng., 10, pt. 2, p. 721, pl., 1840; 1d) Op. \cit, 10; p. 466, 1850, hidMiopmicity m2Ompaecso. THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 30] pl. 7, 1851; and of many subsequent writers including Pocock, noc ZOOls SOC. 1902.) p. 5607, lbydekker,> Cat. Une Brit. (Mus:, 4, p. 142, 1915, (cited as subspecies of wallichit); and Burrard, Big Game Hunting in the Himalayas and Tibet, p. ‘220, 1925 (cited as wallichit). =, Cervus tibetanus, Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 19, p. 466 1850. Cervus nariyanus, Hodgson, 20, p. 392, pl., 1851. Locality of the type unknown; originally stated by Hodgson to be the Sal forests in the Morung or eastern Tarai of Nepal; but subsequently in 1850 he withdrew this statement, declaring that the species 1s not found there and that the trophy must have been imported. Disiribution (according to Burrard) :—the Chumbi Valley, which is a basin of the Ammu River, a tributary of the Raidak, also in Bhutan in the Valley of the Raidak which flows through that country. Resembling C, wallichii in size but distinguished from the two described examples of the latter by its much smaller white rump- patch which, above the root of the tail, is considerably narrower and shorter, extending at most about half way between the root of that organ and the summit of the croup. Moreover, it is al- ways marked by a more or less pronounced darkish median line which is strongest on the upper half of the tail and may extend to the pigmented hairs on the upper half of the croup. The general colour too is also apparently considerably darker, at all events at certain seasons of the year, the pelage is distinctly speckled and the belly is more sharply contrasted by its blackish hue with the pale flanks. This stag was described from a skull with antlers. Ten years later from ‘abundant supplies’ sent to him, he alleged, from Ding- cham, N. of Sikkim, Hodgson described the colour of the winter coat (F ebruary) as ‘earthy brown, more or less lutescent, the head and neck being concolorous mith the back,’ but the flanks were conspicuously paler than the back and sharply contrasted with the black belly; the limbs were paler than the back but darker than the flanks and earthy brown in front and externally; the caudal disc was ‘remarkably small’ but sharply contrasted and marked with -a ‘dark mesial line.’ Presumably this description of the size of the caudal disc as remarkably small meant in comparison . with that of C. wallichii, as figured and described by the two Cuviers and Geoffrey St. Hilaire. Three flat skins in the British Museum, one presented by Hodgson, labelled ‘“N. India’ and two presented by Blanford and _ labelled ‘Sikkim (Mandelli)’ show that the dividing line of the small rump- patch is variable in distinctness, in one case being only just trace- able, -and that the patch itself may be set off marginally by un- speckled hairs, darker than those of the rest of the rump; the general colour is dirty brown or greyish brown, darker than that of the example of C. wallichii exhibited in the London Zoological Gardens. These remarks are an epitome of my description of C. affinis published in r912. Since then the Museum has received a specimen, 302 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII mounted in the gallery, from the Chumbi Valley which was presented by Col. Rennick. Some particulars about this may be interesting. The length of the head and body over the curves is 87 inches, the tail is about 34 inches and the standing height at the withers 52 inches, exactly 13 hands and almost the same as in the example of C. wallichu 1 described. The coat is rough here and there, suggesting that the moult had started, but it is thick and about 52 mm. long on the body and about 7o on the neck; the general colour is pale, grey with a slightly brownish tinge, closely recalling the tint of the example of C. wallichii and most emphatically not ‘earthy brown’ as described by Hodgson; the flanks are a little lighter than the back but the belly is much darker and the crown, muzzle and legs are browner than the body; the rump-patch extends about one-third of the way between the root of the tail and the summit of the croup, slightly more than the length of the tail and its median dark line is faint in front, stronger befow and on the upper half of the tail; the gland on the hind leg is 64 inches below the hock and 1o inches above the false hoof of the same side. Antlers. Most of the recent descriptions of the antlers of the Shou are wrong. They are taken from a skull in the British Museum belonging to Hume’s collection (Mandelli coll. no. 12.10.31.4). A front view photograph of this skull and antlers is given in Rowland Ward’s Records and several of Lydekker’s works. These antlers have been regarded as typical of the species (C. affinis). They are, on the contrary, quite abnormal, their essential peculiarity consisting in the abrupt, nearly rectangular bend of the beam just above the trez tine when viewed from the front. Not one of many other pairs I have seen shows such a bend from that aspect, al- though from the side a similar bend is sometimes exhibited. They have also been described as bending ‘suddenly forwards at the trez tine, so that the upper half overhangs the face.’ This alleged feature has also been regarded as characteristic of the species. It does not. exist.. When the skull is resting on a flat surface, with the cranio-facial axis horizontal, the beam of the antler. from the side shows a slight forward trend below the trez tine; but from that tine to the tip it is as nearly as possible vertical, without a trace of for- ward bend, the terminal tines being above the occiput.: The upper half of the antler can only be made to overhang the face by steeply tipping the skull so that the muzzle is much lower than the occiput. It can similarly be made to overhang the position of the withers by tipping the skull sufficiently the other way. But these statements are true of many species of Cervidae. In no skull of the Shou that I have seen does the upper half of the antler overhang the face when the cranial axis is horizontal. As stated above, the antlers of the skull in the Hume collection, above discussed, are unique in ‘the abrupt angulation of the beam above the trez tine from the anterior aspect. In some other antlers the axis of the beam above the trez tine is, from this point of view, evenly curved up to the terminal tines. This is the case in a pair (Hume and Mandelli, no. 91.8.7.6); in the mounted specimen from Chumbi (Col. Rennick); in Hodgson’s types of affinis (no. 45.1.8.94) and of tibetanus (no. 57.12.14.3) and, judging from the figure, in his type of nariyanus. In others there is a slight, very obtuse THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 303 angulation at the trez tine. This is shown in pairs received from Blanford (no number); from Hume and Mandelli (no. 91.8.7-7), Fig. 2.—A, side view of left antler of Hume’s and Mandelli’s historic skull of the Shou, the beam below the trez tine and the inner terminal tine greatly foreshortened. This antler has often been described as bending suddenly forwards at the trez tine so that the upper part overhangs the face!; B, front view of the same antler showing the abnormal; not characteristic angulation at the level of the trez tine from this aspect. from Hodgson (no. 57.12.14.2) and others. In one pair only (Ind. Mus. no. 79.11.21.47) does the beam from the front aspect show a somewhat abrupt angulation at the trez tine so that the inner ter- minal tines are comparatively close together at their points; but the bend is not so abrupt as in Hume’s first described skull (no. 12.19.31.4) and occurs higher up the beam, the trez tine rising closer to the terminal fork than to the bez tine, although the bez tine itself rises considerably above the brow tine, not close to it as in the Hume skull. From the lateral aspect differences in the curvature of the antlers may be strongly marked. In Hodgson’s type, as shown in his figure, the beam makes an abrupt nearly rectangular bend below the trez tine and above the bend runs upwards with a slight back- ward trend. In his figure of the entire animal sent to him by Dr. Campbell, the beam presents a similar bend, but in this case it is apparently at about the level of the trez tine or beyond it. 304 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII In Hume’s historic skull (no. 12.10.31.4) and in his other one (no. g1.8.7.6) the antlers are as strongly and similarly angulated. No two of these antlers are precisely alike, but it is needless to describe the differences, the only feature of interest being the absence of the trez tine in the left antler of Hume’s second specimen. — In most of the other skulls, referred to above, the beam in side view | Be Fig. 3.—A, front view of the left antler of Shou (Indian Museum) showing the abnormal, abrupt inward bending of the beam at the highest trez tine ; B, front view of the left antler of the Shou from the Chumbi Valley; C, side view of the same antler the curvature of the antler is much more normal for the species than the’ antler depicted in fig. 2. shows a nearly even curvature, with at most, a slight deviation at the trez tine. From these facts it is clear that the statement that the antlers of C. affinis are characterised by an abrupt angulation of the beam is only true of some skulls. There are still one or two points to notice. Reference was made above to the absence of the trez tine in the left antler of Hume’s skull (no. 91.8.7.6). In the type of nariyanus, as figured by Hodgson, there is only a single tine midway between the brow tine and the terminal fork; and the same is the case in the right antler of Blanford’s head (no number). It is not possible to deter- mine whether this tine represents the bez tine or the trez tine. But Blanford’s skull is old, the crowns of the incisiform teeth being worn almost to the root. Hence there seems to me to be no doubt that: the abnormality of the right antler is due to age-decadence. Finally it may be added that the variation in the antlers in the Shou is greater than in any species of deer I can at present recall, much greater than in the Hangul from whose antlers those of the Shou are sometimes hardly distinguishable. Of seven adult skulls in the British Museum not one has .a trustworthy locality, nearly all being labelled “N. of Bhutan.’ The THE LARGER longest, marked ‘Sikkim’ (without further history), has a total length of 465 mm. (about 18 3/5 in- ches) and a _ condylobasal length of 441 mm. (about 17 3/5 inches); the shortest, Hodgson’s type, (no. 45.1. 8.49) has a total length of 433 mm. (about 17+ inches), but the occipital condyles are missing. ‘The total! length of the rest is be- tween 440 and 450 mm. Only one of these is com- plete with its condyles (Ind. Mus. Olen 79s UL 2e42) This has a total length of 444 mm. (about 17 4/5 in- ches) and a_condylobasal length of 427 mm. (about 17 inches). Since the seven skulls have an average total length of 449 mm., the average condylobasal length may be put at about 430 mm.’ Some individual varia- tions of the skulls in other particulars are shown in the table of measurements. The nasals differ considera- bly in shape in individual skulls. In the type they are very nearly three times as long as wide at their widest point between the facial racuities and they pene- trate deeply between the frontal processes forming an acute angle, the apex of which surpasses by some 20 mm. the posterior ends of the vacuities. But in DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 305 bese “lé 47° Fig. 4.—A, upper part of left nasal bone, with the vacuity and inner half of the gland pit (dotted) of one of Hodgson’s skulls of a Shou, showing the nearly complete separa- tion of the vacuity from the nasal bone ; B, the same of the type of Cervus affinis, showing more normal extent of contact be- tween the nasal bone and the vacuity in this species. 1 Some years after Ward photographed Hume’s historic skull (no. 12.10. 31.4); it fell from the wall where it was suspended and the entire facial portion was smashed. I am unable therefore to give its measurements. But there is nothing exceptional in its orbital and postorbital widths. It must be explainedsthat measuring most of the skulls of this species and of the next and drawing parts of. them have been difficult owing to their being mounted on wooden blocks and placed high up on the walls or on the tops of exhibition cases in the Museum gallery. The recorded dimensions may, therefore, be a few mm. out either way. But such errors as there may be are of no great moment considering the size of the skulls. 306 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII the skull presented by Blanford the width is a good deal less than twice and a half times the length and they penetrate less deeply between the frontals, the tips being nearly rectangular and about on a level with the posterior ends of the vacuities. At the anterior end they may end in two processes, but the outer process may alone persist. The extent to which they surpass in front the anterior edge of ‘the nasal branch of the premaxillae varies con- siderably; and their width at that point in Blanford’s skull is less than half their greatest width, whereas in two of Hume’s and Mandelli’s skulls it is considerably over, the nasals in the first skull being exceptionally broad behind and narrow in front, the converse being the case in the latter two. The most interesting point connected Sah the nasals of this species is the general shortness of their free edge where they abut against the vacuity, this feature being mainly due to the backward extension of the maxillae between the nasals and the vacuity. The length of the free edge may vary on the two sides. In Blanford’s skull, for instance, it is 17 mm, on the left side, 12 on the right, the first figure being quite exceptionally large. In other skulls the free edge varies from 14 mm. in the longest skull, 11 mm. in the type to 8 and 5 in the rest. In one of Hodgson’s skulls (no. 57.12.14.2) the main space of the vacuity is almost cut off from the nasal on the left side by a forwards projecting process from the maxillae which are only 1 mm. apart at their tips. In no other species of Oriental Deer are the nasals so nearly cut off from the vacuities. Owing to the backward encroachment of the maxilla between the nasals and the vacuities, the anterior portion of the latter in front of the free edge of the nasals is longer, sometimes considerably longer than the posterior portion behind it. The gland-pit is smallish, its length being less than the vertical diameter of the orbit (inside measurement). I am indebted to Col. F. M. Bailey for the following note on the distribution of the Shou, based on his own experience :— “‘Shous used to be fairly common on the ridge east of the Chumbi Valley between that valley and Bhutan. Last of this there used to be some in Bhutan. They lived I think in Bhutan but came over the ridge into the Chumbi Valley in the summer and autumn. About Novem- ber and December the Chumbi Valley people cut fuel for their winter supply. Deep snow does not usually come till later. This disturbs the forest and drives the deer back into Bhutan. In the summer of 1921 I saw two hinds and a young one above Lingmotang in the Chumbi Valley. There must have been very few left and | believe all were exterminated a few years ago, as I am told there | are none in this part of Bhutan now. I saw a few in the district of Tsari. Here the Shou will be more or less artificially preserved for a long time I hope, as the place is very holy and no life may be taken ‘there.” Cervus hanglu, Wagener. (The Hangul, Hanglo or Kashmir Barasingh). Cervus hanglu, Wagner, Schreber’s Siiug. Suppl. 4, p. 352 (foot- , note) 1844; Pocock, Proc, Zool. Soc. 1912, p. 566. THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 307 Cervus cashimerensis, Gray, List. Ost. Brit. Mus. p. 65, 1847, altered on p. 147 to C. cusperianus (nomina nuda). Cervus casperianus, Gray, Cat. Mamm: Brit. Mus. pt. 3, Ung. pl. 27, fig. 3 and pl. 28, hg. 1 (skull) 1852. Cervus cashmeriensis, Adams 1858; cushmeerianus, Falconer 1808, cashnurianus, bitzinger, 1874, cashmiriensis, Lydekker, 1915, Ausnmirensis, Burrard 1925. (Of these variants of the same name, the second and third have been most frequently adopted. Lydekker rejected hanglu because he didn’t like it and used cashmirianus till 1g14 but substituted cashmiriensis in 1915. Locality of the types of hanglu, casperianus and cashmeriensis : Ikashmir. Distribution:—in winter most of the nullahs from west of the Wular Lake to Kistwar and as far east as the borders of Chamba State; in summer at higher altitudes in the more lonely forest farther West (Arbuthnot in Burrard’s book 1925). Distinguished from the Shou by its smaller size, greater contrast in colour between the muzzle and the rest of the face owing to the whiteness of the chin and upper lip and the pale hue ol the side of the muzzle up to and behind the nostrils; there is also more white round the eye, and on the throat and belly; there is no record of a greyish phase in the pelage which ts darkish brown above, rather paler on the flanks, with a pale speckle in the contour hairs, as in the Shou, and the legs are darker than the flanks; the pale area on the rump is. about as extensive as in the Shou except that above the root of the tail it is divided in the middle line by a much broader brown band continuous with the colour of the upper part of the croup and sometimes continued all down the middle of the tail to its tip. This diagnosis is abridged from my description published in 1912, when [ resuscitated Wagner’s name hanglu for the species. in that paper were given the main characters of C. wallichu, C. affinis and C. hanglu and it was claimed that affinis is in some respects intermediate between the other two, having the size and coloration of the face of wallichii, but much more closely resembling hanglu in the small size of the pale rump-patch. Kecent comparison between the skulls of affinis and hanglu has shown that those of the latter are about two inches shorter and further differ, as explained in some detail below, in the longer free edge of the nasals where they abut against the facial vacuity. There is no constant difference between the antlers of the two; but those of the hanglu never, so far as the heads I have seen are concerned, show from the front view the abrupt angular bend described in two specimens of affinis and, on the available evidence, those of the hanglu are more lable to develop at least one accessory tine at the tip, which may arise either from the outer or inner of the two normal terminal tines. Only one skin of hanglu is at present available for examination. This is a mounted adult stag from the Sind Valley and received from Major Powell Cotton. It bears out the description given above; but a few notes on it may be of interest by way of com- parison with the mounted specimen of affinis from the Chumbi Valley, described above, and the mounted specimen of Przewalski’s 2 308 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLill Tibetan Deer, the type of thoroldi, described below; both of which stand alongside it in the exhibition case. The length of the head and body over the curves is 7g inches and the height at the withers 474 inches, both dimensions being noticeably less than in the Shou. The coat is about 50 mm. long on the body but on the nape and sides of the neck is about 100 mm., considerably longer here than in the Shou. The ear is about 7% inches long trom the notch to the tip in front and nearly 3% inches at its widest point. The gland on the hind leg is as nearly as may be the same distance from the hock as from the false hoof of the same side, namely just over eight inches, but this is probably due to unequal shrinking of the skin since in the photo- graph | published in 1912 (op. cit. p. 566) of a living hanglu the gland is clearly about a couple of inches nearer the hock than the false hoof. The general colour of the body and head is as described above; the white of the back of the thighs spreads on to the inguinal region and hind belly, the belly in front is blackish and there is some white on each side of the chest. The rump- patch extends about two inches in front of the root of the tail on each side, but the median dark dividing line runs backwards down the tail and expands behind so as to occupy the whole of its tip. In this respect the rump-patch differs markedly from that of the photograph of the living example I described in tg12, in which the dark band dividing the patch on the lower croup, stops short at the root of the tail, the upper surface of that organ being white like the buttocks on each side of it. The antlers vary greatly individually in the curvature of the beam which may form part of the arc of a circle, as in a head from S/ Vig. 5.—A, left antler of Hangul or Kashmir Barasingh shot above Manaspal Lake by Brig. Gen. Gillies; B, the same of one of Hume’s examples from the Sind Valley; C, upper part of left antler of another of Hume’s examples from the Sind Valley. (These three figures drawn from skulls, sus- pended several feet above the observer’s eye). ‘above the Manaspal Lake’ (Brig. Gen. Gillies, no. 39.11) in which the inner terminal points are only 14$ inches apart, whereas in OOS 2520.21) elas waa: THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 309 one of Hume’s heads from the Sind Valley the beam is nearly straight from the burr to the terminal fork, exhibiting only a very slight deviation at the trez tine, the tips being 334 inches apart (no. 12.10.31.2). In another with the same history (no. 12.10.31.1) the portion of the beam between the bez and trez tines is slightly curved and the upward bend at the trez tine is more strongly marked. Skull. There are many adult or approximately adult skulls in the British Museum; but only a few are complete in every respect. They are very similar to the skulls of the Shou, but decidedly smaller. The longest from the Sind Valley (Hume, no. 12.10. 31.1) has a total length of 404 mm. (about 16 1/5 in.) and a condylobasal length of 395 mm. (15 4/5 in.), its total length be- ing over 2 in. shorter than the longest skull of the Shou above recorded, and a little over 1 in. shorter than the shortest of that species ;. its condylobasal length is a little over 1 in. shorter than that of the only skull of the Shou, a medium-sized specimen, in which the condyles are pre- served. Nearly as long as the Sind Valley specimen is a skull from above the Manaspal Lake (Brice) Gen Gillies, no. 39: 11) which has a_ total length of 399 mm., but a _ condylobasal length of only 373 mm.; a skull from the Lidar Valley (Lydekker total length of 397 mm.; another from the Sind Valley (Hume, no. 12.10.31.2) is nearly the smallest in the collection, with a total length of 384 mm. and a con- dylobasal length of 365 mm., the former dimension being nearly one inch less than in Hume’s longest from the same locality and the latter dimension over one inch less. The only other skull with a special locality is one from Srinagar (Capt. Phelps, not registered); this has the muzzle and occiput broken away, but its available dimensions show nothing that calls for note. Fig. 6.—A, bone with vacuity and inner half of gland-pit (dotted), of Hume’s Hangul upper end of left nasal from the Maharajah of Jsashmir’s Reserve, showing the longest area of contact between the nasal and _ the vacuity observed in the available skulls; B, the same of a skull from the Lidar Valley (Lydekker) showing the shortest area of contact. The average total length in six skulls is as nearly as may be two inches less than in the Shou; and the average condylobasal length of three 310 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLitl skulls is 378 mm., nearly two inches less than that of the only Shou in which that dimension is available. In other skull-dimensions the two species frequently overlap or come very close to each other, as shown by the table of measure- ments. But on the average those of the Hangul are smaller with one notable exception which supplies the only cranial difference | can detect between the two species, apart from size. | The nasals vary in shape to about the same extent as in the Shou and their posterior angle may penetrate the frontals deeply enough to surpass considerably the posterior ends of the vacuities or may fall short of that point; but the free edge of the nasals, where they abut against the vacuities, is typically considerably longer than -in the Shou mainly on account of the maxillae not extending so far posteriorly in contact with the nasals. Hence the anterior part of the vacuity bounded internally by the maxilla is generally considerably shorter than the posterior part bounded in- ternally by the frontal. The length of the free edge of the nasal varies from about 27 mm. in a skull of Hume’s from the Maharajah’s Reserve (no. 91.8.7.2) to about 15 mm, in Lydekker’s skull from the Lidar Valley (no. 88.3.20.1), its average in many skulls being about twice as great as in the Shou, although the nasals them- selves are always shorter. Genus Przewalskium, Flerov. Przewalskium, Flerov, C. R. Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S., 1930, p. 115. Type of the genus:—Cervus albirostris, Przewalsk1. “ue “0 Drea? Fig. 7.—A, orbital region with vacuity and gland-pit of Przewalski’s Deer (P. albivostris). Drawn from the skull of the type of Cervus thoroldi; B, the same of a skull of the Hangul (C. hanglu) from Srinagar (Phelps), showing particularly the shorter, shallower, less well defined gland-pit and larger vacuity in comparison with A. THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 311 Distribution :—Eastern Tibet. Distinguished from the British Indian species of Cervus by the exceptional harshness of the coat, its reversal in growth—direction along the back either from its middle or from the croup (haunches) to the withers (shoulders) where it forms a well defined mat; by the narrower, more pointed, relatively longer ears; by the position of the gland-tuft nearer the false hoof than the hock of the hind leg; by the relatively shorter, broader hoofs; by the extension of the white of the upper lip over the muzzle, encircling the rhinarium, and that of the chin backwards over the whole of the lower jaw to the upper end of the throat, these white areas being sharply defined, and by the buff or fawn tint of the rump-patch, tail and backs of the thighs. In the skull the gland-pit is much deeper, with more sharply defined edges, and relatively longer than in Cervus, its length a Fig. 8.—A, the nasal bones, vacuities and inner half of the gland-pits (dotted) of Przewalski’s Deer (P. albirostris) for comparison with figs. 4 and 6. | Drawn from the skull of the type of Cervus thoroldi; B, right ear of the same drawn from the mounted type of Cervus thoroldi; C, the same of the Shou drawn from Col. Rennick’s mounted specimen from the Chumbi Valley. little exceeding the inside vertical diameter of the orbit ; the vacuity, on the contrary, is much narrower and shorter, this peculiarity being associated with the immense width of the posterior portion 512. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII of the nasals which at their widest point between the vacuities are alout half the total length of those bones and form on each side a bulging expansion with the convex free edge forming a long contact with the vacuity and its posterior border abruptly incurved transversely; the surface of the nasals in front of this expansion is scarcely appreciably constricted so that this area of the muzzle is flatter transversely than in Cervus; the anterior nares also are relatively wider and shorter. The antlers exhibit an obtusely angular backward bend at the level of the ‘trez’ tine; the two terminal tines form a longitudinal not a transverse fork as in C. hanglu and affinis and the ‘bez’ tine is undeveloped. It is normally of large size in the British Indian representatives of Cervus but it may be absent as a racial or indi- vidual peculiarity in the type of the genus C. elaphus. Most of the characters of this stag have been previously des- cribed. The generic diagnosis here given is taken from the type of Cervus thoroldi represented by the mounted skin and the skull in the British Museum. The differences pointed out seem to justify the generic rank -given to the species by Flerov. He, however, enumerated as distinctive of Przewalskium a large number of addi- tional cranial features. Like myself he appears to have had only one skull. It is not clear with what skulls of Cervus he compared it and he gave no measurements. But comparison between the skull of the type of thoroldi and skulls of Cervus hanglu fails to substantiate many of the differences he claimed and shows some noticeable individual differences between the skulls of albirostris that he and I examined. Flerov claimed that in his skull:—(1) the width is half the length; (2) the anterior edge of the mesopterygoid fossa reaches the line of the last molars, whereas in Cervus it falls far short of that line; (3) the palate is broad and flat, unlike the concave, roof- like palate of Cervus; (4) the bulla is comparatively minute and the external auditory meatus is thin and without the sharply marked crest seen in Cervus; (5) the teeth are minute (small) as compared with those of Cervus and the tooth-row is short and flat, whereas in Cervus it is ‘curved archwise downwards’ that is to say the crowns of the molars in profile view form a convex curve, the median teeth being lower than the anterior and posterior of the series. In the skull of the type of thoroldi :—(1) the width is much less than half the length, falling short of it by 4o mm. (over 14 inches) ; (2) the anterior edge of the mesopterygoid fossa is on a level with the middle of the last molars; in one skull of Cervus hanglu (Harring- ton) it overlaps the last molars by about one-third of their length, in another (Duke of Bedford) it falls short of the line of the molars by about 2 mm. only; (3) the palate is ‘concave and roof-like’, as in the two skulls of C. hanglu cited; (4) the bulla is larger than in the Duke of Bedford’s skull of hanglu, in which it looks shrunken, and the crest on the meatus forms a definite ridge, although not so well developed as in that skull of hanglu, which is considerably older. I attribute the strong crest and shrunken bulla in this specimen to age; (5) the individual teeth are a trifle smaller for the most part than in Harrington’s skull of hanglu, the actual length THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA: 313 measurements in mm., with those of the hanglu in brackets, being as follows:—pm' 15 (17), pm* 15 (17), pm* 15 (15), m’ 20 (21), m? 23 (25), m* 22 (24), total length of the row 107 (112). But in the Duke of Bedford’s older skull of hanglu, with the teeth worn, the same measurements are: 17, 16, 14, 16, 19, 22, 100; in Mrs. Abbay’s skull of hanglu, with the teeth unworn, they are 16, 16, 15, 20, 22%, 21$, tog and in Phelphs’s skull from Srinagar the last four teeth are 15, 18, 22, 24, the total, including the first two missing premolars, being 114. Clearly the teeth vary in size individually in hanglu. They also vary in Cervus elaphus. In a skull from Coto Donana, Spain, the measurements are 15, 15, 14, 19, 22, 21, 100 and in one from Balmacaan, Scotland, they are 14, 14, 14, 17, 22, 19, 99. In both the teeth are smaller than in the type of thoroldi. Przewalskium albirostris, Przewalski. Cervus albirostris and sellatus, Przewalski, Reise Tibet, pp. 73 and 76, 1884 and Cat. Zool. Coll. p. 16, 1887; Pousargues, Bull. Mus. Paris, 1897, p. 284 and Mem. Soc. Zool. Fr., 11, p. 215, 18098; Pocock, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1912, p. 574, Lydekker Cat. Ung. Brit. Mus., p. 149, fig. 28, 1915 and several of his earlier publications. Cervus dybowskii, W. L. Sclater, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 58, pt. 2, p. 186, pl. ir (skull), 1889; Bentham, Cat. Asiatic Horns, etc. Ind. Mus., p. 64, pl. (skull), t908 (not of Taczanowski 1876). Cervus thoroldi, Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1893, p. 444, pl. 34, text fig. Przewalskium albivostris, Flerov, C. R. Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S., NQZON 1p. 157) bocock, Proc, Zoolksoe. $1933: p11395- Locality of the type of albirostris and sellatus: Nak. Chan (Nan. Chan) N.-E. Tibet; of thoroldi, N.-W. of Bethany, 200 miles N.-E. of Lhasa, Tibet. Distribution: —E. Tibet. The first Englishman to describe this rare species was W. L. Sclater who had in the Calcutta: Museum a_head-skin and_ skull found in the Darjiling bazaar. This with much hesitation and, as it proved, erroneously, he identified as Cervus dybowskii, one of the Sika-group inhabiting the Ussuri district of Manchuria. He pointed out the main peculiarities of the skull, distinguishing it from those of the larger Indian species of the family and gave some measurements in English inches which show a few minor differences from those of the type of thoroldi. The only two which call for notice are the condylobasal length which is 133 inches, about 4 inch shorter, and the orbital width which is 74 inches, 2 inch . . . e 2 4 wider, a surprising difference.’ Blanford’s coloured plate of the ' Sclater’s words were ‘greatest width behind the orbits’ from which I infer he meant ‘greatest width of the orbits behind’, the orbital width being the greatest width in the type of thorvoldi, Bentham’s measurements of the same skull nearly twenty years later are hopelessly at variance with Sclater’s. The basal length, according to him, is 15+ inches, considerably longer, instead of shorter than the condylobasal length. No doubt he meant the total length, since the total length of the skull of the type of thoroldi, is just under 153 inches. The width, according to Bentham, is 5% inches, about one inch less than in ~ that type. 314 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII type of thoroldi is a good representation of the specimen, except that the ears are manifestly much too short; but he also gave a woodcut of the head of a second specimen shot by Thorold. This specimen I have not seen; but the ears in the figure of it are much longer than those depicted in the plate and resemble those of the actual type. Hence the evidence that the ears in the two known specimens of thoroldi are longer, narrower and more pointed than in Wallich’s deer, the Shou and the Kashmir Barasingh is satis- factory. Blanford perceived that his specimens of thoroldi were specifi- cally the same as the stag Sclater had described four years pre- viously; but it was Pousargues who detected that Przewalski had previously named the species albirostris. There is one other point. Blanford discussed at some length his suspicion that Hodgson in 1851 had described thoroldi as nariyanus. He finally rejected that name because of its alleged inappropriateness, without perceiving that Hodgson’s figure of the antler of nariyanus at once negatives the supposition. The only available specimen is the type of thoroldi, a mounted skin collected at Bethany, 200 m. alt. by W. C. Thorold (no. 92.10.11.1).° It is a strongly built stag, the standing height at the withers being about 48 in. and the length over the curves to the root of the tail, only 724 in., just over 6 ft., the same height approximately as a mounted skin of C. hanglu alongside it, but 7 in. shorter in the length of the head and body. Whether this difference in length is a genuine character or due to artificial preparation is doubtful. The coarse hairs on the body are straight and about 52 mm. (2 in.) long, but on the fore part of the shoulder- mat they are curved and 73 mm. (about 3 in.) long; those on the muzzle and cheeks as far back as below the ears are much finer and smoother. The general colour is darkish brown, with a fulvous speckle in the pelage; this gradually fades to sandy fawn on the legs; the white on the head, throat and front of the ears is much more sharply defined than in the Shou and Hanglu (Kashmir Stag) and the rump patch and tail are sandy like the legs and_ sharply defined from the brown of the back and outside of the thighs; the patch extends about 3 in. in front and at the sides of the tail, which is about 54 in. long, without the terminal hairs. The notice- ably pointed ears are 8} in. long from the notch in front, 10 in. from the base behind and 3 in. wide in the middle of their length; they are actually longer and narrower than in the mounted speci- men of the Hanglu. The gland on the hind leg is below the middle of the shank, its centre being 84 in. below the hock and 7 in. above the outer false-hoof. The main hoofs are about 60 mm. long down the front edge. In this account I have followed the general opinion that thoroldi is a synonym of albirostris. The names admittedly apply to the same species; but they may symbolise distinct. subspecies. At all events, according to the descriptions, the types differ in two re- | spects and were killed at places some 600 miles apart. From Prze- walski’s description of albirostris, of which Pousargues published THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA | 315 a translation, the hairs along the spine in albirostris are reversed from the middle of the back and the general colour is “brownish red’, each hair being brown at the base, red at the tip; and the under side and the inner sides of the upper half of the limbs are clearer red. In the type of thoroldi, on the contrary, the spinal hairs are reversed from the croup and there is no red in the pelage, the tips of the hairs of the upper side being pale fulvous and the general colour of the body above and below brown. But the differ- ence in the spinal hairs may be merely individual and the difference in colour seasonal, the type of albirostris, with the antlers in velvet, having been shot in July and that of thoroldi, with the antlers burnished, in the snow, presumably of winter. In the following table of measurements the length of the face is taken from the anterior rim of the orbit to the tip of the muzzle; the orbital width across the upper half of the orbit behind above the zygomatic arch; the height of the facial vacuity is taken from “the middle of the free edge of the nasal to the nearest point of the lower edge of the vacuity. The exact dimensions of the gland pit are doubtful owing to the anterior and lower edges being sloping and ill defined. It must also be explained that the numbers in the successive. columns do not necessarily apply to the same stage. They represent the largest and smallest dimensions of the areas mentioned shown by the series of skulls of the Shou and Hanelu. This of course does not apply to Przewalski’s stag, of which only a single skull is available. : Some dimensions in mm. of the largest and smallest skulls, of parts of a number of skulls and the averages of the same, of the Shou and Hangul and of the single example of, Przewalski’s Deer in the British Museum. TW | | ; me | | | ' Aw oO - les wv | i PIM lela) Gide ey |e Aldeaeilaien ce We. | oe | oe pu fy (| Salicaeest | tal cane “eiccy Mae toy we US SS Pl uy net Bey il ice eels Of ae | ae S| 2s lesles| $8 S38] se | sé a Sie || Gee SS Sill toch || Me es bog 9 Soe | ise ARO ect enemy ees SHE eck Sle ce ROMs eG Set IP SIRI alee Wk eisai Sei es 1 | | Shou (C. affi-. | | nis) | | | | Largest ...| 460 | 365 | 194 | 88] 57 |188: 73 DP 2020 47 337 Smallest ... | 433 | 240 | 173 75 51 /164 : 55 6 | 58:17 | 43 : 28 Average of. | | 6 ... | 446 | 254 | 188 | 83) 54 |175: 65 Jen O4ee20)) | 45.°°33 Hangul (C. | | hanglu) | Largest ... 404 | 237 | 182 77'| 54 |160 : 60 27 37:24 | 46: 32 Smallest ... | 384 | 205 | 160 65 49 |120 : 47 Mae LS. 35-23 Average of | | | B10 WO 65 | CY GAL 71 51 140: 54 [Steieote 20" |" 38:27 Przewalski’s | | | | Deer | | | | | (P. albiros- | | | | | tris) 984) 208 | 17273 | 4g 151: 78| 38 | 40:9 | 51:21 316 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII SUMMARY. The distinguishing characters of the four species above described may be summarisd as follows :— External characters, apart from the antlers. a. Ears wider, less pointed; gland-tuft on hind lee nearer the hock than the false hoof; coat not so harsh, directed backwards along the spine without forming a mat on the withers; muzzle not encircled with white, under side of lower jaw and summit of throat not so conspicuously white ; rump-patch and backs of thighs white ... Cervus b. Rump-patch extensive, reaching sum- mit of croup, without median dark stripe (other characters asin affinis, but dark -brown colour phase un- known) hey ae oe: ... wallichit b.‘ Rump-patch much smaller, narrower and not extending over one-third of the distance to the summit of the croup, always marked with a more or less distinct median dividing dark stripe. c. Size larger, height about 52 in., at withers, rump-patch with a thin, sometimes abbreviated median stripe; general colour varying from deep brown to fawn grey; chin and lips fawn, not very sharply contrasted with the rest of the face; no white on lower jaw . affinis e. Size smaller, about 48 in. at withers ; rump-patch with a broad stripe dividing it at least to the root of the tail but sometimes extending to the tip of that organ; general colour apparently deep brown at all seasons, no pale phase recorded; chin and lips white, sides of muzzle pale fawn rather sharply contrasted with the rest of the face; some white on lower jaw and belly ... hanglu a.’ Fars narrower, more pointed; gland tuft on hind lege nearer the false hoof than the hock; coat very harsh, directed forwards along the whole of the spine or from its middle to the withers, where it forms a THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA definite mat; white from the upper lip extending over the muzzle behind the rhinarium, lower side of the under jaw and upper end of the throat white and conspicuously contrasted with the sur- rounding area; rump-patch, tail and backs | of thighs fawn’... a se ... Preewalskium albirostris Skull characters,thoseof C.wallichti unknown. a. Median portion of nasals compressed, their lateral edges gradually expanding posteri- orly towards the facial vacuities, their greatest width always less than half their greatest length; vacuities long and wide; gland-pit comparatively shallow and short, their length less than the vertical diameter of the orbit; anterior nares — relatively longer and narrower ... Cervus b. Skull larger, about 2 in. longer, free edge of nasals abutting against the vacuities typically very short, averag- ing about 9 mm. i. 3 ... affinis b.. Skull smaller; free edge of nasals abutting against vacuities not so short, averaging about 18 mm. ... hanglu a. Median portion of nasals noticeably flatter, their lateral edges curving abruptly out- - wards towards the vacuities forming a wide expansion about half the total length of the nasals and reducing the size of the vacuities which are rather short and particularly narrow; glandpits deeper and longer, their length slightly exceeding the vertical diameter of the orbit (inside measurement); anterior nares relatively wider and shorter a aes ... Prsewalskium albirostris 317 THE BIRDS OF MYSORE. BY Sum At. With notes by Hugh Whistler. Part II. (Continued from Vol. xlitt, No, 2, p. 147). Garrulax delesserti (Jerdon) The Wynaad Laughing Thrush. Specimens collected: 834 3, 835 @ 5-2-40, 850 SG, 851 SG 852 of 8-2-40 Agtumbé (2,500’). Elsewhere not noted. {| Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 460 29.5-30.5 107-113.5 99-107 mm. 1 9 31 113 106.5 mm.—H. W.] This Laughing Thrush was met with only at Agimbé. Flocks of 12 to 15 individuals skulked about squeaking shrilly in dense evergreen undergrowth with a profusion of cane brakes and palms. The testes of all the 3 specimens of 8 February were enlarged. They measured 12X%7, 9X5 and 8X5 m.m. respectively. No Laughing Thrushes of the genus Trochalopteron were noted in Mysore. Turdoides somervillei orientalis (Jerdon) The Eastern Ghats Jungle Babbler. Specimens collected: 163 Q 24-11-39 Maddiir (2,500); 406 Q 21-12-39 Maklidriig (2,800’). Biligirirangan Hills: 40 C$ 10-11-39 (4,000’ Bedaguli) ; M70(H) @ 10-4-34, M30(H) G 10-5-34 (5,000); M63-64(H) BQ 15-5-34 (4,000° Shenemenhatia). ; Elsewhere noted: Bandiptr, Devarbetta Hill, Satnar, Thondébhavi, Nama- dachilumé, Sakléshpur, Jagar Valley (2,500—Bababuidan -Hills), Settihalli. Common in deciduous hiotope and partial to bamboo facies. At Bandipitr, Maddir and Satntr this species was frequently observed inhabiting the same patch of jungle as T. striatus affinis, and at Namadachilumé once actually in association with it. Specimen No. 163 (24 November) was preparing to breed. Its largest ovum was over 2 mm. in diameter. Turdoides striatus affinis (Jerdon) (= polioplocamus Oberholser.) The White- headed Babbler. Specimens collected: 79 CG 15-11-39 Bandipir (3,300); 374 G 17-12-39 Satnur (2,500'); 548 $ 7-1-40 Marikanivé (2,500). Biligirirangan Fills + M16 (G) ¢ 9-7-34 (3,000° Udahatti, Eastern base). a Elgewaete noted: Maddtr, Hinstr, Nandidrig, Dodballapair, Kolar Gold VIEIGS? | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail ARGNG) 20.5-22 105-109.5 97-104 mm. This is the correct name for the White-headed Babbler which has been called Turdoides striatus polioplocamus in the previous surveys, as Oberholser’s name is ante-dated by Malacocercus affinis Jerdon, Ill. Ind. Orn. (1847) pl. 4. —H. W.| THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 314 Common, Inhabits drier and more open low scrub country than — the Jungle Babbler, commonly on the outskirts of cultivation: and about human habitations. The two species are frequently found side by side and sometimes even in association where their respective preferences overlap. All the 3 Save specimens had enlarged gonads (11X06, 10X5, 9X6 mm.) and they wer e either breeding or about to breed. Argya caudata caudata (Itumont) The Common Babbler. Specimens collected: 375 G 17-12-39 Satnur (2,500‘); 501 Q 10-1-40 Mari- lkanivé (2,500’). Elsewhere not noted. Uncommon and patchily distributed in the Maidan. lound in dry, open serub-and-bush country—practically semi-desert. Both the specimens appeared to be breeding. The male’s testes measured 14X53; the largest ovarian follicle of the female was 10 mm. in diam. and_ the oviduct greatly distended. Argya malcolmi (Sykes) The Large Grey Babbler. Specimens collected: 315 2, 316 G 13-12-39 Satnur (2,500’). Elsewhere noted: Marikanive. Uncommon and patchy in the Maidan. Its distribution in Mysore State is more or less coincident with that of the Common Babbler. They are both birds. of dry, open, sparsely scrubbed country with cultivation interspersed. Argya subrufa (Jerdon) The Rufous Babbler. Specimens collected : 233 d, 234 2, 235 do 2-12-39 Manchgowdanhalli io. 500°) ; 264 Q 4-12-39 Karapur (2,500); 637 d 15-1-40 Sakléshptr (3,000’). Biligiri- rangan Hills : M35-85(H) 3d 13-5-34 (4,000° Anaribetta). Elsewhere noted: Settihalli. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 6 dod 21-23.5 89-94.5 115-118 mm. 2 22 21-22 gc-9g1 105 mm.—H. W.| Probably more generally distributed than the above records indicate. Its preferential habitat is the intermediate zone. Here it affects dense scrub under- growth and thickets, particularly where intermixed with tall coarse grass and bamboo brakes. Through the spiky tangles of these (B. arundinacea) the birds scuttle in and out and up the stems with the agility of a mouse. A shrill con- tinuous tree..tree..tree whistling is kept up. In timbre and volume it is lilce the chirping of a large cricket, but broken now and then by one or two tell-tale harsher squeaks. The whistling is frequently kept up unbroken for quite 10 seconds at a stretch. Its harsh squeaky alarm notes are the typical ‘babbl- ing’. The gonads of a male on 2 December were enlarged to 7X5 mm. The ovaries of females both on that date and on 4 December were conspicuously granular. Two of the 2 December specimens had distinct incubation patches and all 3 were undergoing complete moult—body, wings and tail—so presumably post-nuptial. Pomatorhinus horsfieldi horsfieldi Sykes. Horsfield’s Scimitar Babbler. Specimens collected: 117 Q 19-11-39, 169 OG 25-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300) ; 132 Q 21-11-39 Gudaltr Ghat (4,500’); 206 dG 30-11-39 Antarsanté (2,500’) ; 607d 13-1-40, 629 dG, 630 ¢G 14-1-40, 652 G 16-1-40 Sakléshpur (3,000’) ; 685 d 20-1-40 Kemmangundi (5,000—Bababudan, Hills). Biligirivangan Hills ; M28(H) 2 12-3-34, M50(G) ¢ 30-10-34 (5,000° Honnametti); M54(H) ¢ 14-4-34, Moo(H) @ 24-4-34, Mior-103(H) 3 QQ 22-5-34 (4,000’ Bellaji); M37(G) ¢ 22-9-34 (2,000° Satyamangala); M46(G) @Q 28-10-34 (4,000' Attikan). Elsewhere noted: Nandidrig, Namadachilumé, Jog. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 11 ood 29-5-33 - 95-5-104. 95-117 mm. AM OLS, 29-5-33 93-5-96 93-100 min. 29Q (juv.) —- 85-5-89 93-98 mm, 320 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII The question of the races of this Scimitar Babbler first attracted my atten- tion in the Eastern Ghats Survey (J.b.N.H.S., xxxv, pp. 741-742) with the eventual result that in j/.B.N.H.S., xxxviii, p. 699 1 named a new race P. h. maderaspatensis from the lower Eastern Ghats. Under the latter reference | also pointed out that the above series of birds collected by the interest of Mr. Kk. C. Morris in the Biligirirangan Hills belonged to the typical race, birds with a long bil and a marked black edge to the plastron. At the time this identification was made it appeared a somewhat bold one as the Biligiri- rangans were a long way south of Castle Rock (near Goa), the most southerly locality from which [ had then seen the typical race, and in this new locality the typical race appeared to be sandwiched in between P. h. travancoreensis of the Malabar Coast and P. h. maderaspatensis of the lower Eastern Ghats. This new series collected by Mr. Salim Ali, however, not only fully confirms the identification but with its new localities does much to lessen the gap, and it is clear that in southern India we have the three races with a parallel dis- tribution in the Western Ghats, central plateau and Eastern Ghats respectively. Viewed in serics the three races are very distinct. It will be noticed that the Gudalur Ghat bird is similar to the rest of Mr. Salim Ali’s series though ~ Nilgiri birds generally are accepted as travancoreensis.—H. W.| The Scimitar Babbler is common in all the well-wooded portions of the State both in the evergreen and deciduous biotopes and up to the highest hills. ihe birds were usually met with in pairs calling and answering one another. All the Survey specimens were more or less sexually mature, and breeding was certainly in progress between mid-November and mid-January. No nest was actually found in’ Mysore, but at Hebbale (a tew miles trom Sakleshpur, across and within the Coorg border) I’. N. Betts tound one at the base of a Lantana bush on an open deciduous hillside containing one chick and 1 addled egg (ca. 10 January). The nest was the usual ball of leaves and bast fibres. Dumetia hyperythra albogularis (Blyth) The Small White-throated Babbler. Specimens collected: 108 ¢ 19-11-39 Bandipur (3,300); 363 Q 17-12-39 Satnur (2,500'); 387 Y 19-12-39 Maklidrug (2,800'); 556 Q 7-1-4o Marikanive (2,500). Biligirirangan Hills: 54 GG 11-11-39 (4,000° Dodsampagi); 0? imm. 30-12-32 (Honnametti 5,000’); M26(H) o? 13-3-34 (4,000° Attikan); Mo2(H) Jd 15-5-34 (4,000° Shenemenhalla); Mg2-95(H) ¢, of juv., 2d 19-5-34 (4,000 Magoolibetta); M4q(G) Q 17-7-34 (3,000 Udahatti). Elsewhere noted: Herikeré, Chamundi Hill, Nandidrig, emmangundi (Bababudans). | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 5 6d 13-14.5 50-59-5 O1-62.5 mun. 4 @Q 13-5-14 55-50 59-03 mm.—H. W.| Common in deciduous scrub jungle with thorn thickets of Zizyphus rugosa and others, intermixed with tall coarse Andropogon grass. On the Biligirirangans where dense evergreen sholas in the ravines alternate with open grass and scrub deciduous patches, this little babbler is strictly confined to the scrub and thickets on the open hilltops and ridges separating the nullahs. It ventures into the undergrowth on the fringe of the intermediate zone, but steadfastly avoids evergreen. Chrysomma sinensis sinensis (Gmelin) The Yellow-eyed Babbler. Specimens collected: 221 G 1-12-39 Antarsanté (2,500'); 300 G 9-12-39 Hiunsir (2,000); 317 3 13-12-39 Sainir (2,500’); 512 d 31-12-39 Namadachilumeé - (3,000') Biligirirangan Hills: Mu1o4(G) 30-7-34, Mir2(G) 0? 3-8-34 — (3,000 Udahatti). Elsewhere noted: Bandipur, Herikeré, Hangala, Gtndlapet, Chamutndi Hill, Thondébhavi. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 56d 14-14.5 - 67-70 8o.5-88.5 mm, ip 9) 14.5 67.5 87 mm.—H. W.] THE BIRDS OF MYSORE , 321 Resident. Common. Confined to deciduous biotope. Irequents — thorn thickets intermixed with tall coarse grass—very similar facies to that 6f Dumetia. Major Phythian-Adams has two clutches of 4 eggs each taken on 12 and 13 June near Gundlupet. Pellorneum ruficeps ruficeps Swainson. The Spotted Babbler. Specimens collected: 672 ¢ 19-1-40 Bababudan Hills (4,500—Kemmangundi) ; 770 29-1-40, 787 G 31-1-40 Settiballi (2,500’). Biligivirangan Hills: Miz (G) G 15-9-34 (2000° Satyamangala). Elsewhere noted: Biandipur, ‘sarapur, Antarsanté, Shimsha, Sivasamudram, Devarbetta Hill, Namadachilume, Sakléshpur. [ Measurements ; Bill Wing Tail 3 d6¢ 18.5-19 70-74 66-69 mm. The Biligirirangan bird has juvenile wings (68.5) and tail (65), so is not included in the above-—H. W.] -: Common and generally distributed in the wooded portions of the State, chiefly in the mixed intermediate zone between the evergreen and deciduous biotopes. Sporadic bursts of song may be heard at all seasons. During the Survey (November to March) the bird was mostly silent, and only uttered the monotonous Prelty-sweet or Beat-you notes. These were heard chiefly up to about 9.30 in the morning, and then from about 5 onwards until dusk. They are repeated continuously at intervals of 5 seconds or so for over 15 minutes at a stretch from up within the thickest bamboo brakes and. clumps. When approached after infinite struggling through the thickets, the calls suddenly cease. Sometimes, but not always, a subdued harsh chr-y, chr-y iniimates that the bird is slinking off, and the aggravating plaint recommences a_ hundred yards or so further |! No precise evidence as to the breeding season in Mysore was obtained. Mixornis gularis rubricapilla (Tickell) The Yellow-breasted Babbler. Specimens collected: 207 gd, 208 Q 30-11-39 Antarsanté (2,500’); 232 2-12-39 281 [dg] 6-12-39 Manchgowdanhalli (2,500’). Iris yellowish-white. Elsewhere not noted. | Measurements : Bill ; Wing Tail By (ize) 15-5-16 62-63 18-20 mm. The 2 is in complete moult with a broken bill so no measurements possible. This is one. of the most interesting discoveries of the Survey as it greatly extends the known distribution of the species and race. In the Eastern Ghats Survey (J.B.N.H.S., xxxv, p. 747) it was found to be common in the Vizaga- patam area and this was a slight extension of the known range. southwards at the time. This further extension was quite unexpected, and even Jerdon never hinted that the bird might be found in South India. The specimens are quite indistinguishable from Vizagapatam and Himalayan specimens.—H. W. | The Yellow-breasted Babbler was met with in a small patch, about 3 mile square, of deciduous bamboo jungle on the bank of the Kabani river. Though the specimens are labelled differently as to locality they were all obtained within this same patch. Antarsanté is about 3 miles distant from Manchgow- danhalli and a better known village than the latter, which is merely a Forest Department’s timber depot. ; Two or three small parties of these birds, each of 3 or 4 individuals, were observed keeping high up in the bamboo clumps—usually above 15 ft.—clinging to the foliage upside down and sideways, searching for insects on the under- surface of the leaves and moving from clump to clump. Their actions were strongly reminiscent of both the Tora and the Tit. The call—a rich kew-kew- kew-kew-kew-kew repeated for several minutes with short breaks in between, is rather like that of the Tailor Bird, but louder and with something of the richness of a Blackbird’s song. It is a big noise for so small a bird. This eee calling is occasionally varied- by a sharp chr-r-r as of the Spotted abbler. 2 322. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL Hist. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII All the specimens were completing moult—body, rectrices and remiges. Jheir gonads were quiescent. Alcippe poioicephala brucei Hume. The Bombay Quaker Babbler. Specimens collecied: 213° G 30-11-39, 282 Q 6-12-39 Manchgowdanhalli (Antarsante 2,500); 6073 Y 1g-I-4o, 697 JG 2t-1-g4o Babadudan Hills (4,500 —Kemmangundi); 749 &Y 27-1-40 Settihalli (2,500) Biligirirangan — r11U09 : 7 & 6-11-39, 20 dG 9-11-39 (4,000—Edbuthi); GQ 16-12-32, Q9Y 17-12-32, Mio(H) og, M28(H) Go juv. 9-5-34, M50(H) of 14-5-34, M30(G) Q 20-10-34 (5,000 —Honnametti); M57(H) Y 19-4-34, M20(G) ¢ 18-10-34 (4,000/—Shene- menhalla); M78(H) ¢, Muoo(li) Gg, M1o7(H) gd —.5.34 (4,000'—Attikan) ;~ MO1(H) CS 15-5-34 (4,000-—Bellaji). IkIsewhere noted: Sakleshpur, Jagar Valley, Jog. | Measurements ; Bill Wing Dail. Il og 15-17 08.5-74-.5 O1.5-09 min. 10 YY 15-5-10.5 60-7 1 62-04.5 mm. Ig. juv. ee 06 65-5 mim. All the specimens collected by the Survey clearly belong to the race brucei including the 2 marked from the Biligirirangans (Ikdbuthi). Whether this is a mere chance of individual variation as regards the 2 latter, or whether they come from a distinct area is not clear, but the original Biligirirangan series (M) are all intermediates between pototcephala and brucei, being definitely more richly coloured than the Survey series.—H. W.|] A common and abundant resident species of evergreen biotope, extending across the intermediate zone to the fringe of deciduous, especially the bamboo facies. locks, of 6 to 10 birds mostly, were met with amongst undergrowth as well as in forest canopy. I have nothing to add to its habits as described in the Travancore report (J.b.N.H.S., xxxvili, 80). Amongst leafy bamboo stems its actions and appearance are very like Mzxornis. My field’ book records that the last note in the call of the Antarsante and other Mysore birds was somewhat different—more prolonged and interrogative than that of the Biligirirangan birds. All the Survey specimens except No. 7 showed progressive gonadal develop- ment. No. 213 (30 November) and 697 (27 January) with testes measuring 8x6 and 8x5 mm. respectively, as well as the females collected round these dates certainly appeared. to be getiing ready to breed. Rhopocichla atriceps atriceps (Jerdon) The Black-headed Babbler. Specimens collected: 284 oo, 285 dg, 286 2 6-12-39 Manchgowdanhalli (Antarsanté 2,500°); 664 ¢ 17-1-4o Sakléshpur (3,000); 750 Y 27-1-40, 809 ¢ 2-2-40 Settihalli (2,500°) Biligirirangan Hills: 1 © 6-11-39, Q 17-12-32, G 19-12-32, M17(H) 0? 9-5-34, M48-49o(H) oe 12-5-34, M3(G) 0? 9-10-34, M27(G) 3 19-10-34 (Honnametti, 4-5,000/); Mr14(H) 25-5-34 (Edbuthi, 4,000 ). Elsewhere noted: Bababudan Hills (Kemmangundi), Jog. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 10 dd 14.5-10 58.5-01 48-52.5 min, 5 29 14.5-16 55-58-5 45-48 mm.—H. W. | Resident. Common in evergreen biotope. Flocks of 6 to 8 amongst dense undergrowth of seedlings and Strobilanthes. Particularly fond of cane brakes in dank ravines. Hopping about amongst the stems and rarely exposing them- selves. Seldom ascending into forest canopy. Observed on one occasion in bamboo facies of dry-inter belt. Two of the specimens of 6 December showed a slight gonadal development. Tests 4x3 mm.; largest ovum 1.5 mm. It is probable that as in many mem- bers of this family the breeding season is ill-defined and straggles over most of the year. THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 323 Agithina tiphia humei Stuart Baker. The Central Indian Iora. Specimens collected: 84 Q 17-11-39, 100 6 18-11-39, 106 @Q 19-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300’); 344 @Q °15-12-39 Satnur (2,500’); 560 ¢ 7-1-40 Marikanivé (2,500); 823 dG 4-2-40 Agumbé (2,500’); Biligivirangan Hills: M1-2(G) ¢Q 7-7-34, M4o(G) [3d] (3,000—Udahatti, E. base); M8(G) 6 15-9-34 (2,000°— Satyamangala); M38(G) ¢ 23-10-34 (3,000—Bellaji). Elsewhere noted: Hutnsur, Shimsha, Thondebhavi, Namadachilumé, Jégi- maradi, Sakléshptr, Settihalli, Kolar Gold Fields. / | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 7 OC 16-18 (once 58.5) 64-68 (once 42.5) 47.5-50 mm. 6 Oe 17-18 66-67.5 51-50 mm. One of the Biligirirangan birds, ¢ 15 Sept. 1934 from Satyamangala (2,000’) and evidently by the softness of the skull and the narrow tail feathers an im- mature bird, could not be distinguished from AY. nigrolutea as the central tail is washed with white. I cannot believe that this is really nigrolutea which has not been recorded from nearer than northern Khandesh and Sambalpur. It is evidently an interesting case of individual variation showing how nigrolutea had its origin.—H. W.] Resident. Confined to deciduous biotope. In localities like Sakléshptr and Agumbé (in Malnad) where there is an intermingling of the deciduous and evergreen types of vegetation, the lora was invariably found in the deciduous facies, keeping to thin jungle and scrub. It was commonly met with as a member of the localised forest associations or hunting parties of insectivorous birds. Courtship was in general progress about the middle of December at which season males in full breeding plumage were to be seen. Breeding in many cases appeared to be imminent. No. 344 (15 December) had a conspicuously granular ovary. Chloropsis aurifrons frontalis (Pelzeln) The Gold-fronted Chloropsis. Specimens collected: 78 G 15-11-39, 107 @Q 19-11-39 Bandipur (3,300’) ; 865 d, 866 Q 12-2-40 Jog (2,000). Elsewhere noted: Jarapur. - [Measurements : Bill Wing Tail Id 24 100 71 mm. B® 23 88.5-91.5 64-67.5 mm, noe oN. ar Q1.5 67.5 mm. On the western side of India there is a gradual transition in size between the larger bird frontalis and the smaller more southern insularis. In the Eastern Ghats Survey (J.B.N.H.S., xxxv, 751) it will be remembered that I suggested that the Palghat Gap might conveniently be fixed as the boundary between the two forms. These specimens support that suggestion.—H. W.] Resident. Not uncommon. ‘Typical of deciduous biotope, but rarely also entering the mixed intermediate zone. Teak plantations constitute a favourite haunt of this species. The pair (865 and 866) obtained on 12 February were breeding. Testes of 36 7X4 mm.; largest ovum of Q 4 mm. The oviduct was’ much distended indicating that eggs had been laid. In this breeding pair the disparity in the development of the gonads seems noteworthy. I have remarked upon a similar disparity in the case of a pair of Frogmouths in Travancore (J.B.N.H.S., Vol. xxxix, p. 33) and also in Laggar Falcons in the Bahawalpur Survey (ibid, Vol. xiii, p. 737). Chloropsis jerdoni (Blyth) Jerdon’s Chloropsis. ~ Specimens collected: 157° Q 24-11-39 Bandipur (3,300); 465 do 27-12-39 Dodballapir (2,900’); 499 ¢, 500 Q 29-12-39 Thondébhavi (2,500’). Biligirirangan Hills: M4(G) S 14-9-34, M7(G) @ Mi1(G) [Q] 15-9-34 (2,000° Satyamangala). 3 324 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLiii Elsewhere noted: Bedaguli (Biligirirangans), Devarbetta Hill, Namadachilumé, Sakléshpur. [| Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 3 o¢ 23-24 93-90 74-5-77 mm. 2 OG 22.5-23.5 86-88 68-69.5 mm. LNG Ve = go 67.5 mm. The juvenile male has no yellow wash on the forehead and no sign of a green gular patch or the yellow nimbus to it, but the moustachial patch of the adult male is partly present and there is a hint of the green shoulder patch. =, WA : Resident. Common in deciduous biotope and partial to secondary jungle. Both the Chloropses feed largely on flower nectar and may be met with wherever Bombax and Erythrina trees are in bloom. They are important cross- pollinating agents. Specimen No. 499 (29 Dec.) had testes measuring 7x3 mm. No. 500 (same date) was breeding, with the largest ovum over 5 mm. I cannot, however, vouch for their being a pair. Microscelis psaroides ganeesa (Sykes) The South Indian Black Bulbul. Specimens collected: 609 Q 13-1-4o Sakléshptr (3,000); 698 Q 21-1-40 Bababudan Hills (4,500—Kemmangundi). Biligivirangan Hills: 25° 9-11-39 (4,000 —Edbuthi) ; [2 ] 18-12-32, M4(H) ¢, MO(H) @ 27-2-34, Ms5(H) od 7-5-34, M15(H) ¢ 8-5-34, M31(H) 2, M35(H) oO juv. 10-5-34 (5,000 —Honnametti) ; Mas(G) ¢ 28-10-34 (4,000—Attikan). Elsewhere noted: Jog, Agumbé. [| Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 46d 26-27.5 118.5-120 IOI-103.5 mm. § 2e 24-26.5 108.5-118.5 g2-102.5 mm.—H. W.] Resident. Common and abundant in evergreen biotope, especially in sholas above 3,500. Noisy flocks. Feeds largely on flower nectar and is an important eross-pollinating agent. Regularly observed probing into Erythrina lithosperma and Grevillea robusta flowers of coffee shade trees. Also into Loranthus blossoms. Specimens shot off the former two had pollen adhering on throat and forehead feathers. Molpastes cafer cafer (Linn.) The Ceylon Red-vented Bulbul. Specimens collected: 89 ¢, g0 Q 17-11-39 Bandipur (3,300’). Biligirirangan Hills: 55 CS 11-11-39 (4,000—Dodsampagi); M3(G) Q 7-7-34, Mi9(G) ¢ 10-7-34 (3,000—Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Chamundi Hill (Mysore City environs), Hunstr, Shimsha, Devarbetta Hill, Thondébhavi, Namadachilumé, Marikanivé, Jogimaradi, Chital- drug, Settihalli, Kolar Gold Fields. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 3 GS Ig-19.5 94-99 78.5-83 mm. A QE 18 87-90 79.5 mm.—H. W.] Resident. The Red-vented Bulbul is primarily restricted to deciduous biotope. In the Biligirirangans it is common about Ptnjur (ca, 2,500—deciduous country at base) but steadily decreases higher up as the biotope gradually alters its character, till between 4,500’ and 5,500’ elevation, where evergreen sholas pre- dominate, it disappears completely. At Settihalli, in the intermediate zone, where evergreen and deciduous patches occur in juxtaposition, this species is confined to the latter while the former is occupied by the Red-whiskered Bulbul. The two species are frequently met with in association in the dry-inter belt as at Bandiptr. At Kemmangindi (4,500’—Bababudans) it is also replaced by Otocompsa. ‘ THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 395 Otocompsa jocosa fuscicaudata Gould. The Southern Red-whiskered Bulbul. Specimens collected: 143 Q juv. 22-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300); 408 ¢ 21-12-39 Maklidrug (2,800’). Biligirirangan Hills: M36(H) 0? 4-4-34 (4,000—Chiksam- pagi); Ms56(H) 0? 19-4-34 (4,000—Attikan); M57(H) ¢ 14-5-34, M44(G) 9 28-10-34 (5,000—Honnametti) ; M72-74(H) dd Q 16-5-34 (4,000—Bellaji) ; M23 (G) Q 26-5-34 (3,000—Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Antarsanté, Devarbetta, Namadachilumé, Sakléshpir, Bababudan Hills, Settihalli, Agumbé). Also 4 specimens from Bangalore (H. G. Walton) 15-20 Jan. 1899 in B.N.H.S. collection. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail Il ood 17.5-20.5 81-88. 5 78-87 mim, 2 970 18.5-19 84-85.5 80-81.5 mm. 2 QQ juv. — 75-78.5 75-79 mm.—H. W.| Resident. A common species chiefly restricted to evergreen biotope and more or less completely replacing Molpastes cafer there. lole icterica (Strickland) The Yellow-browed Bulbul. Specimens collected: 671 6, 676 @Q 19-1-40 Bababtdan Hills (4,500— Kemmangindi); 806 ¢ 2-2-40 Settihalli (2,500’). Biligirirangan Hills: 3 ¢ 6-11-39 (4,000°); [Q] 17-12-32, M27(H) d 28-3-34, M41(H) d 6-4-34, M18(H) J 9-5-34, M29(H)d 10-5-34, M77(H) 2 17-5-34, Mro8(H) 5 23-5-34 (4,000°-5,000 —Attikan and Honnametti); M1g(G) 3 17-10-34 (4,000 —Edbuthi). Elsewhere noted: Sakléshptr, Jog. [Measurements : , Bill Wing Tail - Boo) 20-21 90-97 76-87.5 mm. ee) 20.5 gI 83 mm.—H. W.] Resident. Common. More or less restricted to evergreen biotope. Moves about in parties in the forest canopy as well as lower down, with melodious calls. The Biligirirangan specimen of 23 May (1934) oO is marked on the label as ‘feeding young’. Pycnonotus xaatholemus (Gould) The Yellow-throated Bulbul. Specimens collected: 496 3, 497 @, 498 OS 29-12-39 Thondébhavi (2,500’) ; 573 2 9-1-40 Jogimaradi (3,400’). Elsewhere not noted. [ Measurements ; Bill Wing Tail XS (Sh 18 89-92 85-5 mm. 3 ALS 17-17-5 87. 85-86 mm, _ In the Eastern Ghats Survey (/.B.N.H.S., xxxv, 758) I summarised the records of this bulbul which is apparently much overlooked because of its skulking habits and the fact that the region it inhabits has not received much attention from ornithologists. Since that summary a specimen was _ collected at Ramandrig on 6 May i919 (?) by Mr. E. H. Pooler and is now in the Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology. ‘These specimens provide further welcome evidence of its distribution —H. W. |] - This bulbul is uncommon and patchily distributed in the deciduous biotope. It inhabits thin scrub jungle—less wooded facies than that of the White-browed Bulbul (P. luteolus.) Sparse thorn scrub, interspersed with some large trees -among broken stony hillocks, formed its typical habitat. Its percussive notes when taking to wing are unmistakably like those of P. luteolus, but higher pitched and somewhat softer. Some of its other calls resemble those 01 the Red-vented Bulbul, with which species it was commonly found in association. The birds kept in pairs and were excessively shy. Their stomachs contained drupes of Devadaru (Phyllanthus reticulatus?) and Sandal (Santalum album)— trees on which they were largely observed feeding. 326 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Like the other bulbuls it is instrumental in the dispersal of sandal seeds. The gonads of the 2g December specimens showed a slight development : testes 4X3 and 5X3 mm.; ovary conspicuously granular. Pycnonotus luteoius luteolus (Lesson) The White-browed Bulbul. Specimens collected: 122 Q 20-11-39 Bandipur (3,300’); 161 G@ 24-11-39 Maddtr (2,500’); 339 @ 15-12-39 Satntr (2,500); 418 OG 22-12-39 Maklidrug (2,800); 549 OG 7-1-40 Marikanivé (2,500). Biligirirangan Hills: M76(G) ¢ 23-7-34 (3;000—Udahatti,. E. base). Iklsewhere noted: Hunsur, Shimsha, Namadachilume. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 4dood 18.5-20.5 87-91.5 78.5-860 mm. Ze O4® 19-20.5 86-90-5 78-81.5 mm.—H. W.] Resident. To me this bulbul and JIole icterica have long seemed to be ecological representatives of each other in dry bush-and-scrub jungle on the one hand and evergreen forest on the other. In my field diary I have further remarked upon the fact that in the only two localities where P. xantholaemus was met, this species was absent. This pointedly suggests that in the same way P. xantholaemus may replace P. luteolus in the sparser bush-and-scrub .country that is the characteristic habitat of the former species. Only in No. 418 (22 Dec.) was there a slight departure in the gonads from the normal quiescent condition. They measured 4X3 mm. Irom the body cavity (ruptured intestine?) of a specimen a cestode worm (Biuterina sp.) was removed. Pycnonotus gularis (Gould) The Ruby-throated Bulbul. Specimens collected: 604 ¢, 605 do 13-1-40, 644 G 16-1-40 Sakléshpur (3,000') ; 826 3 4-2-40, 840 Q 5-2-4o Agumbé (2,500’). Islsewhere noted: Settihalli. [| Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 4d¢ 15-16 7-79 69-74 mm. I Q 15 73 69 mm.—H. W.] Resident. What I have said about the habitat of this bulbul in Travancore (J.B.N.H.S., xxviii, 90) applies equally to Mysore. It is partial to scrub-and- bush jungle in the moist-inter belt, and to abandoned coffee piantations especially where overgrown with Lantana thickets. The last two specimens (4 and 5 Tebruary) were definitely breeding. The testes of No. 826 measured 6X4 mm. 840 contained a soft ovarian egg 11 mm. in diam. and her distended oviduct indicated that she had_ laid. Mr. F. N. Betts informed me that he had taken a nest and eggs near Somwarpet in Coorg (a few miles W of Sakléshptr) in the first week of January (1940). Microtarsus poioicephains (Jerdon) The Grey-headed Bulbul. Specimens collected: 124 @, 125 6 20-11-39 Bandipur (3,300); 183 ¢ 28-11-39, 202 6 30-11-39 Antarsanté (2,500°); 631 dG 14-1-40, 645 16-1-40 Sakléshptr (3,000'); 758 G 28-1-40 Settihalli (2,500’). Elsewhere noted: Jagar Valley (Bababudan Hills). [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 650d 15-15-5 77°5-79°5 74°5-79-5 Mm. 1,2 14 aA 70.5 mm. Nos. 125 and 631 differ from the others in having the crown and nape, the earcoverts and the throat the same olive-green as the rest. of the upper parts instead of bluish-slate as in most specimens. The upper surface of the tail also has the grey largely replaced by green. This variation is not given in the usual descriptions and I cannot see that it is a mark of either age or sex. There are similar specimens in the British Museum. It seems to me to be THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 327 merely a mutation similar to that found in Microtarsus atriceps (vide Ticehurst, Ibis. 1939, p. 563). Incidentally I may point out that the juvenile of this species is unknown and the moults are undescribed.—H. W. ] Resident. While being confined to the humid evergreen biotope of S-W India, the characteristic habitat of this bulbul appears to be the moist-inter zone. It is thus found only in the western portions of the State where, however it is not uncommon. The birds are usually met with in small parties of 3 or 4. They have a clear, rather tinny whistling call weet...weet and so on, not unlike that produced by a man to induce his tame partridge to call. The whistles are punctuated now and again by a harsh chake. I observed the birds feeding largely on the berries of the plant known in Canarese as Kaddavé (Stephegyne parvifolia?) and also on the fruits of Dendiga - or Bejalo. The stomach contents of several of the specimens comprised entirely ‘of these. Nothing as regards breeding was suggested by the gonads of the specimens. Brachypteryx major major (Jerdon) The Rufous-bellied Shortwing. Specimens collected: 711 @ 22-1-40,.729 @, 730 Q 24-1-40 Bababudan Hills (4,500 —Kemmangindi). Elsewhere not noted. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 1G 18 Si 63.5 mm. Zone, 17-18 76.5-77-5 59 im, No. 729 is evidently in first winter plumage as two or three fulvous spotted feathers of the juvenile plumage can still be detected at the sides of the nape and on the throat, and with this clue it is possible to detect faint traces of a fulvous apical spot on a median wing covert. There is a slight olive-brown wash on the lower back, rump and breast which may also be a sign of imma. turity. The plumages and. moults of this species are of course not known and it seems a pity that observers in the hills of S-W India cannot remedy the deficiency. As this race has hitherto only been recorded from the Nilgiris and Brahma- giris the specimens indicate a considerable extension of range.—H. W.] Resident. A bird of evergreen biotope, frequenting sholas. Seen singly hopping in and out of the undergrowth and on to the edge of paths. Silent, shy and retiring. Frequent, but not common in its accustomed facies. Tarsiger brunnea brunnea (Hodgs.) The Indian Blue Chat. Specimens collected: 714 ¢, 715 dG 23-1-40 Bababidan Hills (4,500’—Kem- mangiindi); 802 d 1-2-40 Settihalli (2,500’); 836 Q 5-2-40 Agimbé (2,s500’); 867 Q 12-2-40 Jog (2,000). Biligirirangan Hills: CG 18-12-32, CG 24-12-32 (5,000’—H onnametti). Elsewhere noted: Sakléshpir. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 536 5-16 75-5°78.5 45-49.5 mm. 2909 15 73.5-74.5 46 mm.—H. W.] A fairly common winter visitor; restricted to evergreen biotope. Dank cardamom ravines, Calamus and Pandanus brakes constitute its favourite habitat. Here it is usually seen singly flitting amongst the undergrowth, alight- ing on the ground and hopping about in search of insect food. The tail is jerked up and expanded from time to time. Saxicola caprata caprata (Linn.) The South Indian Pied Bush-Chat. Specimens collected: 74 15-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300’); 308 Q 9-12-39 Hunstr (2,000’); 457 9, 462 Q Dodballaptr (2,900); 7o9 SG 22-1-40, 716 Q 23-1-40 Bababtidan Hills (4, 500’-—Kemmangiindi) ; Biligirivangan Hills: 31-12-32 (5,000—Dodsampagi) ; M2o(H) Q 23-4-34, M81(H) Q 18-5-34, M121-122 328- JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL AIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII (H) SQ 26-5-34, M6(G) ¢ 10-10-34, M7(G) Q 11-10-34 (4,000’'—Bellaji) ; M45(H) od 8-4-34, Ms52(H) o 25-4-34 (5,000—Honnametti); M65-66(H) ¢ 9 15-5-34 (4,000-Shenemenhalla); Mg6(H) @Q 19-5-34 (4,000-—Magoolibetta). Elsewhere noted: Begtr, Kolar Gold Fields. {Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 8 dd 14-16 72-77 50-62 mm. 9 99 13.5-16.5 68.5-72.5 47.5-51 mm. No. 457 92 could not be separated from a female of the Northern race S. c. bicoloy and it may well be a migrant of that form, This series shows— as one might expect—some intergrading to the large-billed form of the Nilgiris, Palnis and Travancore ranges (nilgiriensis) which I have recently (Bull. B.O.C., Vol. Ix, p. 90 (1940), separated from the true S. c. caprata of Ceylon in conse- quence of a fresh study of this group in connection with material obtained by the Ceylon Survey.—H. W.] Resident. The Pied Bush-Chat is fairly common, but not abundant. Isolated pairs are met with in grass-covered areas, frequently at the edge of sholas. The restricted amount of white on the abdomen of this race is conspicuous in the field. Saxicola torquata indica (Blyth) The Collared Bush-Chat. Specimens collected: 73 Q 15-11-39 Bandipir (3,300’); 361 [d] 16-12-39 Satnur (2,500'); 494 Q 28-12-39 Dodballaptr (2,900’); 717 Q 23-1-40 Bababudan Hills (4,500’—Kemmangindi). Elsewhere noted: Mandya. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail ity 6h 13.5 68 47 mm. Ze 2.2. 14. 66-68.5 46-47.5 mm.—H. W.] An uncommon winter visitor. Sporadie solos usually met with on fallow land about cultivation, or amongst bulrushes and reeds on marshy ground. Occasionally also on grassy hills in the same facies as the Pied Bush-Chat. Phoenicurus ochruros rufiventris (Vieillot.) The Eastern Indian Redstart. Specimens collected: 216 [9] 1-12-39 Antarsanté (2,500’); 322 6, 323 6 13-12-39 Satnur (2,500’); 429 ¢o 24-12-39, 452 @ 26-12-39 Dodballaptr (2,900’) ; 503 Q 29-12-39 Thondébhavi (2,500’). Elsewhere noted: Hangala (near Gundltpet). [Measurements : Bill Wing : Tail SHOEG 14.5-15.5 86-88 60-63 mm. 8 2 1465-15 84-86 60-60.5 mm.—H. W.] Winter visitor. Not uncommon in the Maidan, affecting dry, stony sparsely scrubbed areas. Met with singly. I never found it in evergreen biotope. Cyanosylvia svyecica subsp.? The Bluethroat. No specimens. Noted: Mandya, Kolar Gold Fields. Winter visitor: decidedly uncommon. Single birds were observed amongst irrigated standing sugar-cane and paddy crops in the former locality, and reeds bordering Betmangala tank in the latter. Saxicoloides fulicata ptymatura (Vicill.) The South Indian Robin. Specimens collected: 218 @ 1-12-39 Antarsanté (2,500’); 299 S 8-12-39 Seringapatam (2,000); 443 Co 24-12-39, 489 Q 28-12-39 Dodballapir (2,900’) :- 564 Q 8-1-40 Marikanivé 2,500’). Biligirirangan Hills :. M25(G) 0? 12-7-34 (3,000—Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Bandiptr, Herikeré (near Gundlipet), Maddir, Begir, Shimsha, Sivasamtidram, Satnir, Namadachilumé, Bhadrayati, Kolar Gold Fields, TPES STD) SOR SVMS OR. 329 [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 460d 15-16 74-80 62.5-66.5 mm. A QV 15-16 73-74 62-66 mm. For my reasons for using the name ptymatura of Vieillot consequent on the separation of S. Indian birds from those of Ceylon see Travancore Survey Report (J.B.N.H.S., xxxviii, 285)—H. W.] A resident of deciduous biotope. Common. Preferential habitat: dry, thin jungle with ant-hills, and scrub-and-bush country. One or two examples were observed hopping about and feeding amongst the gloomy-looking dumps of scrap iron—derelict hurricane lanterns, twisted and distorted motor car wheels and chassis etc.—in the yard of the Mysore Iron Works at Bhadravati ! By the middle of December males were busy chasing females and _ strutting and displaying before them. Major Phythian-Adams took a c/3 near Maddix (Gundlupet) on 14 April (1927). Copsychus saularis ceylonensis Sclater. The Ceylon Magpie Robin. Specimens collected: 236 @Q 2-12-39 Manchgowdanhalli (2,500/); 440 ¢ 24-12-39 491 Q 28-12-39 Dodballaptr (2,900’). SBiligirirangan Hills: M20(G) G 19-9-34 (2,000—Satyamangala) ; M18(G) @ 10-7-34, M50(G) ¢ 19-7-34 (3,000 —Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Bandiptr, Shimsha, Sivasamidram, Namadachilumé, Sakléshpur, Jagar Valley (Bababudans). [Measurements : Bill Wing Tail BOL 20-22 103-105 89-91.5 mm. 4 12 20-21.5 . 94-98 81.5-84 mm. These birds are, as one would expect, slightly intermediate with saularis saularis, but there is no doubt that they are much closer to ceylonensis, and should be kept with it.—H. W.] Resident. Fairly common. Inhabits deciduous biotope—light jungle, orchards and wooded compounds. In the Jagar Valley it was once met with in the bamboo facies of the intermediate zone—in the typical habitat of the Shama (Kittacincla). Mostly silent between November and mid-January ; thereafter song increasingly heard. Kittacincla malabarica ssp. The Shama. Specimens collected: 188 @Q 28-11-39 Antarsanté (2,500); 237 Q 2-12-39, 280 ¢ 6-12-39 Manchgowdanhalli (2,500’) ; 796 @ 31-1-40, 797 Q 1-2-40 Settihalli (2,500’). Elsewhere not noted. [Measurements : Bill Wing Tail i 6 19.5 97 184 mm, 4 99 18-20 87-92 113.5-136.5 mm. There is a noticeable difference between the two females No. 796 and 797 from Settihalli and the other two Nos. 188 and 237 from Antarsanté and these last agree with No. 880 in the Travancore Survey (as described. in Journal B.N.H.S., xxxvili, 288). These last are much more richly coloured birds, blacker above and on the throat and breast and rather deeper chestnut below i.e. they approach the male plumage in type, thereby affording a_ con- necting link with the Ceylon race (which I have described elsewhere) in. which the male and female are virtually indistinguishable. These dark birds are of course the true malabarica of which the type locality is Mahé on the Malabar Coast (vide J.B.N.H.S., xxxvi, 74). It would seem, therefore, that here again we have a distinction between a richly coloured Malabar Coast race and a paler form in the centre and east of the Peninsula. Unfortunately I have not yet been able to verify the point 330° JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII fully. Of the 3 females collected by the Eastern Ghats Survey one was albinistic. Under war conditions I am unable to re-examine the other two, but my memory is that they were pale birds. The only females from the Peninsula in the British Museum are 3 of Davidson’s birds from North Kanara.. These are, as one might expect, intermediate between the two types. If fresh material comes to hand and verifies the point it will be necessary to name the form with the pale females——H. W.] | Resident. Common. Restricted to deciduous biotope, and within this partial to bamboo facies. It also enters the intermediate zone to a_ lesser extent. Song (only occasionally heard during the Survey period) rather like that of Muscicapula tickelliae but louder, richer and more thrushlike in quality. Turdus simiflimus mahrattensis Whistler. The Black-capped Blackbird. Specimens collected: 526 Q- 2-1-40 Namadachilumé (3,000’); 606 ¢ 13-1-40, 624 9, 625 G 14-1-40 Sakléshptr (3,000'); 674 Q 19-1-40 Bababtidan Hills (4,500—Kemmangundi). Elsewhere noted: Bandiptr, Biligirirangan Hills (ca.—5,o000’). [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 2do¢d 26.5-28.5 132-13658 97-98 mm. aS 25-26 120.5-123.5 84-92 mm. Inspite of the fact that the 2 males have a wing formula of 2=7/8 and the 3 females of 2=6/7 I think they all undoubtedly belong to the same form, and this after careful comparison at the British Museum I think must be taken as mahrattensis though there is apparently, as one might expect, some inter- grading into simillimus.—H. W.] Not common and rather sporadic in its local distribution which includes wooded country in both the evergreen and deciduous biotopes. It evidently moves about a good deal locally with the ripening of the various fruits and berries on which it feeds. During November, for example, it was completely absent in the neighbourhood of Bandiptr. This locality was re-visited on 25/26 February when the Banyan and other figs had ripened, and the Blackbird (race?) was then common and plentiful. Lantana berries and sandalwood drupes are also extensively eaten and _ their seeds dispersed. The Black-capped Blackbird is likewise very partial to the nectar of Erythrina and Bomba flowers. Before about the 3rd. week of February the birds were mostly silent, only uttering the familiar, throaty, quick-repeated chuck-chuck-chuck as they flew about; but thereafter the rich song (or bars of it) were occasionally heard. The birds were excessively shy at all times. Turdus simillimus simillimus (Jerdon) The Nilgiri Blackbird. Specimens collected: Biligirirangan Hills: Q Q 18-12-32 (5,000—Honnametti). [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail oy (SM) 24 12I-123.5 94-99 mm.—H. W.] As no specimens were collected at Bandipir in February, I am unable to say whether the birds there belonged to this race or were mahrattensis. Bandiptr lies at the foot of the Gidalir Ghat over which runs the Mysore- Nilgiri motor road. Geokichla wardii (Blyth). The Pied Ground Thrush. Specimens collected: Biligirirangan Hills: M39(H) C_ 5-4-34, M44(H)9? 7-4-34 (4,000 —Bellaji). {[ Measurements : Thi) Bill Wing Tail 1 9 25 119.5 a= 2 118 275TH. W.] THE BIRDS’ OF MYSORE 331 These specimens were doubtless on spring passage from their winter quarters in Ceylon to their Himalayan breeding grounds. The species was not met with by the Survey between November and March. Geokichla citrina cyanotus (Jardine & Selby). The White-throated Ground Thrush. Specimens collected: 620 ¢, 621 OG 14-1-40 Sakléshpir (3,000’) ; 755 3 28-1-40 Settihalli ig 500°). Biligirirangan Hills: M3(H) 92 3-3-34, Ms2(H). 9 10-4-34, Mro(H) 3 9-5-34, M34(H) od 10-5-34 (5,000—Honnametti) ; M38(H) 2 6-4-34 4,000—Bellaji) ; M39(G) 92 26-10-34 (4,000—Attikan). [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail TS Si 22-24 10G-112 73-76 mm. 299 21.5-23.5 106.5-111- “72.5-75.mm.—H. W.] Dank cardamom sholas and coffee plantations never fail to harbour this species. It spends its time hopping about on the ground, rummaging the mulch for insects. Betts informs me that it breeds abundantly in Coorg during the S-W Monsoon, building its open stick nest on the coffee plants. Oreocincla dauma nilgiriensis Blyth. The Nilgiri Thrush. Specimen collected: Biligirirangan Hills: M43(H) CO 12-5-34 (5,000—Honna- metti). An inhabitant of evergreen biotope, partial to sholas. The Survey did not come across this species. _ Monticola cinclorhyncha (Vigors). The Blue-headed Rock-Thrush. Specimens collected: 668 9, 669 @, 670 @ 19-1-40, 718 ¢, 728 Q 23-1-40, 733. 3 24-1-40 Bababidan Hills (4,000-4,500-—Kemmangiundi); 814 ¢ BOO Settihalli (2,500’); 825 ¢, 827 Q 4-2-40 Agtimbé (2,500’). Biligirirangan Hills 16 ¢G 8-11-39 (3,000-—Bedaguli); 60 G 11-11-39, M21(H) 6 25-3-34, M12(G) 3, Mr4(G) Q 15-10-34, M23(G) G 21-10-34, M36(G) Q 22-10-34, M43(G) [9 ] 27-10-34 (5,000°-5,500—Honnametti) ; -M25(G) [dd]. 18-10-34 (4,000—Attikan) ; [dS] 18-12-32, GQ 21-12-32, OG 30+12-32 (4,000—-Dodsampagi). Elsewhere noted: Sakléshpur, Jog. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail hey 22-25 99-108.5 65-71 mm. 9 2Q 22.5-25 97.5-103 66-71 mm.—H. W,]_ A common and abundant winter visitor. Earliest date 15 October; latest 25 March. Met with singly in coffee and cardamoin plantations and secondary evergreen jungle. Occasionally also observed in deciduous thorn scrub-and- grass patches on the edge of evergreen. Monticola solitaria pandoo (Sykes) The Indian Blue Rock-Thrush. Specimens collected: 331 G 13-12-39 Sivasamudram (2,500’); 376 19-12-39 Nandidrig (4,000') ; 412 Q 22-12-39 Maklidrig (2,800’); 541 @ 4-1-40 Namada- chilumé (3,000’) ; 684 3S 20-1-40 Bababtdan Hills (5,000—Kemmangiindi) ; Biligirivangan Hills: 59 SG 11-11-39 (5,500—Honnametti). _ Elsewhere noted: Jog. ° [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 466 26.5-29 118.5-123 pow -82.5 mm. 2 ¢Q 25.5-27 113-114 -77 mm.—H. W.]| Winter visitor. Not uncommon. Solitary birds observed haunting quarries and- rock scarps. Also seen about the iron mines at Kemmangiundi, on rocks in the ‘cauldron’ at the bottom of Jég (Gersoppa) Pauls, and on the magnificent old. temples at Halébid and Belur. From the body cavity of No. 376 was removed a nematode—Diplotriaena sp. (Fam. Filariidae). 332. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Myophonus horsfieldii Vigors. The Malabar Whistling Thrush. Specimens collected: 667 ¢ 17-1-40 Sakléshpir (3,000); 860 @ 11-2-40 Jog (2,000') Biligivirangan Hills: 8 G 6-11-39 (4,000); G 18-12-32 (5,000’); M12(H) d 10-3-34 (4,000); M23(H) og 26-3-34 (4,000—Chiksampagi); M59-60(H) ¢ 9 14-5-34 (5,000). x : Elsewhere noted: Bababudan Hills (Jagar Valley 2,500; Kemmangundi 4,500), Settihalli. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail TONG) 32-34.5 152-105 112-121 man. 299 31.5 145-149.5 94-108 mm. I am now of opinion that this form should be admitted to the rank of a species.—H. W.] Common on all rocky, and preferably torrential, hill streams in evergreen biotope and also in the moist-inter belt. One was observed in the ‘cauldron’ at the bottom of the falls at Jog. Muscicapa parva parva Bechst. The European Red-breasted Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 116: ¢ 19-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300); 353 @Q 15-12-39 Devarbetta Hill (3,000’); 622 Q 14-1-40 Sakléshpur (3,000’). Klsewhere noted: Bababudan Hills (Jagar Valley 2,500°; Kemmangindi 4,500'). [ Measurements : Bill Wing - Tail it 6h 14 72 51 mm. 2 99 12.5-13.5 64-66 48-50 mm.—H. W.] Winter visitor. Not common. Seen singly or in pairs in wooded com- pounds and light deciduous forest with 2 sprinkling of large Banyan and other well foliaged trees. On 23 January a specimen in perfect red-breasted plumage was observed near the Staff Quarters at Kemmangindi. Muscicapula superciliaris superciliaris (Jerdon). The White-browed Blue Fly- catcher, Specimen collected; 523 ¢ 2-1-40 Namadachilumé (3,000’). | Measurements : . Bill Wing Tail nes 12 63-5 45.5 mm, This is a great extension of range. The species has not been previously recorded south of Ahmadnagar (Fairbank, Stray Feathers, iv, 257) and Narsam- pét in Hyderabad State (Salim: Ali, J.B.N.H.S., xxxvi, 387)—H. W.] Winter visitor. This was the only example met with by the Survey—in light deciduous forest with large Banyans and tamarinds scattered about. Muscicaputa pallipes pallipes (Jerdon) The White-bellied Blue Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 721 ¢ 23-1-40 Bababtdan Hills (4,000 —Kemmangindi) ; 739 G 26-1-40, 766 S 209-1 -40, 389 Q 31-1-40 Settihalli (2,500’); 821 ¢ 4-2-40, 848 Q 8-2-40 Agtumbé (2,000’-2,500’). Elsewhere not noted. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail . 4 303 10-17.5 75-5-81 59-5-63 mm. 2 09 17 72-72.5 5455-5 mm.—H. W.] . A fairly common. resident of evergreen biotope Usually met with-singly in sholas &c, in undergrowth of straight thin seedlings or cardamom. plants, THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 333 Muscicapula rubeculoides rubeculoides (Vigors). The Blue-throated Flycatcher, Specimens collected: 209 0? 30-11-39, 245 OG 3-12-39 Manchgowdanhalli _ (Antarsanté, 2,500’); 663 ¢ 17-1-40 Sakléshpur (3,000’); 765 Q 29-1-40, 782 ¢ 30-1-40 Settihalli (2,500’). Elsewhere noted: Bababtdan Hills (Jagar Valley 2,500’). { Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 3° OE 14.5 40-77 50-60 mm. 2 @@ 14-15 72.5-73.5 54 mm.—H. W.] Resident. Bamboo facies of the moist-inter zone is the typical habitat. of this flycatcher. Occasionally it is also found in the same patch of jungle as Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, although on the whole the latter prefers drier facies. Muscicapula tickellie tickellie (Blyth). Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 98 ¢ 18-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300); 164 [Q] 24-11-39 Maddur (2,500); 279 SG 5-12-39 Antarsanté (2,500); 330 ¢O 13-12-39 Shimsha (2,500). Biligirirangan Hills: M22(G) 20-9-34 (2,000’—Satyamangala) ; M23(G) 0? 12-7-34, Mgo(G) 6 25-7-34 (3,000—Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Bedagutli, Hunsur, Sivasamtdram, Namadachilumé. ! Measurements : . Bill Wing Tail 6d6¢ 14-15.5 70-77 56.5-63.5 mim. I 9 14 72 57 mm.—H. W.] Resident and common. Typical habitat: Thin deciduous jungle intermixed with bamboo clumps. It is also found in dry secondary scrub-and- bush country, often as a member of the mixed hunting parties of insectivorous birds. At Hunsur it was observed in ancient trees in the old garrison compounds. Eumiyas albicaudata (Jerdon) The Nilgiri Verditer Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 7or Q 21-1-40, 726 3 23-1-40 Bababudan Hills (4,500° —Kemmangindi). Biligirirangan Hills: 4 S 6-11-39 (4,000’); 0? 18-12-32, ¢ 22-12-32 M63(H) 9 25-4-34, M33(H) @ 10-5-34, M30(H) [od] 11-5-34, M44-45 (H) do _12-5-34, Ms52(H) juv., Ms54-55(H) 9d 14-5-34, M18(G) ¢ 16-10-34 (5,000’—H onnametti) ; M35(H 2, M38(H) CS 4-4-34 (4,000-—Chiksampagi) ; 79(H) of yuv. 17-5734, M104-105(H) @ 5 23-5-34 (4,000—Bellaji); Mr11(H) ¢ 24-5-34 (4,000—Edbuthi) ; M47(G) Q 29-10-34 (4,000 —Attikan). [ Measurements : : Bill Wing | Tail I12d¢0¢d 14-15 76-82 61-67.5 mm. 7 99 14-15. 74.5-78.5 59-61 mm. The Bababidan Hills specimens provide a slight extension of range as this flycatcher was not previously recorded from north of the Nilgiris—H. W.] Resident. Typical habitat: Evergreen biotope. Sholas above ca. 3,000’ ele- vation. Gonads of the January specimens were maturing (testes 4X3 mm., ovary granular) and the birds were in song. No. 701, a female, was also singing! Two of the Biligiri specimens collected in May were juveniles. The nesting season is evidently between February and May. In the Nilgiris it is said to breed principally between March and May. Eumiyas thalassina thalassina (Swainson) The Veriter Flycatcher. | Specimens. collected: 352 G 15-12-39 Devarbetta Hill (3,000); 518 ¢ -1-1-40 Namadachilumé (3,000); 801 [Q]. 1-2-40 Settihalli (2,500’). Elsewhere noted: Bandiptr, Sakléshpur. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 2 OC 13 87-8a 69-74. mm. i 12.5 80 62.5 mm.—H. W.] 3384 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Winter visitor. Fairly generally distributed, but mowhere common or abundant. Affects well-wooded deciduous country and the dry-inter belt. Met with singly. Alseonax latirostris (Raffles) The Brown Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 265 4-12-39 Karapur (2,500’); 273 Q 5-12-39 Antar- santé (2,500’); 340 @ 15-12-39 Satnur (2,500'); 434 @Q 24-12-39 Dodballapur (2,900'); 713. Q 22-1-40 Bababudan Hills. (4,500—Kemmangindi); 869 6d 12-2-40 Jog (2,000’) Biligirirangan Hills: M41(G) .0? 17-7-34, M65(G) ¢. 20-7-34 (3,000—Udahatti, E. base). { Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 30d 13.5-14.5 69-73 46-51.5 mm. Ae. 12.5-14.5 66-72 | 47-50 mm.—H. W.] Apparently resident. Typical habitat: Deciduous biotope. Thin open forest (or teak plantations) with bamboo intermixed and undergrowth of grass and sparse scrub. Also met with sparingly in the intermediate zone and rarely up to the proximal fringe of evergreen, among shade trees in cardamom plantations. Alseonax ruficauda (Swainson). The Rufous-tailed Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 817 © 4-2-40, 832 2 5-2-40 Agtimbé (2,500’). Elsewhere not noted. [Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 2 Ono 14.5-15.5 76-77 55-5-58 mm.—H. W.] Evidently a winter visitor. Uncommon. Met with singly in evergreen biotope, haunting the canopy of lofty trees. Alseonax muttui muttui (Layard) Layard’s Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 608 G 13-1-40 Sakléshpir (3,000’); 833 G 5-2-40, 854 3 8-2-40 Agtimbé (2,500’). Elsewhere not noted. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 3d 16-17 72-476 50.5-54 mm.—H. W.] _ Winter visitor. Met with singly in evergreen biotope. Frequents cardamom sholas, keeping to low trees and looping liana tangles. Ochromela nigrorufa (Jerdon) The Black-and-Orange Flycatcher. Specimens collected: Biligirirangan Hills: 3 9-12-32, Q 24-12-32, M24-25(H) 3S 9-5-34, M47(H) @ 2-5-34. Mrig-120(H) d‘'Q 26-5-34. (5,000°-5,500'— Honnametti); M42(H) 92 6-4-34 (4,000’—Sellaji); M23(G) @ 18-10-34 (4,000' —Attikan). [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 533d 13.5-14 60.5-63 47.5-50 mm, sing 2 12.5-13.5 55-5Q 41-45.6 mm.—H. W.] This flycatcher which was not uncommon at Honnametti (4-5,000’—Biligiri- rangans) in the second half of December 1932, was curiously enough not met with at all in that locality between 5 and 12 November 1939, neither in the first week of March 1940. It was not noted elsewhere in Mysore State either. Typical habitat : Evergreen biotope. Sholas above ca. 3,500’ elevation. Under- growth of thin upright seedlings, eeta facies, cardamom plants and_ rattan brakes in dank ravines. Culicicapa ceylonensis ceylonensis (Swainson) The Grey-headed Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 710 @ 22-1-40 Bababtidan Hills (4,500’—Kemmangiindi) ; Biligirirangan Hills: 23 3 8-11-39 CG 17-12-32, M46(H) CG 12-5-34 (5,000’— THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 335 Honnametti); M24(G) ¢ 18+10-34 (4,o0o0—Attikan) ; M42(G) ¢ 27-10-34 (4,000 —Bellaji). Elsewhere noted: Jagar Walley (2,500—Bababudans); Settihalli, Jog. At Sakléshptr and Agittimbé it appeared unaccountably to be absent! | Measurements : Biil Wing Tail Os Ghio) 12-14 58.5-06.5 49-59 mm. I have recently had the opportunity of examining a fine series of topotypes of this species in the Ceylon Survey, and after comparison it is clear that birds. from the Eastern Himalayas and India generally are intermediate bétween the typical race and C. c. pallidus of the Western Himalayas. I very much doubt, however, whether it is worth providing a name for these intermediates and fcr the moment, at any rate, leave the Mysore series under the typical race.—H. W.] Resident. Not uncommon in suitable facies. This flycatcher is found in evergreen biotope and throughout the intermediate zone; occasionally and in small numbers to the fringe of the deciduous. It is partial to bamboo facies. The bird is almost invariably met with as a member of the mixed hunting parties of small insectivorous species of which Sitta frontalis and Phylloscopus occipitalis (in winter) are, some of the most regular constituents. Tchitrea paradisi paradisi (Linn) The Paradise Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 193 Q 28-11-39, 197 d, 198 3 29- 11-39 Antarsante (2,500); 752 &, 753 OG 28-1-40, 771. Sd 29-1-40 Settihalli (2,500’); 831 Q 5-2-40 Agumbé (2,500’). Biligirirangan Hills: 18-11-32, M11(G) 15-10-34 (5,000° —Honnametti); M17(G) 3, Ma21(G) ¢ 19-9-34 (2,000° Satyamangala). [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail Streamers 3 dd (white streamers) 23-24 g1.5-90 106-107 312-364 mm. 2 66 (red streamers) 25.5-26 92-5-95-5 103 287 mm. B Oe (ike ©) 23-25 88-89 94-5-97 =a AO’ 22.5-23.5 89-5-92.5 94-103.5 - The identity of the 3 white g¢ d has of course to be merely presumed.—H. W. ] Tchitrea paradisi leucogaster (Swainson). Specimens collected: 772 9 30-1-40, 810 ¢ 2-2-40 Settihalli (2,500’). [| Measurements : Bill Wing Tail Streamers 26:6) 23-24.5 93-5-94-5 IOI-104 2560-286 mm, Both are red’ and white males with red streamers and parti+coloured red and white wings.—H. W.] Elsewhere noted (subspecies?): Bandiptr, Devarbetta Hill, Namadachilumé, Sakléshptr, Bababtdan Hiils (4,500-—Kemmangundi; 3,500—Dodabbi Fails). Fairly common. Most partial to the intermediate. zone, especially bamboo facies, but extending scmewhat sparingly into both extreme biotopes. Chestnut- plumaged birds formed the majority of those seen. Hypothymis azurea styani (Hartlaub) The Black-naped Blue Flycatcher. Specimens collected: 99 [Q] 18-11-39, 115 @ 19-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300); 205 6 30-11-39 Antarsanté (2,500) ; 214 Q 30-11-39 Manchgowdanhalli (2,500) ; 520 Q 1-1-40 Namadachilumé (3,000); 623 @ 14-1-40 Sakléshpir (3,600) ; 800 @ 1-2-40, 808 J 2-2-40 Settihalli (2,500’) ; 843 Q 7-2-40 Agimbé (2, 500’). Elsewhere noted: Bedagili (3, ooo’—Biligirirangan Hills), Devarbetta Hili. [Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 300". 14.5-15 71-72 68-74 mm. RB QO, 15-16 68-73.5 65-70 mm.—H,. W.] 336 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLiit Resident. More or less confined to deciduous biotope. Also met with spar- ingly in the intermediate zone. Partial to bamboo facies. wt Leucocirca aurecla compressirostris Blyth. The White-browed Fantail Flycatcher Specimens collected: 85 ¢ 17-11-39 Bandipuir (3,300’); Biligirirangan Hills : M35(G) 3 14-7-34, M6o(G) S 21-7-34 (3,0007—Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Maddur, Hunsur. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail , 3 OS 14-15 83-85-5 88-88.5—H. W.] Resident. Confined to deciduous biotope in which it occurs practically in every facies except stony semi-desert and those bordering on it. Lanius vittatus Valenciennes. The Bay-backed Shrike. Specimens collected: 83 ¢ 17-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300’); Biligirirangan Hills : Mii(G) Q 88-34, Mgg(G) SO 27-7-34, M105-106(G) Go? 31-7-34 (3,000— Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Antarsanté, Karaptr, Hunstr, Namadachilumé, Kolar Gold Fields. [| Measurements : Bill Wing Tail Bho aah 10-17.5 88 y2.5 mm. i OQ erel 17 86 — mm. I gd juv. — 83 84.5 mm.—H. W.] Resident? Not common. Restricted to deciduous biotope. The habitat typical of this species is midway between the semi-desert preferred by the Grey Shrike and the better wooded orchard-like country which the Grey-backed Shrike frequents. Lanius schach caniceps Blyth. The Grey-backed Shrike. Specimens collected: 76 Q 15-11-39 Bandipur (3,300'); 338 [9] 15-12-39 Satnur (2,500); 509 ¢ 31-12-39 Namadachilumé (3,000’). Biligirirangan Hills : M4-5(G) ¢ juv., ¢ juv. 7-7-34 (3,000° Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Antarsanté, Karapur. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 2GiGurads 20-21 89 110,.5-111 mim. 2-66 juv. _ 89-90 105-105.5 mm.—H. W.] Resident. Restricted to deciduous biotope. Its typical habitat has been indicated above. Breeds .evidently in May and June. Lanius cristatus cristatus Linn. The Brown Shrike. Specimens collected: 82 9 17-11-39, 97 Q 18-11-39, 146 ¢ 23-11-39 Bandipur (3,300’); 215 ¢G 1-12-39 Antarsanté (2,500’). Biligivirangan Hills: 62 Q 12-11-39 (5,500—Honnametti); M51(H) Q 10-4-34 (4,000—Bellaji). Elsewhere noted: Karapur, Namadachilumé, Settihalli, Kolar Gold Fields. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 3 d¢ 19-20.5 &5-87.5 81.5-82.5 mm. 3 99 19-20 88.5 78-89 mm.—H. W.] The Brown Shrike is a very common and abundant winter visitor to Mysore. Latest date 10 April. It is found in both evergreen and deciduous biotopes, but mostly in the latter and in the intermediate zone. It occurs in almost every facies and invariably singly. Its habits are often crepuscular, and the _ bird may be seen on the move and hunting till after dusk. THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 337 a= Hemipus picatus picatus (Sykes) The Black-backed Pied Shrike. Specimens collected: 180 ¢ 25-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300); 725° Q 23-1-40 Bababudan Hills (4,500—Kemmangundi); 798 9, 799 Q 1-2-40, 813 co 2-2-40 Settihalli (2,500’) Biligivirangan Hills: 19 § 8-11-39 (4,000’—Bedagiuli); ¢ imm., Q imm. 30-12-32, M55(H) ¢ 14-4-34, M29(G) ¢ 20-9-34 (5,000—Honnametti) ; M67(H) © 15-5-34 (4,000’—Shenemenhalla(; Mo1(H) ¢ 19-5-34 (4,000: Magoolibetta); M5(G) @Q 14-9-34 (2,000’—Satyamangala); Ms?(G) 10-10-34 (4,000 —Bellaji); M8(G) Go 11-11-34 (4,000’—Attikan); M77(G) G 23-7-34, M86(G) ¢ 25-7-34 (3,000’—Udahatti, E. base). [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail OL) 15-16.5 62-65 58-60.5 mm, 3 DE 15-5-17 61-62 56-60 mm, Some of the specimens are moulting wings and tail hence not measured. —H. W.] Resident.. Common. Affects evergreen shade trees in cardamom sholas, Found throughout the intermediate zone to its extreme deciduous boundary. Its characteristic posture on a branch is rather hunchbacked with neck telescoped in and tail depressed. Tephrodornis gularis sylvicola Jerdon. The Malabar Wood-Shrike. Specimens collected: 241 Q 1-12-39 Manchgowdanhalli (2,500’) ; 649 Q 16-1-40 Sakléshpur (3,000); 777 dG 30-1-40 Settihalli (2,500’). fe Elsewhere noted: Karapur, Jagar Valley (2,500—Bababtdans), Agumbe, Jog. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail it eS 27 115 84 mm. 2 99 27 LII.5-121 84-88 mm.—H. W.] Resident. Common in evergreen biotope. Usually seen among shade trees in coffee and cardamom plantations. Also enters the intermediate zone and sometimes met with even in the dry-inter in old teak plantations and the like. - From thé eye socket, trachea and pulmonary region of No, 241 were removed a number of the tissue-inhabiting nematodes of the genus Diplotriaena (Fam. Filariidae). The bird seemed none the worse for their infestation. As a matter of fact it was ready to breed (2 Decem.) with largest ovum 2.5 mm, diameter ! Tephrodornis pondicerianus pondicerianus (Gmelin) The Indian Comnion Wood- Shrike. Specimens collected: 159 9, 160 G 24-11-39 Maddtr (2,500’); 403 3, 405 do 21-12-39 Maklidrig (2,800’); 501 @Q 29-12-39 Thondébhavi (2,500’). Biligiri- rvangan Hills: M4s5(G)' Q 24-9-34 (2,000—Satyamangala); M45 ?(G) ¢ juv. 1r-7 3h M81(G) 0?, M84(G) 3 24-7-34, Mg5-96(G) SS 26-7-34 (3,000—Udahatti, . base). Hee ice noted: Bandipur, Hunsur, Shimsha, Sivasamtudram, Namada:- chilumé. | Measurements ; ill Wing Tail BERGEC) 20-22 88-91 65-67 mm. 3 O) © 20-21 82-89 63-66 mm, _ The six Biligirirangan specimens which seem intermediate between pondicer- tanus and affinis i.e, much like Travancore birds, measure as follows (excluding moult and unsexed and juvenile) : {Measurements : ‘ Bill Wing Tail 3 20.5-21 88.5-94 64-66 mm. SiC) iI Q > Bil 85-5 63 mm.—-H. W.] 338 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII Resident. Common. Confined to deciduous biotope. Met with in scrub and ~ secondary jungle, frequently amongst the itinerant mixed hunting parties of small birds. Pericrocotus flammeus (Forster) The Orange Minivet. Specimens collected: 67 dG 15-11-39, 128 6d 20-11-39 Bandipur (3,300’) ; 634 Q 15-1-40 Sakléshptr (3,000'); 677. Q 19-1-40, 696: g 2I1-1-40, 727 6 23-1-40 Bababudan Hills (4,500—Kemmangundi). Biligirirangan Hills: 11 6 7-11-39, 17 GY 8-11-39, 29 Q gQ-11-39 (3,000-4,000'); CG 22-12-32, Q 30-12-32, Mi2(H) od 85-34, M22-23(H) 6d 9-5-34, M58(H) 2 14-5-34, M75(H) 9 16-5-34 (4,000-5,000—Honnametti); M32(H) o, M34(H) @ 5.34 (4,000°— Chiksampagi); M67-68(H) @6 27-4-34 (4,000—Dodsampagi); Mg(G) @ 11-11-34, M13(G) Q 15-10-34 (4,000’—Attikan); Mro(G) @ 12-11-34 (4,000 — Bellaji); M2o(G) 0? 17-10-34 (4,000—Edbtthi). Elsewhere noted: Devarbetta Hill. [| Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 13606 17.5-20 90-96 88-97 mm. 12:99 17-19.5 89.5-90.5 —86.5-93 mm.—H. W.] Resident. Common. Typical habitat: Intermediate zone up to the outermost. fringe of both its extremes. Pericrocotus peregrinus peregrinus (Linn.) The Small Minivet. Specimens collected: 68 ¢, 69 3d, 7O Q 15-11-39 Bandipur (3,300); 307 @ 9-12-39 Hunstr (2,000’); 398 ¢ 20-12-39 Dodballaptr (2,900’). Biligirirangan Hills: M1s5(G) o 9-7-34, M31(G) @ 13-7-34, M63(G) od 20-7-34 (3,000 — Udahatti, E. base); M34(G) CG 22-9-34, M44(G) @Q 24-9-34 (2,000’—Satya- mangala). Elsewhere noted: Maddur, Thondébhavi, Namadachilumé. [ Measurements : Bill Wing - Tail 6d0d 13-14 70-5-72 70-74-5 mm. 3°22 12-13 70-72 71-76.5 mm.—H. W.] Resident. Not uncommon. Restricted to deciduous biotope. Flocks met with in light forest as well as in scrub-and-bush country interspersed with small trees. Frequently in the mixed hunting parties. In the specimens of g and 20 December a slight development of the gonads was noticeable: testes 5X3 mm., ovary granular. Lalage sykesi sykesi Strickland. The Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike. Specimens collected: 262 Q 4-12-39 Karaptr (2,500); 297 6 8-12-39 Seringapatam (2,000'); 397 d 20-12-39, 455 Q 26-12-39 Dodballapir (2,900’) ; 525 d 2-1-40 Namadachilumé (3,000’); 846 @ 7-2-40 Agumbé (2, 000’). Biligiri- rangan oe M41(G) J 23-9-34 (2,000 ‘—Satyamangala) ; M43(G) do juv. 17-7-34, M8<(G) ¢ 25-7-34, Mg&8(G) 3 27-7-34 (3,000—Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Shimsha, Sivasamudram, Sakléshpar, Jagar Valley (Baba- budans), Settihalli, Kolar Gold Fields. [| Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 656d 18.5-20 102-106.5 78-83 mm. BOK? 18-19 100.5-103.5 78-79 mm. Io juv. _- 96 72.5 mm.—H. W.] Resident. Common. Restricted to deciduous biotope. Frequents scrub- and-bush as well as secondary jungle. This Cuckoo-Shrike has, however, a very general distribution in the State and is often met with in the deciduous facies of the evergreen, e.g. Sakléshptr and Agimbé. Graucalus javensis macei Lesson. The Large Indian Cuckoo-Shrike. Specimens collected: 179 @ 25-11-39 Bandiptr (3,300); 433 @ 24-12-39, 475 @ . 27-12-39 Dodballaptr (2,900’). Biligirirangan Hills: M29(G) ¢ 21-9-34 THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 339 (2,000’—Satyamangala) ; M61(G) Q 20-7-34, Mr14(G) S 4-8-34 (3,000° Udahatti, I, base). Elsewhere noted: Namadachilumé. Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 256. G) ad. 28.5-29 161 I17.5-120 mm, 29Q ad. 28-29 104.5-107 122-125 mm. 292 imm. 27-28 153-154 119.5-121 mm.—H. W.| Resident. Tairly common, Kestricted to deciduous biotope. Atfects second- ary jungle and scrub country interspersed with large trees. Frequently wanders into the intermediate zone. Artamus fuscus Vieillot. The Ashy Swallow-Shrike. Specimens collected: 7600 ¢, 701 Q 28-1-4o0 Settihalli (2,500’) Biligirirangan Hills: 36 Q 10-11-39 (3,000—Bedaguli); M8-9(G) ¢ juv. 8-8-34, Ms53-54(G) J ad., Q juv. 18-7-34 (3,000 —Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere not noted. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 2 7GiG, ad. 22-23 131-134 54-56 mm. 2 Ono ad. 21-22 135-136 58 mm. 2 66 juv. = 132-1360 58-59 mm. it Qe qu a 135-5 60 mm.—H. W.] Uncommon, patchily distributed and sporadic. Confined to deciduous biotope, but frequently met with in the intermediate zone in forest clearings and young plantations. Dicrurus macrocercus peninsularis Ticehurst. The Indian Black Drongo. Specimen collected: 220 Q 1-12-39 Antarsanté (2,500’). Maes Elsewhere noted: Chamarajanagar, Shimsha, Sivasamtidram, Marikanive, Kolar Gold Fields. | Measurements : : Bill Wing Central tail Outer tail 1 Q ad. 25 142.5 moult 143° mm.—H. W.] Resident. Fairly common in flat open country about cultivation. There is a local legend which I heard in the Kolar Gold Fields that if a drongo drinks out of the chatty that has been ceremoniously carried 3 times round a corpse on the cremation ground, and afterwards alights on the back of a grazing cow or goat, the animal’s back breaks. Believe it or not, my informant, the local forester, has with his own eyes seen several catile disabled in this way! For humanitarian reasons therefore it is customary to smash the chatty after the rites have been performed. Dicrurus longicaudatus Jerdon. The Ashy Drongo. Specimens collected: 712 9 22-1-40 Bababtdan Hills (4,500—Kemmangiindt, Biligirirangan Hills: 12 3, 13 S 7-11-39 (4,000—Edbuthi); J 17-12-32, ¢ 22-12-32, M4o(G) Q 30-10-34 (5,000—Honnametti). Elsewhere noted: Bandiptr, Devarbetta Hill, Namadachilumé, Jagar Valley, Settihailli. [ Measurements : Bill Wiag Central tail Outer tail BOO Ech 27 139-147 93-97 156.5-187 min. Py Oh. rhanveav. 20.5-27 133-134.5 89-90.5 138.5-139 mm. 1 Q imm. 20 140 97 158 mm.—H. W.j|{ Resident. Fairly common—away from flat cultivation—in forest, both ever: green and deciduous, but chiefly in the intermediate zone. It was regularly observed eating nectar from flowers of the Erythrina and Grevillea shade trees in. coffee plantations, and also from the white brush-like blossoms of Eucalypius sp. wherever these trees have been introduced. 4 340 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Dicrurus cerulescens caerulescens (Linn.) The White-bellied Drongo. Specimens collected: 64 ¢, 65 GO 15-11-39 Bandipur (3,300’); 404 G 21-12-39, 419 g 23-12-39 Maklidrug (2,800); 513 oO 31-12-39 Namadachilumé (3,000) ; Buigiirangan sills: M(G) G juv. 22-9-34. (2,000—Satyamangala); Moo(G) Jd Juv. 21-7-34, M82(G) ¢ -juv. (3,000—Udahatti, Eastern base). Elsewuere noted: ohimsha, Sivasamudram, MDevarbetta Hill. | Measurements : Bill Wing Central tail Outer tail 5 1G 6 sad. 23-5-25 123-127.5 35-838 111.5-120 imim 2K} (oh TEN = 121-123 35-5-39 113.-5-119 mm sls Ws] Resident. kairiy common in deciduous biotope. Typical habitat: Bamboo facies. Usually met with as a member of the roving hunting parties of insectivorous birds in secondary jungle. Krom tne body cavity of No. 65 two nematode worms (Diplotriaena sp.) were removed. : . Chaptia enea malayensis Blyth. The Southern Bronzed Drongo. Specimens collected: 109 @Q 19-11-39 Bandipur (3,300/); 192 Q 28-11-39 Antarsanté (2,500); 807 Q 2-2-40 dettihalli (2,500’). biligirirangan Hills: M5 (H) o?—, M7(H) @ 26-3-34 (4,000—Chiksampagi). Elsewhere noted: Jagar Valley (2,500-—Bababudans). | Measurements : Bill Wing Central tail Outer tail in Gye ade 24 118.5 = 105 mm. Aes ONT aGs 21-22.5 115.5-118 87-388.5 105-107.5 mun. ies THEN — 115-5 — 107 mm.—H. W. | Resident. Common in the intermediate zone extending across to outer fringe of the dry-inter. Affects jungle, and usually found with the mixed hunting parties. Chidia hottentotta londae Koelz. The Malabar Hair-crested Drongo. Specimens collected: 527 6, 528 6, 529 6, 530 @ 2-1-40, 539 Q 4-1-40 SF . - 7 Namadachilume (3,000’). kisewhere noted: sSettihalli (2,500—Shimoga District). [| Measurements : bill Wing Central tail Outer tail 216} G} 38-39-5 154.5-102 114.5-128.5 130-141.5 mm, 1p © 38 104 i26 135 mm. There seems no doubt—as hinted by previous writers—that the Hair-crested Drongo falls into two recognisable races in India differing in size. There is a large bird in the sub-Himalayan area from Baijnath (in the Kangra Dis- trict) to our border by the Brahmaputra river and Naga Hills, and a smaller race along the south-western Ghats from Mahableshwar to Travancore whose range inland is now considerably extended by the present specimens. Between these two areas the bird is only found in a belt across. the Chota Nagpur area from Nagpur to Calcutta, where it is apparently intermediate in size. Reliably sexed specimens are not numerous and I cannot supplement these Mysore birds with any adult males from the southern distribution, but these 4 males are definitely smaller than 10 males from the Eastern Nepal—Naga fills area which measure Bill 40-43, Wing 163-173.5. The only adult male { can measure from the Western Himalayas is even larger: Wing 179 mm, As pointed out in the Lastern Ghats Survey (J.B.N.H.S., xxxvi, 352) there has been some difficulty over the type locality which was given by Linnaeus in error as the Cape of Good Hope but later restricted by Mr. Stuart Baker (Novitates Zool. xxvi (1919) p. 44) to Sikkim, and_ this — restriction, though rejected by Kloss (Jour. FF. M. S. Mus. Vol. x (1921) p. 222), must certainly stand. It has. since been accepted by Chasen (Handlist of Malaysian Birds (1935) p- 304). The larger northern form is therefore the typical race.x—H. W.] THE BIRDS OF MYSORE z 341 In the draft of his notes Mr. Whistler had proposed a name for this smaller southern race, but it appears that in the meantime Mr. Walter Koelz had already named it as above on specimens recently collected by him in the neigh- bourhood of Londa (near Castle Rock, Goa Frontier). Mr. Koelz’s paper (Proc. Biol. Soc. of Washington, vol. lii, pp. 61-82 [5 June 1939]) was delayed from our notice owing to war conditions. Resident. Not common and apparently of patchy and erratic distribution. The specimens were obtained from a loose scattered party of 8 or 9 birds feeding on nectar from the white brush-like flowers of Eucalyptus (robusta?) in a self- sown grove to which they appeared confined. Their throats and foreheads were coated with pollen and the bills dripped nectar. Their stomachs contained a small quantity of insect remains besides. The plumage of all the specimens emitted a strong musty odour of fermenting honey as from the crop of a Honey-Buzzard. The only other example of this Drongo met with in Mysore State (Settihalli, 30-1-49) was also on an Eucalyptus (robusta?) tree in blossom, growing in the compound of the Forest Lodge. Dissemurus paradiseus malabaricus (Latham). The Malabar Racket-tailed Drongo. ; Specimens collected : [133 ¢ 21-11-39 Gudaltr Ghat (3,000 —Nilgiris)]; 187 ¢ 28-11-39 Antarsanté (2,500); 647 Q 16-i-4o Sakiéshpur (3,000); 754 Q 28-1-40 Settihalli (2,500’). Elsewhere noted: Maddtr (near Gundlupet), Jagar Vaiiey (Bababudans). [ Measurements : Bill Wing Central tail Outer tail Racket 2 dod ad. 34-36.5 152)5-150.5,. 133-%41.5 330-405 100-107 mm. 2° OQ ad. 32.5-33.5 148.5-151.5) -127.5-133 313-357 91-97 mm. These specimens certainly belong to the form called malabaricus, but I have already pointed out in the Eastern Ghats Survey (J.B.N.H.S., xxxvi, 351) that I find no real differences between malabaricus and the typical race. There is no doubt that too many races of this species have been described, but the group is difficult to understand, material is poor, the meaning of differences in plumage are hard to disentangle for lack of the right specimens and I do not think any revision of the races should be piecemeal. The 2 females have the abdomen duller and faintly barred with white, the under-tail coverts are spotted with white and the spotting on the underwing coverts is heavier than in the males. These differences (which I have observed before in other specimens) seem to me to be sexual and not a matter of age. =, Wel Resident. Common. Typical habitat: Intermediate zone, primarily the bamboo facies. : (To be continued), CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER AND OTHER SPORTING FiSH IN INDIA AND BURMA: BY Jens Sits Ie MACDONALD. (With one plate and one text-figure). (Continued. from page 189 of this volume). IPAIRID JUL I. THE SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS OF ANGLING. A review of the fishes senses (342), Scientific explanations of the functions of the lateral line (343), Hearing (344), The eye and vision (345), Lhe chemical senses of smell and taste (345), These views compared (347), How the Mahseer fits these theories (348), List of references (348). Fishing, like all forms of sport, calls for an understanding of our quarry, and a few general principles should first be considered before hastening to the water’s edge to wet a line. Judging from the casual conversations 1n a club or a bar, or from articles written to the press, there appear to be a great many anglers who know little or nothing about the senses of fish. It is for this reason that I think a ‘short chapter on the senses of fishes will be found instructive and interesting; as quite apart from the method of approach while fishing, these senses, if understood, will help the angler in adapting his lure with better understanding, and give him better results. The application of sight and hearing, or taste and smell, as we know them, are too readily applied to a fish, but the environments and elements effecting or governing these are not sufficiently borne runt Saavrarsl; Mave angler will’ pay oreat attention to the colour of his ‘lv and its resemblance to the natural insect, but give little or no attention to the structure of the lure, wherein probably lies more than half the secret of success or failure. We will see later on in this chapter that the sight of fish is a secondary sense to feel, much as a tiger’s scent 1s secondary to his sight and hearing. Science has proved that the senses of a fish have developed on very different lines to ours, and that these must be adapted to the greater density of water might well be imagined. Water being incompressible, any displac ement sets up pressure waves, which are quickly registered and detected by specially adapted organs pro- vided in fish. These are of a highly sensitive nature and contained in the Lateral Line. How far the detection is minimised, if at all, in the disturbed and distorted waters of a rapid or fall, or how far such vibrations travel up-stream, is not clear, but provision JourRN. BomBay Nat. Hist. Soc. CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER “White Feather’ of water just above the figure. CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 343 must surely be made in the nervous system of a fish for differentiat- ing between the natural and unnatural, much as the keen ears of a sambar do between the rustling leaves in the wind and those dis- turbed by a footfall. How vibrations are transmitted or interchanged by the different elements I am not in a position to say; but a fire by the side of water certainly registers some form of signal to fish. I have seen this on the Surju, in Kumaon, when a pyre is lit, and where, | regret to say, mahseer are master scavengers. At Rewa, also, I have seen fish collect to be fed near a temple when a huge bell rung. If you keep in mind the ‘touchiness’ of a fish, and adapt your methods accordingly, you will not be disappointed. Neither Thomas, Lacey, nor Skene Dhu, deal with the functions of the Lateral Line, (which to me is the most important factor governing all approaches to angling), in fact most of the views expressed are misleading in their interpretation of the senses of fish. I am fortunate in having with me J. R. Norman’s excellent book The History of Fishes 1931, and J. E. Nielsen’s interesting article Angling has Scientific Angles published in the ‘Scientific American’ in July 1934 Vol. 151 No. 1. Norman’s work is a highly comprehensive and technical survey of all fish, whereas Nielsen’s article has been written in more popular language for the angler. With the aid of these I will now deal with the senses of fish in order of importance, as applied to angling. (1) Lateral Line. ‘The lateral line consists of a series of perforated scales running along each flank in most of the bony fishes. It consists of a canal or tube sunk into the skin and opening to the exterior by a series of pores. There is a group of sensory cells beneath each pore, and these serve to give the fish impressions of minute differences in the pressure of the currents of water.’ (3. p. 43). ‘The sense organs of the lateral line are served by fine nerves arising from a special branch of the vagus (tenth) cranial nerve running parallel to the line itself, and conveying the sensory impres- sions to the brain. The lateral line system has generally been regarded as the seat of a sense akin to ‘‘feeling’’, but it would perhaps be more accurate to describe this sense as combining the qualities of hearing and touch.’ (1. pp. 200-202). ‘Hearing and feeling are closely related senses, and in the case of fish there is no definite border line between the two. In addition to periodic sound waves, there are other wayes—non-periodic pressure waves, which humans cannot perceive. A worm wriggling in the water, or an insect falling on the surface will set up waves of pressure in the water around them: these will instantly be noticed by the fish. For this purpose it has an extremely suitable organ the “lateral line’’. As we ourselves do not possess this organ, it is difficult for us to imagine how its sensations feel, but there is no question that its sensitiveness is far superior to that of fish vision. This fact is affirmed by the strong lateral nerve system connected to it. The best analogy we can give is that of a blind man with 344 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII his stick, but the fish has long ‘‘sticks’’ in all directions, and every stick has a sensitivity equal to the tip of your tongue—every stick is in fact a ‘“‘teletoucher’’. Most fishermen do not pay much attention to this organ, but it is nevertheless the organ which causes more bad luck among fishermen than all the other senses combined. With this organ, fish are able to feel the least ‘‘touchiness’’ in the surround- ing medium.’ (2. pp. 20-21). In supporting the theory of the sensitiveness of the lateral line, and the acute feeling of a fish of anything foreign in the immediate medium surrounding it, it occurs to me that the Tank Angler may ask ‘But what of paste bait or dead worms threaded on a hook— how is their presence registered to a fish?’ 7 Here let me put forward my own theory, giving as an example the Vulture. A few years ago, a long series of letters appeared in the press, on how vultures make contact with carrion. A great deal of con- troversy took place, and various views were put forward, but in the end it was generally accepted that sight was the only means of the vulture finding food. This was systematically led up to: flies attracting birds, and birds other scavengers, such as crows and kites, and these in turn attracting nearby vultures and so on. This is exactly how I reason fish to react to ground bait in a tank. Small fish and turtles attract the larger fish near at hand, these in turn attract others within the registering range of them- selves and so on until the fancied Rehu and Cutla arrives within the range of its chemical senses, and is so directed to the hook of paste or worms, the distance of diffusion depending on the flavour or smell of the bait used. eS (2) Hearing. ‘A study of the development of the inner ear shows that this must have been at one time one of the sense organs of the lateral line, before becoming specially enlarged and modified in order to adapt it to the perception of delicate sound vibrations, and to the maintenance of equilibrium.’ (1. p. 201). ‘In fishermen the ear is divided into three parts. The external, the middle, and the internal ear or the labyrinth. Fish possess only this latter part. The reason for this difference is clear. The func- tion of the ear is to collect vibrations of various frequencigs. In the case of humans the ear is surrounded by air, and the funnel- shaped external organ is an efficient device for collecting these vibrations, because the medium in which they are set up has a density of only one thousand of that of which the ear is built. Fish on the other hand are surrounded by a medium having the same density as that of which they are built, and their whole body — partakes of the vibrations set up in this medium. The labyrinth is the only organ required to transfer the physical vibrations to the neryous system. As the receiving nerve centres of a fish are built much the same as ours, we may assume that its sense of hearing is similar to ours, possibly better, on account of the high density of water with which the nerve centres are in direct communication.’ (2. pp. 20-21), CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 3451 (3) The Eye and Vision. ‘In its general form the eye of a ‘Gene is not unlike our own, but it is necessarily somewhat modified for vision under water. The lens of a land vertebrate is somewhat flat and convex on both sides, but in the fish it is a globular body, the extreme convexity being a necessity under water because the substance of the lens is not very much denser than the fluid medium in which the fish ‘lives.’ (lo [Bo matey le ‘In the human eye, light rays enter the first lens through the cornea, which contains a transparent fluid of refractive index the same as water, namely 1.33. Next it passes through the pupil to the second lens, which has a refractive index, of about 1.141. From this it proceeds through almost pure water to the retina, where the image is picked up by the optic nerve. This device of sight is highly efficient in air, which has a refractive index of 1.00, but when immersed in wa ter, which has a refractive index of 1.33 it is very inefficient. The reason for this is that, as is shown by the principle of optics, light rays which enter the eye will then not be refracted by the first lens, but will go through to the second lens in a straight line, and this will have a relative refractive index of only I.4I + 1.33 or 1.06, which is too low to make possible a sharp image on the retina. in order to improve upon the low refractive power of the eye of a fish, nature has increased the curvature of its only active lens to the maximum possible, which is the sphere. As we know from optics, the disadvantage of a spherical lens is that only the very central rays will give a tolerably clear image. It exhibits marked spherical aberration. This, combined with the low refractive index, makes fish very near-sighted animals. They are able to sense changes in light intensity . . . We may also see that a flash reflected from a shining spoon or wobbler may auney aoe the same power as the reflection ‘trom the side of a fish.’ (2. pp. 20-21). (4) The Chemical Senses, Smell and Taste. ‘...which are separated in fishermen, are combined into one by fish, As the nature of smell is to perceive odorous matter highly diffused in air, and as fish are not surrounded by air, there can be no sensa- tion of smell as it is known in fishermen. There may however, be a better developed sense of taste, judging from the abundant shoe ibu- tion of taste buttons in and around the mouth, and on the side of the head. It is possible that fish can taste matter highly diffused in water as easily as we can smell it in air. Taste and smell are quite different sensations. It is only occasionally that an agreeable smell arouses our desire to eat. Some fine perfumes, for example, have a definitely disgusting taste. The practice of some fishermen, of perfuming the bait is useless and unscientific’. (2. pp. 20-21). In relation to the theory set out on the chemical senses, as inter- preted by Nielsen, Norman dealing with the olfactory organs SAU So ..the sense of smell resides in the nasal or olfactory organs, but, unlike - the higher vertebrates, the nostrils or nasal openings are never (or scarcely ever) used for breathing purposes. Typically, each nasal organ consists of a somewhat deep pit lined with special 346 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII sensitive tissue, and in order to provide the maximum of sensitive surface, the lining is generally puckered up into a series of ridges which may be parallel to each other, or arranged in radiating fashion — like a rosette... In bony fishes both nasal pits are divided into two separate portions, each with its-own opening to the exterior. The position of the nostrils varies considerably in different fishes. In some the anterior nostril is widely separated from the posterior, in others the two are almost in contact. Occasionally, as in the Cichlids (Cichlidae) and in certain Wrasses (Labridae), the nasal organs each have only a single external orifice. In some of the Eels (Apodes) the anterior nostril is situated on the upper lip (labial position) and in many of the globe-fishes (Tetrodontidae) there are no actual apertures but a pair of solid nasal tenticles . . . There can be little doubt that the sense of smell in fishes is relatively acute, as has been proved by numerous experiments. The large nasal organs of sharks are said to enable them to ‘‘Scent actively as well as passively’’, and it is well known that the smell of flesh or blood or of a decaying carcase will attract them to it from some distance away. The Caribe or Piraya (Serrasalmus), the ferocious Characin- fish of the rivers of South America (cf. p. 130) is irresistibly attracted by the smell of blood, and woe betide the animal unfortunate enough to be bitten by one of these pests, for hundreds more will rush to the spot with incredible rapidity. As long ago as 1653 Izaak Walton wrote the following in his ‘Compleat Angler’ with reference to the sense of smell of fishes. “And now I shall tell you that which may be called a secret. I have been a-fishing with old Oliver Henly, now with God, a noted fisher for trout and salmon; and have observed that he would usually take three or four worms out of his bag, and put them into a little box in his pocket, where he would usually let them continue half an hour or more before he would bait his hook with them. I have asked him his reason and he has replied: ‘He did but pick the best out to be in readiness against he baited his hook the next time’ but he has been observed, both by others and myself to catch more fish than I, or any other body that has ever gone a-fishing with him, could do, and especially salmons. And I have been told lately, by one of his most intimate and secret friends, that the box in which he put these worms was anointed with a drop, or two or three, of the oil of Ivy-berries, made by expression or infusion; and told that by the worms remaining in the box an hour, or like time, they had incorporated a kind of smell that was irresistibly attractive enough to force any fish within the smell of them to bite’. Mention may be made of a number of careful experi- ments conducted by Mr. Gregg Wilson at~ Plymouth at the end of the last century, with a view to ascertaining the respective parts played by the sense of smell sight, etc., in obtaining food. He concluded that ‘fish that are not very hungry habitually smell food before tasting it’, but, when really ravenous, Pollack would bolt clams that had been saturated with alcohol, turpentine, chloroform and other unpleasant substances without any hesitation. He also states that in many cases the fish actually search for the meal by sight alone, and then test the quality of what they have found by smelling it. Some blind specimens of Pollack however, were able to find their food by smell alone, and there are doubtless other forms CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 347 which do this habitually, especially those dwelling in muddy or foul water, where the eyes would be of little use. The Cod (Gadus) is generally believed to feed more at night than in the day-time, and may rely largely on its olfactory sense. Mr. Gregg Wilson has shown that the Dab (Limanda) is normally a sight feeder, but under experimental conditions, if a number of worms were placed in a small wooden box with minute apertures to allow the water to pass in and out, considerable excitement was immediately pro- duced, and the fish hunted eagerly in every direction. ‘When water in which many worms had lain for some time was simply poured into the tank through a tube that had been in position for several days, and by a person who was out of sight of the dabs, the result was most marked... Yet there was nothing visible to stimulate the quest.’ From the above and other sources of evidence it may be concluded that the sense of smell plays a fairly important part in the daily life of a fish, and although as a general rule this is not the only sense upon which it relies to obtain a meal, if the eyes or ears should in any way fail to function it could probably be indused to search for its food by smell alone.’ (1. p. 182-185). From the text of these extracts, it will be seen that agreement in all the views quoted is evident, except in the chemical senses of smell and taste, which is by no means conclusive. From the anglers point of view there is little to distract us from the theory or methods to be applied or followed, as both these senses are so closely related, that even were we to follow one theory or the other in principle, we would still find ourselves proceeding on much the same lines. For taste or smell acting as a secondary sense to that of feel, or the functions of the lateral line, would be applied by the fish to our lure in a similar manner. It is interesting, however, to compare how these two authorities approach this subject, and from a purely practical stand point I think one explains the other. J. R. Norman dealing with the functions of the nose says, ‘In order to provide the maximum of sensitive surface, the lining is generally puckered up into a series of ridges, which may be parallel to each other or arranged in radiating fashion, lke a rosette.’ He goes on to say that in some fishes the nostril actually com- municates with the roof of the mouth. Nielsen on the other hand states: ‘Smell and taste; which are separated in fishermen, are com- bined into one by fish. As thé nature of smell is to perceive odorous matter diffused in air, and as fish are not surrounded by air, there can be no sensation of smell as it is known by fishermen... It is possible that fish can taste matter highly diffused in water, as easily as we smell it in air’. These would indicate from our point of view that whichever is correct the functions of the nose or taste ‘buds’ or ‘buttons’, in relation to finding smelly or scented bait, are so closely related that no difference arises, nor does it call for any change of method for one or the other. The tank angler who applies high or smelly hee to his bait is convinced that it is smell that attracts the fish, whereas if it 6 348 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII were to be analysed it might quite easily prove to be taste, and so also in the experiments as quoted by Norman in connection with blood, rotten meat and ivy berries. It is too deep a subject for this little book, and is a monopoly of the ‘pundits’ of Science. | have taken the liberty to quote freely from these two authorities (Norman and Nielsen), so as not to leave any doubt in the reader’s mind about the authenticity of the various functions of the fish’s senses, and to make available for the average angler facts about fish that would not ordinarily come his way. I will conclude by summarising these senses as applied to the mahseer, to which this book is chiefly devoted. (1) Lateral Line. ‘The mahseer has larger scales than most fish, with a bold and well defined lateral line, so that it is reasonable to presume that it is well developed, and the functions attributed to it are keen, and that it is probably the chief sense by which this fish is attracted to a lure. (2) Hearing. This is closely related to the lateral line, and its functions are probably absorbed into it, having a specific purpose, of separating certain vibrations. Its sensitiveness is probably as keen as the human ear. (3) The Eye and Vision. The eye of the mahseer is bold and large, but his choice for rapids and broken water, especially when feeding, would indicate that his vision must be limited considerably and subordinated to the more highly developed sense of feel. experiments have shown that the sense of sight probably plays the most important part in the search for food, but at the same time, this is much more limited than that of a land vertebrate; and, owns, to the general haziness of the water, due to the presence of organisms and other matters sus- pended therein, objects must appear of somewhat uncertain outline. The extreme convexity of the lens of the eye points to the fact, that a fish is near-sighted, and even in the clearest water it is doubtful whether the range of vision exceeds about 12 yards, if as far as this. It is not unlikely that the fish really notices move- ments or changes in outline rather than in actual objects.’ (1. p. 190). (4) The Chemical Senses. 1 have already dealt with these, so far as they concern angling ; LIst OF REFERENCES. (1) J. R. Norman F.t.s., F.z.s., ‘A History of Fishes’ 1931. (Assistant Keeper Department of Zoology (Fishes) British Museum, London. (2) J. E. Nielsen, p.sc. ‘Angling has Scientific Angles’. From the Scientific American July 1934, vol. 151. (3) Sir Reginald- Spence, Kt., M.L.c., F.z.S., and (former Hon. Secretary., B.N.H.S.), and S. H. Prater, M-v.c.,c.M.z.s.,- (Curator of the BINVH;S,). “Game Fishes of Bombay, The Deccan and ‘The Neighbouring Districts of the Bombay Presidency’. Journal, Bomb. Nat. Hist. Society, vol. xxxvi, pp. 29-66, (With 19 pates). Il. ELEMENTRY NOTES FOR THE NOVICE. ‘Have you gazed on naked grandeur where there’s nothing else to gaze on, Set pieces and drop-curtain scenes galore, Big mountains heaved to heaven, which the blinding sunsets blazon, Black canyons where the rapids rip and roar ? CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 349 Have you swept the visioned valley with the green stream streaking through, Searched the vastness for a something you have lost? Have you strung your soul to silence? Then for God’s sake go : and do it; Hear the challenge, learn the lesson, pay the cost.’ IMs Sc Mention of the Mahseer and its Gameness.—We wili set aside all comparisons of the mahseer’s gameness as compared with the salmon, sea trout, or any other ‘game fish’. In India, anyway, pride of place goes to this fish, be it on a light fly rod or a strong 12-foot spinning rod, it affords the chief sport for the angler in India. I estimate that with reasonably light tackle (that used for trout or salmon) the masheer gives fight at approximately 2 to 3 minutes per pound of weight, and this, should the reader wish to make comparisons, will be a rough Bilide. I have killed a 75 pounder in 40 minutes, and it has taken me one hour and twenty minutes to kill one of 23 pounds. But these are isolated cases, and for an average reckoning with the fly rod, I think my estimate of 2 to 3 minutes per pound of weight will not be found far wrong. The mahseer is to be found throughout India and Burma, where rivers are suitable or large lakes fit his environments. Rivers must rise in the hills, be perennial, with rocks, rapids, and deep pools, for this fish to thrive. Some of the canals in the Punjab and U.P. also hold this warrior, especially if there are falls and fish ladders. An interesting thing about the mahseer is that his fin area is greater than the total superficial area of the rest of his body. This makes him a strong and powerful fish, able to live in the big and heavy waters of Indian rivers, in fact no water is too strong to hold him. My own experience with both fiy rod and heavy spinning rod has convinced me that for fly spoon work, 150 yards of line is necessary, and for heavy work 300 yards. Time and time again I have needed the extra 50 and too yards, and then had to follow down stream, sometimes as much as 300 yards to kill my fish. Anyone who has caught mahseer knows what the first rush means, but by the novice or beginner this cannot be fully appreciated until experienced. I have heard it aptly described as terrifying, and it can be. Your arms are nearly torn out from their sockets, and all the skill and experience you may have will be needed to keep up the point of your rod. I refer to heavy fish in heavy water. On the fly rod the same rush is made when the bait is taken, and you are left guessing and estimating the size of the fish, but you will often be disappointed when at the end of the fight you see a game little chap of 3 pounds in the landing net, that you estimated at ten. This has been my experience of the mahseer ieee hope nt will be yours. Tackle.—I will try to assume for the novice exactly how I feit when a beginner and pose myself as the instructor, with some 22 years experience. We will start with a well-equipped library of books and catalogues, a small banking account with both ‘thrift’ and ‘extravagance’ as the brother pupils, and with my own tackle cutfit on view. For the beginner I think that the light fishing will hold out far more attraction and bring earlier success than the 350 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII more skilful and laborious methods required for the heavy fish. For the two, methods are as unlike as salmon and trout fishing, and can be compared to the ‘Scatter Gun’ and rifle as to results. The heavy rod in six or seven hours fishing may only produce three or four runs, and quite often not one, whereas the fly rod will generally produce some fish, if not small mahseer then the sporting little Barilius bola commonly called Indian Trout or one of his many cousins. I will mention in order of importance what I consider the essentials and with them my suggestions. The Reel.—This is the most expensive item, but also the most important, as cheap reels will be a constant worry, with spring's snapping, bearings seizing, plates jamming, etc. and lots of fish and tackle being lost. A good reel will cost, upwards, from Rs. 4o to Rs. 140. That is one with a good foundation, only to be found in the higher priced reels. Bearings of gun metal or the,other improved alloys, the spindle firmly set, the ratchet well fixed, and the check spring strong in paying out, but free or just engaging when winding in. If you stipulate these essentials to your tackle dealer, you will have got as near the perfect reel as possible. I do not stress a well fitting drum, or the avoidance of prominent nuts, handles, levers etc., as the manufacturers know well these are to be avoided for fly reels, as they foul the line and breakages occur. The check should be adjustable, as it can then serve for both light and medium .work, but it must be strong enough to nook the fish without any pressure by hand. You cannot apply hand pressure on the line for mahseer, as he takes with such a rush that you will cut or burn your hand or fingers if you try. The size should be near the correct weight for your rod, but it must be large enough to take 150 yards of line and baeline, unless of course you are only likely to fish in very small streams. I am trying here to fit one reel to the universal use of Indian rivers, keeping ‘thrift’? ideas in mind. I will not mention. any special makes of reels, as there are dozens on the market today, and it is your business to find the most suitable one fitting these points, at the cheapest price, bearing in mind that cheapness does not always spell economy. ) I am exclusively equipped with Hardy’s reels, and use a Hardy’s Silex 34 inch, but even so I have to take the reel down after each run, to tighten up the four screws fixing the ratchet to the drum. IT understand however, that this has been partly overcome in the more recent and improved Silex. Mine are eleven years old!! The Rod.—This is rather more difficult to advise on as rods are made in degrees of pliability, and are today reduced to a mathe- matical fine art though, I am sorry to say, nothing has been put on the market, to my knowledge, to fit the Indian fishing. Dry fly rods are generally the most Siitabic: as they are stronger built, and stand up to fly spoon work better ‘than wet fly rods. I fancy split cane, but green-heart and steel rods are also good. It has to be borne in mind, however, that in some of the very hot, moist valleys, in parts of this vast country, split cane may not be suitable. The universal fly spoon rod, should be between nine and ten feet long, in two or three pieces, with a spare top, and with agate or chromium steel rings at the butt and end, with good strong steel CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 351 intermediate rings. (agate rings should be frequently examined under a mz gnifying glass, as they are apt to crack.) It must be capable of throwing a iy spoon up to one inch (2 drachms in weight) and most important of all, be capable of recovering the spoon in fast heavy water, as this is when a rod is most severely testediaa lit must also be light and pliable, so as to give play to a fish of a pound weight and be capable of standing up to a fish of 20 pounds in exceptional cases. Do not touch sieel centres, as they are not suited to the Indian climate. A good rod will cost up to Rs. 200 but there are lots partly fitting these requirements for Rs. go or Rs. 50 in green-heart, steel and cane, so that your choice must be governed by the price you are prepared to pay. I use a ‘Perfection’ two piece double built split cane rod, ro feet in length built by Hardy’s but it is too light for casting anything over za drachm in weight. For the heavy fishing a 9 feet 6 inch to 10 feet 6 inch spinning rod, will fit the requirements of all water, and as long as agate and porcelain rings are fitted and the rod has a certain amount of give down to the handle, it will cast a large spoon with a heavy weight, as well as spoons of 14 to 2 inches and will stand up to any size of fish. Even shorter rods of 7 ft. with the American casting reels are very popular, and large fish have been taken. The more pliable the rod the better it is for striking a fish. I use a g ft. bamboo rod built by Verona, to my specifications and is all that is desired, and well within the price of most anglers, Rs. 30. I have besides an 11 ft. split cane spinning rod by Hardys, for very big water where fish run over 50 and 60 pounds. The range in price for these two rods is Rs. 30 to Rs. 250. The Line.—Braided silk dressed lines are the best value, and last indefinitely if cared for and dried daily after use. Water-proof and enamelled lines do not do well in this country, they are besides expensive and a constant source of worry and trouble, getting tacky and brittle in our varied climate. Tapered lines are attractive to use, but with a fly spoon sufficient weight is provided for long casts, so the ordinary graded line is good enough. ‘Lignum Vitae’ or ‘Non Pareil’ is what I use with a flax braided line or ‘cutty-hunk’ as backing. Grade ‘H’ with 14 pounds breaking strain for fly spoon work, and grade ‘E’ or ‘F’ for the heavy fish with a breaking strain of 24 and 30 pounds, respectively. Backing should be slightly stronger than the dressed line, so as to provide a margin of safety should a break occur. Traces. Natural Gut is the most popular, and what I personally favour for fly spoon work, but it is expensive and difficult to come by these days. “Medium Trout’ to ‘Sea Trout’ sizes are strong enough for fly spoon. A good length of trace is 5 to 6 ft. Gut Substitute has its supporters, and is both strong and con- venient to tie into casts or traces, but knots must be very carefully tied as they have a tendency to slip. Durofix applied to the knot holds well, also to prevent the knot drawing or slipping, lay a piece of thin soft copper wire alongside one of the strands of gut substitute, and tie it in with the knot. Wire, Killin and other similar makes: of wire make up into excellent traces and leave nothing to be desired. It is made in 52 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII 5 sizes Ix, 2x, fine, medium, and strong, of 8.12.15.20, and 25 pounds breaking strain. It is almost invisible in water, when new. Alasticum is a new elastic steel wire, made in much finer grades and with a breaking strain down to 5 pounds, which is as fine as hair and should be excellent for light work. Avoid gimp or twisted Wire, as-it sets up friction in water, and is liable to kink. Swivels, —Use the finest sizes, nos. 8 to ro. Three to a trace of 14 yds. in length in any grade of wire for heavy fishing. Learn to tie your own traces as it saves both expense and time, wire can be changed on to the same swivels in a few moments. Knots for tying gut traces and twisting wire will be discussed elsewhere in- this book under *Tackle’. Lures.—Spoons VIS) in shapes, sizes and colour, almost as much as flies, so that one’s fancy must be largely a matter of local choice as certain spoons suit certain localities. Remember that it does not follow that spoons of small size will only catch small fish, and large spoons large fish. I have caught on a #? inch fly spoon scores of igh over 20 pounds, and one of 29} pounds, likewise on a 4 inch spoon fish of only a pound and a half. Shape and spin more than the size, is the deciding factor. I myself fancy as a _ general favourite a long narrow spoon shallow in depth, with deep scales cut into the convex side for the larger sizes as on the Myitkyina spoon, and just a plain surface for the smaller sizes in fly spoons; but remember what I have written in Chapter V about spoons in general. Hardy makes an excellent semi-hogbacked spoon in three sizes and for neatness and finish these cannot be surpassed. It is an excellent example to follow if you mount your own spoons. For the many other lures such as Halcyon spinners, Phantoms, Pennell, Devons, fly minnows and insects etc., all take well and { recommend a variety to be carried and tried, if spoon fails. These patent spinners are beautifully turned out and come through the water in a most natural fashion, and do not tax a rod nearly so much as a spoon in heavy water, being much easier to recover ; this also applies to the larger sizes for heavy fish. Plug Baits.—In recent years these have come very much into prominence and are now more popular than spoon in a number of localities. The American makes are the most favoured, and are made in one or two pieces. The one-piece is favoured for heavy water, and the jointed two-piece for slower runs. They are beauti- fully turned out and are very natural in water but the trebles must be changed, they are only made in the larger sizes Hos big work, and special mahseer hooks must be fitted. One great feature in favour of plug bait is that they float, and do not consequently get hung up nearly so often as spoon in shallow bouldery rapids if a bad cast is made. They also provide a good substitute for dead bait when not procurable. The shield set on in front and below the head takes a remarkable hold of the water, and keeps the bait well under while fishing. The colours and types should be suited to local conditions. Dead or Natural Bait Mounts.—Crocodile and Archer spinners are the most popular mounts for dead bait, but there are also many others, the leaded variety are good if spinning is being done in CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 353 _very big water. The best of all mounts however, and the least visible, is the threaded wire two-piece mount as described by me elsewhere in this serial. Leads.—These aremade in a number of shapes and sizes, but I do not recommend any permanently fixed lead on a line, as more fish are lost in this way than any other. The type I favour is the barrel shape, with a hole through the length, so that a strong piece of silk can be used to fasten it to the swivel of the trace, which would snap if it was fouled in a snag. The spiral or other types of lead may be used where rivers are not full of large boulders and snags. They are easy to attach, and do not foul the line or trace. The bullet shaped ‘Hillman’ lead, is very quickly attached to the eye of a swivel, and weights can be speedily changed to suit varying water. This is especiaily useful when fishing from a boat or coracle, and changes of lead have to be quickly effected. Hooks.—Only use the best hooks on which ever line you may have, as the crushing power of the mahseer is phenominal. I have avoided any mention of fly or fishing with fly; it is far easier for the novice to learn how to cast a small spoon than a fly, besides which I am anxious to get him into a fish as early as possible, and the chances for this are far greater with spoon. There are dozens of good books on fly fishing, so that any mention here would be superfluous. | Casting with Fly Spoon.—We will assume that you have assembled your rod correctly, reel put on with right hand wind (an orderly or servant invariably puts it on the wrong way), the joint of the red well home, and the line threaded through all rings (an attendant will often miss one out), the trace correctly tied to the line. Remember a knot is the weakest part of the line. A loop made at the end of a line, and passed through the swivel and over the spoon and trace, then pulled tight, is the surest and strongest and what I use for both light and heavy fishing. The figure of eight knot does just as well but is not as strong. Attaching the spoon to trace.—If you use gut the same attach- ment as I recommend for attaching the trace to the line will do. Put the loop through the eye of the swivel on the spoon, then over the spoon and draw tight, this gives you a double gut lead for a couple of inches and stands up to the wear and strain of both the fish’s lips and the spoon spinning. Avoid above all things attaching swivel to swivel, as all the advantage of fishing light is lost if you have a chain of swivels leading your spoon. I use the smallest of swivels, and if fishing with fine wire and fly spoon, attach a small swivel to the end of the trace, and a split ring on the fly spoon, the spoon is easily attached or changed, and for fly spoon work split ring's can be used with safety if kept oiled and free from rust. If solid brazed rings are preferred a fine attachment link may be used. Casting the Spoon.—If you have fished for salmon, use the fly spoon in the same manner as you do a fly, casting across and slightly below you, while feeling the spoon all the time, allow it to work across and below you “until it has straightened out the line, then draw it up through the swirls and eddies formed on the edge of the fast water. But for the beginner, we must be more explicit, as the whole casting operation has first to be mastered. 354 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Grip.—The grip with either hand is the same, find the point of balance on the handle, with the fingers around and the thumb above and along the grip raise the rod and take the point back until the rod has travelled as far as it will go, with the wrist bent, the elbow close into the side, and the hand in line with the shoulder, which will bring the hand with the thumb under and along the grip, and the fingers above and around it. This is at the peak of the backward movement of the cast; only practice will teach you the correct time to pause, before the forward movement is started, which is when the line has completed the arc and has straightened out behind you. The forward movement is a combined harmonising of the wrist, arm, and shoulder, the arm carries the wrist forward in the direc- tion of the cast, with the shoulder moving slightly forward, and the wrist straightening out as it moves forward, the weight of the rod is taken on the first finger, and the thumb free and just clear of the rod at the end of the cast. This roughly is the action, and must be the first stage of learning. The beginner finds the timing difficult, but once the correct pause is made, the rest follows. There are other important points to be considered. Unlike the fly, the spoon grips the water, and the first and most important action before recovering, is to raise the point of the rod slightly, so as to bring the spoon to the surface before attempting to start the backward movement, which is a brisk recovery by the wrist, arm and shoulder, of the rod into the first position described, send- ing the spoon back and past you, more or less in the same line as the point of the rod, which should be held in a vertical plane to the water. When this has been mastered a longer line should be tried, but here the other hand will come into play, by drawing the line through the bottom ring while bringing the spoon to the surface, just before the backward swing. This shortens the lead, and 1s released when the forward swing is half way through. Important things to remember are :— (1) Never point the rod down stream, but keep it as near to right angles to your line as possible. This is what the rod is for, to take the sudden strain, and spring the whole action of the gear into operation, which hooks your fish and reduces the shock on all the units of the outfit, while keeping a steady pressure on the fish all the time. As an example: get an attendant to hold your rod, with it pointed at you, draw a few yards of line off the reel, then repeat the same thing with the rod at right angles, and see the difference in tension. (2) Keep feeling the spoon from the time it touches the water, until you recover it again; you will miss fish if you do not. (3) Keep feeling your line to see it has not fouled either around the tip of your rod, or around the reel-or handle. The best fishermen experience this, especially if a wind is blowing. (4) Recover the point of your rod as soon as you strike a fish, and keep it up, for slack line, even for the fraction of a second, will lose fish. (5) Do not try to hurry your fish, or drag him into the net. Mahseer have very leathery mouths, and the hook is easily torn out. Remember my estimate of 2 to 3 minutes per pound weight. CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 355 (6) Keep your finger and hands clear of the line, or you will regret it. Strike the fish from the reel, and of all things avoid braking a fish in its first rush, or you will lose more than you catch. (7) If wading or in water, do not move until after you have recovered line, and after the fish has made its first rush, then work your way out of the water and play him from below, so as not to disturb the water above. (8) When landing a fish, bring it into the net, do not allow the attendant to bring the net to the fish, this generally ends. in disaster; if you are fishing with more than one hook, try to shelve your fish, as quite often a fish is hooked outside the mouth by only one of the two trebles, and the net may get fastened to the loose hook, and you will lose your fish. (9) Kill your fish if possible at once, but it does sometimes become necessary to keep them alive, if the weather is very hot and fish are taken early in the day, and you are moving camp. A cord passed through and around the gills and tied to a boat, will keep the fish alive and frisky. If you have a good day and have more fish than you require, the smaller ones can be put back into the river. 3 The nine points enumerated above, are general to all types of fishing and item (7) is general to Indian fishing, as few rivers in India can be commanded from either bank, and wading is necessary to get out to good water. So far we have considered what is the common method of fishing, that with the fly rod, which will also serve us on ‘home leave’. We will now consider the other point of view, and fit ‘extravagance’ ideas. Stationary drum reels and outfit.—This is commonly and better known as ‘Wanless’ or thread line tackle. To all who use it,. it proves attractive and has the charm of being of the lightest material. A short casting rod of 5 to 7 ft., a highly mechanical reel, that has its mechanism revolving around the drum, with a multiple wind in, and a thread line with a breaking strain of from 9 or 10 pounds down to one pound. Once you have acquainted yourself thoroughly with the mechanism and working of the reel, the rest is simple, as you can make a cast in any manner you wish, flick it out, swing or cast over your head, without any fear of overrunning, which is the chief objection against the revolving drum types of reels. The smallest of baits can be thrown out considerable distances, and-with practice a high degree of accuracy can be obtained.e There are a number of good makes on the market, and being fully explained in the various catalogues, details of manipulation are therefore un- necessary. I have not myself tried one, so cannot offer comment one way or the other for either choice or use. A possible dis- advantage with so fine a line is, that it may snap or cut easily, in heavy water and snags, there must also be a tendency to kink as with the Malloch reel, but it has proved itself suitable for large fish in many parts of India. Revolving drum reels and outfit.—This is the more’ general method, and is covered by a large range of rods, reels and baits, varying from 7 to 12 ft. rods, and reels from 4} inches to 3 inches. 5 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII OV [ery 3 The American wide drum reels, with a line guide and a quadruple multiplying wind, are very popular and used extensively with plug- bait and the short rod; they are far cheaper than the English makes and are easy to use. Full instructions are issued with each reel. For those who prefer the larger reels of British make, and price 1s not a consideration, there is a large choice and almost every tackle maker has one or two to offer. The best known are the ‘Silex’ and ‘Easy Cast’, but any reel of the Nottingham type works well if good material is put in. I use a Silex, so will give a short description of how to cast and fish with one, but the methods for casting in general are the same for all reels, provided the correct adjustments are made, and the makers’ instructions are carefully followed. Spinning rods are made stiffer and stronger than fly rods, to suit casting a bait from one to five ounces, with good strong and wide rings to reduce friction on the line, so we must adapt our methods accordingly. This is a double handed operation, calling for good control and timing throughout the whole movement, and is probably the most difficult to learn, but once mastered is most fascinating. | The rod is held in both hands, one behind the reel and one in front depending on whether you are right or left handed. For example we will take a right handed cast. The right hand operates the clutch lever on the Silex with the forefinger pulling it up as far as it will go, so disengaging the check ratchet, and leaving the drum to run free. With the lever in this position, a felt friction pad is brought up against a metal drum connected to the line drum, and keeps up a pressure to prevent the line drum overrunning when the bait has touched the water. Correctly used and adjusted, this stops the line drum, but if the action of the cast is badly made, there is a tendency to overrun and the line gets entangled on the drum. F licking the bait out, or putting too much ‘beef’? into the cast will cause this. A smooth easy action from start to finish, in the form of a good shot at golf, best describes the action. If correctly made the bait goes out in a straight line, and leads the lead and trace, and no effort is required. The moment the drum stops revolving (which should be as the bait hits the water), the clutch lever should be released, when the check is automatically engaged, and is ready for any emergency. This roughly is the operation of the reel, but now we must consider the cast itself, and how it is done. Here I will quote from Hardy’s Angler’s Guide and reproduce the diagram. ‘Holding the rod at an angle of 45 degrees, allow a length of about 14 yards of line or trace to hang from the point to the bait. In casting, the movement of the body should be the same as driving in golf, a clean follow through stroke. Jerky casting makes overruns. Please refer to diagram. The Angler is standing at-X facing A where: the bait is desired to fall. Turn the body round, until facing B merely raising the left heel a little. Swing the bait slowly back pendulum wise to C, D, E or F, accord- ing to the weight of the bait, and make a cast from any of these points, pressing lever as the cast is made, and keeping it pressed until the bait falls on the water. This is all that is required. fhe bait is merely swung backwards, and at the same moment CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 457 as the cast is made, the lever is pressed quietly home. The move- ments of the initial stroke of the cast, and the pressing of the lever should be simultaneous. When using light baits 4 to 6 drachms, cast from D, E, or F. For baits weighing ? to 14 ozs., from any point C, to H. Diagram shows how to cast from the right side. If casting from the left the position is simply reversed’. A B H The procedure then is much the same as mentioned under fly spoon fishing, let the bait come across and below you, and wind up through all likely water, and repeat the cast. Remember the following points : (1) Get the reel correctly adjusted to your bait, before making a cast, and again each time you change your spoon or bait. This is most important. (2) Do not release the lever until the drum has stopped revolv- ing; this is a common fault, and it is frequently used as a check. The reel will soon wear out if you do. (3) Be careful to wind the reel evenly with line; if it forms a ridge, the coils become loose and entangled, trouble follows, and both temper and fish are lost. This frequently happens when play- ing a heavy fish, or winding in against strong water. (4) Before casting, make sure the line is free and not twisted around the tip of your rod, or you may damage the tip, or hook yourself or an attendant, especially if fishing with heavy bait and weight. (5) A good guide when casting is to point your left shoulder at the point you wish to drop your spoon, and let your hands and arms go back as far as they can, making this the limit of the backward body movement. 358 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Where to look for Mahseer. Rivers.—We will take for choice a river in the lower Himalayas or Siwaliks, where for our purpose we will find all the ideal con- ditions, both for mahseer from a quarter of a pound to five score or more, and an easy hunting ground for the beginner. Twenty miles or so after the Indian rivers leave the hills, they start settling down into a monotonous and easy flow over sand, and from our point of view have little attraction. We must have the essentials which mahseer demand, rapids, pools and rocks. My own choice is water near and about where the river leaves the last range of hills, especially where large pools are formed and the stream breaks up into a number of channels. If to these con- ditions we can add two or three junctions of spring fed tributaries, we have the ideal river. Most of the rivers of any size in the north of India .rise in the snows: by ‘spring fed’ rivers I mean rivers that rise in the lower ranges, which are not subject to melting snow in the hot months of April and May Rivers which have their sources in the Western Ghats of India and the Highlands of Central India are not snow-fed. Of these the more important are the Narbada, Godavery, Kistna, Bhima, Tungabadra, Cauvery and Bhavani, all of which hold mahseer, as also do the many fine artificial lakes in the Bombay Presidency. The record mahseer 119 lbs., and the next largest 110 Ibs., were both taken in Mysore rivers, the former in the Cauvery and the latter in its largest tributary, the Cubbany (Kabani). I will now generalize on the best places to fish, but I warn the novice, that this is much more a matter of keen observation and experience than a rule. (1) Junctions of rivers, especially if there is a difference in tem- perature of the water in the two streams, (in May this can vary as much as 8 degrees), or if the parent river is discoloured by melting snow, or best of all if the small fish are migrating up or down stream. If one or two of these desiderata prevail, you can usually count on a singing reel for most of the day, as under these conditions it is not unusual to see a black mass of fish collected in the warmer and clearer water. If the small fish are running, you need only watch the water to see the little chaps scatter in all directions as the big fish take their toll. (2) Rapids will present themselves in many forms, sizes and depths, but wherever water is fast, and there are backwaters formed, try the point where the reverse and rapid waters meet, all the swirls and eddies formed on the edges, and above all never miss the ‘white feather’ of water formed by a boulder jutting out, or by a submerged tree, however shallow it may be. In such places feeding fish will always take up their abode. (See photograph facing chapter). Fish the whole length of the rapid, from below for choice, as you avoid disturbing the water above while playing a fish. Do not | neglect where the current slows down in the pool and fans out on either side; it is generally very good. (3) The water above a rapid, and at the tail of a pool, if conditions are suitable, is almost the best water of all in the evening. Look CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 359 for a smooth flow of water, about 3 to 4 ft. deep over large boulders and gaining in velocity above a rapid, with a few stones dotted about out of the water, and making swirls for fish to lie; here excellent sport can usually be had with fly spoon, but remember large fish also lie up in such water. Pools.—The head and tail of pools provide the best sport for spinning, but trolling will provide good sport if a bait is worked along a cliff face by the small bays, past out-crops of rocks, etc. Dead bait spun deep is the best for this type of fishing and will often produce the heaviest fish. If you see large fish rising in any part of the pool it is well worth trolling a dead bait over the spot while crossing from one bank to the other. If a Ficus tree in fruit happens to be overhanging the bank, give the place a trial by throwing in a few berries to see if fish are interested. . Any broken water in a pool is worth a trial; and, above all, a few minutes spent watching the water for movements of fish, while you have a pipe, is very often worth more than hours of flogging the water. Lakes.—Here the expert with the fly wiil find his knowledge tested to the full. Small mahseer will come to bag, but the large ones are indifferent to almost any bait. I know only the Lakes of Kumaon where the methods are, to move the boat outside the willows and weeds, dropping the fly just outside in the clear water under rocks, trees, bushes etc. In general, black or white flies take the best, ‘Silver Doctor’, ‘Zulu’, ‘Black Palmer’, “Walkers Claret’, ‘Yellow Spider’, and ‘Tag of Towel’. Trolling with dead bait will also sometimes produce fish, but the largest are generally taken on paste. In 1940 Major Corbet caught a fish over 60 pounds in the Naini- Tal Lake, on fly, but this is very exceptional. Canals.—In the Punjab and U.P., mahseer are to be found in some of the canals a long way down from the headworks; they are taken on spinning bait at the falls, or with paste at the various cattle drinking fords. Fish of 30 and 4o pounds have been taken at Meerut and Roorkee in the Ganges canal. The lower reaches have now been spoilt from the angler’s point of view, by the grids erected across the falls for the U. P. Hydro Electric Scheme, and no fish ladders being provided. Gram Fishing.—This form of fishing is almost exclusively practised in the C. P. rivers, where the fish prefer it to any other form of bait. Fish of to pounds and under are taken on light tackle, and offer excellent sport. A fly rod and light gut cast with small hooks, provides the outfit. The method of fishing is men- tioned in chapter VI ‘Fishing for Mahseer’. Fishing with paste is also fully described in the same chapter. How to play a fish.—I have been frequently asked by the novice, how is he to know when to reel in while playing a fish? ‘Act, Resist and Yield’ as the riding master says, answers this question as well as I know. The ‘Act’ is casting the line, and recovering it at every possible opportunity. ‘Resist’ by lifting the point of your rod and applying all the pressure you can from the reel, but through the rod, 360 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII ‘Yield’ to the rush of a fish, when his power outweighs yours to resist. Substitute your pony’s head for the fish, your reins for your rod and line, and you yourself be the angler. Carry these aids into practice with a hooked fish, and you have the answer. It comes natural after you have been taken once or twice, the rod itself being an indicator... A fresh and lively fish will frequently pull the point down in his rush, and the tiring fish come in and allow the point of the rod to be kept up, and so ease the tension. Here again is yet another’ approach to explaining when to resist or yield. Get into your bones the maximum tension you can safely apply with your tackle, to a fish. When he goes beyond this, you can only adjust it by giving line, and when he comes within, you can only maintain it by winding in. An even pressure on the fish all the while, will kill in the shortest time, but do not hurry matters, as a mahseer will not give in until thoroughly tired. General. I will conclude this chapter with a few remarks which may be useful to those not acquainted with conditions met with in the fishing season or on a first trip. The best season.—In Northern India, the best season is February- March-April for the large rivers, as they are most likely to be clear, and the volume of water is at its lowest. Junctions in the hills are best when one river is discoloured and the other clear, . but are good at all times. The smaller rivers, that is those which are not affected by snow water, are best in October and early Nov- ember; but fever, and very often roads and communications, present difficulties. Generally speaking the early hot weather is the best time. In Assam and Burma however the best bags are made in the cold weather, especially in spring-fed rivers, and at their junctions with the larger rivers. In the rivers of Bombay, Central India, Mysore and Madras the season for mahseer fishing with spinning baits and fly is, generally speaking, from the time the rivers begin to clear after the monsoon floods, the best sport being obtained early in the season before the water has run low, after which the larger fish are mostly in the deep pools and not easily found. In some parts September-October, between the two monsoons (the S.E. and the N.E.) is also a good time: but conditions vary from year to year. All the big fish are taken by means of ragi paste, bottom fishing, and fish of over 50 lbs. are seldom taken by spinning. Kit. Footwear. Footwear is severely tested, and although I have tried most types of boots, I am of opinion that good thick soles, with plenty of nails (both in the boots and carried spare), are the only answer to the slippery stones amongst which one is forced to wade. Rope soles may suit certain rivers, but nails suit all. Mumrogan or any other leather dressing should be applied daily, and spare boots taken. I myself carry three pairs of army boots, using them in rotation. Avoid rubber soles at all costs. In October in some rivers the rocks are not nearly so slippery as in March-April, where in places they are like bars ‘of soap, and tosses are frequent however much care you take, CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 361 A correspondent sends me the following information regarding footwear. ‘I have tried boots with hob nails (single and treble), with rope soles with coir (the same as a coir mat) soles, soles with latitudinal leather bars screwed on (just like a rugger or soccer boot), and, last but not. least compressed felt soles. For both non-slip and wearing qualities, these felt soles have no equal, and I shall never wear anything else. Mine are four years old, and show very little signs of wear and will see me through many more years of the hardest fishing. I find I paid 41-13-1 (including postage). These may be obtained from Messrs. J. A. Hawkes & Sons, Ltd., 99 High Street, Poole, Dorsetshire, and are a product of the Gutta-Percha Company. I really believe that you will be doing a very real service to the fishing fraternity, by recommending the compressed felt sole, and giving it all the publicity possible’. Clothing.—Shorts are the best and the most convenient, if your knees are hardy and can stand sun-burn. Shirts with long sleeves or short, just whichever suits you. In Burma and Assam insects are a nuisance, and biting flies, from a quarter the size of fleas to the large green-eyed horse-fly, descend on. one ravenously, and make life most unpleasant. They are not so bad in Northern India. Jacket.—I have a sleeveless coat with plenty of pockets which button. This is handy to carry odd pair of pliers, small turn screw, penknife, small box with spare spoons, hooks, swivels, etc., and a book with casts and traces. Cigarettes carried in a shaving soap tin is a useful tip, as they keep dry and are not ruined if you wade in over the pockets or take a toss. Buttons on the pockets save losing stuff, if you should fall or get carried down stream. Spares, such as reels, wire, hooks, weighing machine, camera and note book, can be kept in a haversack on the bank, by an orderly or attendant, or in your boat. Medicine Chest.—Carry all necessities for fever, burns, stings, cuts, etc., dealt with in detail elsewhere. Chapter XII. Comforts.—Cheap cigarettes and sweets are very much appreciat- ed by camp followers and jungle folk. Woolworth trinkets, and copper pice by the women and children. Where the custom is to chew tobacco, free gifts of the dried leaf will greatly encourage willing service by baggage and camp coolies: so a sufficient supply should be carried (in a special bag, or all your possessions will be highly odorous). (To be continued) In the quarterly, Angling, now a Country Life publication, is a series of articles by Mr. H. Chapman Pincher, B.sc., F.Z.S., F.R.M.S., which are expertly written, highly informative, and of the greatest interest to anglers. They are elucidated by text-figures and include Functions of the Swim-bladder in Fishes; Locomotion; Hearing; Scales and Scale-reading; Colour in Fishes; Breeding; Vision in Fishes. Angling is a publication within the reach of all being readily obtainable for an annual subscription of 5s. 4d. post free.—Editors, A REVISION OF THE INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES. BY B. C. KUuNDU, M.A., PH.D., F.L.S., Professor of Botany, Presidency College, Calcutta. we Mr e+ Sec (With 4 plates) CONTENTS PAGE. I. Introduction as hes Be ... 362 II. Hopcsonta (i) Historical 2S ne ws 30S (ii) Description of the genus Je she ... 363 (ili) Key to the species a ih ite ... 364 (iv) Description of the species rod ‘i ... 364 III. TricHosaNTHES (i) Historical a A ten ... 365 (ii) Description of the genus se iy B50 AOS (iii) Key to the species we ne SC Soo EW) (iv) Description of the species ~ we .. ofl IV. Acknowledgements ce 3 ee 510 (38D V. Summary S83 i ae ... 386 VI. References so Sy ne ... 386 INTRODUCTION Since the publication of Hooker’s Flora of British India in course of the latter part of the nineteenth century, a large number of new species have been described from India by various workers and many species supposed to be non-Indian have been recorded from this country. As the descriptions of new species and new records from India are scattered in various works which are not always available to all workers on Systematic Botany, it is desir- able that they should be collected together in one place. Besides, the application of the International Rules of Nomenclature neces- siates a revision of the names of many plants. Thus it is felt by the workers on Systematic Botany that most of the families of the Flora of British India should be revised by competent authorities. The idea of revising the Indian Cueurbitaceae was taken up by the author while he was in England and had the opportunity of working at the Kew Herbarium for some time. In the present paper the Indian species of the genera Hodgsonia and Tricho- | santhes have been revised. The revision of the species of other genera will follow in course of time, INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES — 363 India, as understood in this paper, includes India proper, Burma, Ceylon and the Andaman islands. All the sheets in the Herbaria of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the British Museum, London, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sibpur, Calcutta, have been studied. The specimens referred to under each species are in the Kew Herbarium except where otherwise stated; most of such sheets are also-available at the Calcutta Herbarium; a number of sheets of this Herbarium have also been referred to particularly in connection with additional localities and have been marked C. H. All the sheets of the Buitenzorg Herbarium, Java, and of the Herbarium of the Singa- pore Botanic Gardens placed at the disposal of the author have been examined and have proved to be of invaluable help in con- nection with comparative study. The specimens of the Forest Herbarium, Shillong, have also been studied. HoOpGSONIA HISTORICAL. Hooker f. and Thomson (1853) founded the genus Hodgsonia on the type material of Roxburgh’s Trichosanthes heteroclita and named it H. heteroclita. Blume (1825) had described a species T. macrocarpa amongst others, which was subsequently found to be the same as Roxburgh’s T. heteroclita. So Cogniaux (1881) had to rename the H. heteroclita of Hooker f. and Thomson as H. macrocarpa. Ridley (1920) described a second species H. capniocarpa from the Malayan Peninsula. Recently the writer (1938) published an amended description of H. capniocarpa after comparing the available specimens of the two species. DESCRIPTION OF THE GENUS. Hodgsonia Hooker f. et Thomson in Proc. Linn: Soc. II, 257-259; Hooker f. Illustrations of Himalayan plants, plates 1-3; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant., I, 821; Clarke in Hook, f. F.B.I., I1, 605; Cogn. in DC. Monog., III, 348-349; King Mat. FI. Malay Penin., No. 10, 25; Prain Beng. Pl. I, 516; Ridley Fl. Malay Penin. I, 843; Craib FI. Siam, I, 750. Large climbers. Stem branching, furrowed. Wood of remarkable structure. Leaves alternate, evergreen, subcoriaceous, 3-5-palmati-lobed ; petiole elongate; in the axil of the leaf there is a hard conical structure of the nature of a pro- phyll. Tendrils 2-3-fid. Flowers large; male flowers in racemes, bracteate. Calyx tube elongate, falling after flowering; petals 5, yellow, gamopetalous, adnate to the calyx limb, segments obcuneate, spreading, apex truncate, fim- briate-lobed, lobes longitudinally twisted and pendulous, fringes of the petals 12-15 cm. long. Stamens 3, inserted within the calyx tube, syngenesious, filaments inconspicuous. Female flowers axillary, solitary. Calyx and corolla same as in the male flower; ovary unilocular, ovules 12, arranged in pairs in 3 parietal placentas; style elongate, equalling the calyx tube; stigma 3-lobed, apex of the lobes bifid. Fruits large, baccate, depressed globose, obscurely 5-furrowed. Seeds closely stuck together in pairs; the smaller one of each pair is usually abortive. Embryo exalbuminous, cotyledons large, thick and flat. Only two species are known, both of which are Malayan, and one is reported from India. 364 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLITI KEY TO THE SPECIES. Leaves glabrous on both surfaces, with conspicuous depositions of waxy substances in the areolae of the veins on the lower surface. Calyx tube 7.5-14 cm. long, dilated at the apex; calyx teeth 2.5-4 mm. long H. macrocarpa. Veins on the lower surface of the leaves. hairy, ‘ depositions of waxy substances not frequently found; calyx tube 5-6 cm. long, dilated from the middle up- wards; calyx teeth very minute oe ... HH, capniocarpa, DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES. H. macrocarpa Cogn. in DC. Monograph III, 349. H. heteroclita Hook. f. and Thomson, Proc. Linn. Soc. II, 257-259: Hook. f. Illustr. Himal? Pl., Plates 1-3; Clarke. in. Hook. f.:F.B.I. -606; Prain Beng. Pl. 516. Tvrichosanthes macrocarpa Bl. Bijdr., 935; Seringe in’ D@. Brodie ll arses Migeaiilaelinds abate lleinmoo- I’. hexasperma BI. Bijdr., 935 ; Seringe loc. cit. ; Miq. loc. cit., 678; T. hetero- clita Roxb. FI. Ind. III, 7o5. T. Kadam Mig. FI. Ind. Bat., Suppl. I, 331. Stem robust, 80-100 ft. long. Leaves 15-25 cm. long and about so much broad, truncate or cordate at base, glabrous. on both sides with conspicuous waxy depositions in the areolae of the veins on the under surface; deeply 3-5-lobed, broadly lanceolate, acuminate. Tendrils very robust, terete, glab- rous, usually bifid. Rachis of the male inflorescence thick, striated, 15-30 cm. long; pedicels short thick, bracts fleshy, oblong-lanceolate, 0.5-1 cm. long. Calyx. tube yellowish, dilated at the extreme apex, 7.5-14 cm. long, 7-9 mm. broad at the apex; calyx teeth 2.5-4 mm. long. Corolla longitu- dinally twisted in bud, pendulous; yellow on the outside, white inside; nerves deep red, corolla lobes 3-nerved, limb about 7 cm. in diameter, fimbriate, fringes up to 15 cm. long. Fruit large, 7-12 cm. long, 15-25 cm. across, deep reddish brown, covered with very short tomentum. Seeds 5-7 cm. long, 3 cm. broad, 1-1.5 cm. thick. East Bengal, Gvriffith. Chittagong, 1862 and 1863, Hooker f. and. Tham- son; Rangamatti, 1876, J. L. Lister (C.H.); Chittagong Hill Tracts, 1880, Gamble. . Sikkim, 1-5,o00 ft., J. D. Hooker. Darjeeling, 2,000 ft. July, 1862, T. Anderson (C.H.) Aug., 1881, Gamble. Assam, March, 1899, Dr. Prain’s collector (C.H.); Khasia, 1,000-5,000 ft., Hooker f. and Thomson. Khasia and Jaintia Hills, 2,000 ft., 1878, G. Gallat- lay. (C.H.). Cachar, 1874, Keenan. Lushai. Hills, 6,000 ft., July, 1927; A. D, Parry. South Lushai Hills, 3,700 ft., April, .1899, A. T. Gage -(C:H.). Rajah Barrie, 13-4-95, Hooker f. and Thomson. Golaghat, 1891, Dr. King’s collector (C.H.). Pobomukh, 5. 12. 11, J. H. Burkill (C.H.). Dibrugarh Bazar, 18. 11. 11. J. H. Burkill (C. H.). Sibsagar, 23 April, 1885, C. B. Clarke (C.H.), Dhikiajuli, April, 1902, Col. A. C. Chatterjee (C.H.). Sylhet, Wall. Cat. nos. 6684, 6684° B. Goyalpara, Wall. Cat. no. 6684 A. Burma, Pegu, 3,000 ft., S. Kurz (C.1.). Kachin Hills (N.-E. of Burma). 1,300-2,000 ft., 28.3.97, E. Pottinger (C.H.). Myitlkyina, 1925, Feb., 1926, °C. EK. Parkinson. Theinkun Chaun banks, South Tenassetim, Feb. 1OZOw Oa Ee Parkinson. The following very interesting account is given from the Illustrations of the Himalayan Plants (Hooker f., 1855). ‘Very common in parts of E. Bengal. It can be found up to 5,000 ft. in the Sikkim Himalaya. It is probably a native of Java for it agrees toler- ably with the descriptions of several speciés of Trichosanthes described ‘bv INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES — 365 Dr. Blume.* Stems are slender lianes, frequently 1oo ft. long. The large flowers appear in May and are very deciduous; the males falling wholly away and the females breaking off just above the ovary. The great melon-like fruit called ‘Kathior-pot’ by the Lepchas ripens in autumn and winter. Its coarse, hard green pulp exudes a gummy fluid in great abundance, but is austere and uneatable. The embryo is white, of the texture of an almond and much esteemed, though it has very little flavour. Some of the botanical characters of this plant are very remarkable. The flower ‘in all respects resemble a Tvrichosanthes, but the ovary and fruit wholly differ from that genus and ally it more to the curious East African genus Telfairia. The placentae are decidedly marginal and the two collateral ovules, at the base of each side of the placenta, contract an adhesion, and _ together form only one seed with two cells, and often with two embryos, though one is frequently imperfect.’ ‘TRICHOSANTHES. HISTORICAL. The genus Trichosawthes was first described by Linnaeus in 1737. In the first edition of the Species Plantarum only 4 species were described, the structural differences being mainly based on the character of the fruits. The 4 original species are T. anguina (China), T. nervifolia (India), T. cucumerina (India) and T. amara (Domingo). The first three Linnean species were later on identified with certainty, but T. amara is now regarded as a doubtful species. In the second edition of the Species Plantarum (1763) Linnaeus added one more species, T. punctata, which was subsequently found to be the same as Fevillea cordifolia Linn. In 1768 Burman enumerated 3 of the 4 original Linnean species from India, T. anguina (originally reported from China), T. nervifolia and T. cucumerina and also T. punctata. “ia 1783 Lamarck described 7 species of Trichosanthes including the 4 Lin- nean ones. The 3 new. species described by him are T. angulata (India), T. corniculata and T. cuspidata (India). Of these 3 species T. corniculata was later on identified as quite distinct from Trichosanthes and named by G. F. Gmelin as Ceratosanthes tuberosa. T. angulata is now regarded as a doubtful species. Neither C. B. Clarke (1876) nor Cogniaux (1881) have included this species in their respective works. In 1790 Loureiro published his Flora Cochinchinensis, wherein he described 5 species from Cochinchina including 3 new ones. These are as follows :— T. anguina Linn., T. cucumerina Linn., T. pilosa Lour., T. tricuspidata Lour., and T. scabra Lour. Of these T. pilosa is now regarded as a doubtful or imperfectly known _ species. In 1805, Willdenow enumerated 11 species of Trichosanthes. They are :—- T. anguina Linn. (China), T. scabra Lour. (Cochin China), T. nervifolia Linn. (India), T. cucumerina Linn. (India), T. tricuspidata Lour. (Cochin China), T. amara Linn. (Domingo), T. pilosa Lour. (Cochin China) T. caudata Willd. (=T. cuspidata Lam.) (India), T. laciniosa Klein in litt. (India) (=T. cucu- merina Linn.), T. tuberosa Willd. (=T. corniculata Lam. =Ceratosanthes tube- vosa Gmel.) (India), T. foetidissima Jacq. (Ic. Rar. III) (Guinea) (=Kedrostis foetidissima Cogn.). In 1825, Blume described 13 species from Dutch East Indies including Io new ones. The species are:—T. anguina Linn., T. costata Bl., T. cucu- mevina Linn., T. villosa Bl., T. grandiflora Bl., T. tricuspidata Lour., T. hexasperma Bl., T. macrocarpa Bl., T. coriacea Bl., T. pubera BI., T. globosa Bl. and T. trifoliata Bl. All the new species of Blume are still regarded 1 Trichosanthes hexasperma Bl. and T. macrocarpa Bl. have later on been identified with Hodgsonia macrocarpa Cogn. 366 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII as good species except three; JT. costata has been identified with a species of Gymnopetalum, G. cochinchinense Kurz (1871, p. 57); both T. hexasperma and T. macrocarpa have now become Hodgsonia macrocarpa Cogn. In the Index Kewensis T. pubera Bl. has been regarded as a synonym of T. palmata Roxb. and at the same time T. bracteata Roxb. has been mentioned as a valid species. This anomalous condition of the 3 species should be clarified. JT. pubera was originally described by Blume from the Dutch East Indies. It has not been mentioned by Roxburgh (1834), Voigt (1848) and Clarke (1879) in their respective works. Miquel (1855) has kept it separated from T. palmata Roxb. as a distinct species. Cogniaux has reduced it to a variety of T. bracteata Voigt and gave its habit as Java. King’ named all the sheets of T. bracteata in the Calcutta Herbarium as T. pubera and remarked on one of the sheets that the correct name of the species would be T. pubera Bl. and not T. bracteata Voigt. as Blume’s name.was older than that of Voigt. The original description of T. pubera by Blume is as follows: ‘Folia exciso cordata, tricuspidata, denticulata, subtus subtomentosa, flores feminei solitarii, pepo ovatus acutus.’ These structural characteristics seem to be sufficiently distinct to regard it as a separate species. Unfortunately there is no specimen of T. pubera in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the British Museum, London, and also in the Calcutta Herbarium. In the Buiten- zorg Herbarium there is only one sheet without fruit, identified by Cogniaux as T. bracteata var. pubera. The leaves and calyx lobes are different from those of T. bracteata. The present author thinks that T. pubera Bl. is distinct from T. bracteata Voigt (=T. palmata Roxb). But even if the 2 species be identical the correct name would be T. bracteata (Lam.) Voigt and not T. pubera Bl. (as suggested by King), as the species was originally described by Lamarck (1796) as Modecca bracteata. Seringe in the 3rd part of De candolle’s Prodromus (1828) enumerated 24 species. They included the 4 Linnean species, the 3 species of Loureiro, the 3 species of Lamarck, the 10 species of Blume, T. laciniosa Klein (Spec. Plant. Willd., 1805), T. colubrina Jacq. f., T. chinensis Ser. and T. tamnifolia Poir. - T. colubrina Jacq. f. has since been identified with T. anguina Linn. (Kurz, 1877. p. 98). T. tamnifolia Poir is now regarded as a doubtful species. T. chinensis Ser. has not yet been properly identified. Cogniaux thinks it may be the same as T. cucumeroides Maximowicz. Roxburgh in his Hortus Bengalensis (1814) enumerated 7 species including 5 new ones which were described for the first time in his Flora Indica (1832, pp. 701-707). The species are:— T. anguina Linn., T. dioeca Roxb., T. cucu- mevina Linn., T. lobata Roxb., T. cordata Roxb. T. palmata Roxb. and T. heteroclita Roxb. Of the new species T. palmata was renamed T. bracteata Voigt; T. heteroclita was transferred by Hooker f. and Thomson (1853) to the new genus Hodgsonia as H. heteroclita (=H. macrocarpa Cogn.) Wight and Walker-Arnott in their Prodromus (1834) enumerated 5 species of Trichosanthes: 7. nervifolia Linn., T. cuspidata Lam., 7. anguina Linn., L. cucumerina Linn. and T. palmata Roxb. They consider that the genus Involucraria Seringe is scarcely distinct from Trichosanthes and regard that Involucraria Wallichiana Ser. is the same as T. palmata Roxb. Subsequently Wight (1842) united the genus Involucraria with Trichosanthes and renamed 1. Wallichiana as T. Wallichiana. In Wight’s Illustrations of Indian Botany (Vol. II, 1850) the following species of Trichosanthes are enumerated :—T. cucumerina Linn., T. anguina Linn., 7. Wallichiana Wight and T. palmata Roxb. All the 7 species mentioned by Roxburgh were enumerated by Voigt (1845) in his Hortus Suburbanus Calcuttensis. He found that Modecca bracteata _* Sir George King, once Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sibpur, Calcutta, f INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND YRICHOSANTHES — 367 (Fam. Passifloraceae) of Lamarck (1796, p. 210) is the same as Tvrichosanihes palmata Roxb. and so renamed 7. palmata Roxb. as T. bracteata retaining the original specific name. Kurz (1877), Cogniaux (1881), Gagnepain (1921) and Craib (1931) referred to this species as 7. bracteata. In 1855 Miquel published his Flora of Nederlandsh Indie in which he enumerated 23 species including 5 new ones. They are: the 10 species olf ’ Blume, TI. dioica Roxb., TIT. renijormis Mig. (later on identified as Ll. cucu- merina Linn.), JT. angulata Lam., TL. cucumerina Linn., J. laciniosa Islein (=f. cucumerina Linn.), 7. tricuspidata Lour., 7. Horsfieldii Mig., T. pedati- folia Mig. (=f. cucumerina Linn.), JZ. anguina Linn., T. javanica Mig. (=Thladiantha cordifolia Cogn.), JL. pilosa Lour., I. palmaia Roxb. (=1. bracteata Voigt,) and 7. tricuspis Miq. (=T. pubera Bl.?). In 1860 Miquel enumerated two more species from the Dutch East Indies, one of them being a new one: TI. coriacea Bl. and J. Kadam Mig. His T. Kadam was later on identified as J. heteroclita Roxb. afterwards named 1. macrocarpa Cogn. During the years 1865-00 Miquel described two new species,. 1. multiloba and JT. quadriciyrha from Japan. JT. quadricirrha was subsequently named as I. cucumeroides (=Bryonia cucumeroides Ser.) by Maximowicz (1875). In the year 1859 Thwaites enumerated 4 species of TJvichosanthes trom Ceyion. They are: T. cucumerina Linn., 1. nervifola Linn., 7. palmata Roxb., and a new species T. integrifolia. His species 7. mtegrifoua was included by Clarke in Hooker’s Flora of British India (Vol. Il, p. 610), but subsequently this name was revised by Cogniaux. It was at first thought by Kurz (1871) that Cucumis integrifolius Roxb. was a species of Gymnopetalum and he then named it Gymnopetalum integrifolium. Later on he considered that his G. integrifolium was a species ot Jrichosanthes and renamed it T. integrifolia retaining the original «specific name of Roxburgh. Thus there were two entirely different species bearing the same name—T’. integrifolia, one of Kurz and another of Thwaites. So Cogniaux renamed the T. integrifolia of Thwaites as I. Thwaitesi. (Cogniaux should have renamed the 7. integri- folia of Kurz as this name was not valid, because at the: time of Kurz’s publication of this species, there was already another species bearing the same name). Cogniaux and Harms (1924), however, consider JI. integrifolia Kurz as Gymnopetalum integrifolium ‘kurz. After a caretul study of the two species the present author considers that’ 1. integrifolia Kurz is the same as I’. scabra Lour. as suggested by Craib (1931). So the name 7. integrifolia Thwaites remains valid. Beddome in 1866 described a new species of Trichosanthes—T. anamalayana. This species was not included by Clarke in Hooker’s Flora probably owing to the type specimen not being found anywhere. Cogniaux (1881), however, included it in his Monograph repeating Beddome’s descriptions. Gamble (1919) has also included this species in his Flora of the Madras Presidency.. In 1871, Kurz enumerated TI. renifornmus from the Sikkim Himalayas. His T. reniformis could never be the TI. veniformis of Miquel, which was _ subse- quently identified as IT. cucumerina Linn. In structural features it resembles Ll. dicaelosperma Clarke (1879). As there has already been a JT. reniformis Miquel, so Kurz’s name can no longer remain valid and is now regarded as a synonym of T. dicaelosperma. In 1872 Kurz described a further new species—TI’, macrosciphon, which was subsequently identified with 7. cordata Roxb. In 1877 Kurz enumerated g species of Tvichosanthes from Burma including 2 new species—I’. grandibracteata and T. integrifolia (now identified as 7. scabra Lour.). His T. grandibracteata was later on identified as T. multiloba by Clarke and subsequently as T. Wallichiana by Cogniaux. In Hooker’s Flora of British India (Vol. II, part vi, 1879) Clarke enu- merated 12 species of Tvichosanthes, which included the 3 Linnean species, the 4 species of Roxburgh (less 7. heteroclita being named Hodgsonia macro- carpa), T. multiloba (=T. Wallichiana Wight.), T. integrifolia Thwaites and 3 new species—T’. truncata, T. himalensis, and T. dicaelosperma. 368 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII There appears to be some confusion regarding the occurrence of JT. multi- loba Mig. in India. The species has up to now been reported from Japan and Borneo. The plant named T. multiloba by Clarke has now been found to be identical with YT. Wallichiana Wight. JKanjilal and Das (1938) report a species under that name from Assam but the characters given by them for their species are not the same as those given originally by Miquel (1855-56 and 1866-67) or in detail by Cogniaux (1881). The writer examined a_ sheet from the Forest Herbarium, Shillong, named as T. multiloba and found it to be T. bracteata only. He also examined the Japanese specimens of T. mullti- loba Miq. in the Kew Herbarium and found that they markedly differed from the T. Wallichiana Wight (I. multiloba Clarke) as found in India. In 1881, Cogniaux enumerated 4o species of Tvichosanthes including 18 from India. Out of these, 11 were new including 5 from India. They are T. Per- vottetiana, JT’. villosula, T. ovata, T. Lepiniana and T. Thwaitesu; of these T. Thwaitesii is no longer valid and becomes T. integrifolia Thwaites and I. integrifolia Kurz is now identified with T. scabra Lour. Recently the writer (1939) has described the following new species from India: JZ. brevibracteata, T. pachyrrhachis, T. khasiana and T. majuscula. IT. ovigera Blume originally described from Java is a new. record from the Indian area. Two new species—T7. Prazeri Kundu and T. burmensis Kundu and_ three new varieties, JT. villosula Cogn. var. nilgirrensis Kundu, T. ovigera Blume var. sikkimensis Kundu and T. burmensis Kundu var. alba Kundu have been described in this paper. DESCRIPTION OF THE GENUS. Trichosanthes Linn. Gen. Pl. 295 (1737); Spec Pl. ed. 1, 1008; ed. II, 1432; Juss. Gen, Ply 396; Burman Fl. Ind., 207; Lamarck Encycl. Methodique I, 189; Lour. FI. Cochinch., 588; Willd. Spec. Pl. IV, 598; Blume Bijdr., 932; Ser. in DC. Prodr, 11], 313; Roxb: BI Ind? Ti) Jor; Wisht & Arn: Prodr 340 bnd- licher Gen. Pl. 939; Wight ‘in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. VIII, 269; Voigt Hort. Subur: Calcutt.,) 57. Roem" Syn: asc, Ile16;eMiqe. Biss ind = Batamln i, 674; Naud. in Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 4, XVIII, 188. Benth. Fl. Austral. ITI, 314; Benth and Hook. f. Gen. Pl. I, 821; Thwaites Enum. Pl. Zeyl., 126; Clarke in Hook. f. F. B. I. Il, 606; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 351; Cooke Fl. Bomb. I, 525; Trim. Fil. Ceylon II, 243; King Mat. Fl. Malay Penin. no. 10,.26;) Duthie Pl. Upp» Gang. Plain 1; 362; Prain Bens. Ela lesi6} Gamble Fl. Madras I, iii, 528; Haines Bot. Behar & Orissa II, 387; Ridley Fl. Malay, Penin. I, 843; Merrill Enum. Philip. Fl. Pl. III, 584; Gagnep. i hel, Il, “woz6% Craiby Bly Sian leon: Climbing herbs, annual or perennial. Leaves simple, unlobed or palmately 3-9g-lobed, margin usually denticulate; rarely compound, 3-5-foliate. Tendrils usually .2-5-fid, rarely simple. Flowers dioecious or monoecious, usually white, rarely red. Male flowers usually in racemes, rarely solitary; in some cases the male peduncles in axillary pairs, one 1-flowered, caducous, the other racemose; bracts variable in size or o. Calyx tube elongate, cylindric, fre- quently dilated. above; teeth 5, short “or long, entire, serrate or laciniate. Petals 5, connate at the base; lobes usually long fimbriate. Stamens 3, in- serted in the calyx tube; filaments very short, free, anthers connate (free in IT. dioica Roxb.), two 2-celled, the third 1-celled, the cells conduplicate. Female flowers solitary, very rarely in racemes. Calyx and corolla as in the male. Ovary inferior, ovoid or fusiform, one-celled with 3 parietal placentas; ovules usually many, generally horizontal, half pendulous; style slender, long ; stigmas 3, entire or bifid. Fruit fleshly; globose, ovoid or fusiform in shape ; usually many-seeded, indehiscent, glabrous and smooth. Seeds of various types, compressed,. oblong, ellipsoid or angulate; frequently marginate. INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND. TRICHOSANTHES KEY TO THE SPECIES GENUS. TRICHOSANTHES SECTION I. EurRICHOSANTHES—Male flowers in racemes. A. Seeds strongly compressed, not surrounded by ridges. B. Bracts minute or absent. C. Leaves not lobed. D. Male racemes few-flowered, erect ; eee teeth very short, triangular : l. nervtfolia. D. Male racemes many-flowered, wemicniates calyx teeth elongate, subulate weet 2 CUSPLAQALA. C. Leaves distinctly lobed or more or less angular or slightly lobed. D. Male flowers ebracteate. Leaves usually large, more or less angular or 3-5-lobed, suborbicular in outline ues we 3. Cucumerina, D. Male flowers minutely bracteate. E. Pedicels of male flowers shorter than the flowers. F, Rachis of male raceme robust, succu- lent, somewhat geniculate and some- times flowering from near the base ; fruit small ovate-acute... ... 4. pachyrrhachis. F, Rachis of male raceme erect, few- flowered at the apex (rarely genicu- late and many-flowered as some- times in 7. anguina, in that case fruit very long and twisted). G. Leaves deeply 5-7-lobed, lobes obo- vate or spathulate ; fruits oblong- linear, 14-20 cm. long, 2-5 cm. broad, acute at both ends Sid 110, YUN G. Leaves angular or 3-5-lobed. H. Fruits very long, narrow twisted with many seeds ; leaves deeply lobed, lobes of the leaves round- ed, faintly denticulate .. /. anguina. H. Fruits small, ovate-acute, 3-6 cm. long, 2-4 cm. ‘broad. Leaves usually small, very thin, 3-5- angled or very shortly 5-lobed, reniform in outline, apex acute, margin dentate, 3°5-5 cm. long., 4°5-6 cm. broad ae .. 9. Ovevibracteata. E. Pedicels of male flowers long, usually longer than the flowers. F, Leaves glabrous on both sides, deeply 3-lobed with distant subulate teeth ; petals rather shortly fimbriate .. 8. Perrottetiana. F. Leaves densely villose-hirsute beneath, 5-7 lobed with shallow sinuses and subulate teeth ; petals long fimbriate ; inflorescence and petiole more or less villous bo aes w» 9, villosula. B. Bracts large. C. Leaves truncate ot attenuate at base. D. Leaves ovate-oblong; bracts petiolate, oblong-lanceolate .., eae .. 10. truncata 369 370 D. Leaves broadly ovate, bracts sessile, ovate. C. Leaves cordate at base. D. Female flowers solitary, ebracteate. E. Calyx segments entire. F. Leaves entire (not lobed), smooth or slightly hirsute underneath, ovate- triangular ; bracts absolutely entire... F. Leaves more or less lobed. G. Leaves very rough, but not hairy on the upper surface; smooth or hairy at the nerves on the under surface; peduncles of the male racemes few-flowered at the apex ; bracts crenate or incised aoe G., Leaves hairy at the nerves on the upper surface, lower surface glab- rous and smooth. H. Leaves very large, about 25 cm. ~ long, deeply 5-lobed, rachis of male racemes many-flowered and flowering from near the base H. Leaves smaller, 9-15 cm. long, deeply 3-lobed, or sub-5-lobed, peduncle of the male racemes few-flowered at the apex E. Calyx segments not entire. F.- Calyx segments narrow with 2-3 short subulale incisions. Leaves pedately 5-6 lobed, tendrils slender, simple or bifid, flowers red, corolla lobes fimbrillate .... 0 F. Calyx segments broader, dentate, cerrate or laciniate G. Leaves glabrous on both surfaces, bracts ovate or obovate. H. Calyx lobes shortly dentate or serrate, fruits globose H. Calyx segments deeply divided into 3-5 subulate lobes, fruit ovoid dee ae See G. Leaves densely puberulous, particu- larly hairy atthe veins on the under surface ; upper surface glabrous ; bracts cucullate, subreniform in outline. H. Leaves shortly 5-lobed, flowers red 500 H. Leaves 5-lobed, divided nearly up to the middle, flowers white D. Female flowers bracteate, usually race- mose... as ae “3 Seeds turgid, broader than long, longitudinally surrounded by one or two very thick ridges. B. Male recemes bracteate, bracts somewhat large, narrowed towards the base. C. Leaves deeply trilobed, seeds unilocular ... A. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vou XLII 1l. ovata. 127. 13. 14, 15. 16, Le. 18. 1S), 20. “alk cordata. Wallichtanae majuscula. khasiana. Prazeri, bracteata. Lepiniana, bury MenSts .- buvinNensis var. alba, anamalayana, himalensts. INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES — 371 C. Leaves not lobed or very shortly trilobed towards the apex. D. Fruit ovoid, seeds trilocular, the 2 lateral loculiempty ... a D. Fruit ovoid-oblong, seeds unilocular or the 2 lateral loculi represented by 2 22. ovigera. minute pores ... 500 ovigera var. Stkkt- meNSTS . B. Male racemes ebracteate or with very minute or subulate bracts ... oes ... 23. dicelosperma. Section II. PSEUDOTRICHOSANTHES—Male and fe- male flowers solitary. A. Leaves cordate at base, margin dentate or denti- culate, tendrils simple or bifid. B. Leaves cordate-oblong, fruit oblong ... 24. dioica. B. Leaves reniform, fruit subglobose wo) 206) SCAOTE. A. Leaves rounded at base, margin entire, tendrils simple nee oC 600 ... 26, integrifolia. DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES. 1. T. nervifotia Linn. Spec. Pl. Ed. I, 1008; Ed. 2, 1432; Burman FI. Ind., Bose Willd Specisble LVS 599; sen. ix, DC. Prodrs TI; 3143, Wight & Arnott Prodr., I, 349; Thwaites Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 127; Clarke in Hook. t. K.B.I. II, 609; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 356; Cooke Fl. Bomb. I, 526; Trim. Fl. Ceylon I1, 244; Gamble Fl. Madras I, iii, 529. Toltipira Rheed. Hort. Malabar. VIII, 33, Plate 17. Stem slender, elongated, grooved, glabrous. Leaves narrow, thin, not lobed, ovate-oblong, margin munutely and distantly denticulate, glabrous and smooth on both. surfaces, 6-10 cm. long, 2.5-6 cm. broad; 3-nerved at the base, veins thin, prominent on the lower surface; apex acute or acuminate ; petiole glabrous or slightly puberulous, 1-2 cm. long. Tendrils slender, short, terete, bifid. Male peduncles usually paired; one 1-flowered and the second one is a few flowered erect raceme which is usually shorter than the leaves, ebracteate or sub-bracteate; rachis slender, 2-7 cm. long, 2-7-flowered. Pedicels 0.5-2 cm. long. Calyx tube linear, dilated at the apex, 17-20 mm. long; teeth erect, short, triangular, o.5-1 mm. long. Staminal filaments very short ; antheridial head oblong 3 mm. long. Fruit ovoid-oblong, acute at the base and apex. Seeds hali-ellipsoid, compressed with corrugated margins. Mount Nilgiri and Kurg, Thomson. Deccan Peninsula, Quilon, Wight. Ceylon, Thwaites, Hance. WKodat Kanal Ghat, Nov., 1897, Sir A. G. and Lady Bourne. Belgaum District, Nov., 1899, W. A. Talbot (C. H.) Kavalay Cochin, 2,000 ft. Nov., 1910, A. Meebold (C.H.). 2. T. cuspidata Lam. Encycl. Meth. Bot., I, 188; Ser. in DC. Prodr. Lil, 314; Wight and Arnott Prodr. I, 349; Cogn. in DC. Monog. II], 357; T. caudata Willd. Spec. Pl. IV, 600; Scheru Padavalam Rnheed. Hort. Malab. VIII, 31, piate 106. Stem slender. Leaves narrow, thin, not lobed, ovate-oblong, margin minutely and remotely dentate, shortly acuminate, glabrous and smooth on both surfaces, 6-10 cm. long, 2.5-5 cm. broad, 3-nerved at the base. Tendrils slender, bifid. Male flowers in raceme, which are (10-30) many-flowered, usually geniculate, sub-bracteate, and slightly shorter than or nearly as long as the leaves; rachis slender, flowering from near the base, 4-7 cm. long. Pedicels 2-6 mm. long. Calyx tube dilated at the apex, 11-14 mm. long; teeth erect, 2-2.5 mm. long. Staminal filaments very short. Fruit (from Rheede’s drawing) 5-7.5 cm. thick, circular in transverse section, about twice as long as broad, acute. 6 372 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Quilon, Oct., 1835, Wight; Peninsulae Indiae Orientalis, (S. India) no. 1135, Herb. Wight (C.H.). Travancore and Malabar, Gamble. Clarke in Hooker’s Flora of British India reduced 7. cuspidata to LT. nervifolia Linn. from which it may be separated by its many-flowered geniculate male racemes which are flowering from near the base and by the elongate and subulate calyx teeth. 3. TT. cucumerina Linn. Spec. Pl. Ed. I, 1008; Ed. 2, 1432; Lour. Fi. Cochinch., 588; Burman Fl. Ind., 308; Willd. Spec. Pl. IV, 600; Ser. in’ DC. Prodr. IIl,: 315;;>-BlumeBijdrs, 93335) (Roxbsa Hilo Iindaael iene o2F Wight & Arnott Prodr. I, 350; Miq., Fl. Ind. Bat.- I, i, 676; Thwaites Enum. Pl. Zeyl., 125; Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng., 1877, ii, 98; Clarke in Hook. F.B.I., Il, 609; Cogn. in DC. Monog. 111, 357; King. Mat. FI. Malay. Penin. no. 10, 27; Cooke Fl. Bomb. I, 527; rim. Fl. Ceylon II, 245; Duthie Fil~ Upps Gang Riain) 304; Prainy Beng tall ee laeesuor Gamble Il. Madras 1, ili, 529; Haines Bot. Behar Orissa I], 388; 1241; Gagnepain in Lecomte in £1]. Indoch. Il, 1040; Merrill Enum. Phutip. Fie: PR 11,5584; Craib. hls Siam le 752° > 1’. laciniosa Klein in Willd. Spec. Pl. LV, 601; Ser. in DC. Prodr. ILI, 315: Mig. Fl. Ind. Bat. .1, 1,676. T.- rensjormis Miq. Bll. Inds Bat. ys ise7s (not of Kurz); 7. pedatifolia Mig. loc. cit., 677. T. cochinchinesis Roeme syn. Fasc. 11, 96; 7. Wightiana Roemer loc. cit. T. olida F. V. Muell in Trans. Soc. bot. Edin. V1, 491. Padavalam Rheed. Hort. Malab. VIII 29, plate 15. [T. pilosa Wall. Cat. no. 6691 (not of Loureiro). Cucumis missionis Wall. Cat. no. 6728] ' Stem slender, profusely branching and densely leafy, more or less pubescent. Leaves membranous, suborbicular in outline, margin denticulate, base deeply cordate, upper surface covered. with scattered hairs, lower surface shortly puberulous ; 7-10 cm. long, 8-12 cm. broad, more or less deepiy 5-lobed, rarely 3-7. lobed, lobes acute or rounded. Tendrils slender, elongate, puberuious, -2-3-fid. lowers dioecious or monoecious. Male peduncles in pairs, the earlier 1-tlowered, the later racemed; sometimes a female flower is found in place of the earlier male flower. Racemes few flowered; rachis slender, puberulous, 6-15 cm. Jong, having 6-12 flowers at the apex. LPedicels of flowers short ebracteate, erect, puberulous, 1-2 cm. long. Calyx tube somewhat dilated at the apex, 15-10 mm. long. Staminal filaments very slender, 1-1.5 mm. long; antheridial head oblong, 3 mm. Jong. 1.5 mm. thick. Ovary oblong. Fruit ovoid-conical, 5-7 cm. long, 3.5-4 cm. thick, with about 7-10 seeds. Seeds ovate-oblong, compressed, rugulose, margin thick with toothed projections from both the surfaces; 12 mm. long, 5-6 mm. broad, 2 mm. thick. It is a very common species and specimens have been collected from nearly all parts of India including Ceylon and Burma and the Andamans by various botanists from very early times. Distribution.—Java (Malaya); North Australia. 4, TT. pachyrrhachis Kundu in Journ. Bot, Ixxvii, 9. Stem slender, deeply grooved, glabrous or slightly papillose. Leaves mem- branous, suborbicular or reniform, with a cordate base, densely covered with short hairs with occasional long ones on the upper surface, lower surface densely and shortly pubescent, very shortly 3-5-lobed, lobes subacute; margin denticulate or dentate; 3.5-5 cm. long, 5-6.5 cm. broad, usually 3-nerved at the base, veins slender. Petiole slender, 2-3 cm. long, striate, sparsely papillose. , Tendrils somewhat robust, grooved, puberulous, 3-fid. Flowers monoecious. Male racemes 10-16-flowered; rachis robust, somewhat geniculate, sometimes nearly as thick as the stem, succulent, striate or grooved, glabrous, 7-11 cm. long, usually flowering from near the base. Pedicels terete, robust, erect, slightly puberulous, 3-6 mm. long. Calyx tube short, dilated at the apex, about 13-20 mm. long, 4 mm. broad at the apex; teeth spreading, 1 mm. long. Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. :! oS Seat nneae oo ee x werk & OOS ee Pipe ec Beatroaacf Sieg CAL CAAMAMA Ae, : es ss is ee : : ‘ g os foe Edgeworta, io14. | . : oe . mci : oo a FLOUA BRYLIND. VoLIL 6 33 oo Naud by Mr. CBCLARKE, : : ; : S Lg Ct : fo Trichosanthes..pachyrrhachis. Kundu. . Journ, Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. “ - Trichosanthes: brevibracteata’ Kundu. LQG MEER". UE SS ak BRERA, ee Po Pls, PLATE. Il. SQW HOON an | ae! INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES — 373 Petals oblong. Staminal filaments slender, very short, 1 mm, long; anther head subquadrangular, 2.5-3 mm. long, 2.5 mm. broad. Female flowers not seen. Fruiting pedicel solitary, 2.5 cm. long. Fruit ovoid-ellipsoid, attenuate into an acuminate apex; epicarp thin. Seeds flattened with undulate margins, truncate at the base, bidentate at the apex, 10-11 mm. long, 7 mm.. broad 2 mm. thick. .N. W. India, M. P. Edgeworth, 1863. Dehra Dun, Aug., 1869, 1870. G. King N.-W. Himalaya, P. W. Mackinnon (C. H.). Burma, Sept. 1902, Shaikh Mokim (C. H.). N. Bengal. below Dingra Ghat and Purneah, 30-10-68, S$. Aurz. (C. H.) 5. T. brevibracteata Aundu in Journ. Bot. xxvii, to. Stem very slender, grooved, subglabrous, Leaves membranous, very thin, 3-5-angled or very shortly 5-lobed, teniform, apex acute, base cordate- emarginate, margin dentate, on the upper surface covered with minute hairs together with a tew longer ones, on the lower surface pubescent; deep green on the upper surface, pale green on the lower surface; 3.5-7.5 cm. long, 4.5- - g cm. broad, 3-5 nerved at the base, veins very thin, prominent on the lower surface. Petioles slender, striate, 2-4.5 cm. long, papillose-puberulous with some long hairs. Tendrils very slender, 2-3-fid. Monoecious or (?) dioecious. Male flowers in racemes. Rachis bearing male flowers slender, striate, pube- rulous, 5-10.5 cm. long, 5-10-flowered at the apex. Pedicels slender, erect or spreading, puberulous, 5-15 mm. long. Calyx tubular, attenuate from the apex towards base, 14-18 mim. long, 3-4 mm. broad at the apex; teeth spread- ‘ing, 1-1.5 mm. long. Petals oblong, 8-10 mm. long, 3 mm. broad. Staminal filaments slender, about 2 mm. iong; anther head oblong, 2.5 mm. long, 1.25 mm. broad. Iemale flowers not seen, I ruiting peduncles solitary, 8-10 mm. long. Fruit ellipsoid, attenuate into a conical apex, 3.5-4.5 cm. long, 1.5-2.5 cm. thick with about 7-8 seeds. Seeds flattened, oblong, subglabrous on both surtaces, somewhat undulate at the sides, base and apex truncate, 10 mm. long, 6-6.5 mm. broad, 2 mm. thick. 7 Karnal, Punjab, 1855-1888, J. &. Drummond, 246069, 24979, 24988, 25000, 25003, 25006, 25010, 25031, 25999. Ahmedabad, July, 1920, L. J. Sedjwick. N.-W. India, Thomson s. n. (Herb. Hook. fil. et Thoms.) Koni, Travancore State, South India, August, 1913, Calder and Narayana- swam ; Canara, July, 1883, W. A. Lalbot (C.H.) Ditribution—Java (Malaya). var. sublobata Kundu in Journ. Bot. Ixxvii, 11. Leaves larger, shortly lobed, 7:5-10 cm. long, 9-15 cm. broad; margin denticulate ; petioles robust, 2-7 cm. long; stem puberulous or somewhat villose. Tendrils 2-3-fid. Bracts although very short usually thicker than in the type and somewhat flattened. Quilon, June, 1836, Wight. Cachar, June, 1874, Keenan, Sanghoa Jungle, Karnal, Punjab, Sept. 1887, J. R. Drwmmond. Banda, N.-W.P. Dec., 1902, Mrs. A. S. Bell. Nagpur-Wardha, C.P., Sept., 1912, Haines. var. longirostrata Itundu in Journ. Bot. 1xxvii, 11. Stems and petioles villous. Leaves larger, 7.5-8 cm. long, 10 cm. broad; petiole 5-6 cm. long. Tendrils robust, 3-4-fid. Bracts more conspicuous than those of the type, up to 2 mm. long. Young fruit 5.5-6 cm. long, with = long beak. Burma, 15 August, 1908, J: H. Lace, 6335. 6. T. lobata Roxb. Fl. Ind. III, 7o1; Roemer Syn. Fasc, II, 96; Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng., xlvi, ii, 98; Clarke in Hooker, F.B.I., Il, 610. 374 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Stem slender, grooved, puberulous. Leaves membranous, suborbicular in outline, base broadly cordate, 5-7-lobed, slightly puberulous on both surfaces, 6-g cm. long, hairy. Tendrils 3-5-fid, divided near about the middle. Male flowers in racemes, ebracteate or minutely bracteate; rachis slender, puberu- lous, 8-15 cm. long, few flowered at the apex; calyx tube slightly dilated at the apex, puberulous. Female flowers solitary, axillary. Fruit linear- oblong, 14-20 cm. long, 2-5 cm. broad, acute at both ends. Seeds compressed, thick, surface rugulose, margin irregularly tubercled, truncate both at the apex and at the base, 10 mm. long, 6 mm. broad and 2.5-3 mm. thick. Common in Bengal. Lucknow, (1854) (C.H.). Wall. Cat. no. 6693. This plant is called ‘Ban Chichinga’ in Bengali and is fairly common in hedges. It flowers during the rainy season. I have seen the typical fruits as described by Roxburgh (smooth, ornamented lengthways, except near the base with ten white streaks) looking very much like small fruits of 7. anguina Linn. (hence the Bengali name ‘Ban Chichinga’). Cogniaux has reduced this species to J. cucumerima Linn. and Gamble in his Madras Flora has followed him. It is a distinct species which can be distinguished from the latter by the character of the leaves and structure and size of the fruit. Prain has not mentioned this species in his Bengal Plants and has given the Bengali name Ban Chichinga to JT. cucumerina which never bears elongated fruits like those borne by T. lobata Roxb. Wight and Walker-Arnott (1834) suggested that this might be a _ variety of 1. cucumerina; Clarke in the Flora otf British India also thought the same. Probably this is the wild form of the cultivated 7. angwina Linn. Haines in the Botany of Behar and Orissa has reduced 7. anguina as a variety of LT. cucumerina, with which T. lobata has been merged. 7. T.-anguina Linn. Sp. Pl. Ed. I, 1008; Ed. 2, 1432; Burman Fly Inde 207; Lam. Encycl. Meth. Bot. I, 190; Lour. Fl. Cochinch., 588; Willd. Sp. Pll IV, 598" BlumesBijdrs Tlyso33);5 Seraine) Ca brodr aa llineeanaS Roxb. Fl.-Ind. HI, 701; Wight and Arnott Prodr. 1, 350; Mig. Fl. Ind. Bat. 1; i, 6773) Kurz in’ Journ) Ass Soc) (Benge: xlvij wil osh wn Claniemmnna Hooker F.Bil., Il, 610; Cogn: in DC. Monog. Ill, 359; ‘Cooke ThE Bomb. 1, 527; Duthie Fl. Upp. Gang. Plain I, 364;7Prain Beng: Pio 518; Gamble Fl. Madras, I, ili, 530; Gangnepain in Lecomte Fl. Indoch. 11, 1039; Craib Fl. Siam I, 751. Y. cucumerina Linn. var. anguina Haines Bot. Behar & Orissa, Il, 388. 7. colubrina Jacq. f. Eclog. plate 128; ser. in) DC. iProdr. Tiara Stem slender, branching, angular, puberulous. Leaves membranous, sub- orbicular, margin finely denticulate or undulated, base cordate or emarginate, “subglabrous on the upper surface, lower surface densely puberulous and rough ; 5-angular or more or less 5-lobed, lobes roundish; 7-15 cm. long, 8-18 cm. broad; veins slender, usually 3-nerved at the base. Petiole villose, 3.5-10 cm. long. Tendrils robust, grooved, puberulous, 2-3 fid. Flowers monoecious. Male raceme usually few-tiowered. Rachis of the male raceme robust, striate, puberulous, 8-25 cm. long, 8-15-flowered. Pedicels slender, erect, spreading, minutely bracteate, 0.5-2 cm. long. Calyx tube subcylindrical, slightly dilated at the apex, puberulous, 2.5-3 cm. long, 4-5 mm. broad at the apex, teeth short, subulate, reflexed, 2 mm. long. Petals oblong 8-9 mm. long, 3 mm. broad. Staminal filaments slender, 2 mm. long, antheridial head ovoid, 2.5- 3 mm. long, 2 mm. thick. Kemale flowers solitary, peduncle 0.5-5 cm. long. Ovary narrowly fusiform, more or less villose. Fruit very long, surface smooth, cylindric, sometimes contorted. Seeds oblong, finely rugulose, margins undu- late, 15-20 mm. long, 6-10 mm. broad, 2.5-5/5 mm. thick. It is a cultivated species and has never been collected in wild condition. It is allied to 7. cucumerina Linn. and JT. lobata Roxb., the latter seems to be its nearest relation, of which it may be regarded as a cultivated variety. Cultivated throughout India, Burma and the Andamans for its very long and twisted polymorphous fruit which is used as a vegetable. Miquel in his ‘Ilora van Nederlandsch Indie’ p. 677, states that ‘the male flowers possess INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES — 375 large leafy sheathing bracts; in the Indian specimens, however the bracts are minute. Distribution.—China and Malaya. 8. T. Perrottetiana Cogn. in DC. Monograph III, 362; Gamble Fl. Madras Reeitie 520. Stems moderately slender, branched, angular, glabrous or slightly puberu- lous. Leaves subcoriaceous, ovate-suborbicular in outline, margin distantly subulate-denticulate, very deeply cordate at the base, glabrous and smooth on both sides, slightly dilated at the base, 12-14 cm. long, 10-12 cm. broad; usually nearly trilobed up to the middle, lobes oblong-triangular, acuminate, the middle lobe slightly longer; veins slender, prominent on the upper surface. Petiole slender, straight, subglabrous, 5-7 cm. long. Tendrils robust, elongat- ed, deeply grooved, slightly puberulous, 3-fid. Male raceme ‘many-flowered ; Rachis of the male raceme moderately slender, grooved, glabrous or slightly puberulous; (10-15)-flowered ; 15-20 cm. long. Pedicels very long with minute bracts at the base, slender, erect, 5-10 cm. long; bracts subulate, caducous, 3-5 mm. long. Calyx tube very shortly puberulous, subcylindrical, dilated above, the apex slightly constricted, ro-nerved, 1.5-2 cm. long, at the apex 3 mm. and at the middle 1.5 mm. broad; teeth erect, long and linear, 4-5 mm. long. Filaments of the stamens, very slender, 2 mm. long; antheridial head ~ oblong, 4 mm. long, 2 mm. thick. Pistillodium 5-6 mm. long. Female flowers and fruit unknown.—From the description of Cogniaux. Carnatic at Pondicherry (Perrottet, No. 256 in herb. Bois. and Vindob). The specimen No. 13445 in the Kew Herbarium and also in the Calcutta Herbarium collected by Gamble from Sirpara Ghata, Nilgiris district, at 5000 ft. on Nov. 1883 seems to belong to this species. It agrees with the description of T. Perrottetiana Cogn. except in the number of flowers in the male raceme, the flowers im the male raceme in this specimen being few in number. 9, T. villosula Cogn. in DC. Monog. fil, 362; Gamble FI. Madras, I, iii, 529- Stem. slender, elongate, grooved. sparsely villose.. Leaves 8-13 cm. long and as much broad, membraneous, suborbicular, margin subcrenulate-denti- culate, base deeply cordate, upper side shortly puberulous and somewhat rough; on the lower surface densely villose-hirsute, 5-lobed up to the middle: lobes ovate oblong, acute or shortly acuminate, occasionally lobulate. Petiole thinly covered with long weak hairs, 3-6 cm. long. Tendrils robust, elon- gate, 3-4-fid. Male peduncle in pairs; the earlier 1-flowered; the later racemed ; racemes many flowered; rachis slender, sparsely villose, (10-20)-flowered, 10- 16 cm. long; pedicels very long, erect-spreading 2-5 cm. long, minutely bracteate at the base; bracts caducous 1-2 mm. long. Calyx tube subcylin- dric, dilated above, constricted at the apex, 2-2.5 cm. long, 2 mm. broad in the middle, 5 mm. broad at the apex; calyx teeth spreading, 5-7 mm. long. Petals oblong-lanceolate, tri-nerved, acuminate, 12-13. mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad, fimbriate, 1-1.5 mm. long. Female flowers solitary, axillary. Fruit- ing peduncle 1.5 cm. long; fruit ovoid, acuminate, 5.5-6 cm. long, 2-5 cm. broad in the middle. Mount Nilgiri, 5,000 ft., June 1883, August, 1884 Gamble. Coonoor, Sept. 1886. Gamble; Herbarium of Sir A. G. and Lady Bourne in Kew. Upper Pulneys, 6,500 ft., 22-9g-1911. C. E.-C. Fischer (C.H.) Coimbatore, AO site 13-12-1907." 6. 1G. Wascher (CLE). var. wilgirrensis var. nov. A typo sequentibus signis: caulis puberulus, folia 5-7-lobata vel sub-g- lobata, lobati ad medium lobi oblongi vel spathulati, margo leviter denticu- latus, apex obtusa vel acuta, supra glabris vel valde minime puberula ad nervos, infra Jeviter puberula cum sparsis setis, petiolus leviter puberulus differt, 2 376 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Distinguished from the type in having the following characters :—Stem puberulous, leaves 5-7-lobed or sub-g-lobed, lobed up to the middle, lobes oblong or spathulate, margin shortly denticulate, apex acute or obtuse, upper surface glabrous or very slightly puberulous at the veins, lower surface slightly puberulous with occasional long ones; petiole slightly puberulous. Coonoor, Nilgiris, 6,000 ft., Nov. 1884, no. 15733, J. S. Gamble (Type in the Calcutta Herbarium). 10. T. truncata Clarke in Hooker f. F.B.I., II, 608; Cogn. in DC. Monog. Mies 64" Stem robust, elongate, angular-striate, glabrous, punctate. Leaves coria- ceous, entire or rarely irregularly tricuspidate, ovate-oblong; apex acuminate, base round, margin usually entire or rarely distantly and minutely denticu- late, glabrous on both sides, 13-16 cm. long, 6-8 cm. broad, 3-nerved rarely 5-nerved at base, veins slender, prominent on the lower surface. Petiole robust, grooved, glabrous, punctate, 4-6 cm. long. Tendrils very slender, elongate, terete, subglabrous, 2-3-fid. Male raceme 8-20-flowered; rachis stout, striate, flowering at the apex, 7-15 cm. long; pedicels very slender, puberu- lous, 1-3 mm. long; bracts ovate, shortly petiolate, apex acuminate, margin entire or more usually with a few teeth. Calyx tube shortly tomentose, dilated above, 2-3 cm. long; teeth spreading, linear, 5-7 mm. long, 1-1.5 mm. broad at the base. Corolla shortly tomentose on the outside. Female flowers solitary, axillary. Fruiting peduncle short, 8 mm. long. Fruit oblong, 10 cm. long, 3-4 cm. broad; epicarp tough. Seeds. smooth, oblong-obovate, base truncate, apex obtuse, 21 mm. long, 12 mm. broad, 3 mm. thick. Khasia Mts., 4,000 ft. Hook. f. and Thomson; Clarke; Sadiya N.-E. Assam. ~G. K. Deka (Forest Herbarium, Shillong). Sikkim, 1,000 ft. Hooker f.: 1,200 ft. Aug., 1873, Gamble. Darjeeling, 1,500 ft., March, 1871, C. B. Clarke; 1,800 ft., Gamble. 11. T. ovata Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 365. Stem slightly robust, elongate, branched, angular-striate, smooth or puberu- lous, thinly punctate. Leaves membranous, entire, broadly ovate, apex shortly acuminate, base round or truncate, margin minutely distantly denti- culate; glabrous on both sides; 14-18 cm. long, 11-14 cm. broad; base tri- nerved, nerves somewhat slender and thinly reticulate, on the lower surface slightly prominent. Tendrils 2-3-fid, slender, very elongate, terete, glabrous. Male raceme sub-capitate, few-flowered; rachis very robust, striate, glabrous, 6-10-flowered at the apex, 10-15 cm. long; pedicels very slender, shortly villose, 1-2 cm. long; bracts sessile, ovate, acute. round at the base, margin entire or somewhat undulate, trinerved, 12-15 mm. long, 8-10 mm. broad. Calyx tube short, tomentose, dilated above; teeth spreading or reflexed, linear, 7-9 mm. long, 1.5 mm. broad. Corolla very shortly tomentose. Female flowers and fruit unknown.—Descriptions from the monograph of Cogniaux. Sikkim, Thomson in Herb. Hort. Petrop. and Lugduno-Batavia. 12. T. cordata Roxb in Fl. Ind. III, 703; Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. XLVI, ii, 99; Clarke in Hook. f. F.B.I. II, 608; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 367; Duthie in Fl. Upp. Gang. Pl. I, 363. T. macrosiphon Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. XLI, ii, 308. Roots tuberous. Stem robust, very long, angulate, grooved, glabrous or sparsely puberulous. Leaves membranous, entire (unlobed) or rarely angular- sublobate, broadly ovate-cordate, apex acute or shortly acuminate, margin minutely denticulate or crenulate-dentate, scatteredly shortly villose-hirsute on both sides, 9-20 cm. long, 9-16 cm. broad, 3-5-nerved at the base. Petiole stout, striate, sparsely puberulous, 3.5-10 cm. long. Tendrils robust, elongate, grooved, puberulous, 2-3-fid. Male raceme few-flowered; rachis stout, striate, sparsely puberulous, 12-35 cm. long, 6-12 flowered. Pedicels thick very short, 1-2 mm. long; bracts oblong, acuminate, entire, shortly villose-hirsute, 3.5- 4 cm. long, 1-1.5 cm. broad. Calyx tube attenuate from the apex towards INDIAN. SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES — 377 base, densely villose, 5 cm. long, 7 mm. broad at the apex, teeth erect, flex- uose, 1.5 cm. long, 2-5 mm. broad at the base. Staminal filaments very short, scarcely 1 mm. long; antheridial head 14 mm. long, 3-4 mm. thick. Female flower solitary; peduncle about 1 cm. Jong. Ovary oblong, slightly puberulous. Fruiting peduncle robust, 1-2 cm. long. Fruit globose, smooth, red. Seeds subquadrangular, 10-12 mm. long, 4-5 mm. broad, 2-2.5 mm thick. India, Wallich. Wall. Cat. no. 6686 A., 6688 C. & F. (partly). East Bengal Griffith; Dacca, Sept., 1868, Clarke; Rungpore, Bengal, Dec. 1875, Clarke. Chodamvaram, Madras, 7-8-14, M. S. Ramaswami (C.H.);. Malabar forest, 9-5-1895, Herb. G. Watt. (C.H.) Dehradun, July 1882, Duthie (C.H.), G. King. (C.H.). Hardwar, King (ex Duthie). : Darjeeling 500 ft. 12 July, 1870 Clarke (C.H.); Sikkim, Kurz. Khasia, o-4,000 ft., June, 1850, Hooker f. and Thomson; Khasia and Jaintia Hills, 6-6-39, R.N.De (Forest Herbarium, Shillong) no. 19203. Naga Hills, Oct., 1885, Clarke; July 1886, D. Prain (C.H.) Upper Assam, 1841, Jenkins; Gauhatty, Aug., 1847, Griffith; Nazira, Assam, 23 April, 1885 (No. 37998C, C.H.) Cachar, Keenan; Kistopore, Cachar. May, 1868, Clarke; Wakhimpore, 25 Aug., 1900, I. H. Burkill (C.H.) The Andaman islands (Ex. Kurz). Martaban, Burma, Kurz (C. H.); Pegu, Kurs {(C.H.) var, subpedata. Clarke in Hook. f. F.B.I1., II, 608. Leaves pedately lobed almost to the base. The bracts and indumentum are exactly as in the type. _ Lackipoor, Cachar, May, 1868, Clarke. 13. TT. Wallichiana Wight. in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., VIII, 270; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 368; King. Mat. Fl. Malay Penin. no. 10, 29; Ridley Fl. Mal. Penin. I, 845; Gagnepain in Lecomte Fl. Indoch. IT, 1048; Craib FI]. Siam. I, 754. Involucraria Wallichiana Seringe in Mem. sur la fam. des Cucurbitacees, vlate 5; and in DC. Prodr. III, 318. T. grandibracteata Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. LXVI, 98-99. T. multi- loba Clarke in Hook. f. F.B.I. II, 607 (not of Miquel). Stem robust, angulate-grooved, glabrous. Leaves sub-coriaceous, suborbi- cular in outline; on the upper surface glandular punctate and very rough, on the under surface glabrous or slightly hairy at the nerves; 8-20 cm. long, 7-5-21.5 cm. broad; usually 3-nerved at base; deeply (nearly up to the base) palmately 3-9-lobed, lobes oblong, elliptical or lanceolate, acute or acuminate, denticulate or irregularly crenate-dentate. Tendrils robust, elongate, grooved, puberulous, 2-3 fid. Male raceme few—(6-12)-flowered at the apex; rachis stout, grooved, puberulous, 15-30 cm. Jong. Bracts broadly ovate, crenulate- subulate, slightly puberulous, multinerved, 2.5-3 cm. long. Calyx tube slightly puberulous, 5-5.5 cm. long, 12-14 mm. broad at the apex; teeth spreading, 10-15 mm. long, 5-6 mm. broad at the base. Female flowers solitary axillary : ovary ovoid-oblong, glabrous. Fruiting peduncle 2-4 cm. long. Fruit ovoid or oblong-ellipsoid, not globose, with an acute or subacute apex, 5-10 cm. long, 4-8.5 cm. thick. Seeds truncate at base, much swollen in the middle, surface smooth, 15-18 mm. long, 7-12 mm. broad, 6-9 mm. thick; cotyledons thick and oily. N.-W. India, Royle. Kumaon, June, 1845, Thomson. Simla, 1880, Col- lett. Bombay, W. H. Talbot. Sikkim, 2,000-6,000 ft., Griffith; Hooker f., Hooker f. and Thomson; G. King (C.H.); Phadonchen, 7,000 ft., 20-8-10, W. W.. Smith (C.H.); Mungpoo, 18-7-14, Indrayni Nepali (C.H.); Tumloong, 5,500 ft. 10-7-92, G. A. Gammie (C.H.); Darjeeling 4,000-7,000 ft. Aug., 1874 & 1876, July, 1881, Gamble ; Oct., 1870, Aug., 1875, Clarke; Sikkim Terai, S. Kurz (C.H.). Khasia, 2,000-5,000 ft., Hooker f. & Thomson; Aug. & Oct., 1885, Clarke ; 378 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII June, 1876, S. Kurz. Shillong, June, 1911, R. K. Das (C.H.); Dunpep, May, 1911, R. K. Das (C.H.). Lawlyngdoh, Khasia and Jaintia Hills 28-6-38, S. P. Sharma (Forest Herbarium, Shillong, no. 16682). Thaka- banea Pfutsero, Naga Hills, 7,coo ft., June & July, 1935. N. L. Bor: Pastelling, 6,500 ft., 1904, Haines; Tingala Bum Jungle, Assam March, 1899, Dr. Prain’s Collector. Kachin Hills, Upper Burma, Jan., 1898, Shaikh Mokim (C.H.); Mynela (Yunan Expedition), D. J. Anderson (C.H.); Pahang, H.N.R. Distribution.—Malaya Peninsula. 14)\ Sal majuscula Kundu in Journ. Bot. Ixxvii, 12. T. Wailichiana Wight. var. majuscula Clarke, Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 369; T. multiloba Miq. var. majuscula Clarke in Hook. F.B.I. II, 608. Stem very stout, elongate, grooved, glabrous. Leaves very large, membranous, glabrous and smooth on the lower surface, smooth but slightly hairy at the nerves on the upper surface, deeply palmately 5-lobed, lobes elliptic-obovate, cuspidate, narrow towards the base, up to 8 cm. broad in the middle, sinus between lobes obtuse, margin irregularly crenulate, deep green on the upper surface, pale green on the lower surface, 23 cm. long, 22-25 cm, broad, 3-nerved at the base. Pretiole very robust, striate, covered with very short hairs, 6-6.5 cm. long. Tendrils very robust and woody, grooved, very slightly hairy, branched above at a distance of 11 cm. from base, 3-fid, the middle branch much more prominent and much longer than the lateral ones. Male flowers in racemes; rachis very stout and woody, 30 cm. long, (25-30) many-flowered, very much grooved and puberulous; peduncle 9.5 em. long. Bracts oblong, finely serrate, multinerved, 3.5-4.5 cm. long. Pedicels very short, thick and woody. Calyx tube about 6 cm. long, 1 cm. broad at the apex, attenuate from the apex towards the base; teeth elongate, triangular-lanceolate, spreading, papillose, margins entire, rt cm. long, 5 mm. broad at the base. Female flowers and fruit unknown. Khasia mountains, Assam, 4,000 ft. Hook. f. & Thomson, no. 7. 15. T. khasiana Kundu in Journ. Bot. Ixxvii, 17. Stem rcbust, elongate, angulate, grooved, glabrous. Leaves membranous, ovate-suborbicular in outline, slightly hairy at the nerves on the upper surface, glabrous on the lower surface, deeply palmately 3-lobed near to the base, sometimes with an additional short lobe on the side of each of the lateral ones, lobes oblong-lanceolate, apex acuminate, margin distantly denticulate, deep green on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface, 9-15 cm. long, 8-13 cm. broad, truncate or cordate at the 3-nerved base, veins slender. Petiole robust, striate, punctate or glabrous, 2.5-5 cm. long. Male raceme loosely few-flowered at the apex; rachis very robust, sometimes stouter than the stem, grooved, glabrous, puberulous in the younger regions, 9-15 cm. long. Bracts glabrous, ovate, subentire or crenulate, multinerved, 2-4.5 cm. long. Calyx tube attenuate from the apex towards base, puberulous, 4.5-5 cm. long, 8.5-10 mm. broad at the apex. teeth erect-spreading, — triangular-lanceolate, 8-10 mm. long, 5-6 mm. broad at the base. Peduncle of the female flower 1.5-2.5 cm. long. Calyx tube cylindrical; teeth spreading, subulate-dentate. 6-8 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. broad at the base. Ovary fusiform, glabrous. Fruit oblong-ellipsoid, subacute at both ends, 11-12.5 cm. long, 3.5-5 cm. thicls. Seeds irregularly shaped, somewhat ovate-oblong, smooth on both sides, 10- 14 mm. long, 5-8 mm. broad, 2 mm. thick. Cotyledons thin. Khasia mountains, 2,000-6,000 ft. Hooker and Thomson no. 11. 16. TT. Prazeri sp. nov. Caulis gracilis striatus punctatus. Folia membrancea tenua ambitu sub- orbicularia, pedato-5-6-lobata, lobi spathulati. vel oblongi, margo_ irregularis serratus vel denticulatus, apex obtusa vel obtuso-apiculata, superficies leviter pube.ulis ad nervos principales, subtus glabris vel glandulo-punctatus ; cirrhis Journ, Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. ; PLATE ‘HL: \ AN CREAN My yy tikpy Li ip ~ \ x WS. yf he LS MGB US Journ, Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. e PLATE Iv. vit ermina yy Det Trichosanthes khasiana Kundu. - INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES — 379 gracilis simplex vel bifidis glabris. Racemis masculis 7-10 floris, flores colore rubro, intus rosei. Bractei magni oblong-ovati, glabres, profunde serrati, cum apice obtusa, 2.5 cent. longus, 1.7 cent. latus in medio. Calycis tuba ad basim attenuata et ad apicem dilatata, dentibus lanceolato-linearibus suinte- gres vel saepius cum 2-3 brevibus incisionibus, 5-6 mm. longi, 1.5-2 mm. lati in medio. Corolla fere ad basim divisa, lobata ovata-oblonga, breviter lace- rata. Flores feminei et fructus ignoti. Stem slender, grooved, punctate. Leaves membranous, thin, suborbicular in outline, lobed nearly up to base, 5-6-lobed, lobes oblong or spathulate, margin irregularly serrate or denticulate, apex obtuse or obtuse-apiculate ; upper surface very slightly hairy at the main veins, lower surface glabrous or glandular punctate. Petiole slender, punctate, 2-2.5 cm. long. Tendril slender, simple or bifid, glabrous. Male flowers in racemes, rachis moderately stout, grooved, glabrous, 9-15 cm. long, 7-10-flowered; male peduncles occasionally in pairs, one early 1-flowered and the other racemed. Flowers coloured red, inside light pink. Bracts large, oblong-ovate, glabrous, margin deeply serrate, apex obtuse, 2.5 cm. long. 1.7 cm. broad in the middle. Calyx tube 4-5 cm. long, 6-7 mm. broad at the apex, narrow towards base and dilated above, glabrous; teeth narrow, lanceolate-linear, subentire or more frequently with 2-3 short subulate incisions, 5-6 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. broad in the middle. Corolla divided nearly up to the base; lobes ovate-oblong, shortly lacerate. Female flowers and fruit unknown. Khoni, Upper Burma, May, 1888, J. C. Prazer (Type in the Calcutta Herb- arium). The species is named after Mr. J. C. Prazer, the collector of the plant. A slender plant—from its very look appears to be quite distinct and differ- ent from other species of the group. It is related to T. bracteata Voigt and T. Lepiniana Cogn. The thin leaves of the plant are quite characteristic and could be easily separated from the thick, rough and subcoriaceous leaves of its two near relations. Although in T. bracteata Voigt the leaves are very variable but nothing like the thin spathulate-lobed leaves of this plant could be found there. The calyx teeth of the flower of this plant are narrow and have 2-3 short subulate incisions. They are also much smaller than and differ- ent from those of T. bracteata and T. Lepiniana. Corolla lobes are not fim- briate but shortly lacerate. Besides the above characteristics the colour of the flower as reported by the collector is very interesting. It is also related to T. longiflora Cogn., a species from New Guinea. From that species it is distinguished in having oblong or spathulate lobes of the leaves, large oblong-obovate deeply serrate bracts and in the red colour of the flowers and in the structure of the calyx tube. 17. T. bracteata (Lam.) Voigt Hortus Suburbanus Calcuttensis, 58; Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xlvi, ii, 99; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 375.; Mer- pilieenumesehilip: Bi Pi Tie e584.) Gagnepain in’ Lecomte Fl: Indoch. II, 1041; Craib. Fl. Siam I, 751. Modecca bracteata Lam. Encycl. Meth. Bot. IV, 210; DC. Prodr.. IIT, 337. T. palmata Roxb. Fl. Ind. III, 704; Wight and Arnott Prodr. I, 350; Wight Illustr. pls. 104, 105; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. I, i, 628; Thwaites Enum. PI. Zeyl. 127; Kurz Report Veget. And. Isl. p. ix; Clarke in Hook. f. F.B.I. II, 606; King Mat. Fl. Malay Penin. no. 10, p. 29; Trim FI. Ceylon IT, 244; Cooke Fl. Bomb. I, 526; Duthie Fl. Upp. Gang. Plain I, 363; Prain Beng. Pl. I, 318; Gamble Fl. Madras I, iii, 529; Haines Bot. Behar Orissa IT, 387; Ridley Fl. Mal Penin, I, 845. Stem stout, ‘puberulous and rough. Leaves membranous or sub-coriaceous, suborbicular in outline, rough and glandular punctate on the upper surface, glabrous and smooth on the under surface; veins on the under surface have small punctate glands; subentire or frequently deeply palmately 3-7-lobed, lobes ovate-oblong, very variable in size, margin entire, dentate, serrate or somewhat lobulate; apex usually acute. Petiole 2.5-g cm. long. Tendrils 380 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII robust, 3-fid. Male flowers in racemes; rachis stout, 8-20 cm. long, few-(5- 10)-flowered. Bracts ovate or obovate, deeply incised, many-nerved, 3-4 cm. long. Calyx tube attenuate from the apex towards the base, shortly villose, 4-5 cm. long, at the apex 10-12 mm. broad; teeth erect, spreading, elongate, triangular-lanceolate, dentate or serrate, sometimes subpinnatifid, 12-15 mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad at the base. Staminal filaments 1-2 mm. long. Female flowers axillary, solitary (according to Roxburgh sometimes racemed). Fruit globose, bright red with 10 orange streaks. Seeds numerous, immersed in green pulp, ovate oblong, smooth on both surfaces, 10-12 mm. long, 6 mm. broad in the middle, 2 mm. thick. Specimens have been collected from all parts of India from the Himalayas to Ceylon, Burma and the Andamans; very common and ascending up to 5,000 ft. Distribution.—Malaya, China, Japan and North Australia. var. scotanthus Clarke in Hook. f. F.B.I. II, 607. Leaves palmately lobed; lobed more than half-way down, nearly up to the base; Upper surface somewhat scabrid, lower surface glabrous. Tendrils bifid. Male raceme 9-10 cm. long, 5-6-flowered at the apex. Bracts 1.5 cm. long, 1 cm. broad in the middle. Calyx teeth broad, lanceolate, nearly entire. Petals nearly destitute of fimbriations (jagged), (‘especially in the female’-— Clarke). Punkabari, Darjeeling, 500 ft. 4th Sept., 1870, C. B. Clarke (C.H.) There is only cne sheet with male flowers only in the Calcutta Herbarium, which seems to be the type. There is no sheet in the Kew Herbarium. This looks very much like a distinct species, but cannot be established as the specimens are not quite sufficient to raise it to the standard of a’ species. var. tomentosa Heyne in Herb. Rottler: Clarke in Hook. f. F.B.I. II, 607; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 377; Gamble FI. Madras I, iii, 530. Leaves much less lobed, divided not more than half way down, scarcely scabrous, tomentose beneath. Bracts and calyx lobes more deeply laciniate. Western Ghats, in the Mysore Hills; Pulneys and Nilgiris at about 3,000- 6,000 ft. Ceylon, 1847 Gardner. This, too, seems to be a distinct species; C. B. Clarke also thought like that and remarked, ‘This looks like a good species, but the fruit and seeds are as in var. 1. This closely resembles the Australian T. subvelutina Muell. in Herb. referred to T. palmata by Bentham.’ It, however, differs from T. subvelutina Muell. subsequently described by Cogniaux in having the calyx lobes deeply laciniate. Until and unless more specimens are collected, the plant is kept as a variety of T. bracteata Voigt. 18. TT. Lepiniana Cogn. in DC. Monog., III, 377; Gamble Fl. Madras I, iii, 530; Gagnepain in Lecomte FI. Indoch. II, 1042; Craib Fl. Siam. I., 7533; Involucraria Lepiniana Naud. in Huber. Cat., II (1868). Stem robust, glabrous and smooth. Leaves membranous, suberbicular in outline, on both surfaces glabrous and smooth or finely punctate or rough; shortly palmately 3-5-lobed, lobes broadly ovate or triangular, acute or shortly acuminate, margin distantly subulate-dentate, 3-5 nerved at the base, 10-20 cm. long and as much broad. Petioles robust, 4-6 cm. long. Tendrils 3-4-fid, glabrous. Flowers dioecious; male flowers in racemes; rachis stout, smooth, 15-20 cm. long, 5-10 flowered at the apex; bracts obovate, 2+3 cm. long with subulate incisions, multinerved; pedicels very short, 2-5 mm. long. Calyx tube shortly puberulous, 5-6 cm. long, attenuate from the apex towards the base; teeth spreading, elongate, deeply 3-5-lobed, 14-16 mm. long, 5 mm. broad. Petals obovate, 2-3 cm. long, deeply laciniate, with long fringes. Female flowers solitary, peduncle 2-4 cm. long. Ovary oblong, glabrous. INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES 381 Fruit ovoid, smooth, red. Seeds black, obscurely marginate, 13-15 mm. long, 6-7 mm. broad, 2.5 mm. thick. Carnatic at Pondicherry, Lepine; Mt.»Nilgiris and Kurg, no. 14 Thomson; Sikkim, 1-5,000 ft. Hooker f.; Kolbong, Sikkim, S. Kurz (C.H.). Madras, Hooker f. and Thomson. Assam, Naga Hills, 4,800 ft.; Nchanramai Naga ‘Hills, 5,000 ft., May 1935, N. L. Bor Distribution—Cambodia. 19. T. burmensis sp. nov. Caulis elongatus, sulcatus, parum puberulus. Folia membranacea, ovato- suborbicularia, supra punctata, leviter puberula ad nervos principales, subtus densissime puberula, maxime pilosa ad nervos, breviter 5-lobata, serrata vel denticulata, apex loborum acuta vel breviter acuminata, 11-15 cent. longa, aequa lata, basis levita cordata, nervei subtus conspicui, 4-5 nervei ad basim Cirrhis robusticulus, 3-fidis. Racemes masculi robusti, sulcati, leviter puberuli, 12-25 cent. longi, 4-6 florati ad apicem. Bractei magni, cucullati, subreni- formes, multinervati, lacerati, apex rotunda, 3 cent. longi, 5 cent. lati, puberuli. Flores rubri, calycis tuba gradatim ad apicem dilatata, 4 cent. longa, 6-7 mm. lata ad apicem, tobi subcucullati, ovato-triangulares, apex loborum acuminaia, lanciniata, latiores in medio, fere tenuis ad basim et gradatim convergens ad apicem 2-2.2 cent. longi, 1 cent. lati in medio. Corolla divisa fere ad basim, rubri_ colore, petala profunde laciniata. Flores feminei_ solitarii, axillares Fructus ovoido-oblongi cum epicarpo firmo, 11 cent. longi., 6 cent. lati. Semina multa, oblonga, 9-10 mm. longa, 4-5 mm. lata, 1.5 mmm. crassa. Stem elongate, grooved, slightly puberulous. Leaves membranous, ovate- suborbicular in outline, upper surface punctate dotted, slightly hairy at the main veins, lower surface densely puberulos, particularly hairy at the veins, shortly 5-lobed, margin serrate or denticulate, apex of lobes acute or shortly acuminate, 11-15 cm. long and as much broad, base slightly cordate, veins prominent on the lower surface, 4-5-nerved at base. Petiole slender, striate, slightly puberulous, punctate, 7-8.5 cm. long. Tendrils moderately stout, 3-fid. Rachis of male raceme stout, grooved, slightly puberulous, 12-25 cm_ long, 4-6-flowered at the apex. Bracts large, cucullate (not flat), subreniform in outline, multinerved, margin lacerate, apex rounded, 3 cm. long, 5 cm. broad, puberulous. Flowers red. Calyx tube gradually dilated towards apex, 4 cm. long, 6-7 mm. broad at the apex, lobes somewhat cucullate, ovate-triangular in outline, apex of lobes acuminate, margin laciniate, broader in the middle, somewhat narrow towards base and gradually tapering towards apex, 2-2.2 cm. long, 1 cm. broad in the middle. Corolla divided nearly up to the base, colour red. Female flowers solitary, axillary. Fruit ovoid-oblong with a tough epicarp, 11 cm. long, 6 cm. broad. Seeds many oblong, 9-10 mm. long. 4-5 mm. broad, 1.5 mm. thick. Upper Burma, Southern Shan State, 1893, Abdul Khalil (Type in the Calcutta Herbarium); Pegu, S. Kurz. no. 1062 (C.H.). The species is quite distinct and can be separated from other species of Trichosanthes in having the following distinguishing features :—Leaves shortly lobed and densely puberulous on the lower surface, particularly hairy at the veins, cucullate and subreniform bracts; deeply laciniate calyx lobes and the red colour of the flowers. From T. bracteata Voigt and T. Lepiniana Cogn. it is distinguished by the characteristic of its leaves and bracts and by the colour of the flowers. From T. rubriflos Thorel ex Cayla in which the stem, petiole, tendril, bracts and flowers are red it is easily separated by the nature of its leaves, bracts and calyx lobes. From T. Prazert where the flowers are also red, it is sharply distinguished by the structure of its leaves, tendrils, bracts calyx and corolla lobes. var. alba var. nov. Differt a typo sequentibus signis: folia 5-lobata, divisa fere ad medium suborbicularia, lobi oblonga vel ovato-oblonga, apex acuta, margo_ serrato- denticulatus, flores albi. 382 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol.. XLIII Separated from the type in having the following distinguishing features : leaves 5-lobed, divided nearly up to the middle, suborbicular in outline, lobes oblong or ovate-oblong, apex acute,,margin serrate-denticulate ; flowers white. Maymyo, Upper Burma, July, 1888, Badal Khan (Dr. King’s Collector) no. 130 (Type in the Calcutta Herbarium). 20. T.anamelayana Bedd. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xxv, 217; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 378, Gamble Fl. Madras, I, iii, 530. Tendrils 2-3-fid. Leaves 3-5-lobed; on the upper surface very scabrous, on the under surface pubescent; irregularly deeply serrate; 10-12.5 cm. long and as much broad. Flowers white, males in racemes with the calyx larger and more laciniate than in the female flower; staminal filaments 3, rarely 4, free, inserted in the gibbous part of the tube, anthers coherent; corolla very hirsute within; female flowers axillary, solitary or 2 together with a lanceolate bract or more often racemose and subtended by large laciniate bracts. Berry globose. Anamallay Mountains, up to 4,000 ft. Although it is not very well known, it seems to be very extraordinary on account of the female flowers being borne in racemes. Unfortunately Beddome did not preserve any specimen and up till now no specimen of this remarkable species has been collected. The description given above is from Beddome’s. 21. T. himalensis Clarke in Hooker F.B.I. II, 608; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 379; Duthie Fl. Upp. Gang. Plain, I, 363. Gagnepain in Lecomte Fie indochw sll ross: Stem slender, extensively climbing. Leaves slightly rough on the upper surface, shortly villose and rough on the under surface; deeply palmately 3-lobed or sub-5-lobed, lobes shortly acuminate, margins irregularly serrate. Petiole shortly villose or subhirsute, 3-6 cm. long. Tendrils stout, 2-3-fid. Male flowers in racemes; rachis slender, 2-8 cm. long, 4-10 flowered at the apex. Bracts 5-14 mm. long, lanceolate, with serrate incisions and narrow base, 2-4 mm. broad in the middle. Calyx: tube narrow, cylindrical, slightly dilated at the apex, 2.5 cm. long, 3 mm. broad the apex and 1 mm. broad in the middle; teeth linear, subulate, 6-7 mm. long. (Female flowers not seen). Fruit 7.5-10 cm. long 2.5-3 cm. thick, attenuate at both ends, nearly circular in cross section, Seeds 6-7 mm. long 7-9 mm. broad, 4-5 mm. thick, very turgid, ploymorphous. India, Wallich, Wall. Cat. no. 6686 B. Sikkim, Darjeeling, Aug. 1869, Sept., 1875, Hooker f.; Oct. 1875, Clarke; 4,o00 ft., Sept., 1881, Gamble (C.H.); Sikkim, 2,500 ft., 3-9-75, King (C.H.); Pankabari, 1,000 ft. Aug., 1875, Gamble (C.H.); Kalimpong, 4-5,o00 ft., Sept., 1914, Thom- son Ripley (C.H.). Khasia Hills, Aug. 1880 no. 9. Hooker f. and Thomson ; 22-11-32, S. R. Sharma (Forest Herbarium Shillong). Jotsoma, Naga Hills, 5,000 ft. Aug., 1935, N. L. Bor. Chittagong, o-1,000 ft. 1851, Hooker f. and Thomson. ‘Khari Dist. in N. Oudh (ex Duthie). var. glabrior Clarke in Hooker F.B.I. IT, 608; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 379. Leaves glabrous or somewhat hirsute at the nerves on the under surface. Khasia, 4,000 ft., Hooker f. and Thomson. 22. T. ovigera Blume, Bijdr., 934; Ser. in DC.) Prodr. Ill,2314;) Roemer Syn. Fasc: II, 95; Mig. Filo ind: Bat. I 15.674; Cogns in Des. Monos: III, 380. T. Hearnit King. in Mat. Fl. Malay Penin. no. 10; p. 28. Stem slender, grooved, glabrous; Leaves membranous, broadly ovate, apex acute or acuminate, base deeply cordate, margin distantly denticulate or dentate ; unlobed or sometimes remotely shortly lobed; under surface glabrous, lower surface minutely pubescent; 3-nerved at the base; 10-16 cm. long, 9-15 cm. broad, Petiole 2.5-5 cm, long, shortly villose. Tendril puberulous, slender, 2-fid, INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES 333 Male flowers in axillary racemes; sometimes the racemes are tound in pairs; occasionally the two racemes are borne on a common peduncle. Bracts linear oblong, entire, 5-8 mm. long, 2 mm. broad in the middle, acute at both ends, pubescent. Calyx tube subcylindrical, puberulous, somewhat dilated at the mouth, 3-3.5 cm. long, 3-4 mm. broad at the mouth; teeth narrow, acute. Female flowers solitary, axillary, Fruit ovoid, 4-5 cm. long. Seeds broader than long, subquadrangular, longitudinally surrounded by 2 thick ridges, surface somewhat rough, apex truncate; 8 mm. long, 8-9 mm. broad, 5 mm. _thick near the middle; trilocular with the 2 lateral toculi empty. (Description of female flowers and fruit from the Javanese specimens.) Andamans, 4-10-90, King’s collector (C.H.); Kurz (Ex. King). The specimens referred to here were collected at first by Iurz and then by King’s collector from the Andaman Islands. They consist of male inflor- escences without any female flower or fruit. The specimens were sent to C. B. Clarke who thought that they might be 7. Hearnit and so these were doubtfully described as T. Hearn by ‘King in his Materials for the Flora ot the Malayan Peninsula. I have had the opportunity of examining the sheets of I. ovigera Blume from the Buitenzorg Herbarium. After comparing the sheets in the Calcutta Herbarium bearing the name 7. Hearn (?) with the Javanese specimens of T. ovigera, I find that the former agree with 7. ovigera Blume in practically all the details. So I refer these specimens to TI. ovigera Blume. 7. Hearnii was named by Baron von Muller in Herbarium; an impertect description of this species was first given by Bentham in his Australian Flora (Vol, III, p. 314). Female flowers and fruits were never collected ever since. If fruits and particularly seeds had been collected I believe this species would have been found to be the same as T. ovigera Blume. var. Sikkimensis var. nov. Folia integra vel breviter triloba ad apicem, margines denticulati, supra glabra vel sparso-puberula, infra pubescens, 8.5-15 cent. longa, 6.5-16.5 cent. lata. Rachis masculis racemis gracilis, 4-6 floribus ad apicem; bractei berviter lanceolati, breviter denticulati, apex acuminata, 7-10 cent. longa, 2 cent. lata ad medium, glabris. Flores feminei solitarii axillares. Fructus ovoido-oblongus, acutus utrisque extremis, 9-10 cent. longus, 3-5 cent. latus ad medium. Semina subquadrangularia, circumdata duobus zonis. Unilocularia vel duobus lateralibus loculis representibus duobus minutis poris. Leaves unlobed or very shortly trilobed towards the apex, margin denti- culate; upper surface glabrous or very shortly puberulous, lower surface pube- scent, 8.5-16 cm. long, 6.5-16.5 cm. broad. Rachis of male raceme slender, 3-5 cm. long, 4-6 flowered at the apex. Bracts shortly lanceolate, shortly dentate, apex acuminate, 7-10 mm. long, 2 mm. broad near about the middle, glabrous. Female flowers solitary. Fruit ovoid oblong, acute at both ends, g-l0 cm. long, 3.5 cm. broad in the middle. Seeds subquadrangular, longi. tudinally surrounded by two thick ridges, unilocular or with the two lateral loculi represented by 2 minute pores. Distinguished from the type in having the leaves very slightly puberulous on the upper surface and in the structure of the fruit and seeds. Rungtung, Sikkim, Dec., 1876, A.B. (King’s Collector); Sikkim, 5,000 ft., 23-9-75, G. King.; Runjeet, Darjeeling, Sept., 1884, Clarke; Selim, Sik- kim, 1,000 ft. Oct., 1884, Clarke (Type); Kurseong. Kobo, Abor Expedition, Assam no. 37420, Dec., 1911, J. H. Burkill. (All the sheets in the Calcutta Herbarium). 23. TT. dicaelosperma Clarke in Hooker F.B.I. II, 609; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 381; Duthie Fl. Upp. Gang. Plain, I, 364; T. reinformis Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xl, part ii, 57 and in Flora, 1871, 294 (not of Miquel). 384 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST..SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Stem slender, puberulous. Leaves membranous, cordate-ovate, apex acute or shortly acuminate, margin sparsely minutely denticulate, shortly pubescent on both sides, 10-15 cm. long, 6-11 cm. broad; petiole shortly villose, 3-8 cm. long. Tendrils 2-fid. Flowers dioecious. Male peduncles paired, one early 1-flowered, the other 2-7 cm. long, racemed; 7-10-flowered at the apex; flowers ebracteate or very minutely bracteate. Calyx-tube narrow, dilated at the extreme apex, 2-2.5 cm. long, at the apex 3-4 mm. broad and in the middle only 1 mm. broad; teeth very short, spreading. Female flower axillary, solitary ; peduncle subfiliform, 2-3 cm. long. Ovary oblong. Fruit pubescent, - globose with 10 pale vertical bands, 3-5 cm. thick. Seeds slightly rugulose, compressed subquadrangular, 3-chambered, the two lateral ones are empty, 7-8 mim. long, 8-g mm. broad, 3 mm. thick. Sikkim, 2,000-5,000 ft. Hooker f., Hooker f. and Thomson; 1,800 ft., Sept., 1875, King; Kurz (C.H.) Darjeeling, 3,000 ft. Aug., 1881. Gamble (ex Duthie). Khasia Mts., 4,000 ft., Hooker f. and Thomson. 24. -T.. dioica “Roxbo-in Bl sind: IT, Jor; eMigq= eh) eind-bateenl mmo 7G Clarke in Hook. £.. P:B:I. “Il, 609; Cogn. in) D@2 Monogs Tih sscr Duthie Fl. Upp. Gang. Plain I, 364; Prain Beng. Pl. I, 517; Haines Bot. Behar and Orissa II, 388. Stem slender, shortly villose and scabrous; leaves cordate, ovate-oblong, apex acute, margin sinuate-dentate but not angled or lobed, pale green and rough on both surfaces, 7-10 cm. long, 4-8 cm. broad. Petiole 1-3 cm. long, shortiy villose hirsute. ‘Tendrils slender, simple or more frequently 2-fid from near the base. Male peduncles paired, both of them 1-flowered, the first one is up to 7 cm. long, the other one is usually short. Calyx tube dilated at the apex, 2-5 cm. long, 4-6 mm. broad at the apex, and 1-2 mm. broad in the middle; teeth erect, linear, 4-5 mm. long. Petals oblong, fimbriate. Stamens 3, free, filaments very short. Female flowers solitary; peduncles 2-4 mm. long. Fruit oblong, glabrous and smooth. 5-12 cm. long, 2-6 cm. broad. Seeds subglobose, 6-7 cm. long, 5-6 cm. broad, and 4 mm. thick. Throughout the plains of North India from thé Punjab to Assam and Bengal; also from Coromandel. (Mace in herb. Mus. Paris); common in the area. It is extensively cultivated for the unripe fruits and young shoots which are much eaten both by Europeans and Indians in their curries and are reckoned exceedingly wholesome. The plants are perennials and for cultiva- tion root cuttings are mainly used. The fruits when ripe are of a deep orange colour. 25. T.scabra Lour. FI. Cochinch., 589; ed. Willd. 723; Seringe in DC: Prodr. III, 314; Roemer Syn. Fasc. II, 97. Gagnepain in Lecomte FI. Indoch. Il, 1047 Cucumis integrifolius Roxb. Fl. Ind. II, Gymnopeta- lum integrifolium Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng., xli, ii, 58; Clarke in Hooker f. F.B.I. II, 612; Cogn. and Harms in Englers Pflanzenreich— Cucurbitaceae—Cucumerineae, 179. T. integrifolia Kurz in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xlvi, ii, 99; Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 386; Craib. Fl. Siam. I, 752+ Stem grooved, scabrid. Leaves subentire, suborbicular or more or less reniform in outline, apex obtuse, margin denticulate or undulate; upper surface very rough, provided with punctate glands, lower surface villose-hirsute, 2.5-6 cm. long, 4-9 cm. broad, 3-nerved at base; petiole 1.5 to 5 cm., some- times up to 7 cm. long, villose-hirsute, rough. Tendrils simple or 2-fid (in Roxburgh’s drawing). Monoecious; male and female flowers solitary, axillary, ebracteate ; peduncle of the male flower 3-5 cm. long; calyx tube elongate, dilated at the apex, hairy, 19-20 cm. long in the open flower, 5 mm. broad at the apex, teeth lanceolate, 7 mm. long, 1.5 mm. broad. Petals obovate, lobes entire or lacerate. Female flowers—peduncle short; calyx teeth cylin- drical, not much dilated at the apex, corolla lobes fimbriate. Iruit orange- INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES — 385 red (from Roxburgh), subglobose, small, smooth, 3-3.5 cm. long, 2.5-3 cm. broad. Seeds many with smooth surface, 7 mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad, 1 mm. thick. Bengal, Roxburgh, Wall. Cat. no. 6730. Burma, Wallich; Griffith; Herbarium of the East India Company, no. (2541; Pegu, Irrawady and Sittang Valley, no. 1875. S. Kurz (C.H.); Banks of the Sittang, S. Kurz (C.H.). Distribution—Indo-China, Malay Peninsula. There has been some difference of opinion regarding the systematic posi- tion of this plant. It has been discussed in the Historical Account. Craib (1931) remarks in connection with this species, ‘Dr. Kerr notes in the field ‘ that the corolla lobes are fimbriate. As this has been confirmed for other collections the plant has been enumerated as Wvichosanthes.’ In the male flowers on the sheet no. 1875 collected by Kurz from Pegu, Irrawady and Sittang valley, I do not see any fringe in the petals. But in the female flowers on Wall. Cat. no. 6730 the petals are distinctly fimbriate. I, there- fore place the plant under Trichosanthes. 26. 7. integrifolia Thwaites Enum. Pl. Zeyl., 127; Clarke in Hook. f. Pool, Il, One Use IN (Cewlom, I aA jbo edie T. Thwaitesii Cogn. in DC. Monog. III, 387. Stem slender, angular, grooved, glabrous. Leaves oblong or ovate-oblong, apex acuminate, base round, margin entire, glabrous and smooth but finely punctate on both surfaces, 3-nerved at the base, 8-13 cm. long, 3-6 cm. broad, petiole slender, glabrous, about 1 cm. long. Tendrils slender, long, simple. Male and female flowers both rather large, solitary, axillary; pedicel 2-2.5 cm. long. Fruits red, spherical, shortly apiculate, 5 cm. thick. Seeds numerous, crowded, blackish green, smooth, oblong, oblique, truncate at the base, bidentate at the apex, 12-14 mm. long; each enclosed in an envelope of deep green pulp. There are no specimens in the Kew Herbarium or in the Calcutta Her- barium. There is only one young female flower on the specimen of the Herbarium of the British Museum, so the complete description of the flower could not be given. C. B. Clarke who has not seen any specimen and has given the description of the species from Thwaites’s, mentions that the flowers are somewhat large and solitary. Cogniaux who has given the description from the specimens of the British Museum and the herbarium of the Paris Museum, also has not seen flowers. Trimen has only mentioned that the male and female flowers are rather large and solitary and axillary, but has not given any description of the floral parts. Endemic in Ceylon. Ceylon, 2,000-4,000 ft., no. 1629 Thwaites in the Herbarium of the British Museum. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This investigation has been mainly carried out in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.. The author wishes to express his sincere thanks to the late Sir Arthur Hill for permitting him to work in the Herba- rium and to Mr. A. D. Cotton, Dr. T. A. Sprague and Mr. C. E. C. Fischer for occasional help. His thanks are also due to Dr. K. Biswas, Superintendent and Dr. S. K. Mukherjee, Curator of the Herbarium Royal Botanic Gardens, Sibpur,. Calcutta for giving him every facility in working in the Herbarium where a part of the work has been done. He is grateful to the Curator of the Buitenzorg’ Herbarium, Java and _ to the Director, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Straits Settlements for kindly placing at his disposal all the specimens of Hodgsonia and Trichosanthes of their respective Herbaria. He also thanks Mr. R. N. De of the Indian Forest 386 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol.. XLIII Service for kindly lending the sheets of the species of Hodgsonia and Tvricho- santhes from the Forest Herbarium, Shillong. SUMMARY. In this paper a general historical account of the Indian species of the genera Hodgsonia and Trichosanthes has been given. One species of Hodg- sonia and altogether 26 species of Trichosanthes (excluding varieties) have been described from the Indian area, and the general distribution of these species in this country and outside has been given. Two new spécies—T. Prazerit and LT. burmensis, and three new varieties T. villosula Cogn. var. nirgirrensis, T. ovigera Bil., var. sikkimensis and T, burmensis Kundu var. alba have been described. 7. ovigera Bl. originally described by Blume from Java has been recorded for the first time from the Indian. area. REFERENCES. 1. Beddome, H. H. (1866).—A list of exogenous plants found in the Anamallay Mountains in Southern India with descriptions of ‘ine new species. Trans. Linn (SOC. XXV, (Paa2 ly. 2. Bentham, George (18606).—Flora Australiensis, vol. ili, pp. 314-15. London. 3. Bentham, G. & Hooker, J. D. (1867).—Genera Plantarum, London. 4. Blume, Carl Ludwig (1825). —bidragen tot de flora van Netherlandsh Indie. Batavia. Vol. ii (ix-xvil), pp. 932-936. 5. Burman, N. L. (1768).—Jllora Indica, pp. 207-8. Lugduni Batavorum. 6. Cayla, M. V. (1908).—Sur une nouvelle espece asiatique du _ genre Trichosanthes. Bulletin du museum national d’ histoire naturelle, vol. xiv, p. 170. Paris. ° 7. Ciarke, C. B. (1879).—in Hooker f. Flora of British India, ii, part vi, pp. 606-610; p. 612, London. 8. Cogniaux, A. (1881).—in DeCandolle’s Monographie Phanerogamerum, ili, pp. 348-349; 351-387. Parisis. - g. Cogniaux, A. & Harms, H. (1924).—in Engler’s ~Pflanzenretch—Cucur- bitaceae—Cucumerineae, pp. 179-80. Leipzig. 10. Cooke, Theodore (1903).—The Flora of the Presidency of Bombay, vol. i, pp. 525-27. London. 11. Craib, W. G. ie ere Siamensis Enumeratio, vol. 1, pp. 750- 755. Bangkok. 12. Duthie, J. F. (1903).—Klora of the Upper Gangetic Plain and of adja- cent Siwalik and Sub-Himalayan tracts, vol. i, pp. 362-365. Calcutta. 13. Gagnepain, I. (1921).—in Lecomte’s Flore générale de VlIndochine, vol. ii, fasc. 8, pp. 1034-1048. Paris. 14. Gamble, J. S. (1919).—Fiora of Madyvas, vol. i, part ili, pp. 528-530. London. 15. Haines, H. H. (1921).—The Botany of Behar and Ontssa. Part ii, pp. 387-388; p. 1241. London. 16. Hassib, Mohammed (1938).—Cucurbitaceae in Egypt. The Fouad University, Faculty of Science, Publication No. 3. 17. Hooker, J. D. (1855).-—Ilustration of Himalayan plants, plates 1-3. 18. Hooker, J. D. & Thomson, T. (1853).—On Hodgsonia, Hook. fil. et Thoms., a new and remarkable genus of Cucurbitaceae. Proc. Linn. Soc., li, Pp. 257-259. 19. Index Kewensis.—(1895-1935). Z INDIAN SPECIES OF HODGSONIA AND TRICHOSANTHES 38% - 20. Jacquin, “J. FF. Baron (1844).—EKclogae Plantarum Rariorum, vol. ii, p. 6, plate 128. Vindobonae. 21. WKangilal, U. N., Kanjilal, P. C., & Das, A. (1938).—Flora of Assam, vol. li, pp. 326-329. Shillong. 22. Wing, G. (1898).—Materials of the Flora of the Malayan Peninsula, Calyciflorae. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Part’ II, vol. Ixvii, PP- 24-31. 23. Kundu, B. C. (1938).—A note on LHodgsonia capniocarpa Ridley. Journ, Bot., Ixxvi, pp. 364-360. oe 2 IKKundu, B. C. (1939).—New species and varieties of Trichosanthes trom India. Journ. Bot., Ixxvii, pp. 9-14. 25. INurz, S. (1870).—Report on the vegetation of the Andaman Islands, p. ix. Calcutta. 26. Kurz, S. (1871).—On some imperfectly Known Indian plants: Journ. Ass Soc. Bengal, vol. xl, Part 2, pp. 57-58. PI NUGZ eS (157/2))s Ibi, LHD, OR Sets 28. New, Barmese plants. Journ, As. Soc. Bengal, vol. Kurz, S. (1877).—Contributions towards a knowledge of Burmese Flora. Ibid, vol. xlvi, Part 2, pp. 97-99. 2g. Lamarck, de M, Je Chevalier (1783). —lEncyclopédie méthodique, vol. i. pp. 189-191. 30. Lamarck, de M. le Chevalier (1796).—Eneyelopédie méthodique, vol. i, Pp. 210. - 31. Linnaeus, C. (1737).—Genera Plantarwm, Ed. I, no. 735, p. 295. Lug- duni Batavorum. 32. Linnaeus, C. (1753).—Species Plantarum, Ed. 1, pp. 1008, 1013. Holmiae. ’ 33. Linnaeus, C. (1763).—Species Plantarum, Ed. 2, p. 1432. Holmiae. 34. Loureiro, Joannis de (1790).—Flora Cochinchinensis, pp. 588-589. Ulyssipone. 35. Loureiro, Joannis de (1793).—Flora Cochinchinensis, Edition by Will- denow, C. L., pp. 722-723. ~Berolini. 36. Maximowicz, C. J. (1875).—in “Franchet, A. and Savatier, L.—Enume- ratio Plantarum in Japonia sponte crescentium ete., voli i, p. 172. Parisis. 37. Merrill, E. D. (1918).—New and noteworthy Philippine Plants. Philip. WS Cla VOle SI11, 9). OA" 38. Merrill, E. D. (1923).—Enumeration of Philippine Plants, vol. 111, 39. Miquel, I. A. G. (1855).—Llora von Nederlandsh Indie, pp. 674-079 Amstelaedami. yo. Miqucl, I. A. G. (1860).—Supplement, Flora von Netherlandsh Indie, i, pp. 331-332. Amsterdam. 41. Miquel, KF. A. G. (1865-60).—-Annales Musei Botanict, ii, p. 82. Am- stelodami. 42. Miquel, F. A. G. (1866-67).—Prolusio Florae Japonicae, p, 14. Am- stelodami. 43. Pax, F. & Muller, E. (1899).—Cucurbitaceae in Engler and Prantl— Die Naturlichen Pflanzerifamilien, vol. iv, Part 4. Leipzig. 44. Prain, D. (1903).—Bengal Plants, vol. i, pp. 516-518. Calcutta. 45. Rheede tot Drakenstein, H. van (1687).—Horlus malabaricus, vol. viii; Pp. 29, 33, plates 15-17. 7 388 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIiil 40. Ridley, H. N. (1920).—New and rare plants from the Malaya Penin- sula. Journ. if. M. S. Museums, x, pp. 135-136. 47- Ridley, H. N. (1922).—I’lora of the Malaya Peninsula, vol. i, pp. 843-45. 48. Roxburgh, W. (1814).—Hortus Bengalensis, p. 70. Serampore. 49. Roxburgh, W. (1832).—Flora Indica, vol. iii, pp. 7o1-707. Serampore. 50. Seringe, N. Charles (1825).—Mémoire sur la famille des Cucurbitacées, pp. 1-40, plate 5. Geneva. 51. Seringe, N. Charles (1828).—in DeCandolle’s Prodromus Systematts Naturalis, vol. vili, pp. 313-316. Parisis. 52. Thwaites, G. H. KK. (1859).—Enumeratio Plantarum Zeylantae, pp. 126-127. London. 53: Trimen, Henry (1894).—A Hand Book of the Flora of Ceylon, Part 2, pp. 243-240. 54. Voigt, J. O. (1845).—Hortus Suburbanus Calcuttensts, pp. 57-58. Cal- cutta. . 55. Wight, R. (1842).—Remarks on the fruit of the N. O. Cucurbitaceae. Ann. Mag. Nat. History, vol. viii, p. 270. 56. Wight, R. (1850).—IJllustrations of Indian Botany, vol. ii, pp. 25, 27, 31, 32; plates 104-105. Madras. 57. Wight, R. & Walker-Arnott, G. A. (1834).—Prodromus Florae Penin- sulae Indae Orientalis, vol. i, pp. 349-350. London. 58. Willdenow, C. L. (1805).—Species Plantarum, Part iv, pp. 598-601. Berolini. IEEXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 1.—Trichosanthes pachyrrhachis Kundu. The type material from N.-W. India. 2.—Tnchosanthes brevibracteata Kundu. The type material from Jhinjhari jungle, Karnal, Punjab. 3.—Trichosanthes majuscula Kundu. The type from the Khasia Mountains. 4.—Trichosanthes khasiana Kundu. The type from the Khasia Mountains. I divig ‘90S “LSIE| “LYN AVaWwog “NyNof NOTES ON SOME INDIAN BIRDS. BY E. H. N. LOWTHER, M.B.O.U., F.Z.S. VII.—Hornsi.ts. (With 8 plates from photographs by the author). (Continued from page 795 of Vol. XLII, No. 4). The New Fauna recognises sixteen species of hornbills as occur- ring within’ Indian limits, including Burma and Ceylon. This is one more than the number described in Blanford’s Fauna. The addition is not due to a new species having been discovered but because the Indo-Burmese pied hornbill of the Old Fauna, Anthra- coceros albirostris, is now separated into two races, Hydrocissa malabarica malabarica Gmelin., the large Indian pied hornbill, and H,. m.. leucogaster’ Blyth, the Burmese pied hornbill. Only two of the total will be dealt with here in any detail, for the simple reason that I have no knowledge in the field of more than this number. ‘The two species referred to are the northern (or common) grey hornbill, Tockus birostris (Scopoli) and the Malabar pied hornbill (H. malabarica). Both are widely distributed, the New Fauna stating that the common grey hornbill is to be met with ‘from the base of the Himalayas throughout the better-wooded parts of the Indian Peninsula, except on ‘the Malabar and Travancore Coasts; it does not occur in Sind, the Punjab and the greater part of Rajputana, but has been found on Mount Abu; it extends to Western Bengal and Bihar, but not to Eastern Bengal or Assam.’ Actually the grey hornbill has an even wider distribution as I have seen it near Ambala, and Dewar quotes several instances of the bird nesting at Lahore and elsewhere in the Punjab. In addition, Whistler records the species as being absent from the northern and western Punjab, from which we may, perhaps, be justified in inferring that the grey hornbill occurs more or less regularly, even if uncommonly, in the southern and eastern parts of that province. The Malabar pied hornbill, we are told, is to be found in ‘Ceylon, Travancore, Bombay Presidency, Ratnagiri, Orissa, Bihar, and Central Provinces ... It also occurs in Chota Nagpore and Western Bengal.’ Chota Nagpore is one of the divisions of Bihar and its mention in this manner shows once again that the author of the New Fauna was at times hazy as to geography. As in the case of the grey hornbill, the Malabar pied hornbill occurs more widely than the official account would have us believe—it is certainly met with in the south-eastern corner of the United Provinces where the Allahabad district borders on Rewa State, and in the southern area of the Mirzapur district, whence a skin was recently sent me with the een that the bird is not uncommon in suitable parts of the sillah. 390 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL Hist. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII The common grey hornbill is about two feet in length, and as its name implies, mostly grey in colour. The crown is dark grey, almost brown, with light grey bordering, most noticeable at close quarters. The wings too are brownish, as is the tail, which is long and graduated and tipped with white, with a dark brown sub- terminal band. The under parts:are light grey, becoming almost white on the abdomen, the thighs, and under the tail. The bill and casque are blackish. This species differs from the majority of others of the genus in that it occurs not in deep forest but in open plains country, in lopes and avenues, and even in well-timbered compounds and round about villages. Indeed, as I remarked else- where’, I found a grey hornbill’s nest in a tree in Hume’s old garden at Etawah, and knew of another in a hole of a nim tree in the very centre of a considerable busti in the Cawnpore district, a cavity which | was informed by the residents had been occupied: by the birds for breeding purposes for several years. The Malabar pied hornbill is a big bird—quite three feet in length. The head, neck, back, and wings, are black; so too are the two central tail feathers. The black is everywhere glossed with green. The remainder of the plumage is a pure white includ- ing the tips of the primaries and secondaries. There is a bare yellowish patch on the chin, and in the female a bare white ring’ round the eye. The bill is a waxy yellow, as is the base of the casque for one-third of its length. The remainder of the casque, which has a total length of eight inches, is black. Unlike the other larger representatives of the Family, this pied hornbill is not a denizen of deep, moist, ever-green jungles, but of deciduous forest, in hilly country. In many parts of Chota Nagpur it is by no means uncommon. There, during the winter onthe when in camp in a suitable district, one can be almost sure of meeting with at least one party of Malabar pied hornbills every day. They may be feed- ing on a banyan or pipal tree, or we may be privileged to see them fly, one after the other, from one tree to another; and a beautiful picture the bird presents in its pied plumage as it makes its winged way with alternate flappings and glidings. The parties consist of from six to a dozen individuals and are most in evidence during the early morning and again in the evening. ‘As a family hornbills possess several peculiarities. All have eyelashes, an unusual feature in a bird’s make-up. Most of them have the soft feathers absent under the wings, which makes. their flight noisy. They nearly all have a casque or ‘helmet’. In the larger species this is huge—I have already said that that of the Malabar pied hornbill is eight inches in length. ‘What the use is of the casque is still a matter of conjecture; it is certainly not for the purpose of cracking nuts, as has been suggested, because there is nothing in the casque in which a nut could be cracked. Examina- fion of a hornbill’s head, however, shows that the casque is very light in weight; that only the outside is horn, the interior parts consisting of numerous fine bone-like sections with an even larger Humber of open cells in between. One obtains the impression that “~ Pa ' Journal, vol. XL, 409. 2 «I PLATI MALABAR PIED HORNBILL (female) Hydrocissa malaharica malabarica. isi SOC: NAT AY JOURN, BOMB Il] dLV1d AAL/AY Sift UGINDTOSRa4 wieesy Litainaquri Gaia avyavivyv ‘90S “LSI “LYN AVaNOg “NUNOf NOTES ON SOME INDIAN -BIRDS 391 the casque is a shock-absorber, though what shock it can take off the ‘brain is not so clear. Hornbills do not chisel out holes in trees for nesting purposes; therefore there is no shock from = such: an Operation for the casque to take up. Whether hornbills habitually prise open the hard stones of the fruit they cat, and if they do, whether this is done by holding the stone at the tip of the inandibles and cracking it, or by employing the heavy beak as a_ pickaxe, to break it, I am not competent to say. If the latter, then the necessity for a shock-absorber at once becomes apparent. My own observations, made from a female grey -hornbill’s faeces under a nest cavity, go to show that the stone of the jamun fruit is regularly thrown out unopened. These stones did not appear to have. been voided. I never saw an opened stone. Hornbills, however, are most particular about cleaning their bills after they have fed the female inside the nest-hole. This they do by banging and scraping the bill against the side of a branch, repeatedly, and in what appears an unnecessarily rough manner. This banging might, in my view, cause injury to the brain but for the presence of the casque.. But it is with regard to their nesting arrangements that hornbills differ from all other birds, thereby proving beyond all doubt that they are ‘queer customers’. Speaking in general terms, the female hornbill, when the time comes for her to nest, enters: a natural cavity in the trunk or a large branch of some tree, and_ there, without any further attempt at nest construction, proceeds to lay her egg or eggs. Her first egg laid, or even earlier, she sets about enclosing herself in the chamber by applying her droppings to the sides of the entrance hole until only a narrow vertical slit is left, through which the male feeds his wife regularly and devotedly until sometime after the young have hatched, “whereafter she breaks down the side walls, these in the meanwhile having become so very hard that,no natural enemy such as a monkey or cat can have access to her inside. During her self-imposed incarceration the female hornbill undergoes a moult of at least her wing and - tail feathers, and is said to be in plump and excellent condition when she lets herself out, while the great effort of feeding first his mate and then his offspring over a period of weeks, reduces the male hornbill to a skeleton, to a shadow of his former self. After she has re-gained her liberty the female joins with her husband in feeding the young. | Here we might with advantage examine more critically the general statements made in the preceding paragraph. First, when does the female enter the nest-hole, and once she has commenced to lay, does she leave the nest before the eggs have hatched ? . As with so many other questions which at once oécur, there is not a great deal of evidence forthcoming, to settle the issue. Stuart Baker, writing of the Indian great hornbill, states that, as a rule, once the first egg is laid, the female does not make her exit until the young are well advanced. But, he adds, sometimes she continues to come out until the full clutch is laid. (The full clutch is one or two, and very rarely as many as three, but great irregularity occurs in laying). Dewar observes that the female common grey hornbill enters the nest before the eggs are laid and then leaves one to infer that she does not vacate it until after the 392. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII young have made their appearance. Horne (one of Hume’s cor- respondents), writing of the same species, says of a female which he kept under observation that after she entered the nest-cavity on 2gth April she did not leave it till 7th May, when he opened out the hole to take the eggs. My observations, made at three different nests of T. birostris, show that once the female enters the nest she does not leave it until after the eggs have hatched. Weighing the evidence it may be that there is some variation regarding the matter among the different species. Next, we ask ourselves, is it the female that encloses herself? or is this the work of the male? Or are both sexes responsible for the locking in of the female? The Old Fauna states that the female, usually with the aid of the male, encloses herself, but adds that in some cases, e.g. T. birostris, the process of enclosure is performed by the female. Horne tells us he ‘observed the female (common grey _ hornbill) working hard at enclosing the orifice with her own ordure’. Stuart Baker, describing the nesting habits of the Indian great hornbill, observes that the work of filling up the entrance is performed by the female, assisted sometimes, but not always by the male bird; and of the Assam brown-backed hornbill the same authority states that the work of plastering up the entrance hole is carried out principally by the female though at odd times the male adds a little to the plaster. Writing of hornbills generally, Whistler remarks that the female is believed to build up the plastering herself. Else- where, describing the nidification of the common grey hornbill, he states that the female spends the first two or three days in the nest-eavity in plastering up the entrance to the hole. Salim Ali tells us that the female grey hornbill imprisons herself. He adds that it is doubtful if the male assists her at all in this work. Writ- ing of the same species, Dewar remarks that both the male and female work at enclosing the latter. I can only speak from per- sonal knowledge of the common grey hornbill. In all three in- stances that came under my observation it was the female, and the female alone, who enclosed herself in the nest-cavity. Here again, opinions or statements differ, but in the case of the common grey hornbill the bulk of the evidence indicates that the female alone is responsible for incarcerating: herself. What is the material employed for building in the female hornbill ? The Old Fauna, speaking generally of hornbills, says that the material employed is earth mixed with the bird’s own droppings, but that in some cases, as with the common grey hornbill, the droppings alone are used. Horne watched a female of the same species enclose herself with her own ordure. Stuart Baker, referring to the nidifi- cation of the Indian great hornbill, observes that the dropping's of the female are used, the seeds of fruit, and rotten wood, etc., which adhere to the droppings, being mixed with these. He adds that the male sometimes bring’s fresh clay-mud and his own droppings, though he considered this exceptional. Bingham, writing. of D. bicornis, said that the material used for plastering up the nest-entrance was earth, leaf mould, and the bird’s own droppings. Prater, discus- sing in litt. the wall from a nest of the same species sent to the JOURN. BomBaAy Nar. Hist. Soc. PLATE V Common Grey Hornbill (male) feeding his wife. ‘holding on to the bark by his claws’ vide C. Horne in Hume’s ‘‘Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds” PVATE IVs Gey IpbGue, Sore. NA BOMBAY - JOUR? it the nest hole. ye) ¢ ‘ound the ey ite ring tf ile, wh ed Hornbill (fem ilabar Pi c M NOTES ON SOME INDIAN BIRDS 393 Society, states ‘it appeared to be made from chippings of bark, dung and some resinous matter.’ Whistler, speaking in general terms, states that the material used is apparently the female’s excrement, but in writing of the common grey hornbill says it is the female’s own ordure, which is what Salim Ali also states is the case, though he qualifies this by saying that it is uncertain whether any material besides the female’s excreta is used, and if this is so, how it is conveyed to the site. Dewar, describing the nest- construction of JT’. birostris, remarks that horse droppings, grass and the droppings of the birds themselves are used. Finally, there is the chemical analysis undertaken many decades since at Hume’s instigation, of the plastering’ removed from the entrance to a nest- cavity of the rufous-necked hornbill. This showed that it con- sisted of nothing but the bird’s own ordure, there being no evidence of the presence of clay or mineral matter of any kind. From a distance of only ten feet I have watched from a machan a female common grey hornbill applying. material to the entrance walls of her nest. At the time I was convinced that this was the bird’s droppings. Now, however, I am not so certain. In every instance the material employed was brought from the floor of the nest and in appearance was similar to the excreta thrown out below the nest. The beak was used as a trowel when applying the stuff to the entrance walls, much laying of the plaster taking place before the bird was satisfied with her handiwork. This done she spent some time cleaning her beak thoroughly, judging by the manner in which she banged and scraped it against the interior of the chamber. I now understand it is not possible to distinguish in the plastering between a hornbill’s ‘cast’ and the bird’s dung unless a proper chemical examination is made. This being the case, the possibility cannot at present be ruled out that what I took to be droppings were in fact ‘casts’. Some plastering which I recently removed from the entrance to the nest of a T. birostris and which I have forwarded to the Society for chemical analysis should help to elucidate this point’. In the event of this showing that the plaster was formed from ‘casts’ further research will not improbably indicate that the binding agent is the female’s saliva. Here it will not be out of place to mention that only twice during many days vigil at a hornbill’s nest have I known the female place her vent against the nest-entrance in order to defecate outside direct. At all other times the dung was brought from the floor of the nest, held at the tip of the bill, and then thrown out. In what form is food supplied by the male hornbill to his im- prisoned wife? Writing of the small pied hornbill, Bingham, who watched the process, states that the male fed the female by ‘putting single berries one after another into the tip of her bill which was shoved out of the slit; after receipt of each berry she withdrew her beak, apparently to swallow the food’. It will be observed that mention is not made of where the food lodged with the male prior to his parting with it—did he arrive with a number of berries held in his bill, visible to the naked eye? or were they stowed away in * See page 4or, 394- JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII the crop, to be brought up one at a time? Horne, who watched a common grey hornbill feed his mate in the nest, observed much the same thing and is equally helpful in the matter of the stowing of the food prior to it being given to the female. R. Thompson (another of Hume’s correspondents), who saw numbers of nests of D. bicornis, tells us that he often saw the male come with his throat full of berries to feed the female. Whistler, describing the nesting habits of T. birostris, observes that the male brings the food held in his beak. Salim Ali, unexpectedly, begs the question by being content to remark that the male common grey hornbill takes hic mate ‘banyan and pipal figs varied occasionally by a lizard or some other tit-bit’. Humayun Abdulali, who watched a Malabar grey hornbill feeding the imprisoned female, tells us this was done by regurgitating berries, a slow and apparently somewhat difficult process. On another occasion the same bird brought a dragon fly. This was held in the beak but owing to the bird taking fright was not made over to the female. On the male being shot about twenty-five berries of Ixora sp. were found in the gullet, ten more having spilled out as the bird fell. In the stomach were the remains and seeds of forty more berries. Humayun Abdulali goes on to say that ‘there was no trace of any covering to form packets of seeds, as has been suggested by other observers’, and quotes Br. Navarro as stating that the male when taking food ‘taps at the entrance and awaits patiently the female’s consent to be fed. Considerable waits are involved, but the tapping continues’. — - I have spent many hours at a number of nests watching the common grey hornbill feed his mate. In not one single instance was food, intended for the female, visible in the beak; not even when this took the form of a bloodsucker lizard (girgit) or a dove’s egg. Always the food was brought up from the gullet, one fig or berry at a time, which, held at the tip of the bill, was made over to the female whose bill-point protruded through the narrow vertical slit to receive the food. As she received the fig or berry (or other tit-bit) she invariably gave a squeal of delight and with- drew her beak into the nest-hole. Having delivered one berry, the male threw his head back and then forward, the beak open the while, this action (except in rare instances) producing another berry which was caught and held at the tip of the bill and delivered in the same way as before to his wife, who never, in my experience, delayed in at once taking whatever was passed over to her. I have seen as many as twenty-four pipal figs and a crumpled up green leaf made over in this manner to the female at one ‘sitting’. Another IT’. birostris gave his wife twenty-two nim berries during one visit to the nest. The diet is sometimes varied with meat and I remem- ber this same bird (I photographed him at the nest during four successive years) bringing up from his crop a young nestling, very pot-bellied, which was received with loud acclamation by his Other Half. Another day he twice gave her a bloodsucker lizard, and during a locust plague presented her with seven locusts, all brought up, one after the other, from the gullet. Many of their feet, and in some cases the wings, were missing. This: male grey hornbill was a bird of parts and once, after an absence of nez arly three hours PLATE VI JourN. Bombay Nar. Hist. Soc. is coming up. The next berry r The ‘Olive Branch’. ife S W i Manner, 1S th in ore usually the male fed h i ll. i f the b The berry reaches the tip o HORNBILL GREY THE COMMON PLATE VII Hist. Soc. JOURN. BOMBAY NAT Vy YY, VY Y WU rd, the beak open the ) producing another berry. a in rare instances The male throws his head back, then forw while, this action (except NOTES ON SOME INDIAN BIRDS 39) from the nest, what time the female frequently gave tongue, sud- denly produced a small twig from his maw—the olive branch, as a friend has suggested it was. He had nothing else to give his wife this visit, but even this was gladly accepted. Yet another common erey hornbill that I watched very recently at the nest (10-5-1942) first brought up from his internal economy a feather, which the female apparently had some difficulty in taking over as he had to present it five times before it was finally disposed of ; then he threw his head back, and again forward. This he repeated three times before he was able to regurgitate anything. It turned out to be a slim green pod, about Three inches one and looked like some species of bean. Two more such beans were given on the occasion of this visit. In each instance the bird experienced difficulty in ‘delivering the goods’. When making over the last of these to his spouse, her beak and the bean did not make proper contact, with the result that the bean fell down, The male, however, recovered it before it reached the ground only fifteen feet below—a remarka- bly agile performance on his part. On another occasion this grey hornbill gave his wife two large figs and, finally, what I took to be ‘a tamarind pod. Again he had diflic ulty in bringing these up. At this nest too the female tendered her thanks by uttering a short, happy squeal each time she received something from her husband. — During a fourteen-hour watch which IT and my shikari kept over a common grey hornbill’s nest one day the male fed his wife on twelve occasions. There were then small young in the nest. Be- tween 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. he fed her approximately every hour. Thereafter, till mid-day, he visited the nest but twice. Followed an absence for two hours; then he fed the female at, 3-15, 4-25, 5-15 and 6-5 p.m. & At this point it may be of advantage to return to the subject of ‘casts’ and ‘seeds in packets’. A cast, as the term is generally understood, is a ball or pellet of bones, fruit-stones and other such matter which a bird has failed to defecate, and which it has voided via the beak. I can find no reference to Indian hornbill casts in the literature at my disposal. I have also never come across a hornbill’s cast in a nest, nor seen one on the ground amongst the birds’ droppings, in spite of constant search; nor has anybody whom I have consulted in the matter. Why then, it may well be asked, am I so insistent on discussing the matter Of hornbill casts? The answer is because I have stated I am not now certain that the material employed in walling up the entrance to a common grey hornbill’s nest, or for that matter the nest of any others of the Family, may not, on chemical analysis, in part at least, prove to be composed of material cast by the bird or birds. This possibility I have put forward on the evidence recorded by Moreau on the breeding habits of African hornbills. He reports that in the case of a pair of trumpeter hornbills which attempted to breed in the Zoological Gardens in London the wall-plaster was fabricated from materials consisting of pellets regurgitated by the male ‘although each consignment was “‘topped off’* with a lump of moist clay carried in his bill’. He further reports that the masonry at the nest of another species of hornbill—a perfectly wild pair in this instance— 396° JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII was elaborated. from insect remains, probably ‘cast’, and the decay- ing wood on the inside of the hole. It may be objected that the first report relates to unnatural con- ditions of nesting and that the second is only problematical : never- theless, unless chemical analysis proves it to the contrary, we cannot, in our present state of knowledge, eliminate the possibility of the plastering being made from materials ‘cast’ by hornbills, assuming that in the natural state they throw up such casts; which brings us to the subject of ‘packets of seeds’. The first reference to the matter which I can find is by Professor A. Newton. He records that ‘hornbills at intervals of time, whether periodical or irregular is not yet known, cast the epithelial layer of their gizzard. The epithelium is ejected in the form of a sack or bag, the mouth of which is closely folded, and is filled with the fruit that the bird has been eating’. He added that what Science then (1896) wanted most to know was whether these castings were really intended to form the hen bird’s food during her confinement. This observation, judging by the name with which it is coupled, appears to refer to hornbills in captivity and therefore not leading their natural lives. Next, Whistler remarks that ‘this habit (feed- ine the female through the narrow entrance hole) is perhaps respon- sible for the curious fact, observed in captivity with reference to some species of hornbill, and perhaps connected with all, that at intervals the epithelial layer of the gizzard is cast in the form of a closed sack containing the seeds of fruit on which the bird has been feeding’. Finally, Pycraft informs us ‘during her period of solitary confinement she is assiduously fed by the mate, her daily rations being passed to her in the form of a bolus, the investing Coat» being furnished by the inner lining of the gizzard of the male: at least that is the commonly accepted explanation of the structure of the capsule though it is probable that it may prove to be formed by a special glandular secretion. According to other accounts each meal is divided into from two to four pellets containing fruit seeds, insects, and portions of reptiles which the devoted cock transfers into the gazing mouth of his fair prisoner by a series of jerks’. I cannot help feeling that Pycraft’s account also refers to horn- bills in captivity. In any case, nowhere can I find that a hornbill in the wild state, in Indian regions at all events, has been observed to feed his mate with ‘packets of seeds’. It may be argued that the common grey hornbill referred to earlier, which I observed make over three slim, green pods like beans, and what I took to be a tamarind pod, in fact presented his mate with ‘packets of seeds’ or the food done up in epithelial gland-sacks. Such was definitely not the case even though I failed (only because I am no botanist) to identify definitely what the food was. A matter which can with advantage be introduced here but con- cerning which there does not appear to be a great deal on record is the age of young hornbills when the female parent leaves the nest. The Old Fauna says of the Indian great hornbill that the female remains in the nest till the young are fledged; the New Fauna puts it slightly differen tly— until the young are almost ready to fly’. Nidification gives yet another version and states the female sometimes leayes the nest when the young’ are but a few days old NOTES ON SOME INDIAN BIRDS 397 but more often she stays with them until they are almost ready to fly. Of the Assam brown-backed hornbill Stuart Baker tells us that the female generally remains in the nest until the young are almost ready to fly, but adds that this is not always the case. Con- cerning the common grey hornbill the Old Fauna states that the female does not leave. the nest until the young are about a week old, a statement which Whistler repeats; Salim Ali remarks ‘until they are at least a week old’. Dewar reports that a nest of this species which he opened out had the female and three young inside; the eldest young one appeared to be some fourteen days old. M. Mushtaq Husain saw a female T. birostris emerge from a nest in which there were three young ‘able to fly’. Another nest of the same species which he found, “contained young. One young one was quite fourteen days younger than the others, whose ages, however, he does not appear to have estimated. Here the female had already left the nest. In the case of a common grey hornbill’s nest which I was watching the female broke open the plastering and left the nest on 6th July ; the young exactly a week later. Another T. birostris female whose nest I was interested in over a period of weeks was brooding three young of different ages, varying (judging by the volume of their calls) from a day or two old to ‘possibly seven or eight days of age. This was on 11th May. The female did not leave the nest-hole till 4th June. There is now yet another species of hornbill concerning which we have information bearing on the same subject. In 1935 I had the good fortune to watch from my hiding tent a female Malabar pied hornbill make good her escape from the nest; in this were two young ones. These I examined and judged to be from ten to fourteen days old. An analysis of these first-hand observations makes it clear that it would be more correct to state that the female common grey hornbill does not make her way out until the young are about a fortnight old and not infrequently until just before they are ready to leave the nest. We have seen that the female hornbill is in the main responsible for enclosing herself inside the nest-chamber though the male bird has also been known to assist in the operation. Which of the two is responsible for breaking down the plastering so that the female can leave the nest? And how is the end achieved? Again, there is little on record bearing on the subject and that concerning: the Indian great hornbill only. Stuart Baker, describing the nesting habits of D. bicornis, states that the plaster when dry is so hard that it requires a strong knife or small hatchet to cut it away; therefore (he continues) it must be really hard work for the birds to remove it sufficiently to permit the female and young to leave the nest. It is not clear from this whether only one—and if so, which of the two—or both parents, takes an active part in releasing the female, or whether we are to understand that both the male and female knock the walling down to let out the young. D. S. Kaikini reports that the mother bird breaks the wall of the nest. I have twice been in my hide when a female hornbill has made good her escape from the nest; the first time it was a common grey hornbill and the second a Malabar pied hornbill. In each 398 JOURNAL, BOMBAY ‘NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII case it was the female who let herself out—she received no assistance in the matter from the male. The modus operandi employed in both instances was exactly the same—hard and constant hammering with the beak, for the space of roughly two hours, at the ‘cement’ bastions before they gave way. The noise made by the Malabar pied hornbill when S60 occupied was of such volume that before I realised who the author was I was under the impression it was produced by some wood-cutter felling a fair-sized tree higher up the hill. Here then, perhaps, we have the reason for the hornbill’s casque—a real and very necessary shock-absorber. This, however, cannot account for the male possessing such an appendage, unless further observations show that he sometimes (or even frequently) helps the female to knock down the stout defences. What is the condition of the female when she comes out of the nest-chamber for the first time? One naturally expects to see a bedraggled-looking bird, thin, and very stiff from her lone con- finement. This is partly the case. On the two occasions when I have been present to witness the female’s departure I was impressed -by certain facts: the very deliberate movements of the bird at the nest-entrance, accompanied by much calling—chee-ee-chee-ee-chee-ee in the case of the common grey hornbill, and yapping like a dog in the case of the Malabar pied hornbill; the stiff and laboured hop to an opposite branch close at hand ; the subsequent wing flapping and tail shaking indulged in before the initial flight; the presence of the male bird in the same tree; her neai appearance, and finally the female’s remarkably plump condition. On both occasions the male (who did not demonstrate) flew away with his wife and it was literally hours before either returned to the nest, the female in each instance being the first to do so. The contrast in condition between these two females and a female grey hornbill caught in the nest-chamber by one of my men, when two of her eges had hatched very recently and one egg was chipping, was most marked: she was then still moulting, and very thin. It would seem, therefore, that it is not due so much to the enforced incarcera- tion as to the shedding of her wing and tail feathers that must be attributed the female’s run-down state of health; apparently also she picks up very quickly as soon as the moult is completed. After the female has made good her escape from the nest, is the entrance re-walled, and if so, by whom? It is well known that the entrance is sometimes blocked up again after the female has left the nest; nevertheless very few appear to have commented on the jact, Prater remarking that after she leaves the nest the female ). bicornis rebuilds the wall. D. S. Kaikini makes a similar state- ment. Whether or not these statements are based on_ personal observations is not clear. Salim Ali, writing of the common grey hornbill, and apparently not in a position to report the facts from first-hand knowledge, is content to remark that ‘the wall is built up again’. In my experience, the walls are at times rebuilt but this is by no means the general rule. IT have now watched five nests of the common grey hornbill and one of the Malabar pied hornbill during several weeks, both prior and subsequent to the female leaving the nest, one of them for four consecutive years and another during NOTES ON SOME INDIAN BIRDS 7 399 . two alternate seasons. Only on two occasions was the entrance re-walled, both times at the one nest. 1 was not present to sce who was responsible for the building, which in neither instance was the finished work of art created by the female when confining herself; on the other hand the work could not be described as kutcha. The entrance was wider and more irregularly shaped than the original one, sufficiently small, however, to prevent my hard going in. The material employed in the construction appeared to be identical with that used when enclosing the female. Until recently I have always imagined that to one, or both parents, is due the credit for walling in the young, they considering that the young require the same protection until they are able to ly as was lately given the female. Now, however, it seems pro- bable that neither parent 1s responsible for the work and that it is undertaken by the young themselves: this is what reliable observa-. tions in Africa have recently disclosed. Should this prove to. be the case with Indian hornbills also, surely there can be no parallel in precocity to that shown by the infant hornbill as not only has it learnt at a very early age (not more than three or four weeks old perhaps), without previous experience or teaching, how to fashion the material and build the enclosing ramparts, but it apparently knows even better than the mother bird whether or no it 1s neces- sary to protect itself in the nest from possible enemies. It will be interesting to learn whether one or both parents, or the young, are responsible for breaking down the walling when the latter are ready to leave the nest. Unfortunately the only occasion when I have been present to see young hornbills leave the nursery the entrance had not been re-walled. I think it will be found that the parents undertake the job as the ‘cement’ work is probably too hard for the young hornbill beak to tackle. We have scen that the mother hornbill when in the nest is most careful with regard to its sanitation, that she either throws the droppings out or defecates outside the nest. The young, from what I have seen, are equally punctilious in this important matter, in- variably defecating through the entrance slit, and with considerable force. The nest, on being vacated, is, from what I have noted, left in a sanitary state—no flies, no ants, no smell; in fact on one occasion I saw a pair of common mynahs take possession of a common grey hornbills’ nest-hole the very day the latter’s young vacated it. No spring-cleaning or tidying was necessary before it could be occupied. Certainly numerous feathers have invariably remained: which brings us to a matter of the greatest importance in the life-cycle of the female hornbill—the moulting of the wang and tail feathers. As long ago as in Hume’s time it was observed by F. Bourdillon, to whom was brought a female D. bicornis caught in the nest- chamber, that she probably could not have flown more than ten vards until the young feathers, which were just appearing, had matured. This record is an isolated one and it was apparently thought for many years that the moult in this instance was purely fortuitous. General Osborne, however, about thirty-five years ago, appears to have suspected that the female hornbill ‘regularly aaeees goes a moult. while confined in the nest, this, in his view, being 400 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII restricted to the shedding of her quill wing and tail feathers. This matter has since been confirmed by other observers but nobody seems to have noted whether the female undergoes a general moult of the body feathers as well, or how the moult takes place; also whether all the wing feathers are shed simultaneously, or only some at a time, and if it is the wing or tail feathers which are lost first. Humayun Abdulali, however, recently wrote a most interesting and helpful note on the subject. He says of a female Malabar grey hornbill taken off three naked young (two much larger than the third) that “she had completed moulting her wings but the new quills were too short for use. The tail was also moulting, the new vectrices being only two inches long while four of the old feathers remained. There was no body moult’. I have only once seen a hornbill before it left the nest. This was a common grey hornbill., Her nest was opened out when it — contained two young recently hatched, and an egg chipping. Her new wing quills were about 65% matured. The tail feathers were approximately three inches long. All the tail feathers had been shed, and apparently together. This appeared also to have been the case with the wing feathers. 1 felt that the remiges had been dropped before the rectrices. There was no body moult. The bird was quite unable to fly. Other hornbill nests which I have examined after the female and young have left them, invariably had wing and tail feathers and a few body feathers inside. These last had quite likely come out in the course of preening operations. One other matter remains to be noticed—the condition of the male when his wife leaves the nest. I have already remarked that considerable irregularity occurs among the Bucerotidae with regard to the laying of the eggs. In the majority of cases a week to ten days probably elapses between the female first going into the nest- chamber and the complete clutch being laid. Incubation with the smaller species not improbably takes about twenty-one days, and assuming that the young are a fortnight old when the female makes good her escape—we have seen that she sometimes leaves when they are appreciably older—we find that the female common grey hornbill is very likely in the nest for at least forty-five days. With the larger genera the period must be longer still. During the whole of this time the female is fed by the male who, for part of the time, has also to fend, unaided, for his children. The prolonged strain of this devotion to family cares must tell, and by the. time the female emerges, he is, as my staff say, greatly reduced. Up to a late stage he retains a smart, jaunty appearance, but subse- quently, it is my experience, he goes off rapidly. He must be indeed glad when the female joins him though I have not seen him show his feelings, unless he does this by calling repeatedly. There- alter, there is no doubt, he eases off and his wife takes on the major role of feeding the young. oe * ok “Ke se It will be seen that three problems await solution by .the field naturalist :— (1) The manner and the order of the female hornbill’s moult. (2) Who is responsible for walling in the young hornbills after JourRN. BomBay Nat, Hist. Soc. PLATE VIII Common Grey Hornbill enticing the young to leave the nest with offerings of food. NOTES ON SOME INDIAN BIRDS 401 the female has made good her escape—is this the work of one or both parents, or of the young themselves ? (3) Who breaks down the ‘cement’ walls to let the young out— the parents or the young? The first presents some difficulty as it means the periodical removal of the masonry walls. (It will probably be found that the female encloses herself again each time the walls are removed). The operation can best be performed by slicing along the edge of the nest-entrance with a small knife. If the female hornbill is handled gently and released again inside the nest-cavity it is my belief that the birds will not desert. Great care will, however, have to be exercised lest the hen bird struggle and cause damage to the eggs. The second and third problems require patient and careful watching and now that attention has been focussed on the matter it is to be hoped that some ornithologist will soon fill in the gaps in our present knowledge. ANALYSIS OF NEST ‘WALL’ OF COMMON GREY HORNBILL. Lieut.-Col. S. S. Sokhey, 1.M.s., Director, Haffkine Institute, Bombay, who very kindly made the analysis, writes :— ‘The pieces sent consist of somewhat hard, greyish earthy material having a faint odour resembling that of dry cow-dung cakes. The material is brittle and arranged in layers. Pieces of wood, hay, scales of wasps and seeds of fruit, as are usually seen in bird droppings, are incorporated in layers of the brittle earthy material. Microscopically. A variety of cells possessing organic and inorganic structure are seen. Some cells resemble the ova of worms like the taenia and ascaris which infest the human and animal alimentary tract, suggesting presence of excreta of animal origin. Fibres of vegetable origin are present. Incineration. On incineration odour, resembling that of burning cow-dung cakes is omitted. When reduced to carbon-free state the ash amounts to 57.57% of which 88.4% is acid insoluble and 11.6% acid soluble. The acid soluble fraction contains mostly iron. The acid insoluble portion consists probably of clay. Conclusion. Macroscopic and microscopic examination and the smell of cow-dung during incernation show that animal excreta is present. The high percentage of ash, most of which is acid insoluble on the other hand shows that ordinary earth or clay is present in considerable amounts. The nest wall therefore is probably made of earth and animal excreta mixed together and in which organic matter, like pieces of wood and hay, etc., is incorporated.’—Ebs. THE HIGHLAND MACAQUE OF CEYLON. BY W. ©. OsMAN HILL, M.D. (IVith one texl-figure) For some years I have felt reasonably certain that the Toque monkey (Macaca sinica) of the higher altitudes of Ceylon was sufficiently distinct to warrant description as a separate subspecies (vide Hill, 1939, p. 144). This statement was based chiefly on personal observations on living specimens from known sources in the higher hills, including some that were living in the writer’s private collection from such localities as the Dolosbage Range. The museum material available for the necessary closer observations was, however, insufficient and such as it was appeared to show no great constancy .of characters, many of the specimens from neighbouring localities being often intermediate benver) the already ene n races of the Toaue (M. s. sinica and M. s. aurifrons). Recently, through the kind co-operation of the Forest Depart- ment of Ceylon, I have had material collected from the uppermost of the three geological terraces of which the land structure of the island is composed, and this proves that the real highland race is the monkey of this terrace and that those from lower or intermediate altitudes are merely annectant forms between the highland form and the lowland races. I chose an adult male in good coat, collected on the Horton Plains in December 1941, as the type of the new subspecies, which is herewith described. Macaca (Zati) sinica opisthomelas, subsp. nov. Size large, but not greatly larger than the lowland forms. limbs and_ tail relatively short and stout compared to the body length (details below); pelage long and dense ; pileum especially: exaggerated ; general colour of upper parts dusky or greyish olive with bases of hairs almost black; hinder parts and _ tail with hairs dark grey, almost black, throughout ; no rufescence on thighs ; under parts scantily clothed with white hairs; cutaneous pigment greatly exag- gerated, that in the corium of the ventral skin resulting in a much deeper blue than in lowland forms; the epidermic pigment elsewhere (lip margins, eyelid margins, auricles and palms and soles) also being more concentrated. THE HIGHLAND MACAQUE OF CEYLON Some of the above characters need amplification :-— I. Body proportions. 403 The following are the flesh measurements of. the type me ule and paratype female of M,. s. opisthome las. TABLE I Flesh measurements of JZacaca sinica opisthomelas Body weight 300 Crown-rump length Taillength . Head length (occiput te most prominent point of muzzle) Ay Max. height of ear sue Tip of tragus to Darwin’s tubercle sets Acromion to olecranon . Olecranon to wrist Wrist to dactylion : Trochanterion to tibiale. ‘Tibiale to heel a Length of foot eae Bimammillary breadth ... Suprasternale-thelion ‘Thelion-omphalion SO Omphalion-symphysion... Biocular breadth 560 Interocular breadth : Nasal breadth a Somatic Indices of AZ. s. opisthomelas and Lowland ‘Toques 6122°25 gms. = M.s. opisthomelas 3 2 13% Ibs. 3401°25 gms, = 456 mim, 426 mm, 498 mm, 448 mim. 130 mm. 107°5 nim, 49 min. 36 mm, 39 mm. 25 mm. 131 mim, 132 min, 134 mm, 133 mim. 77 mm. 84 mim, 143 mm. 117 mm, 151 mm. 140 mm. 129 mm, 120 mm. 45 mm. 43 mim. 65 mn. 53 mm, 165 mm, 125 mm. 147 min, 102 mm. 48 mm, 44 mm. 11 mm. 10 mm, 20°5 mm. 13 mm. TABLE IL Lowland JZ. sixica 72 lbs, Index i ; ‘ Av. of 5 | Av. of 2 | Total av. Typed | Paratype Q a3 of 7 Tail index eco |} ket) 103 = loz, 118 1225: ' Fore limb-trunk index 58°1 62 59°38 66 enolic? Hind limb-trunk index 64°5 60°2 64:7 67°5 . 65°5 Intermembral index .. 90 96°75 92:3 98 93°9 Humero-radial index | 102 106°5 99°6 96°85 97°4 Tibio-femoral index... | 105°5 UK) 109 109°75 109°2 Foot index (i.e. ratio of foot length to hind limb) 43°6 46°75 40°5 43°25 41:3 SST The linear measurements in table I do not indicate a particularly large animal compared with lowland specimens, but by comparing the ratios of the limbs and tail with the trunk, as in Table II a series of important conclusions can be drawn. 8 Similar In the first place the tail forms but 110% of the crown-rump length, which for a Toque monkey is definitely short, indices worked 404 JOURNAL; BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIIi out from the measurements given by Pocock (1939) for other races of M. sinica show proportionately a much longer tail, especially: in females. I am_ not aware what measurement is meant by ‘head and body’ in Pocock’s tables, but it cannot be far different from the one used here (crown-ruimp) so that. the indices are fairly comparable. Allowing for this, the tail index in four adult males of M. s. sinica is 125.5, 123, 122 and 107, and in two adult females 131.5 and 131, indicating a longer tail than in the new form, especially in females. (The single anomalous individual with an index of 107 is suggestive of the tail having been incomplete). In M. s. aurifrons the average tail index of three adult males is 124 and of four females 121.5, which denotes a tail of similar proportions to that of typical s¢nica. Similar results accrue from a_ statistical study of the other appendages, especially the limbs. Thus in the type male of M. s. opisthomelas the fore- limb, without the hand, forms 58.1 per cent of the crown-rump length, and the hind-limb, without the foot, 64.5 per cent of the same. In seven lowland Macaques the fore-limb averaged 61.2 per cent. of the crown-rump length and the hind-limb 65.5 per cent. There is some variation in the intermembral proportions, but the hind-limb is almost invariably longer than the fore-limb (in one female lowland animal only was it less) but in the type of M. s. opisthomelas the fore-limb, without. the hand, is only go per cent of the length of the hind-limb, whilst in the series of lowland Macaques examined it forms 93.9 per cent. The difference seems to be due chiefly to variations in the length of the fore-limb. The tibiofemoral index, which is remarkably constant in the lowland series (109.2) is much less in the highland animal (105.5). There is no significant difference in the pro- portion of the foot length to that of the rest of the hind-limb. The differences are not confined to the length ratios, but also affect the girths of the appendages. All are proportionately thicker in M. s. opisthomelas than in the other races. The body weight indicates a larger animal than lowland forms, Pocock records 12 Ibs. as the largest male of M. s, sinica, most of them being smaller; his records of M. s. aurifrons are smaller still. Ii. Pelage. i. Length of hairs. The following measurements indicate the great length of the hairs on the regions stated. Type § Paratype 2 Atiteriot qtiadrant of piletm ... Bi Se 75 mm. 69 mm. Posterior quadrant of pileum 53 a's 75 85 Lateral quadrant of pileum ... ane bon 94 96 Mid-dorsal region oi mn a 75 80 Shoulder + es brid te 70 46 Loins eee Jetnee | 500 ees 50 34°5 Flank a Us aA ab 65 49 Dorsum of base of tail ia ae bbc 32 37 Apex of tail se0 ee a SC 27 12 Lateral aspect of upper arm... we one 45-50 24°5 Lateral aspect of thigh ee ae a 30-36 32 Chest Ae os sie sy 40 41 Abdomen 600 nae dod S50 40 46 2. Colour of Coat. Pileum. The general surface colour due to the superficial hairs radiating from the centre of the crown is pale straw colour, but the deeper hairs are darker, dull olive brown at their roots, but paler towards the tip. No contrasting colour occurs in the fore part of the pileum in the male, but it is yellow in the female. Dorsal aspect of trunk, etc. : colour is darkest over lower thoracic and upper lumbar regions, and the corresponding region of the sides. Here the hairs are for the most part dull grey, darker at their bases, but paling towards their THE HIGHLAND MACAQUE Ok CEYLON 405 tips, which present a yellowish tinge, giving a dull olive hue to the area in question. The nape, interscapular, scapular and the hip regions are brighter in colour from the greater degree of flavism of the hair tips, but there is no erythristic tendency in any of these areas. The scapular brightness is continued on to the extensor surface of the arm for a short distance and is not interrupted across the mid-line. It is however, demarcated from the nuchal transverse band by a darker collar on the lower neck. The coxal bright area is sharply separated from its fellow by a very dark area in the mid-line, but laterally it proceeds down the thigh as far as the knee. The tail is almost black on its dorsum and for half its length. It is paler at the sides and in the distal half on the ~ dorsum as well, the flavistic tendency increasing to the tip. The more distal parts of the limbs are clothed with dark grey hairs with pale yellow tips. Ventral aspect of the trunk, etc.: the under parts are more scantily haired with long white hairs. These also clothe the flexor aspects of the limbs. The white areas are sharply demarcated on the flanks and borders of the limbs from the parts clothed with pigmented hairs. The under surface of the tail has brownish white hairs, darker at the base. Hairs on the buttocks and perineum are very darkly coloured. Face: this is much more densely haired with downy hairs than in lowland animals. The brows have short bristly hairs, black with straw-coloured tips, The nasal region and cheeks have a pale downy growth mixed with short black bristles. The usual whorl occurs on the preauricular region. It is chiefly com- posed of pale, almost white, soft hairs, but a few black bristles are mixed with them. There are some long soft white hairs behind the ear. Fig. 1. Side view of head of A, typical. Toque monkey (Macaca s. sinica) (after. Pocock) and B. a highland Toque monkey (Macaca s, opisthomelas) III. Pigmentation of Skin. The general colour of the skin, both on the well haired and the relatively scantily haired regions is blue, due to pigment in the deeper or connective tissue layer. The blue is much deeper than in typical sinica or in M. radiata. The scrotum and the skin of the penis are devoid of this pigment and_ therefore appear pale flesh-colour. Melanin pigment occurs in the epidermis and gives a blackish colour to the margins of the lips and eyelids and to the whole of the external ear,, including the tragus and a few millimetres of the preauricular region. The palms ot the hands are brownish-black with some irregular unpigmented patches,—four at the roots of the digits and a fifth on the ulnar ‘heel’. The dorsum of the hand is darkly pigmented to beyond the wrist. The foot is similar to the hand, brownish-black on the plantar surface and black on the dorsum, the pigment extending proximally to just beyond the ankle. The nipples are pale flesh-coloured, but there are no pale areas in the axilla or groin. TV. Skull. The skull does not indicate a head any larger than that of other races of M. sinica according to the figures published by Pocock. The following are the measurements of the type skulls. 406 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII TABLE III Measurements of skull of JZ. s. opisthomelas compared with those of an old male JV. s. sinica. M. s. opistho- MM. s. optstho- MM. s. sinica melas $ melas B old g Cranial capacity ... 568 105 ce: UPOVKEK 66 ce. ’ Total length, prosthion-inion. 112 mm. 93 mim. 108 mm. Prosthion-basion One 80 mm. 61 mm. 83 mm. Glabella-inion eit tnGe) aeeee 81 mm. 71 mm. 79 mm. Basion-post-nasal spine Soo gt REE aaaven), 30 mm. 33° mm. Max. cranial breadth -— 98°5 mm. 56 mm. 55 mm. Basion-bregma_ ... a o4 mm. 49 mm. 50 mm. Bizygomatic oes 560 78°5 min. 70 im. 79°5 mm. Palatal length =e meee 50 mm. Saeimmae o2 mim. Bimaxillary breadth eo 5 OD) nial 36 min. 39° mm. Upper tooth row (excl. can- ine): ... aes 28 mm. 27 1mm. * 29°5 mm. Foramen magnum ‘breadth At WES) yanhany, = 13° mm. 14 mm. Foramen magnum length ... 15°25 mm. 15 mm. 14 mm. Condylo-symphyseal length ... 77 mim. 63 mm. 84 mm. Bicondylar breadth das 60° min. 44 mm. 61-5 mm. Lower tooth row (excl. can- ine) ... aes eee 33 mm. 2 O2 asain 37 mm. Oblique depth of eee menti 24 iim. 19° min. 729 mm. Transverse diameter of orbit.. 24 mim. 21 min. 23° mm. Vertical diameter of orbit... 21 mm. 19° mm. 19° mm, Nasal opening, height Ne 16°5 mm. 13° mm. 17) mm. Nasal opening, breadth on 12 mm, 11 mim. 13. mm, The following qualitative characters of the type skull are of some interest. The infraorbital foramen is double bilaterally; the supra-orbital nerve occupies a notch on the right and a notch and foramen on the left. The right notch is guarded laterally by a very large bony spicule, itself pierced by a small foramen, The malar foramen is large. V. Habits. This monkey inhabits the dense forest of the uppermost terrace which is a dissected plateau, with islands of forest, rising out of Jower country. Its range is, therefore, necessarily rather discontinuous. The type male had its cheek pouches and stomach filled with large round fruits which have been kindly identified for me by the Forest Department’ as those of the Dambu (Eugenia Gardneri). JREFERENCES TO LITERATURE. Hill, W. ©. O., 1939, Ceylon J: of Sc., xxi, p. 144. Pocock, R. 1, Fauna of British India, Mammals, vol. i, 1939, pp. 34°42. Hist. Soc. BoMBAY NAT IRN, Jot A. K. Mondal del. BARBUS KOLUS (Sykes) OBSERVATIONS ON THE BREEDING COLOURATION OF BARBUS (PUNTIUS) KOLUS SYKES. BY M. SUTER, D.Sc. (With a coloured plate). Barbus Rolus Sykes is one of the commonest fishes of the Poona waterways and was originally described from ‘the Moota-Moola river, 8 miles east of Poona’. Sykes’ observed that its small scales are ‘silver-grey’ and the back ‘reddish silvery grey’. The fish is stated to grow to a ‘length of 18 inches, and weight of 14 seer’. Day’ extended the range of the species to ‘Central Provinces, Deccan, and throughout the Kistna, Tamboodra, and Godavery rivers’ and stated that it attains upwards of a foot in length. According to Day the colours are ‘silvery, with a tinge of yellow: dorsal, caudal and anal tipped with gray’. In 1941, at the request of Dr. S. L. Hora of the Zoological Survey of India, I made some observations on the species of Barbus found round about Poona and noticed that during the breeding season, June to August, the males and females of B. kolus could be readily distinguished by their respective colouration. During this season the general colour of the male is very silvery, with mother-of-pearl reflexes. The scales along the middle of the side and the cheeks are provided with pale pink reflexes. Very bright green reflexes occur about the head. The colour gets a little darker towards the back, which is brownish. The upper part of the head is distinctly brownish. In the female, the fins are strongly tinted with pink, which is very prominent in the caudal and anal, especially along the rays. According to the local fishermen, these sexual differences in colouration are mainly confined to the breeding season and are less marked during the rest of the year. It may be noted that in 1938, Hora and Misra’ pointed out certain secondary sexual characters, such as the nature of ‘pearl organs’, the form of the head and body and the structure of the dorsal and anal fins, by which the sexes in B. Rolus can be distinguished. The colour differences noted above can be relied upon during the breed- ing’ season only. After examining a large number of specimens, I found that indi- vidual fish show some variation in colouration, mainly about the head, which seems to become paler with age and size, and shows more of the bright green reflexes than is the case in smaller fish. + In 1 Sykes, W. H.—Trans.- Zool. Soc. London, II, p. 357 (1841). * Day, F.—Fish. India, p. 573 (1878). * Hora. S. L. and Misra, K. S.—Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., XL, p. 28 (1938). 408 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII older fish the brown colouration of the back seems to become less and the scales of the upper parts of the body also show some greenish reflexes in the general mother-of-pearl scheme. The pink reflexes extend further from the median line and in the lower parts faint golden reflexes are noticeable. In very young fish the brown colour of the upper parts of head and back is often very reddish. The males of several species of Carp Minnows of the Puntius type are known to assume brilliant colours during the breeding season’ but it is remarkable that in B. kolus it is the female that puts on gaudy colours to attract the males. In this respect, B. Rolus is more human. It will certainly be of interest to work out the proportion of sexes in this species with a view to elucidate the unusual behaviour with regard to the breeding colouration of the two sexes. My thanks are due to Dr. S. L. Hora for directing my attention to the literature cited here and for helpful suggestions. 1 Mookerjee, H. K., Mazumdar, S. R. and Das Gupta, B.—Ind. Journ. Vet. Sci. Animal Husb., XI, p. 250 (1941). THE EARLY STAGES OF INDIAN LEPIDOPTERA BY D. G. SEVASTOPULO, F.R.E.S. PaRT X. (Continued from Vol. xlitt, No. r (1942), p. 47). HETEROCERA. AMATIDAE (SYNTOMIDAE). Amata (Syntomis) cyssea Stoll. Ovum almost spherical, unsculptured. Milky white in colour, turning grey before hatching. Laid in small batches. Laid 9-11-42. Hatched 15-11-42. | Newly hatched larva—Head brownish grey. Body pale grey with sparse single greyish hairs. Very lightly pigmented, after feeding the colour of the food is seen clearly in the intestines. 2nd instar—Similar. 3rd instar—Similar but more deeply pigmented. 4th instar—Similar but the skin still more ey pigmented and the hairing denser. 5th instar—Similar to final. Final instar—Head deep brown. Colour of body blackish purple, slightly paler between the somites, and with a dark dorsal line. 1st somite with a dark dorsal plate bearing a few short hairs and a sublateral hairy wart. 2nd and 3rd somites with a large subdorsal and a small sublateral hair-bearing wart. 4th to 11th somites with a small posterior dorsal, a larger anterior subdorsal, a lateral and a sublateral hair-bearing wart. 12th somite with a subdorsal and lateral hair-bearing wart. The hairs are short and deep purple erey in colour. Legs purplish. Prolegs pinkish. Pupa in a slight web. Pale chestnut brown, the abdominal! somites with rings of slightly darker brown depressed spots. Thorax marked subdorsally with darker brown. Spiracles slightly raised. Food-plant—Dahlia and Cosmos, ‘preferring the flowers. Described from larvae bred from ova laid by a Calcutta caught female, one of which pupated 12-11i-42, and a male emerged 21-ili-42. LYMANTRIIDAE. Dasychira mendosa Hbn. Sevastopulo, Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., x\, 404. 1938. Ovum spherical, the top flattened. Colour pale cream, the micro- pvlar area and a ring round the top pale butter vellow. Later the micropylar area becomes depressed. Immediately before hatchine the cream colour turns bluish grey and the butter yellow a dingy 410 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII green. Laid in large regular batches. Laid 5-xii-qg1. Hatched I 3-X11-4I. | Newly hatched larva—Head black. Body greyish white with four transverse maculate black bands on the central and three on the posterior portion of the body. Clothed with long sparse dark hair. Venter grey, a yellow spot at the end of the body. 2nd instar—Head black. Body with the dorsum greyish, a blackish lateral stripe. 31st somite with a subdorsal orange tubercle. 4th to 7th somites with dorsal tufts of short black hair, 11th somite with a similar tuft. oth to 11th somites blackish dorsally, extremity of body orange. Sparsely covered with longish black hair. 3rd instar—Similar but only the first three somites grey dorsally and these with a central black stripe. Rest of the body black, a subdorsal yellow line and a_ sublateral whitish-grey one. Dorsal hair tufts slightly more prominent. 4th instar—Similar to final (see above quoted reference) except that the lateral tufts are composed of simple black hairs only and the dorsal tufts, with the exception of that on the 7th somite, are black. 3 5th instar—Similar to final. The larva of this particular brood were a much darker grey than normal, in fact some were almost black. In spite of this, however, none had the bright yellow dorsal tufts mentioned by Hampson. purplish-brown, slightly tufted with short Baines The figures of the larvae are ‘anything but lifelike and-those of the pupae are not hairy enough and too pale in colour. Hampson’s description, which is copied in Seitz, seems to be based on that of Moore except that the head and legs are said to be ochreous. BOMBYCIDAE. Ocinara varians Wk. Sevastopulo, Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., xl, 407. 1938. Young larva—Head and body grey, a large subdorsal black spot on the 5th somite. ‘A short fleshy curved horn on the rith somite. Full grown larva—Head dull brown. Body dull brown, the first four somites longitudinally striped with greyish and with trans- verse yellow lines only visible under a lens. 2nd somite with paired black dorsal spots. The dorsal area from the 5th somite back- wards mottled and paler and brighter in colour, the lateral area from the 5th somite backwards dark chocolate brown. 5th somite with a double dorsal hump, the hump itself purple brown and edged in front with a black crescent-shaped mark. 8th somite with a subdorsal black spot joined to a dorsal purple brown spot and slightly raised. A short fleshy horn on the 11th somite. Venter, legs and prolegs dull brown. Some specimens more greyish. Others were a more uniform grey-brown, without the paler dorsum and 412. JOURNAL,. BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIIT ? darker sides from the 5th somite backwards, the dorsal hump on some of these specimens pale pinkish-buff instead of purple brown. Cocoon of closely woven white or yellow silk, rather papery. Boat-shaped and covered with a loose ‘froth’ of silk. Pupa pale yellow, very thinly chitinised. Food-plant—Streblus asper Low. (Family, Moraceae) In captivity ate Peepul but not readily. Described from a number of full fed larvae found in Calcutta; one of which pupated 13-xii-41, and a male emerged 20-xii-41. I have described this larva as O. varians although I am_ not absolutely satisfied with the determination. The larva is very similar to that previously described but is considerably smaller and more knobbed, looking not unlike a small piece of twig. If my determination is correct, the variation seems to be analogous to that found in certain British Geometridae with a smooth and knobbed form of larva depending on the food-plant. I was very anxious to obtain a pairing and to see whether the resulting larvae, reared ab ovo on Peepul, would revert to the smooth form. Un- fortunately the only female in the batch emerged when all the males were dead or dying. All my Peepul feeding larvae have spun cocoons of yellow silk, the present batch gave two yellow cocoons to eight white. : In my previous description, I described the cocoon as ‘very closely woven and hard’, the term ‘papery’ would probably convey my meaning better. SPHINGIDAE. Deilephila nerii V.. Sevastopulo, Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., xl, 407. 1938. A number of pupae bred from larvae found in Calcutta in January 1942 differed from the normal in having a subdorsal series of diffused black spots on the abdominal somites, in some cases the series was complete, in others reduced to the spots on the oth and toth somites only. One pupa had broad black bands across the dorsum and extending laterally almost to the spiracular black spots, this pupa also had a diffused black latero-ventral stripe. Larvae and imagines all normal. Bell and Scott (Fauna Brit. Ind., Moths, v) do not mention any variation in this pupa. LIMACODIDAE. Parasa hilaris Westw. Head pale brown, retractile. Body with a series of ten sub- lateral scoli, the posterior two blunt and whitish, the others green and slightly longer. A subdorsal series consisting of a bunch of green bristles, a moderately lone green scolus tipped with red and armed with colourless bristles, a longer purplish red scolus armed with black bristles, five bunches of green bristles, a long purplish red scolus with black bristles and a shorter oranee red one with colourless bristles. Ground colour of body green. A broad blue dorsal stripe with a median rose pink line from 2nd somite to the THE EARLY STAGES OF INDIAN LEPIDOPTERA 413 base of the 2nd scolus. The bases of the 2nd pair of scoli con- nected by a transverse white stripe. A broad blue dorsal stripe between the 2nd and 3rd scoli, broadening at each end and edged by a darker blue line, a median rose pink line extending for two somites posterior to the 2nd and two somites anterior to the 3rd scolus. Between the 3rd and 4th scoli, the stripe is indicated by a continuation of the dark blue edging line. The whole stripe edged on either side by a narrow yellow stripe. A dark indigo blue subdorsal line, edged above by a yellowish green line. An olive green line, edged below by a yellowish green stripe, just above the sublateral series of scoli, and a similar line below. A yellowish green line dividing the sublateral and ventral areas. Venter a watery yellow green. : Cocoon of the usual hard Limacodid type. Oval, somewhat flattened, and with a surrounding and_ slightly concealing web. Colour pale olive brown, slightly tinged with golden. Empty pupa skin pale brown. Described from a full fed larva found in Calcutta 26-xi-41, spun 30-xi-41, and a female emerged 10-11-42. NOcTUIDAE. Mocis (Cauninda) undata F. (archesia Cr.) Moore) hep. Ceyl., ii, Tor, ple 172, fie..3a: 1884-87. Hamps., Fauna Brit. Ind., Moths, ii, 526. 1894. — Hamps., Cat. Lep. Phal., xiii, 93. 1913. Ovum—Very pale silvery green, spherical with numerous ribs running from micropyle to base. Laid singly. Laid 30-x-41. Hatched 2-xi-41. Newly hatched larva—Brown, very long and slender. Very like a Geometer in its manner of moving and resting. After feeding becomes green. Half-grown larva—Head whitish, striped with dark brown. Body greenish grey with nine longitudinal purple brown lines. A subdorsal black speck on the 4th somite. Venter with four purple brown longitudinal lines. rst and 2nd pairs of prolegs obsolete. 3rd and 4th pairs, and also legs, almost black. Full-grown larva—Head with the clypeus yellowish with an internal red line and with a red line from apex of clypeus to vertex. A semicircular blackish patch with three white lines running through it, the lateral area white with two double red brown lines. Body with the true ground colour yellowish, becoming a stronger yellow on the subdorsal and lateral areas, but the colour obscured to a large extent by the small specks composing the markings so that the dorsal area appears to be slate grey. Dorsal area with the following longitudinal lines composed of minute specks, a central orange brown line, double between the 4th and roth somites, with five blackish grey lines on either side. Four orange brown sub- dorsal lines, below them a double line cf mauve dots, a_ solid orange line and a wider solid canary yellow line. 4th somite with a subdorsal crescent-shaped white mark enclosing a black dot. 414 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Venter dark olive brown lined with darker, the lines on the ventro- lateral area most prominent. A dark elongate median spot on the 7th somite and a smaller one between the claspers of the 8th somite. Legs bright red. rst and 2nd pairs of prolegs aborted, 3rd and 4th pairs coloured as venter. Anal claspers striped in continuation of the body stripes. Spiracles black. In some larvae the central dorsal line is very little different in colour from the others and the subdorsal orange brown lines are a dull purple brown. Pupa in a very small cocoon of white silk completely covered with leaves. Colour dark purple brown, the intersegmental areas of the abdomen chestnut, and thinly covered with a white bloom. Cremaster a bunch of six golden brown hooked spines. The apex of the abdomen longitudinally wrinkled and forming a surrounding series of blunt teeth. Food-plant—Rhynchosia minima DC. (Leguminosae). Described from a number of larvae bred from ova obtained from a Calcutta caught female, one of which spun 28-xi-41, and a female emerged 13-xli-41. Moore’s description is as follows:—‘Larva semi-looped; with twelve legs; the dorsal and under-surface purplish-brown, minutely black dotted, the sides yellowish and longitudinally lined with red and a sublateral row of minute black/dots; head with a brown and red lateral streak; front legs red, middle and hind legs brown. Pupa reddish; efflorescent. Feeds on Desmodium.’ His figure is too short and stout. Both Hampon’s descriptions seemed to be based on the above, although in the Catalogue he quotes Indian Museum Notes, v, 159 (1903) as his authority. Phytometra (Plusia) chalcytes Esp. (eriosoma Dbl.) Moore, Lep. Ceyl., 111, 70. 1884-87. Hamps., Fauna Brit. Ind., Moths, it, 570. 1894. Hamps., Cat. Lep. Phal., xiii, 486. 1913. Head pale green with a very narrow blackish lateral line and with three minute black specks on each lobe. Body pale green, a narrow slightly darker green dorsal stripe edged by a_ slightly waved white line. Two slightly waved white subdorsal lines. A straight, and slightly broader, white lateral line edeed above with darker green and with a minute black dot above it in the middle of each somite. A few white specks giving rise to short colourless hairs. Venter pale green sparsely speckled with white. Spiracles buff. Legs and prolegs pale green, the first two pairs of prolegs obsolete. Shape narrow in front and broadening to the tith somite, which is slightly humped dorsally. One larva had the tarsi black. Pupa in a double cocoon of thin’ white silk. Pupa with the dorsum pale chestnut with dark patches on the thorax, 1st to ard and 5th abdominal somites. The colour shades off laterally into the pale green of the venter. Leg, antenna and wing cases a clear olive green, the leg’ and antenna cases marked with darker olive, the wing cases, except for the costal margin, with an underlying chestnut colouration. Leg and proboscis cases projecting slightly beyond the edge of the wing cases, | THE EARLY STAGES OF INDIAN LEPIDOPTERA Ald Food-plant—Garden Hollyhock. Described from a full fed larva found-in Calcutta 31-1-42, pupated 3-11-42, and a male emerged 13-11-42. Moore’s description is ‘Larva green, palest along the back; with indistinct longitudinal lateral and dorsal paler lines. Pupa green with black dorsal streaks. Feeds on species of [icus.’ Hampson bases himself on this description in the Fauna but omits the pupa. In the Catalogue he gives the following references and description : — ‘Kirby, Butt. & Moths Eur., p. 270; Hffm. Raup. p. 134, pl. 35, fig. 8. Green with numerous waved whitish streaks on dorsal area and more distinct lateral stripe. Food-plants: Urtica, Salvia, Echium, Marrubium, in India on Ficus.’ (GEOMETRIDAE. Thalassodes veraria Guen. Head bifid, pinkish buff in colour. Body pinkish buff, — the ventral area tinged with green. ~ Traces of a triple rose-red dorsal line, the intersegmental areas slightly tinged with rose-red. Anal flap triangular and ending in a sharp point. Under a lens the dorsum is sprinkled with minute white dots. , ‘Pupa formed under litter at the bottom of the box. Colour pale buff, the thorax smoky brown, the wing cases smoky brown but paler than the thorax. Thorax with a double dorsal blackish line, three subdorsal blackish dots and the juncture between the pro-, mesa- and meta-thorax blackish. Abdomen with a blackish dorsal stripe and with brown streaks and specks arranged. roughly in transverse lines. . Food-plant—Garden Chrysanthemum, eating the flowers. Described from a full fed larva found in Calcutta 17-x1-41, pupated . 23-xi-41, and a female emerged 1-xil-41. (To be continued). SPAWNING OF CARP AND THEIR SPAWNING GROUNDS IN THE PUNJAB. BY Hamip KHAN, M.Sc., LL.B. (Punjab), ph.p. (Cantab), F.A.sc. (With 5 text-figures). In India, the Carp (Cyprinidae) are the most valuable of the fresh water tishes, the species most prized being the Rohu, | Ll.abeo rohita (tHamilton)|, Mirgal, Morakha or Mori | Cirrhina mrigala (Hamilton) |, and theila or Katla | Catla catla (Hamilton) |. These fish, though they grow rapidly in tanks and ponds, do not seem to breed in confined waters (Gupta, 1908), and are said ‘to breed only in the running water of the river’, (Bull. 2 Dept. Fish, Bengal, 1913). Day (1873, p. 26), however, mentions that ‘in those tanks, which are always in communication with irrigation works or. large rivers, many species of non-migratory fish breed, and also a few ol the migratory ones’. Thomas (1897, p. 341), also describes his experiment at Vallaum in the Vanjore District, where Labeo fry were introduced in ‘a rain-fed pond of some three to five acres of waterspread’, and remarks that, ‘the natives were very positive that they never-breed in ponds, but needed running water. I thought they might be induced to try breeding in a pond when they found it umpossible to get to a river, and the event proved I was right. After a time, Labeo fry were caught very much smaller and more numerous than I had put in.’ Dunsford (1911), too, narrates an incident at Hissar, where after the first heavy fall of rain at the commencement of the monsoon, large fish, namely, rohu, were seen rushing about over inundated ground and were either ‘females full of ripe spawn or males full of milt’. In 1924, the author (Hamid IKhan, 1924), observed that the Indian Carp could be made to spawn in tanks and ponds provided that all the conditions of their natura! spawning grounds were taken into consideration, and that in the absence of proper facilities the fish become egg bound and_ the eggs degenerate in the ovaries. Recently, Majumdar (1940) has pointed out that ‘the statement that the European carps breed in confined waters, while the bigger types of Bengal do not is not exactly correct. It has been observed that they also ‘breed well in confined or semi-confined waters during the monsoon in this country.’ He, however, admits that owing to unfavourable circum- stances the carps in confined waters ‘reabsorb their eggs in their system.’ The spawning behaviour of the Indian Carp is really very peculiar and requires thorough investigation. Observations on their spawn- ing have been recorded by the Fisheries Staff from various stretches of water in the Punjab during the last 18 years and their spawning grounds have also been surveyed. As a result of these observations, an attempt has been made in this paper to discuss, firstly, the pro- bable factors which induce the Carp to spawn under natural con- SPAWNING OF CARP AND THEIR SPAWNING GROUNDS 4\i ditions, and secondly, the possibility or otherwise of the spawning of Carp in confined or semi-confined waters. A. SPAWNING OF CARP IN RIVERS AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES. 1. River Beas.—Observations on the spawning of Carp were recorded from River Beas and its tributaries, namely Barnai Cho, Gural Nala, Narabara, and JWestern Bein, (i) Barnai Cho, Gural and Karabara streams (Fig. 1). In 1922, River Beas, which is one mile from Barna: Cho near the village Mehtabpur, where an observation camp was established, was in flood on the 15th July, and the next day, due to heavy local rains the river overflowed and flooded Barnai Cho as well. The same evening, the fish, weighing 4 to 8 lbs, each, approximately, from the river and Barnat Cho were observed rushing about over the in- undated fields, where water was g to 12 inches in depth, were play- ing together and laying their eggs. The water in many places was hardly sufficient to cover their backs and the fish could easily be killed in any number with a lathi blow. Immediately after spawn- ing the eggs were collected. The eggs were demersal and were lying on the submerged grass or in shallow pits in heaps, but were not sticking to each other. Each egg measures 1.5 to 2 mm. in diameter, but as soon as it falls into the water it swells to 2 to 3 times its size by the absorption of water by its outer membrane, which gives it a glassy bead like appearance (Hamid Khan, 1924). This watery sheath acts as a protective covering to the developing embryo. The eggs do not float, but are often carried by the strong current of the flood into the main stream where they can be collected by means of fine meshed nets as is done in Bengal. © Buonvan & ~~ ~ nhl Fig. 1.—Diagrammatic sketch of spawning grounds (S) of the River Beas and its tributaries. The temperature of water in the spawning grounds was 85°F. at 8a.m,, 81°F. at 4 p.m. and 82°F. at 7-30 p,m. The fish netted from the spawning grounds were Labeo rohita (Hamilton), Labeo micropthalmus Day, Labeo gonius (Hamilton) and Barbus sarana (Hamilton). Some of these fish were full of eggs and others were spent up. The latter were seen returning to the main stream. Gural stream is hardly two furlongs from Barnai Cho near the village Mehtabpur, but this stream was not flooded with floods from the river on the 16th July. Consequently its fish did not spawn 418 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol.: XLII on that day. It, however, rained heavily on the 29th July and Gural was flooded on the morning of the 30th, and Karabara on the same evening. Both the streams overflowed into the surround-- ing fields. On the 31st morning the fish were observed playing and spawning in the inundated fields where water was 4 to 5 inches in depth. The temperature of the water of the stream on the 30th July was 78°F. at noon and the water in the spawning ground had a temperature of 80°F. on the 31st morning. In 1934, Barna: Cho overflowed its banks due to rains in the up country on the 8th July and its fish spawned on that day. But the river Beas got flooded on the 16th July and overflowed into the fields and its fish spawned on the night between the 16th and the 17th July. Gural had its flood on the 26th July and inundated the fields at 11 a.m. and at 2 p.m. its fish were seen playing and splashing in the fields. The temperature of the water in the spawning grounds remained 87°F. throughout the day. A partly spent up female of Labeo gonius was netted from the spawning grounds, stripped and its eggs fertilized successfully. They hatched out on the 27th July, 1.e., sixteen to seventeen hours after stripping. (ii) Western Bein. Owing to rains in up country, the Bein stream was flooded on the 21st July in 1922. On the same evening it over- flowed into adjoining fields near village Dhirpur, at a distance of three miles from village Manan Talwandi where an observation camp had been established. The fish from the Bein responded to the floods, moved on to the flooded fields along the current of water, rubbed themselves against the furrows of ploughed up fields, where depth of water was 2 to 18 inches, and made a noise like boon boon. The male closely followed the female, rubbed against its mate and both of them raised their caudal portions just above the water with their bodies pressed together. They remained in this position for 2 to 3 seconds, and it was thus that the female ejected its eggs which were immediately fertilized by the male. Due to muddy water the actual ejection of the eggs could not be seen, but it was noticed that in the females of Labeo gonius netted from the-spawning grounds, when pairing, the eggs simply flowed out with slight pressure and were fertilized with the milt which a male yielded readily. Immediately the pair separated, they made great splashing noise. No fish stayed long at one place but wandered about with its mates. The eggs could-be felt, by hand, lying at the-bottom on. the grass and were crushed when one- waiked in the water. When water was stirred the eggs came to the surface and were collected. Development started immediately after fertilization. The temperature of the water of the Bein ranged from 84°F. in the morning to 94°F. in the afternoon. On the spawning grounds the temperature of the water on the 21st July at 11 p.m. was 85°F. and on the 22nd July it was 80°F, at 3 a.m. 2. River Sutlej (Fig. 2). Observations on the spawning of Carp in Budha Nala, a tributary of River Sutle} were carried out in 1929, 1931 and 1935. In 1929, it rained heavily on the 18th July and flooded the Budha Nala, which overflowed into the scineoiadliayg fields, where fish were seen playing on the same day. One ripe female, Barbus SPAWNING OF CARP AND THEIR SPAWNING GROUNDS 419 savana, netted from the inundated fields, yielded its eggs readily and these were successfully fertilized by mixing milt from the male. SOS ININ Fig. 2.—Diagrammatic ‘sketch of spawning grounds, (S), of Budha Nala, a tributary of River Sutlej. In 1931, the spawning in the Budha Nala was observed on the 22nd July, when the stream was flooded not with the local rains but with the rain at its upper reaches. In 1935, it rained on the 14th July, but the stream was not sufficiently flooded and the fish did not spawn. On the 18th July, there was another heavy shower, the stream overflowed and the fish spawned in the inundated fields. Recently, the Irrigation Department, with a view to reclaim land from water-logged areas, have converted the upper reaches of the Budha Nala into a drain, thus preventing the stream from overflowing its banks during the rains. The fish, consequently, have been deprived of their natural spawning grounds. 3. River Ravi.—(i) Jabboki spawning grounds: With floods in River Ravi during monsoon, the fish of almost all kinds ascend to the inundated fields near village Jabboki, about 7 miles from Lahore, play together, lay their eggs and return to the river. When the floods subside, pools are left in the spawning grounds where numerous fry get stranded. (ii) Kiran Nala (Fig. 3), known as Doga in its upper reaches and Sakki in its lower, is a tributary of River Ravi and joins it Fig. 3.—Diagrammatic sketch of spawning grounds, (S), of Kiran Nala, a tributary of River Ravi. near village Ranian. Spawning grounds of fish extend all along the stream. Observations on the spawning of Carp were recor ded 9 420 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XETIT from one near Dehr gawar (Fig. 3. S). The stream, during monsoon, overflows into the fields near this village, where fish spawn and after laying their eggs return to the main stream. ae Construction of a weir near Shikar Bridge on the Kiran Nala, for storage of water in its upper reaches for lift irrigation, has, of recent years, obstructed the passage of fish to their spawning grounds. It is a matter of regret that no facilities have been provided to enable the fish to reach their natural spawning grounds. B. SPAWNING OF CARP IN TANKS WHICH ARE CONNECTED WITH STREAMS, RIVERS OR WITH ANY OTHER PIECE OF RUNNING WATER DURING THE MONSOON. Such tanks and ponds are of two distinct forms, firstly those which always or nearly always contain water throughout the year, as for instance tanks at Chhenawan Fish Farm, and secondly, those which get dry during early summer and get inundated during the rains, as for example ponds at Khori. (i) Chhenawan Tanks, (Fig. 4). Near village Chhenawan there is an old supply channel, extending to a distance of six miles upto the River Chenab, where a fish culture station, first recommended LOWER CHENAB CANAL we 0 me De Oe eg eg ee we —_— . . . . e ° . . te eee a ee de ek 8 Ce) Fig. 4.—Diagrammatic sketch of Chhenawan Tanks, showing spawning grounds (S). by Dunsford (1911, p. 13), was established in 1923. BONES. xxi; “p. 1342), Is ‘it possible to attach any significance to the fact that though in close contact with them for a considerable period I nor ‘anybody else was bitten by these bugs? In the same volume (p. 1ogr), Dodsworth records beetles (Dermestridae) Anthreans fasciatus and Attagenus sp. obtained from nests of the common swifts. It is there suggested that they’ feed on old feathers and similar refuse. McCann had brought a few flash light bulbs and an attempt was made to photograph the nests. Light coming in through the, sky- light however, confused matters and the results were disappointing. Fr. Santapau obtained one picture in which some 250 nests are visible. We should have waited until it was quite dark, as the 450 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. ‘SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII birds then started swarming in through the main entrance. We could see them clinging to the rocks and to their nests, by torch- light, but our flash bulbs were then exhausted. No birds were seen entering through the skylight. The whole cave had a musky, batty smell, and the swifts also twittered intermittently like a swarm of bats. Clinging in closely packed groups to the cliff and their nests, they looked extraordin- arily like bats. (In Nidification, v. 11, p. 466, Stewart refers to nests of spinetails (Indicapus) in hollow trees in Travancore and _ states the native could tell their smell from that of bats). No attempt was made to sit in or across the nest. The birds cling to the rim of the shallow saucer-like nest with their breasts to the cliff, and there was often another bird clinging under the nest. We caught several roosting birds by hand, and large numbers could be collected with a butterfly net. A very rough estimate indicated 5,000 birds and over a thousand nests, in all stages of construction. Are the same nests used more. than once? Many of them appeared to have been repaired (replastered with saliva) and fresher than any I had noted in February 1938. In patches the nests were within two and three inches of one another. On the way out, I was hauled up by a rope through the skylight, and looked into at least a hundred nests. They were all empty. While dangling from the rope, I met a small mouse, face to face, but was unable to secure it. The salivary glands of both males and females obtained were enlarged, but the only noticeable development in the organs was a male with testes 3X2 mm. Their stomachs (4) were packed with insect remains (identi- fied at the Indian Museum, Calcutta), and mango-hoppers (Jassids) of two species (Ideocerus nivecsparsus and atkinsont comprised about 80 per cent of the total contents. A small pulse beetle (Bruchus theobromue) was also prominent and may have amounted to ro per cent... There were remains and traces of HEMIPTERA, Lygaedae (Pamera pallicornis), and Pentatomidae (Cydnus varians —geranium — bugss), COLEOPTERA, Carabidae, — Bostrychidae (Sinoxylon anale—a wood-borer). Nitidulidae (Scavanger beetles) Elateridae (Acolus brachmana—click beetle), Coccinellidae (lady bird beetles), Staphylinaedue (rove beetles), Chrysomelidae (Chue- tocnema sp. probably basalis—flea beetle of rice), ODbonata, Zygoptera (remains of two small dragon flies), HyMENOPTERA, Chrysidue (Cuckoo wasps) formicidae (Myrmicinae) DietrEra (remains of flies), TRICHOPTERA (traces of caddis flies). We visited the cave again after midnight, and the birds were still awake, struggling for possession of the nests, and other roosting places, twittering all the time. We watched them = for a while and then returned to camp. At dawn all the birds had left. I might mention that Barnes in ‘The Birds of the Bombay Presidency’, states that ‘the edible-nest swiftlet is a hot weather visitant to the Vengurla Rocks, where it breeds’. I do not know on what evidence the bird is said to be a migrant, though it would be interesting to ascertain how it obtains its food in stormy weather. There was hardly a foot of level ground to stretch ourselves out, THE TERNS & EDIBLE-NEST SWik1?S AT VENGURLA 454 and when we got up in the morning, we were all agreed that we had discovered the hardest rocks in the world! We sailed again at 8 a.m., expecting to reach Malwan by noon, as some of us had to be in Bombay on Monday morning. This would have left us thirty-six hours for the return drive: The wind, however, turned against us, and at noon we were hugging the shore but nowhere nearer Malwan. Finally we landed at Mobar, a Govy- ernment fishing yard some nine miles south of Malwan. ‘he heat was terrific. A flight of sixty-five to sixty-eight flamingos, heading north far out at sea Was observed, and a large Tale flock of migrant gulls, including the great Black- headed Gull on a sandspit at Mobar. A few Caspian terns were also seen. Vitex trifolia was abundantly in bloom along this shore. ; - There is no road between Mobar and Malwan, and Salim and I bicycled nine miles along the sea-shore, to get our cars for the luggage and the other stranded passengers. The incoming’ tide, however, held up the cars for a considerable period, and it was well past midnight, when we reached Malwan. We left Malwan on Sunday morning, having decided to avoid the Konkan and return through the Deccan. Some magnificent Bombax Ceiba were in flower on the Kholapur Ghats. The Pied Bush-Chat (Saxicola caprata atrata) was common and doubtless pre- paring to breed. There was little else of interest on the road. We lunched at Kholapur and had tea at Satara. The two cars lost each other in Poona, and dinner was delayed till ten. We decided to sleep the night at MKhandalla and run into Bombay early on Monday morning. The small. cars had behaved magni- ficently but a continued attempt to average forty miles proved too much for one of them. A tew miles out of Thana, the engine- mounting gave way, and the engine bumped into the radiator tearing down the hose-pipe again, as also the fan-belt and other incidentals. We towed this car into Bombay. At Thana there was an amusing interlude. The excise police inquired what had happened, and 1 volunteered the information that the whole engine had dropped off. As an after-thought, some- body suggested that they open the bonnet and have a look. No- body did so, but the news spread rapidly, and I am sure I could produce a lot of police and other witnesses to testify that I lost my engine on the Ghats ! 7 I might here acknowledge with gratitude on behalf of all the members of the party, the help and co-operation of Dr. S. B. Setna and Mr. Kalyani, without whose assistance the trip might never have materialised. The trip was strenuous and exacting. Much more time and energy were expended in getting to Malwan and back, than on the rocks. The ornithological results, however, I think, were satis- factory except for the photographs of the swifts. To get more reliable information, one must make a landing when the terns. are breeding during the monsoon, an almost hopeless proposition. The monsoon has hardly broken as yet, but the papers. this morning (28-5- -41) bore the laconic news that fifteen vessels. had sunk at Malwan, though no lives were lost! | ll FISH OF POONA. Part III. (Continued from page 225 of this volume). 7 Biological Observations on Certain Species. BY . Capt. A. G. L. FRASER, 1.M.D. This part deals with observations made in the field on the ecology and bionomics of certain species. The notes were taken under the local names of fishes and I am indebted to Dr. S. L. Hora and Mr. Kk. S. Misra for supplying me with the corresponding: scientific ° names. The notes have been revised by Dr. Hora and for this my sincere thanks are due to him. Notopterus notopterus (Pallas).—This species is locally known as CHALUT and is to be found throughout the year everywhere in the river, canal and lakes. Ghela spp.—The Chilwa fish, locally called AMBLI or AMBLEE and by several other names, is also present at all times of the year. In certain sections where the current is strong it is the dominant species. They move about in shoals generally in midstream. The commonest form is Chela clupeoides (Bl.), while the other two species, C, boopis Day and C. phulo Ham., are less common, but all of them prefer the same type of habitat. Two specimens of C. boopis were caught near the dam at Lake Fife where there is a current of water rushing through the sluices into the Right Bank Canal. The presence of the species in the Lake suggests aes it can also live in still water conditions of the lake. Danio aequipinnatus (McClelland).—This species, locally known as ‘(HOOK CHATEE, is in evidence everywhere, but appears to be more numerous in the canal and lakes. Those taken from the canal were larger and better nourished than others of its kind found the river and lakes. Rasbora daniconius (Ham.).—The Ranjannau of the local people is found associated with THOOK CHATEE [Danio aequipinnatus (McClell.)], but is less numerous. Barbus spp.—There are several species of Barbus in the collection and among the larger ones some are with two barbels and some with four. The KHaApREE, Barbus (Puntius) jerdoni Day shows three colour varieties in respect of the fins, namely, all white, all red and all yellow, They are present in the river, canal and lakes. The form with the white fins is more numerous. The Barsa [ Barbus (Tor) khudree Sykes], with two pairs of barbels, is most often found FISH OF POONA 453 in the localities where ground species like the MALLan [Gurra niullya (Sykes) | and the Labeos abound. It shows a preference for sections of the river where there are beds of rock and the currents are moderately strong. Lhe DEBRIE | Barbus (Puntius) ticto Ham. | was found to be very common in the section of the Mutha-Mula river near the Infectious Hospital and in the Pashan Lake, but in other parts of the river and in the canal and lakes it was not so numerous. Garra mullya(Sykes).—1he MaLitan, MALiia or Nakuta MALLIA is found abundantly in the rocky sections of the river and canal. Schizmatorhynchus (Nukta) nukta (Sykes).—In my wanderings here 1 have often been asked by fishermen whether I had ever seen a fish locally known to them as Dhotowandee, so called by them because of a physical peculiarity above the mouth proper which gives it the presentation that it is possessed of two mouths. In actual fact there is a slit in between the two nasal apertures which are placed in it at each end. The upper lip of this depression, midway, shows a protuberance. The division is patent and does not communicate with the mouth proper which is placed below it. The whole of this depression was tinged with red, when the fish was freshly caught. It is because of this peculiarity, giving it the semblance of a second mouth, that fishermen, believe that it really has two mouths. According to fishermen this species is rarely if ever caught and the man who worked with me was reluctant to surrender the specimen when he discovered it was a DHOTOWANDEE. The belief current amongst fishermen is that the fish brings luck to the household of the man who is fortunate enough to net it. The fact remains that there is one specimen of this rarity in the collection. It was caught 43 miles east of Fitzgerald bridge near KKharadigaon village on roth June 1937. Nemachilichthys ruppelli(Sykes).—The SoonDEAH GaRAH has a pretty colour presentation in that it shows a scarlet blotch dorsally on the head. All the fins are coloured scarlet, except the caudal, which has a band of scarlet placed nearer to the body attachment The body is darkly discoloured dorsally and mottled laterally and the belly is pale. The word SoonbDEAH (needle-like) signifies its physical character and refers to its somewhat attenuated form. It _ should be noted that the word GARAH represents the group name for all loaches (Cobitidae), which are not so common in these waters. Bagarius bagarius (Ham.).—Though several specimens of the Goocu were caught in August, 1936, none were sent to Dr, Hora on account of their large size. It would seem that this species disappears altogether after the monsoon. It is significant that none have been caught during the period of the survey from 15-9-1936 to 10-6-1937. Specimens of Wallagonia attu (Bl1.), locally known as PAHREE, were also not sent to Dr. Hora though several were secured during August, 1936,—one was a particularly large example weighing 12 lbs. Silonopangasius childrenii(Sykes).—Local name SEELUNDH: This is another species which disappears after the monsoon, Four 454 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIH specimens in the collection were caught on 4-10-1936; after which no examples of this species were caught. During August, 1936, several large specimens were secured but they were not sent to Dr. Hora. Xenentodon cancila (Ham.).—The Denawau has numerous teeth and the mouth parts are extended forward for one and a half inches in the Lorm of a beak. The body is rounded like the eel but the tail is diphycercal. hey were observed to move about in pairs swim- ming just below the surface film with the beak showing above the water line. A very young specimen, one and a half inches long, was seen in a shallow stagnant pocket about 8 inches deep in the section of the river near the Holkar Bridge on 28-2-1937. The young fry remained stationary lying flat with the surface film and moved only when disturbed by my attempts to catch it with a scoop net. A large amount of algae was present into which it disappeared. When all was quite again it reappeared and resumed its stationary position at the surface. The adults were recovered from the river and canal and show a preference for strong currents. None were caught in the lakes. Ophicephalus spp.—The specics locally called DakHoo is identical with Ophicephalus gachua Ham. It does not appear to be common in these waters. As regards the fish called MuRRAL, there are two species. One of these has a well defined ocellus superiorly placed on the caudal fin and apparently is Ophicephalus marulius Ham. A single specimen, which was black in colour, showed no ocellus on the caudal fin. Murrats are easily hooked by Indian anglers who use hand lines with cockroach as bait. hey are present in fair numbers and were recovered from weed grown sections where the depth was 2-3 feet and the current weak. Some large examples were secured during August, 1936, and sent to Dr. Hora. Ambassig. ragga (Ham.). —This species is locally known as CHANDWaH. It is the same transparent fish called Binc by Bhil fishermen. As in the Deolali waterways, it is found here also midstream in strong currents and in deep water. It is singularly absent in the four miles stretch of rocky channels and pools below Fitzgerald Bridge during the dry season, when the® currents are weak and the pools are not deep. ON THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI FOUND OVER 3,000 FEET. ? BY H. C. Smriru, M.B.0.U., P. F. GARTHWAITE, AND B. E. SMyYTHIES, Burma Forest Service, assisted by the late Dr. C. B. TICEHURST, M.A., M.R.C.S., M.B.O.U., etc. Our preliminary reconnaissance of the Nattaung area, the results of which were published in Vol. xli No. 3 (June 1940) of this journal, proved so interesting that a second and longer visit was paid in 1940 (Smythies from 26 March to 23 April, Smith and Garthwaite 8-17 April). A number of visits were also paid to Thandaung: 23-25 September 1939 (Smith and Smythies), 15 and 22 October 1939, 1-3 November 1939, 20-23 March rg4o, 24 April to 12 May 1940 (Smythies), 28 April to 9 May and 29 August to 1 September 1941 (Smith), 6-12 October 1941 (Smith and Smythies). | The specimens collected in 1939 and 1940 were sent home to Dr. Ticehurst and the identifications verified or corrected by him; he also, and it must have been shortly before his death, corrected this paper for publication, and supplied many ‘previous records’, including all those not followed by a name, from papers not acces- sible to us; owing to the war he was unable, as was his wont, to take specimens to the British Museum for comparison, and_ to write systematic notes on the results of his findings. His death, besides being a great loss to science, is a sad blow to those of us who had the pleasure of working for him and benefiting by his unique knowledge of the birds of Burma and by his constant en- couragement and enthusiasm. Scope of the paper. No connected account of the birds of the Karen Hills and Karenni has ever been written, and this paper is an attempt to supply the deficiency. To avoid repetition specimens and field notes recorded in our previous paper have been omitted, and the two papers are intended to be read together. The writers have had no opportunity of studying the birds of the vallevs of the interior, e.g., the Salween valley, and all their collecting has been confined to the higher hills over 3,000 feet, to which the scope of this paper has therefore to be restricted. All previous records have been collated and some birds likely to occur, but not definitely recorded as yet, have been included in square brackets. In volumes v and vi of the F.B.I. there are numbers of birds that might con- ceivably occur, especially among the Falconidae, but there is no object in listine them all and as far as these two volumes are con- cerned only birds actually recorded have been included. Boundaries of the Area. See map included with our previous paper (the scale of which is actually 1” =8 miles and not 1”=4 miles 456 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII as printed in error). The Karen Hills and Karenni extend some distance north, east and south of the area shown on the map. Karenni extends east of the Salween, but no one has ever collected there and for this paper the eastern boundary is taken as the Salween river; the area thus falls within the rectangle defined by Latitudes - 16° 30’ N. and 20° oo! N., and Longitudes 96° 30/ E. and 98° oo! E., the actual boundaries being the northern boundary of the Toungoo district and Karenni on the north, the Salween river on the east, the sea on the south and the Sittang river on the west, excluding the valleys (land under 3,000 feet). Description of the Area. The country is mountainous through- out, the average height of the ridges being 3,000 to 4,000 feet with higher peaks to 8,607 feet. Over vast areas the original forest has long since been cleared by the Karens, who practise shifting cultivation (tawngya) and the ground is covered by regrowth (ponzo), which is cut and burnt every 10-20 years. Only on the higher hills does much of the original forest remain, and the signi- ficance of Nattaung is that, in addition to being the highest moun- tain in the area, it is covered by what is probably the largest block of natural forest still remaining. Collecting was done round two centres, Nattaung (fully described in our previous paper) and Thandaung. On Nattaung we pitched our camp near mile 86 of the Mawchi road, and the headwaters of the Kolo and Kemapyu streams were well worked; a camp was twice taken to the top of Sosiko (c. 7,500 feet). The Wrens’ Paradise, which is referred to occa- sionally, is a small stream rising near the summit and flowing through marshy ground for nearly a mile, covered over by a dense growth of moss, ferns, creepers and some cane brake, the whole forming a habitat much appreciated by Wrens, Shortwing's, Thrushes, Woodcock, Hill Partridges, etc. Thandaung is a small hill station, consisting chiefly of a tea estate, the highest point being a hill known as Thandaung-gyi 4,832 feet. A forest reserve contains a block of evergreen forest with dense bamboo thickets, and the tea estate attracts birds that like open conditions, so that Thandaung is an excellent centre. _ It is 40 miles in an air line N.-W. of Nattaung, which is visible in clear weather. The pine forests appear to be confined to the Salween drainage and there are none near Thandaung. Mt. Byingye (Lat. 20° oo! N., Long. 96° 20! E.) is referred to once or twice and is, like Thandaunge, a mountain on the scarp of the Shan plateau rising from the Sittang valley and is on the borders of the Yamethin district and the Southern Shan States about 60-70 miles north of Thandaung (it is visible from parts of the Leiktho path). Kalaw is a hill station north of Byingye. Much remains to be done in the area, and as a guide to future workers the following list is given of species that are wanted for systematic work; in each case a good series in fresh plumage is needed : Dendrocitta formosae, to determine whether assimilis is a valid race. Alcippe potocephala karennt. Criniger flaveolus burmanicus, THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI 457 Molpastes cafer nigripileus, see text. Pericrocoltus solaris, to determine the race. Acrocephalus agricola stevensi, to determine the race. Tchitrea paradisi, to determine the race. Passer rutilans, to determine the race. Zosterops palpebrosa, to determine whether Z. a. mesoxantha is a valid race. Attention should be paid to the Hawks, especially the Buzzards of the Thandaung tea estate, and an eye should always be kept open for Frogmouths. REFERENCES. Birds of British Burmah, Oates (1883). Fauna of British India, Birds, 2nd. edition, Stuart Baker. Notes on the birds of Thandaung, Cook. J.B.N.H.S., xxi. Notes on the birds of Kalaw, Cook. J.B.N.H.S., xxii. ‘Notes on the birds of Nattaung, Karenni’ by the present authors, /.BNLILS., xli No. 3. June 1940. or Go NM SystrEMATiIc [Ltst. 8. Corvus macrorhynchus subsp. Jungle Crow. Previous vecords.—-Nothing definite. Specimens.—None. Noted.—Common near Karen villages and isolated huts, at elevations up to 6,0co feet. It is the common Crow of Thandaung. [13. Corvus splendens insolens. Burmese House Crow. Cook recorded this species at Thandaung, ‘round dwellings and camping grounds only’, but we have seen none. ] 21. Urocissa erythrorhyncha magnirostris. Burmese Red-billed Blue Magpie. Previous records.—Wardlaw Ramsay found it very common in the Karenni foothills. Specimens.—None. ; Noted.—A pair was seen on the Kolo stream (Nattaung) at 3,500 feet in a taungya; it is evidently scarce above 3,000 feet. 24. Cissa chinensis chinensis. Green Magpie. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—A party was seen at 6,000 feet on the Kolo stream (Nattaung) ; it is not uncommon at Thandaung, but restricted to evergreen and wet thickets. Solitary birds are usually seen, but parties of half a dozen are also met with. Tt has a harsh raucous swearing alarm-note, usually ending with a higher note. 29. Dendrocitta vagabunda subsp. Burmese Treepie. Previous records.—Nothing definite. Specimens.—-None. _ Noted.—A few birds were seen in Thandaung at the end of the rains, but it was absent in the hot weather and was not seen on Nattaung. 33. Dendrocitta formose subsp. Burmese Hill Treepie. Previous rvecords.—-Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1; Thandaung 1, 19. Noted,=Common round Thandaung, rather less so on Nattaung. 458 JOURNAL, BOMBAY .NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII [36. Crypsirhina temia. Black Racket-tailed Magpie. Oates writes ‘East of the Sittang, among the hills, it appears to be rare till Pahpoon (=Papun) is reached. From this place to Mergui it occurs... in greater or Idss abundance.’ We have only seen it by the Sittang near Toungoo, and it may be confined to low elevations. | 40. Garrulus leucotis leucotis. Burmese Jay. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1. Noted.—Several pairs were seen on Nattaung in the pine forests up to 5,500 feet. Not seen at Thandaung. 57. Parus major commixtus. Burmese Great Tit. Previous records.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1. Noted.—A few pairs were seen on Nattaung in the more open parts of the forest up to 6,000 feet. Not seen at Thandaung. 74. Machlolophus spilonotus subviridis. Burmese Black-spotted Yellow Tit. Previous vecords.—Karenni 3,500’ (Wardlaw Ramsay); Taho (Salvadori). Specimens.—Nattaung lo. Noted.—See our previous paper. It is a common bird in Thandaung. 79. Aegithaliscus concinnus pulchellus. Shan Red-headed Tit. Previous vecords.—Karenni 3,000’ (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1. ° : Noted.—All those observed were in parties of about a dozen birds either in long grass and secondary growth or working through the top ‘of the undergrowth and lower canopy in open forest. The black eye-patch and buff crown are diagnostic and members of a party utter very high-pitched call-notes, like the squeak of a bat. It was noticed that about half the birds in each party had black throats and the other half white throats; Dr. Ticehurst writes that he knows of no forms of this species with white throats and that there may have been two species in the parties: more specimens are wanted to clear up the point. The species was not seen at.Thandaung. [87. Melanochlora sultanea sultanea. Indian Sultan Tit. Recorded by Wardlaw Ramsay from Karenni, elevation not stated; it is typically a bird of the foothills and may not ascend over 3,000 feet. We saw none. | ; : 91. Paradoxornis guttaticollis. Austen’s Parrotbill. Previous rvecords.—None soyth of the Shan States. Specimens.—Nattaung 1¢. This record extends the known range of this species southwards. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung and probably absent. On Nattaung several parties were seen in ponzo and one in open pine forest; they keep to the under- growth and are partial to a tall reed-like grass that grows in some places. The two black patches, round the eye and on the ear-coverts,’ separated by a small white patch, and the straw-coloured crown are diagnostic. There is a distinctive harsh peculiar call of 6-7 notes on a monotone. 96. Suthora poliotis fea. Salvadori’s Suthora. Previous vecords.—Karenni (type locality, Salvadori). Specimens.—Nattaung 2°. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung, and probably absent; for Nattaung see our previous paper. Two parties of a dozen birds were seen this year working through tall grasses at 6,000 feet, one party being associated with Alcippe and Stachyris chrysaea. The rufous crown, white moustachial streaks and black chin are diagnostic. Delightful little birds and very confiding, but evidently rather scarce, THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI 459 102. Suthora ruficeps atrosuperciliaris. Black-browed Suthora. Pyevious records.—None south of Bhamo in North-East Burma. Specimens.—Thandaung 16. Noted.—Not seen on Nattaung. The specimen was one of a pair seen in a bamboo thicket on 24 September, and a party was seen on 3 November associated with Gampsorhynchus rufulus, also in a bamboo thicket ; Stanford has already commented (Ibis 1938, p. 86, and elsewhere) on the habitual association of these two species in bamboo jungle in North-East Burma, and his description of the note as resembling the twang of a guitar is very apt. A single bird was seen on 12 November. 105. Psittiparus ruficeps bakeri. Baker’s Parrotbill. Previous rvecords.—Karenni 2,500’-6,000° (Wardlaw Ramsay); near Papun in kaing grass (Davison). Specimens.—None. Noted.—We saw none, though on the watch for it, and it must be scarce or local. 106. Psittiparus gularis gularis. Grey-headed Parrotbill. Previous vecords.—Karenni 5,600’ (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 19. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung; for Nattaung see our previous paper. This specimen was one of a pair seen in the undergrowth in evergreen; after collecting it the other bird of the pair uttered persistently a loud distinctive call of four notes on a monotone. 112. Sitta castanea neglecta. Burmese Nuthatch. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Walden); Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Seen once at Thandaung. It probably seldom occurs in the higher hills. 115. Sitta magna. Giant Nuthatch. Previous records.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—See our previous paper. It is not uncommon in the pine forests of Nattaung, but is absent from Thandaung. A‘l those seen were solitary or in pairs. In addition to the harsh corvine trisyllabic call it has a single loud, but not. harsh, call-note. 119. Sitta frontalis corallina. Velvet-fronted Nuthatch. Previous rvecords.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Very common in parties on Nattaung and at Thandaung. 122. Dryonastes chinensis propinquus. Black-throated Laughing-Thrush. Previous records.—Papun (Davison). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Seen once on Nattaung near a stream at 3,500 feet, and not un- common round Thandaung, where it was in pairs and probably breeding in May. It is partial to bamboo thickets and also frequents the undergrowth in _ evergreen. A superb songster. 129. Garrulax leucolophus belangeri. Burmese White-crested Laughing-Thrush. Previous vecords.—Thandaung: (Cook). Specimens.—Thandaung 1 9 (not examined by Dr. Ticehurst). Noted.—Not seen on Nattaung, but several parties were noted in Thandaung in. September, November and May, 460 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATUBAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII 133. Garrulax pectoralis meridionalis. Burmese Black-gorgeted Laughing-Thrush. Previous records.—Wardlaw Ramsay found it very common in Karenni, and found nestlings in March. Cook found it breeding at Thandaung. Specimens.—None. Noted.—Parties of either this or the next species, or both, were seen in the undergrowth in evergreen, both on Nattaung and at Thandaung. 135. Garrulax moniliger subsp. Burmese Necklaced Laughing-Thrush. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens in the British Museum from Karenni are intermediate between moniliger and fuscata. Specimens.—None. Noted.—See under Garrulax pectoralis. 155. Trochalopteron erythrocephalum ramsayi. Karenni Red-headed Laughing- Thrush. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Cook, Davison, and Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1d, I 0. Noted.—This bird swarms all over the forests of Nattaung at all elevations. Cook obtained two at Thandaung, but it does not seem to occur there at the present time; it is not easy to overlook in the breeding season and we saw none. One call might be rendered you would believe it, with the accent and the highest note on the second syllable of believe; the call is often shortened hy omitting the first note, and there are other variations. 158. Trochalopteron ripponi. Burmese Crimson-winged Laughing-Thrush. Previous records.—None before 19309. Specimens.—Nattaung 1 0. Noted.—On Nattaung several parties were observed both in ponzo and in the undergrowth in evergreen; the birds converse in low churring notes and they also have a loud musical double call chi-chweew, chi-chweew. Not seen at Thandaung, and probably absent. 203. Pomatorhinus schisticeps nuchalis. Tweeddale’s Scimitar Babbler: Previous rvecords.—Karen te and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung Tei 10: Thandaung 1. Noted.—This bird is very eee in ponzo and undergrowth in forest, both on Nattaung and at Thandaung; up to 5,000 feet. [205. Pomatorhinus olivaceus subsp. In our previous paper we recorded having seen and heard this frequently but it now seems likely that the birds seen were P. schisticeps nuchalis; the two are very hard to differentiate in the field. No-one has so far obtained olivaceus in our area, though its occurrence in the Southern Shan States on the one side and Northern Tenasserim on the other suggests that it will be found some day.] 213. Pomatorbinus ferruginosus marie. Walden’s Scimitar Babbler. Previous records.—Karen Hills, type locality (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 14, Thandaung 19. Noted.—A scarce bird. The Nattaung specimen was obtained at 7,500 feet on Sosiko and the Thandaung one at 4,000 feet in a bamboo thicket beside the Leiktho mule path. We saw no_ others. 216. Pomatorhinus o. ochraceiceps. Lloyd’s Scimitar Babbler. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1; Thandaung 1. Noted.—Likewise scarce and solitary. The Nattaung specimen was obtained at 3,400 feet beside a stream, and another was seen at 5,000 feet; the Thandaung specimen was obtained at 4,500 feet and one other was seen. THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI 461 All were in bamboo thickets. It has a single musical call-note unlike that of most Pomatorhinus, and also low notes. 223. Pomatorhinus erythrogenys imberbis. Salvadori’s Scimitar Babbler. 5 iad records.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay); Yado, type locality (Salva- dor!). : Specimens.—Nattaung 19 ; Thandaung 1. Noted.—Not uncommon and seen in pairs and small parties in ponzo and bamboo thickets. The call-note is loud and distinctive : callow-creeee, callow- creeee, with variations. It also utters a distinctive harsh swearing call. 228. Timalia pileata intermedia. Burmese Red-capped Babbler. Taho (Salvadori). Previous records, Specimens.—None. Noted.—Not seen by us, and normally a bird of the plains and foothills. 233, Gampsorhynchus rufulus torquatus. Ring-necked Shrilke-Babbler. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay); Taho (Salvadori). Specimens.—-Thandaung 1 o. Noted.—Not seen on Nattaung. The specimen was obtained on 22 October in a bamboo thicket at 4,500 feet, out of a party making noises rather like those of Garrulax leucolophus. It appears to be scarce, only one other party having been observed. 234. Chrysomma s. sinensis. Indian Yellow-eyed Babbler. Previous records.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay, elevation?). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Not seen by us. It is typically a bird of the plains and foothills, but Rippon recorded it from Kalaw in 1896-7, so that it may occur in our area: so far there seem to be no certain records from above 3,000 feet. 241. Pellorneum subochraceum. Malay Spotted Babbler. Previous records.—Thandaung (Cook). Specimens.—Nattaung 13. Noted.—Seen or heard once or twice on Nattaung up to 5,000 feet. Com- mon and breeding at Thandaung. 248. Pellorneum albiventre cinnamomeum. Rippon’s Babbler. Previous records.—None before 1939. Specimens.—None. 4 Noted.—The specimen obtained in 1939 constitutes our only record of this bird. 252. Drymocataphus t. tickelli. Tickell’s Babbler. Previous records.—Karenni 2,500 feet (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Thandaung 1 (breeding), 1 0 (juvenile). Noted.—The specimens were obtained in bamboo thickets, the juvenile on 24 September. The bird has a loud piercing call-note, pit-you, pit-you, etc., uttered fairly rapidly. Unlike P. subochraceum the birds seen were not in the least shy; it appears to be rather scarce but is a resident. 257. Napothera brevicaudata venningi. Venning’s Wren-Babbler. Previous records.—None before 1939. Specimens.—Nattaung 1d, 1 Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung. This is typically a bird of rocky stream beds in evergreen, in which habitat we have noted several pairs from 3,500 to 5,000 feet. It has a chattering alarm-note, possibly, the one given in the F.B.I. as a prolonged kir-r-r, and also a mournful single note pioy. 462 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII 261. Napothera exul bakeri. Baker’s Wren-Babbler. Previous records.—Recorded by Harington, but no Specimens traceable. Specimens.—None from our area but one from Mt. Byingye, Southern Shan States, on 5 November 1938. — ; Noted.—Not seen by us. 272. Stachyris nigriceps davisoni. Malay Black-throated Babbler. Previous records.—Thandaung (Harington). Specimens.—Nattaung 2¢, 19; Thandaung 2. Noted.—Not uncommon, and keeps mainly to bamboo thickets and under- growth in evergreen; seen in parties and also singly in association with Alcippe. The call-note is prrreee ... prrrreeeecee. 275. Stachyris chrysaea assimilis. Burmese Golden-headed Babbler. Previous vecords.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay); Taho (Salvadori). Specimens.—Nattaung 39; Thandaung 20, 19. Noted.—This bird swarms in bamboo thickets and thick cover, in which it normally keeps low down but occasionally ascends to a height of 20 feet when feeding. It has a variety of calls: one is very like the call of Stachyri- dopsis rufifrons, about half a dozen notes on a monotone, but can be distin- guished by lower pitch, slower utterance, and a distinct pause after the first note; another is a wheezy sibilant Franklinia-like call of 3 notes up the scale, tzu-tsu-tzu; others are low churring notes of alarm. If one keeps still it is a tame and confiding bird. 979, Stachyridopsis r. rufifrons. Hume’s Red-fronted Babbler. Previous vecords.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay); Taho (Salvadori). Specimens.—Thandaung 1Q (24 September 1938). ; Noted.—Scarce. One was collected last year, and one was seen this year beside the Mawchi road at 4,000 feet. This is another bird of the foothills that occasionally ascends over 3,000 feet. 284. Mixornis rubricapiila sulphurea. Gyldenstolpe’s Yellow-breasted Babbler. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Thandaung 29 (24-9-39 and 9-10-41) 1d (2 November). Noted.—Not seen on Nattaung. Not uncommon at Thandaung, where it was also seen in May and probably breeds. It swarms in the foothills. 287. Alcippe f.fratercula. Shan States Babbler. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay); Taho (Salvadori). Specimens.—Nattaung 1d, 19. Nolted.—Not seen at Thandaung. It appears to be a strictly high elevation form, very common on Nattaung over 5,000 feet, but not seen lower. down: The call-note is quite distinct from that of potocephala. 293. Alcippe poiocephala karenni. Karenni Quaker Babbler. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1%; Thandaung 2% (1939) 19 (24-9-38). Noted.—Only one party was seen on Nattaung, in ponzo at 3,000 feet uttering the typical poiocephala call; the specimen was a juvenile and had a ring of yellow feathers round the eye. This species is common at Thandaung. 297. Schoeniparus d. dubius. Tenasserim Tit-Babbler. Previous vecords.—Pine forests north of Papun (Davison). Shecimens.—Nattaung 1%, 29. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung, and probably . ahsent.. There is little to add to the notes in. our previous paper, except that it seems partial to the cover on stream banks in dense evergreen, and sometimes ascends the lower part of a tree like a’ Nuthatch, } THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI 163 302. Pseudominla'c, castaneiceps. Chestnut-headed Tit-Babbler. Previous records.—-Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1d. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung, and probably absent. Lor field notes. see our previous paper. It has a harsh little call-note and at times utters a rattle of ascending notes. A nest was found on top of Sosiko at 7,500 feet. The nest was worked into the moss growing on a tree at 5 feet from the ground ; it was domed and made of moss and bamboo leaves, lined with a few very line grass. stems and tendrils. The eggs, 3 in number, were whitish in colour, with minute spots of blackish and brown mainly forming a ring at the larger end. The bird was flushed from the nest and watched at close quarters. 310. Heterophasia picaoides cana. Long-tailed Sibia. Previous records.—Karenni 6,000’ (Wardlaw Ramsay); Yaho and Yado (Salvadori). Specimens.—Nattaung 1. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung and probably absent. The call recorded in our previous paper is that of Lalage and not of this bird, which utters. low party call-notes and has a distinctive high-pitched, but not loud, sucking note tsip-tsip-tsip-tstp-tsip. | Not uncommon in small parties, which keep to the denser parts of the forest. 316. Leioptila melanoleuca castanoptera. l*ea’s Sibia. Previous records.—lKaren Hills (type locality, Fea), Specimens.—None this year. See our previous paper. Noted.—Not seen at ‘thandaung, and probably absent. On Nattaung a hest containing young was kept under obser vation from 8 to 18 April. It was built on the upper side of a pine branch about 25 feet from the ground near the top of a ridge; it was not collected but appeared to be a deep cup made chiefly of moss. Both parents fed the young at regular intervals’ throughout the day. A Crow and a Jay were observed to approach dangerously close to the nest and were driven off by us, the Sibias being powerless. against them. The calls of this species and the next are similar but distinct; [ea’s Sibia starts with a very short trill which runs into three short notes on the same pitch and ends with two longer notes both dropping in pitch, whereas Walden’s Sibia has a shorter call which only drops in pitch on the last note. 318. Leioptila annectans saturata, Walden’s Sibia. Previous vecords.—\Karenni (type locality, Walden). Specimens.—Nattaung 1d. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung, and probably absent. It is rather less common than Fea’s Sibia, but very similar in habits and choice of habitats, one was observed bathing in a stream in evergreen at about mid-day. 324, Actinodurar.ramsayi, Ramsay’s Barwing. Previous records.—Karenni (type pee Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—There is nothing to add to our previous notes. 331. Staphidia castaneiceps striata. JVickell’s Staphidia. Previous records.—Mr. J. M. D. Mackenzie shot two birds off nests con- taining eggs on 3 and 14 April 1928 at Thandaung. Specimens.—Nattaung 19; Thandaung 3d, 19. Noted.—Resident and fairly common in parties, which keep to the lower canopy and top of the undergrowth. 334, Siva strigula castaneicauda, Hume’s Siva. coat Previous records.—Nattaung (Wardlaw Ramsay), Specimens.—Nattaung 16. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung and probably absent. This. bird | appears to be restricted to the Pine-Rhododendron association on the higher slopes of 464 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLiil Nattaung, where it is common. The black moustachial stripe, brown crown and yellowish breast are diagnostic. The call-note is too-sweet-sweet. 338, Siva cyanouroptera oatesi, Oates’s Blue-winged Siva. Previous records.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1d, 2@. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung and probably absent. Rather scarce on Nattaung; parties were seen on two or three occasions only, working through the canopy like a party of Tits or Staphidias and uttering a cree-cree call-note. Seen in open forest and roadside trees between 4,500 and 5,500 feet. 349, Ixulus humilis clarkii. Oates’s Ixulus. Previous records.—None before 1939. Specimens.—Nattaung 19, 1 0; Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung and probably absent. xcept that the call-note might be rendered chit-a-wit repeated there is nothing to add to our previous notes. 350. Herpornis x. xantholeuca. White-bellied Herpornis. Previous records.—Karen Hills 4,000° (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Thandaung 19 (24 September). Noted.—Scarce. One bird was noted bathing in a stream in evergreen in the middle of the day on Nattaung, and two pairs were seen in undergrowth on the Leiktho mule path early in May, where they were no doubt breeding. \ very quiet and unobtrusive bird; the only note heard was a bleating call of 3 notes. 353. Cutia n. nipalensis, Nepal Cutia. Previous records.—Yado (Salvadori); Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 19. Noted.—Not uncommon in the pine forests. The field characteristics of this beautiful bird are the grey head, rufous upper-parts striped with black, conspicuous light rufous upper tail-coverts, white chin and throat, and flanks heavily barred white and black. The call, described in our previous paper, is repeated any number of times from © to 160 or more. 355. Pteruthius erythropterus aeralatus, Vickell’s Shrike-Babbler. Previous records.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 19; Thandaung 19 (24-9-39), 1 Q (304-41). Nolted.—See our previous paper. Common at Thandaung and noted in May. ‘The male sometimes utters a pink note like that of a Chaffinch. The usual call-notes are :— . Cha-chew-cha-chew. Chu-wip-chip-chip. Cha-cha-chip, cha-cha-chip uttered rapidly. & Hm» 356. Pteruthius molanotis. Chestnut-throated Shrike-Babbler. Previous records.—None. Specimens.—Nattaung 2d, 1Q. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung, and probably absent. On Nattaung noted up to 5,500 feet. The few birds seen resembled Phylloscopi in the way they worked through the foliage in the tree-tops. 357, Pteruthius aenobarbus intermedius. [{ume’s Shrile-Babbler. Previous vecords.—'Youngoo’, probably Karen Hills (specimens in British Museum). Specimens.—Nattaung 1d. Noted.—Only the one bird was seen. Evidently scarce. THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI AGE 362. Aegithina t. tiphia. Common lora. Previous records.—Yado (Salvadori); Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay), Specimens.—None. Noted.—Though common enough in Toungoo town we have not come across it in the hills. 368. Chloropsis a. aurifrons, Gold-fronted Chloropsis. Previous records.—Yado (Salvadori); Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—At Thandaung. 371. Chloropsis hardwickii malayana. Orange-bellied Chloropsis. Previous records.—Yaho and Yado (Salvadori); Thandaung (Cook); Karenni 3,500 to 4,000 feet (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Thandaung and Nattaung. 372. Chloropsis c. cochinchinensis. Burmese Chloropsis. Previous records.—Karen Hills (specimens in British Museum); IKarenni 1,0000 feet (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens,—None,. Noted.—One bird was noted singing at Thandaung on 23 September. None of the three species of Chloropsis can be described as common; most of those observed were in trees beside the road. 376. Mesia a. argentauris, Silver-eared Mesia. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni 1,500-4,000 feet (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—Very common on Nattaung up to 5,000 feet in ponzo, but com- paratively scarce at Thandaung. It has a loud cheerful call, we are very well today boys. 377. Minla i. ignotincta. Red-tailed Minla. Previous records.—None before 1939. Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—Common down to 5,000 feet on Nattaung; not seen at Thandaung and probably absent. The black crown with long broad white supercilia on each side, and the red on the wings and tail are diagnostic. 381. Criniger flaveolus burmanicus. Burmese White-throated Bulbul. Previous records:x—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay); Karen Hills (Salvadori). Specimens.—Nattaung 19 ; Thandaung 19°. Noted.—On Nattaung it was quite common in the Kemapyu drainage below 3,500 feet but was not observed elsewhere. In handaung it was not uncommon in March to May and may be a hot weather immigrant to breed, none having been seen in September, October or November. It has a curious frog-like call-note. 388. Microscelis psaroides concolor. Burmese Black Bulbul. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay) ; Karen Hills (Salvadori). Specimens.—None this year. * Noted.—Common both on Nattaung and at Thandaung. 390. Cerasophila thompsoni. Bingham’s White-headed Bulbul. Previous records.—Ranges from Mogok in the Northern Shan States to the Dawnas and Amherst in Northern Tenasserim, but does not appear to have been recorded previously from our area. 466 JOURNAL; BOMBAY NATURAL HisT: SOCIELY, Vol. XLiil Specimens.—Thandaung 1¢ juv., lo juv. (juvenile hitherto unknown) obtained on & May. Noted.—One party was seen on Nattaung and several pairs in Vhandaung in the hot weather; it may also be an immigrant to breed, and is not the common bird that it is on Mt. Byingye further north. t _ 393. Ixos flavala hildebrandi, Hiidebrand’s Brown-eared Bulbul. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay and Salvadori). Specimens.—Nattaung lo; Thandaung 1¢ (25 September). ‘voted.—The only party seen on Nattaung was in ponzo at 4,000 feet. At Thandaung we have noted a tew parties along the Leiktho mule. path. It has loud and pleasant call-notes, one of which is keep, keep on going. 3Y5. Ixos macclellandi tickelli. Tickel!’s Bulbul. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Salvadori); Karenni 2,500-4,000 feet (Ward- law Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 10. Noted.—Common on Naitaung and a few birds. are resident at Thandaung, but it is restricted to evergreen and temperate forest. It has a loud distinctive call-note, a sucking sip-sip-sip; also a call of three notes on an ascending scale and a mewing call. A. nest was tound in temperate forest at 7,500 feet on Sosiko. It was very neatly made of moss and dead bamboo leaves, lined with rootlets and sus- pended by cobwebs trom two horizontal twigs of bamboo at 1o feet from the ground. The eggs, 2 in number, were typical Bulbul’s eggs, whitish-green in ground colour with mauve and purple spots over the whole surface. 397. Alcurus striatus. Striated Green Bulbul. Previous records.—Karen Hills. Spectmens.—None this year. x Pape ty 0ue Noted.—See our previous paper. Not seen at Thandaung and probably absent. It is rarely seen outside dense evergreen but is a fine songster. | 401. Molpastes caier nigripiteus. Tenasserim Red-vented Bulbul. Previous rvecords.—Ixaren Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Thandaung 1d, 19. Noted.—Two or three pairs are breeding residents at Thandaung. ‘To solve the problem of the relationships between WM. c. nignipileus, M. cnrysorrhoides -klossi, and M. c. burmanicus: a problem that has puzzled ornithologists since before Oates’s day: a good series of all three is required from diflerent localities and elevations in the Karen Hills and Karenni. So far’as we know at present, burmanicus is the common plains bird round Toungoo, nigripucus is the form at Lhandaung, and klossi is the form on Nattaung, but elsewhere the distributions of these last two shcw much interlacing, and they are so similar in appearance that sight records cannot be accepted. 402. Molpastes chrysorrhoides klossi. Siamese ed-vented Bulbul. Previous records.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—On Nattaung a pair, probably of this form, was seen at the exact spot where a specimen was obtained last year. 409. Xantiixus flavescens vividus. Mulayit Bulbul. Previous records.—Karen Hills and IXarenni (several authorities). Specimens.—Nattaung 19; Thandaung 1¢.. is Noted.—Swarms all over the ponzo and taungyas on Nattaung, and is equally abundant at Thandaung; not seen over 6,000 feet. 412. Otocompsa jocosa peguensis. Burmese Red-whiskered Bulbul. ~ Previous yecords.—\lkaren Hills and Karenni (several authorities). Specimens.—Thandaung 16. THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI 467 Noted.—Fairly common on Nattaung below 4,000 feet in the taungyas and extremely so in the tea estate at Thandaung. The red whisker is prominent in the field, but moulting birds in May show none at all and very little red under the tail. 413. Otocompsa f. flaviventris. Blacix-crested Yellow Bulbul. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni (several authorities). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—Seen occasionally both on Nattaung and at Thandaung, not above 4,500 feet. 421. lole virescens subsp. Olive Bulbul. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Thandaung 19. Noted.—Not seen on Nattaung, but probably occurs at low elevations. It is not uncommon in the evergreen on the road up to Thandaung, and in Thandaung itself, and appeared to be breeding in May. Easily recognised by its bleating call-note. 426. Pycnonotus xanthorrhous, Anderson’s Yellow-vented Bulbul. Previous rvecords.—Karen Hills and Karenni. Specimens.—None. Noted.—Seen on Nattaung in open country up to 4,500 feet. Distinguished from Xanthixus flavescens, which it resembles, by absence of white spots in front of the eyes and by the brighter yellow of the under tail-coverts. [427. Pycnonotus f. finlaysoni. Finlayson’s Stripe-throated Bulbul. Pycnonotus b. blanfordi. Blanford’s Olive Bulbul. Wardlaw Ramsay obtained both species in the Karen Hills (elevation not stated) according to Oates, but his specimens in the British Museum are labelled Toungoo. We saw neither species and if they occur at all they are probably confined to the foothills. P. blanfordi is common in Toungoo town. | [439. Microtarsus atriceps. Black-headed Bulbul. Wardlaw Ramsay obtained it in Karenni (elevation not stated) and there are specimens in the British Museum labelled Karen Hills, but it remains to be proved: that this species occurs above 3,000 feet; we have only seen it in the plains. ] 454, Certhia discolor shanensis. Karenni Treecreeper. Previous vecords.—Karenni 5,000-6,000° (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1d, 1Q. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung and probably absent. There is nothing to add to the notes in our previous paper. [471. Pnoepyga a. aibiventris, Scaly-breasted Wren. Wardlaw Ramsay recorded this from Karenni and did not record pusilla ; in his collection in the British Museum there is a specimen of pusiila but none of albiventris; it seems likely that he confused the two. We saw no signs of albiventris. | 472. Pnoepyga p. pusilla. Brown Wren. Previous records.—See under albiventris. Specimens.—Nattaung Id, 1 0. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung. On Nattaung it is- not. uncommon. wher- ever flat stretches with a growth of ferns and creepers border streams in evergreen. The note is a single zip uttered at varying intervals. 12 468 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIil 475. Tesiac. cyaniventer, Slaty-bellied Wren. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills. Specimens.—Nattaung 1¢, belonging to the form olivea. _ Noted.—Quite one of the commonest birds on Nattaung, where every little moist nullah seems to hold a pair. It has two very distinctive call-notes: one consists of 3 or 4 hesitant single notes, up and down, followed by what can only be described as an outburst of noise, with a surprising volume for so small a bird: the other, chiefly heard in the mornings and evenings, con- sists of 3 single notes descending in pitch with a marked pause between each note: three (pause) blind (pause) mice. A few pairs are resident in Thandaung. 476. Tesiac. castaneocoronata. Chestnut-headed Wren. Previous vecords.—None. Specimens.—Nattaung 1d, 1 0. Noted.—Seen only in the Wrens’ Paradise on Sosiko, 7,000 to 7,500 feet. The call is a single rather loud note tweet, which attracts attention. In habits it resembles the preceding species, and both have been seen to ascend trees to a height of 20 to 30 feet, though this is unusual. [483. Larvivora cyane. Siberian Blue Chat. Cook obtained one from the lower hills near Thandaung and Davison found it common in Tenasserim, not ascending the higher hills. Its occurrence over 3,000 feet in our area remains to be proved. ] 488. Brachypteryx cruralis, White-browed Shortwing. is Previous rvecords.—Karenni 5,000 feet (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung Id. ee Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung. The Shortwings keep almost entirely to tiny streams in evergreen where the cover is very thick. They are very tame and confiding, and almost invariably greet the intruder with a burst of song, which is characterised by its compass of high and low notes, with odd sucking and popping noises thrown in. 489. Brachypteryx leucophrys nipalensis. Nepal Shortwing. Previous rvecords.—None before 1939. Specimens.—Nattaung I 0. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung. 492, Saxicola c. caprata. Burmese Stonechat. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills; Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay), Specimens.—None. Noted.—A breeding immigrant to Thandaung in the hot weather. It breeds in large numbers all over the tea estate in April and May. On Nattaung it was seen in Taungyas below 5,000 feet. 496. Saxicola torquata subsp. Bush Chat. Previous vecords.—Pine forests of the Salween (Ibis 1938 p. 222). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Not seen by us. 502. Rhodophila ferrea Dark Grey Bush Chat. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—Common on Nattaung and breeding there; also seen at Thandaung, but not in the hot weather. 519. Henicurus schistaceus. Slaty-backed Torkxtail. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay), Specimens.—None this year. THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI 469 Noted.—Common on Nattaung along shady streams and noted down to 3,000 feet. Probably occurs near Thandaung. Its call is a high-pitched single note. 521. Henicurus leschenaulti indicus. !eschenault’s Indian Forktail. | Previous vecords.—Thandaung, breeding (Cook). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—Common on Nattaung in pairs and often seen on the same stretch of stream as the last species. In addition to the usual Forktail note it has a harsh screech of alarm very like that of Myiophoneus, but not quite so loud. Also noted at Thandaung. 534. Chaimarrhornis leucocephala, White-capped Redstart. Previous rvecords.—None before 1939. Specimens.—None. Noted.—A bird was seen on the stream running through the tea estate in Thandaung, in March but not in April-May, so that it may not breed in Thandaung itself. For Nattaung see our. previous paper. ~ 535. Rhyacornis f. fuliginosa. Plumbeous Redstart. Previous records.—None south of the Southern Shan States. Specimens.—None. Noted.—A bird in female dress was observed for several days at the end of March on the -Kolo stream, Nattaung, at 4,o00 feet. 542, Calliope calliope. Common Rubythroat. Previous records.—Karen Hills; Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—A male was noted in 1939 on Nattaung, and a male was seen on 24 March 1940 in the tea estate at Thandaung. 554.. Myiomela leucura. White-tailed Blue Robin. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills; Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung Id, I 0. ; Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung. The specimens were obtained in a shady stream between 3,000 and 3,500 feet, and another bird was seen in the Wrens’ Paradise on Sosiko at 7,000 feet. 558. Copsychus s. saularis. Indian Magpie-Robin. Previous records.—Karen Hills; Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). “Specimens.—None. Noted.—Noted in taungyas on Nattaung up to 4,000 feet, but not seen at Thandaung, where one would expect to find it. 563. Kittacincla malabarica indica. Indian Shama. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills and Karenni. Specimens.—None. Noted.—Mainly a bird of the foothills, but one was noted near Thandaung on 2 November. [576. Turdus pallidus, Pale Thrush. ; Oates records that Wardlaw Ramsay obtained one in Karenni in January and Davison another on Mt. Mulayit in Northern Tenasserim; the birds in question are Turdus feae (Ticehurst, Ibis 1939, p. 350). ] 581. Turdus o. obs¢urus. Dark Thrush. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Salvadori); Thandaung’ (Cool). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—There is nothing to add to our previous’ notes, 470 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLItI 583. Turdus feae. Fea’s Thrush. Previous records.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—This was one of the few species previously recorded from our area that we failed to encounter. 585. Geokichla s. Sibirica. Siberian Ground Thrush. Previous rvecords.—None? Specimens.—Nattaung hg CBE Noted.—Common on Nattaung, either singly or in small parties, along streams in evergreen; we mistook the female specimens for Oveocincla dixoni. Not seen at Thandaung. 586. Geokichla sibirica davisoni. Davison’s Ground Thrush. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Another bird we did not encounter. 587-8. Geokichla citrina subsp. Orange-headed Ground Thrush. Previous vecords.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 19. Noted.—Only one bird was seen, at a buffalo wallow also frequented by a party of 4 Geocichla sibirica; not seen at Thandaung. It is evidently scarce. 595. Oreocincla d. dauma. Small-billed Mountain Thrush. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 19. _ Noted.—Several birds were noted on Nattaung, always beside paths near the tops of dry ridges in pine forest, in contrast to the other Thrushes which were all seen in or near streams. ‘The specimen, with ovary enlarging, was one of a pair. The race aurea might occur as a winter visitor. 599a. Oreocincla dixoni. Plain-backed Mountain Thrush. Previous records.—Karenni 5,000 feet (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—This Thrush also eluded us, 604. Zoothera marginata. Lesser Brown Thrush. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—The specimen obtained in 1939 represents our only encounter with this species. 605. Monticola rufiventris. Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush. Previous vecords.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay); Thandaung (Cook). Specimens.—None. : Noted.—Two pairs were seen on Nattaung in pine forest, at 5,500 feet and 7,000 feet. 608. Monticola solitaria pandoo. Indian Blue Rock Thrush. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills. Specimens.—Nattaung 1 o. Noted.—Two pairs had arrived in Thandaung when we first went up on 23 September; they were still there in March but had left by 24 April. As the Nattaung specimen was obtained on g April the return migration must take place about the middle of April. It is a typical bird of the enormous granite boulders of the tea estate, and of the stone ‘culverts along the Thandaung road; one bird is nearly always to be seen on the roof of the Circuit House. THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI 471 614. My ophoneus coeruleus temminckii. Himalayan Whistling Thrush. 615. My ophoneus coeruleus eugenei. Burmese Whistling Thrush. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay, both races). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—There is often a bird beside the road up to Thandaung. Common along rocky streams in Karenni. 617. Cochoa purpurea. Purple Thrush. Previous vecords.—Thandaung (Cook). Specimens.—None. Noted.—We saw none. 618. Cochoa viridis. Green Thrush. Previous rvecords.—Hopwood’s record of a bird breeding at Thandaung in 1905 is the only previous record for the whole of Burma. Specimens.—Nattaung 1d, 19. Noted.—The specimens were obtained out of a party of 4 birds flying about in the tops of tall trees in evergreen at 5,000 feet; the understorey was not dense, and the birds were flying freely from tree to tree, occasionally coming down to a tree in the understorey. No notes were heard. ~ 632. Hemichelidon sibirica fuliginosa. Sooty Flycatcher. Previous records.—lKaren Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Thandaung 19 (24 September). Noted.—Although this species had not left Thandaung by 12 May it showed no signs of breeding and was absent later in the rains; it appears to be a winter visitor that arrives early and leaves late. 635. Hemichelidon ferruginea. Ferruginous Flycatcher. Previous rvecords.—None before 1939. Specimens.—Thandaung 1 0 (24 September). Noted.—The specimen was obtained in oak forest beside the Leiktho mule » path. On Nattaung it is very common along small streams running through evergreen. No evidence of breeding was obtained. 636. Muscicapa s. strophiata. Orange-gorgeted Flycatcher. Previous vecords.—Mt. Byingye and Mt. Mulayit. Specimens.—None. Noted.—Not seen by us; though there is no record actually from our area it is certain to occur. 639. Muscicapa parva albicilla. Eastern Red-breasted Flycatcher. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 19. Noted.—This species had already arrived at Thandaung on 23 September, and the Nattaung specimen was obtained on to April, after which no more were seen. It no doubt winters in the hills. 642. Muscicapula hodgsoni. Rusty-breasted Blue Flycatcher. Previous rvecords.—Karen Hills 4,000 feet (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1. Noted.—Common on Nattaung and a male was seen in Thandaung in March. It is a shy bird and keeps much to thick undergrowth and bamboo thickets. 643. Muscicapula h. hyperythra. Rufous-breasted Blue Flycatcher. Previous vecords.—None before 10939. Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—The short white eyebrow of the male is diagnostic. It has a characteristic little song, almost a wheeze, consisting of four notes; the first, 472, JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII second and fourth are of the same pitch, the third being much lower; there is then a slight pause followed by two notes resembling see-saw, the first note being much higher than the second. In its choice of habitat it resembles the Shortwings, preferring dense undergrowth along small streams in evergreen forest, and like them it is tame and confiding. 646. Muscicapula tricolor cerviniventris, Eastern Slaty-blue Flycatcher. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills (Salvadori). Specimens.—Nattaung 19. Noted.—Not seen at Thandaung. A scarce bird, and from what we saw of it rather a skulker. A male, either of this or the next species, was seen at 4,500 feet beside the Mawchi road and the specimen was obtained a fort- night later close to the same spot, making a noise like the note of Muscicapa parva whilst skulking in a bush. 648. Muscicapula superclliaris estigma. Little Blue-and-White Flycatcher. Previous rvecords.—Karenni 2,500 (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—This bird eluded us. 649. Muscicapula’m. meianoleuca. Indian Little Pied Flycatcher. Previous vecords:—Karen Hills. Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Thandaung 106 (30-4-41). Noted.—See our previous notes. Its call-note may be heard in the heat of the day on dry ridge tops when other birds are quiet. It is less common at Thandaung, but probably breeds there. 651. Muscicapula sapphira. Sapphire-headed Flycatcher. Previous rvecords.—None before 1939. Specimens.—Nattaung 10. Noted.—The specimen was obtained in the understorey in pine forest at s,o00 feet, and no others were seen. It is evidently scarce and was not seen at Thandaung. : 652. Muscicapula vivida oatesi. Rufous-bellied Blue Flycatcher. Previous vecords.—None from our area, but has been obtained on Mt. Byingye and Mt. Mulayit. Specimens.—Nattaung 19. Le Noted.—The specimen was one of a pair, both in female plumage, behaving much like the Large Niltava in the understorey in evergreen at 4,500 feet. No others were seen and it seems to be rare. Not seen at Thandaung. 655. Muscicapula u. unicolor, Pale Blue Flycatcher. Previous vecords—Karen Hills (Salvadori). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Not seen by us. 659. Muscicapula rubeculoides dialilaema. Salvadori’s Blue-throated Flycatcher. Previous vecords.—Taho (type locality, Salvadori) ; Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). ‘ Specimens.—Nattaung 1¢; Thandaung 20. Noted.—Common. A pair was kept under observation in Thandaung from 24 April to 12 May. The male sang daily in a small defined territory and the female only appeared two or three times, and was probably _ sitting. Numerous other singing males were noted elsewhere in the same period; they were also heard singing in October. The usual phrase is tchik-tchik and then a run of 6 notes on the same pitch except for the second, which is higher; the first tchik-tchik is harsh and the other notes are whistled. There is also a musical warble by way of variation. The race rubeculoides may occur as a winter visitor, THE BIRDS OF THE KAREN HILLS AND KARENNI 473 658a. Muscicapula banyumas whitei. Bhamo Blue Flycatcher. Previous vecords.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Birds seen at Thandaung with rufous running up to the chin, _ thought at the time to be dialilaema, were probably this. 665. Eumyias t. thalassina. Verditer Flycatcher. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills; Karenni 700-5,000’ (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Not uncommon on Nattaung and also seen at Thandaung, where Cook recorded it as common and breeding. 671. Anthipes moniliger leucops. Sharpe’s White-gorgeted Flycatcher. Previous records.—Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1. Noted.—It keeps to bamboo thickets or undergrowth in evergreen and is quiet, unobtrusive, and rather scarce. Seen once at Thandaung. 674. Alseonax |. latirostris. Sumatran Brown Flycatcher. Previous rvecords.—None. Specimens.—Thandaung 10. Noted.—The specimen was obtained on 25 September from a tree beside the Leiktho mule path at 4,500 feet, and was probably a passage migrant; we saw no others. 679. Culicicapa ceylonensis calochrysaea. Burmese Grey-headed Flycatcher. Previous records.—Karen Hills; Karenni 3,500’ (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None. Noted.—Very common both on Nattaung and at Thandaung; it is partial to shady streams and several pairs were noted as probably breeding. 682. Niltava g. grandis. Large Niltava. Previous records.—None before 1939. Specimens.—Nattaung 3d, 19. Noted.—It is confined to the densest and shadiest parts of the evergreen, and is the most markedly characteristic bird of this type of habitat. It does not occur at Thandaung, but has been obtained on Mt. Byingye. +> 684, Niltavas.sundara. Indian Rufous-bellied Niltava. Previous records.—Taho (Salvadori). Karenni 4,000 feet (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1g, 19. Noted.—The only birds seen were along a small stream in evergreen at 4,000 feet; both were in the same valley, but about 4 mile apart. The white throat patch of the female is diagnostic. The male was making sallies from a perch, but not always returning to the same perch. Not seen at Thandaung. 685. Niltava macgrigoriae. Small Niltava. Previous records.—Karen Hills and Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—Nattaung 1°. Noted.—Two males and a female were seen along a shady stream at 3,500 feet. The female was observed constructing a nest on the internode of a bamboo, which had been cut at 5 feet from the ground leaving a stump standing. When last seen on 16 April the nest was incomplete, and consisted of a mossy cup. 688. Tchitrea paradisi (indochinensis ?) Paradise Flycatcher. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay), Specimens,—Nattaung 1. 474 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Noted.—The specimen was obtained in bushes beside a stream at 3,500 feet; it was in the chestnut plumage, as was also a bird seen at Thandaung on 7 October 1941. 693.“ Hypothymis azurea styani. Northern Indian Black-naped Flycatcher. Previous records.—No definite record? Specimens.—None. Noted.—Chiefly ‘a bird of the foothills and we have seen it only once on Nattaung and once at Thandaung, both times below 4,000 feet. 699. Chelidorynx hypoxanthum, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Previous records.—Karen Hills (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—Confined to shady evergreen streams over 6,000 feet, and to tem- perate forest. A number of birds were seen in the Wrens’ Paradise on Sosiko. The bright yellow forehead, black band through eye, and habit of frequently fanning the tail, which has some white in it, are diagnostic. It is tame and confiding. [701. Rhipidura aureola burmanica. Burmese White-browed Fantail Flycatcher. Cook noted this as common at Thandaung but it seems likely that he confused it with the next species; there- are no other records or specimens from our area. Oates found it near Toungoo, but it is typically a bird of dry scrub country in the plains and foothills. ] 703. Rhipidura a. albicollis. White-throated Fantail Flycatcher. Previous vecords.—Karen Hills (Salvadori); Thandaung (Cook); Karenni (Wardlaw Ramsay). Specimens.—None this year. Noted.—Common on Nattaung and also at Thandaung, at all elevations wherever shady streams and wet thickets occur; it appears to breed early, and a juvenile was again seen in mid-April. (To be continued) 5 Seopa owe mem ast =a etry tags Erm hE ea egy ‘ batons regres th acm citer oftartli Yvette Pereyra ete 1 yy i may u - ri oy Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. PLALESIG Sayeedud-Din. —lonidium suffruticosum Ging. (For explanation see end of article). SOME COMMON INDIAN HERBS WITH NOTES ON THEIR : ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS: BY M. SAYEEDUD-DIN. Prof. of Botany, Osmania University, Hyderabad Deccan. (With three plates). (Continued from page 172 of Vol. xliii, No, 2). X—IONIDIUM SUFFRUTICOSUM Ging. (VIOLACEAE),. SYNONYMY AND SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION. Tonidium suffruticosum Ging. in DC. Prodr. i, 311; H.F.B.I., Welbends; Gamblesrie. Pres. -Madras,-Pt: I, 49; Wt. Ill. t.. 19; Wet. Ic. t. 308; Watt Dict. Econ. Prod. I, V. IV, 475. Syn:—lI. enneas- permum Vent. Jard. Malm. (1803) fol. 27, Kirt. Ind. Med. Plts., Ve 212) Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb, F.,- 12: I. heterophyllum_Vent., Cooke Fl. Pres. Bomb., Pt. 1, 52; Duthie Fl. Upper Gang. Plain, We Jl oy A small suffrutescent perennial herb, with many diffuse or as- cending branches, glabrous or more or less pubescent. Leaves lanceolate, subsessile, with serrated margins; stipules gland-tipped, subulate. Flowers red or. pink, axillary, solitary; bracts small, above the middle of the pedicel. Sepals 5, lanceolate, very acute, keeled. Petals 5, unequal, the 2 upper ones oblong, slightly longer than the sepals, the 2 lateral longer, falcate, the lowest much larger than the rest, having an orbicular or obovate limb with a long claw which is curved behind into a short spur. Stamens 5. Anthers connate or free, 2 or 4 of them gibbous or spurred at the back. Style clavate, incurved; stigma oblique. Ovary sessile, 1-celled; ovules many on 3 parietal placentas. Fruit a subglobose capsule. Seeds ovoid, acute, longitudinally striate, yellowish white. (Plates I and II). Flowers Oct.-Dec. Root, leaves and tender stalks, and fruit are medicinal (Kirtikar, 6). INDIAN NAMES. Ratanpurus (Hindi); Nilakobari, Purusharatnam, Suriyakantt (Telugu); Ratanpuras (Marathi); Orelatamara (Malayalam); Orilai- tamarai (Tamil); Amburuha, Lakshmishreshta, Padma, Pushkarini, Sarada (Sanskrit). 476 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Habitat. A common weed in grassy places, fields, and open forest lands in many parts of India. Abundant from Bundelkhand and Agra, to Bengal and Ceylon (Hooker, 5); common in the Southern Concan (Dalz. & Gibs., 2); not uncommon in the districts of Agra and Delhi, and in Bundelkhand (Duthie, 3); very common in fields and waste places (Mayuranathan, 7). Distribution, Tropical Asia, Africa and Australia. © ANATOMICAL NOTES. Structure of the leaf. (Plate III, Figs. 1 and 2). The cuticle is finely but distinctly striated. Epidermal cells are of considerable size, serving as water-reservoirs. Sabnis (8) found a similar type of epidermis in Viola Stocksii Boiss. The stomata belong to the Cruciferous type, being surrounded by three subsidiary cells—two big and one small. No transition to the Rubiaceous type could be seen, as 1s recorded by Solereder (10). They are sunk below the level of the epidermis, and are present on both surfaces, but mostly on the under surface. Internal secretory organs do not occur. Oxalate of lime occurs in the form of clinorhombic crystals along the veins only in the leaf, and in the form of clustered crystals in the stem. Borodin (Solereder, 10) distinguishes eight types of crystals in the Violaceae. The solitary oblique crystals occurring exclusively along the veins in Jonidium spp. belong to the Ionidiwm- type. The hairy covering consists of simple uniseriate straight hairs in the stem, and of similar and curved hairs in the leaf (Plate ITI, Figs. 2 and 3). Glandular hairs do not occur. Structure of the axis. The cuticle is striated. The epidermal cells are of considerable size as in the leaf, their outer walls being muriculate. The primary cortex consists of collenchyma and chloren- chyma. Scattered stone-cells are present in the region of the peri- cycle. The vessels possess simple and scalariform perforations. The pith consists of thin-walled cells. CONCLUSIONS. The anatomical study of Ionidium suffruticosum Ging. reveals the following characteristic features :— 1. Stomata are of the Cruciferous type. 2. Oxalate of lime occurs in the form of clinorhombic crystals along the veins only in the leaf, and in the form of clustered crystals in the stem. 3. The hairy covering consists of simple uniseriate, straight and bent hairs. No glandular hairs occur. 4. The absence of internal secretory organs either in the axis or leaf is also important. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. As before my thanks are due to Mr. Sriramloo for the photograph and the drawings which were prepared under my supervision, and to some of my students for the preparation of the slides, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. PLATE If, Sayeedud-Din. —lonidium suffeuticosum Ging. (For explanation see end of article). Journ, Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. PLATE III. a= i 7 y q g f ae <2 eexee Org, Gx Ye L y, ‘ ) EE = ¢ . AQ TSS LESS IL oSe Som. =. wai) N J j : iF \ ve <4 <: a id iw e: : oh ¢ a SN gS e. a ‘ Pe, Ji =) a a 4 f\ vy t Cs =< Sayeedud-Din.—-lonidium suffruticosum Ging. (For explanation see end of article). SOME COMMON INDIAN HERBS 477 LITERATURE CONSULTED. . Cooke, T.—The Flora of the Presidency of Bombay, Part I, p. 52 (1901). . Dalzel, N. A., and Gibson, A.—The Bombay Flora, p. 12 (1861). . Duthie, J. F.—Flora of the Upper Gangetic Plain, vol. I, p. 56 (1905). . Gamble, J. S..-Flora of the Presidency of Madras, Part I, p. 49 (19158). . Hooker, J. D.—The Flora of British India, vol. I, p. 185 (1873). . Kirtikar, Lt.-Col. K. R. and Basu, Major B. D.—Indian Medicinal Plants, 2nd Edition, vol. I, p. 212 (1933). 7. Mayuranathan, P. V.—The Flowering Plants of Madras City and its immediate neighbourhood, p. 30 (1929). 8. Sabnis, T. S.—The Physiological Anatomy of the Plants of the Indian Desert.’ J. I. B., vol. I, No. 3, pp. 70-71 (1919). g. Sayeedud-Din, M.—Catalogue of Plants cultivated in the Botanic Garden, Osmania University, Hyderabad Dn., p. 5 (1938). 10. Solereder, H.—Systematic Anatomy of the Dicotyledons, Engl. Ed., vol. I, pp. 82-85 (1908). 11. Watt, G.—Dictionary of the Economic Products of India, vol. IV, p. 475 (1890). . 12. Wight, R.—Icones Plantarum, t. 308. 13. Wight, R.—Illustrations of Indian Botany, vol. I, t. 19 (18s0). OW bo NH EXPLANATION OF PLATES. . Tonidium suffruticosum Ging. PuaTe I. Photograph of Ionidium suffruticosum Ging. Prate ITI. Fig. 1. Black and White drawing of Ionidium suffruticosum Ging. (Nat. size). Fig. 2. Single flower (x 10). Fig. 3. Flower opened out, showing androecium and gynaeceum. (X_ Io). Fig. 4. T. S. Ovary, showing ovules arranged on three parietal placentas. (34 1) Fig. 5. Pollen grain. (X 600). Piate III. Fig. 1. Leaf-epidermis, showing the Cruciferous type of. stomata. (X 300). Fig. 2. Leaf-epidermis, showing a bent trichome. Fig. 3. T. S. Stem, showing, ep. large epidermal cells; col. collenchyma ; chil. Chlorenchyma; c.c. clustered crystals of oxalate of lime; st. c. stone-cells. (X 300). SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE AVIFAUNA OF NORTHERN BALUCHISTAN., BY Major GENERAL A. F. P. CHRISTISON, M:C., P.S.C., B.A., M.B.O.U., ASSISTED BY THE LATE Dr. C..B. TICEHURST,, M.A., M.R-C.S., M.B-O.U2, eReRaGuSe Since the series of articles written by Dr. Ticehurst in the Journal in 1926-7, little has appeared in print concerning the avifauna of Northern Baluchistan. For four years I have made a close study of the Political Districts of Zhob, Loralai, Quetta-Pishin, Chagai, Kalat, and the Northern mountainous part of Sibi. I have been in regular correspondence with the Society and with Dr. Ticehurst, and have collected a series of specimens in all doubtful cases, and checked many of them at the British Museum and Royal Scottish Museum, while others have been checked by the Bombay Natural History Society and by Dr. Ticehurst. . There is still a great deal of research to be done in Northern Baluchistan, and this article 1s written in the hope that it may provide a basis for future study for ornithologists who may ~be stationed there. I shall only deal with new records, and with species about which there has been controversy regarding race. 1. Corvus corax ruficollis. This raven is definitely scarce. Purely a winter visitor, I have seen it half a dozen times only, on Quetta golf course, in company with laurencei, rooks and choughs, in hard weather from 15 December to 12 March. It is resident in Mekran, but from where these winter visitors come to us is not clear. There are not many places where laurencei and ruficollis overlap. 2. Corvus corone orientalis. I obtained this crow on Shinghar, where it is resident in small numbers in the chilghoza pine forests. as well as on the Takht-i-Suleiman. It lives at about 8,500 ft. and nests in April about 30 ft. up in a fork of a pine. Five eggs averaged 42X29 mm. It is not found anywhere else. 3. Pyrrhocorax graculus., The Alpine or Yellow-billed Chough is purely a bird of the great cliffs in the high mountains, and except when breeding is seen in small flocks of ten to fifteen. They do not descend to the valleys in winter like Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax. I have seen them on Murdar, Chiltan, Zarghun, Takatu, and Khalifat, mostly at about 10,800-11,200 ft. Nests are usually in holes in inaccessible cliffs, but one I reached on Khalifat in May 1938 had four very pale yellowish grey eggs with a few bright brown spots. They averaged 40X28 mm, DISTRIBUTION OF AVIFAUNA OF NORTHERN BALUCHISTAN 479 4. Nucifraga multipunctata, General Norton tells me he found this Slender-billed Nutcracker on the Takht-i-Suleiman in winter, and natives say it visits Shinghar also in winter. I have not been able to get there in winter to confirm this, but I saw a Nutcracker of undetermined species on Shinghar on 14th July 1940. Which nutcracker is found in our area still wants working out. 5. Sitta kashmiriensis. Brook’s Nuthatch is common in the chilghoza pine forests of the Takht and on Shinghar. I have found it overlapping Siltta neumayei tephronota, and in 1940 found nests of both species within 80 yards of each other, the one in a chilghoza pine, and the other in the cleft of a rock inside the usual clay cone. 6. Turdus unicolor. Tickell’s Thrush is a regular winter visitor to Fort Sandeman, Loralai, and Quetta gardens. I had several in my garden in the winter of 1940-41. They became very tame in hard weather. 7. Phoenicurus phoenicurus. Dr. Ticehurst identified a specimen I sent him from Robat on 18th April 1939 as the European Redstart. 8. Chaimarrhornis leucocephela. I obtained the White-capped Redstart near Hanna Lake, Quetta, on 6th March and 19th November, 1939. The earliest record is 2nd March, and Meinertzhagen reported it from Baleli on that date and on 14th April and 14th November. When it occurs it probably winters, and this must be about the S.-W. limit of its range. 9. Oenanthe. The distribution of the eleven species of Wheatear which have been reported from Northern Baluchistan has taken a lot of working out, and much more research is still needed. According to old records and the indications given by specimens collected by me, the distribution seems to work out as follows :— O. picata is a very common summer visitor, and passage migrant. It winters in the areas below about 4,o00 ft., but I have seen odd ones quite happy among the big rocks at 9,oo0 ft. in deep snow in mid-January. Much more a bird of the rocks, it is found far higher than any of the others. QO. isabellina is common on passage, and is resident in small numbers locally, while others are summer visitors. It breeds in old rat holes, and nests are easy to find. O. finschi barnest is a passage migrant in small numbers. Odd pairs remain to nest or come here from further South. I got a nest on 29th April in the hills N.-E. of Nushki, and found one nest, and a family party North of Quetta. The bird was shot in each case to make sure. The nest is a flat saucer of camelthorn, lined with grassy fibres and goats’ hair. The five eggs were a deeper blue than the usual chat type. There was a zone of rusty spots at the thick end, and a few odd spots elsewhere. Average 20.5X15.5 mm. — QO. deserti atrogularis is common, but only as a winter visitor and.on passage. It has, however, been reported as nesting round Quetta. This may be so, but I think only an odd pair nests. The Messrs. Williams found a nest on 15th May near Quetta. I have seen a family party on 12th July and obtained an adult male. O. xanthoprymma chrysopygia. The Red-tailed Wheatear is quite common on passage, (earliest Quetta 24th January); the Kacha range in W. Chagai is full of them in March and April. It winters in S. Melsran, and many nest in the Hindu Kush.. A few nest in the Amran Khwajah and along the Barshor hills. It is not a desert-loving bird, but frequents the small rocky perennial streams. It is one of the most interesting birds to watch. The nuptial display is very marked, and once I saw a cock bird going through the whole performance in mid-September for fifty minutes, although I could find no trace of any hen. It arrives in April. and is very tame and confiding. The nest itself is unusual. 480 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLiil It is placed in small hollows quite low down in a rock face above water. ‘The hollow is lined with tiny flat stones from the stream, and the cup in the middle is a deep one, and is. made of grasses with a fine lining of root and grass fibres. Four to five eggs are laid, usually above 7,oooft. They are pale blue with only a few rusty spots. In one nest the eggs had no spots. Average of fourteen eggs 20.7X16 mm. O. opistholeuca. Strickland’s Chat is a scarce passage migrant. I have only obtained it between the end of February and mid-April, and once in September. Meinertzhagen obtained it near Quetta on 24th February and 21st October. There was a specimen in Old Quetta Museum from Baleli 18th March, and Dr. Ticehurst obtained one there on 11th August. O. capistrata. Gould’s Chat is also a scarce passage migrant, but a few are seen every year between mid-February and April, and in late August and September. Latest record in October. O. deserti oveophila. The Tibetan Desert Wheatear winters in Mekran and Iranian Baluchistan in some numbers, but what route it takes I have not been able to discover. I have never seen it in the Chagai desert, though I obtained’ one near Nushki, and another at Robat, both in April. Dr. Ticehurst obtained it near Quetta on 28th February and 3rd March. O. leucomela, rostrata, alboniger. The Siberian; the pale race of Common Wheatear; and Hume’s Chat; are I think, only stragglers on passage. Of leucomela, there are old, doubtful records by St. John from Pishin in March, and by Blanford from Quetta. Dr. Ticehurst got it at Ziarat on 5th October, and I obtained one near Nushki in March. O. rostrata is reported to pass through Quetta between 17th March and 18th October, and I obtained one near Nushki on 14th November. The only record for alboniger is one by Murray from Chaman in April; probably a mistake. 10. Suya crinigera striatula.! The Brown Hill Warbler is only found in Loralai and N.-E. Zhob. It extends just into the more open parts of the pine forests on Shinghar up to 7,400 ft. It nests in May and June according to altitude about 4 ft. up in sage or wild almond bushes, or sometimes in a buddleia. 11. Acrocephalus agricola agricola. Jerdon’s Reed Warbler has always been considered only a passage migranit. Many winter in the Sibi-Jacobabad plain and pass through in March and April, returning from August to early October. However all do not pass through, as I found a regular breeding colony in the Malezai Lora each year. [ have found 25 nests. The nest is a deep cup woven round three or four reed stalks 18 in. to 3 ft. above water. It is made of fine reed stems lined with reed fibres, wool, goats’ hair, feathers, and the seed-down of reeds. Of the 25 nests 18 had 5 eggs and 7 had 4. Colours varied from whitish to stone, and a few were greenish stone. They were blotched, streaked and spotted with dark olive, brown, dark grey, and even black, the markings being thicker at the blunt end where they tended to form a zone and sometimes a Cap. Largest 17.2X13.1 mm.; smallest 16.4X12.8 mm.; average 16.8X1I2.9 mm. Lt.-Colonel Darcy, R.A., was with me on one visit, and kindly checked the measurements for me. I know of no other breeding place in Baluchistan, though I have searched every likely spot. 12. Acrocephalus scirpaceus. I thought 1 found the Reed Warbler nesting in the Malezai Lora in 1939, and 1940. I shot a bird from the nest and sent it and the eggs to Dr. Ticehurst. Owing to the war the eggs did not arrive, and the bird was so battered that Dr. Ticehurst could only say that he thought it was scirpaceus. I also sent a clutch of eggs to Stuart Baker, which did not arrive. The Malezai reed beds would well repay close study. DISTRIBUTION OF AVIFAUNA OF NORTHERN BALUCHISTAN 481 13. Phylloscopus collybita. I have obtained both tristis and sindianus on passage. The common one however, is tristis, the Siberian Chiffchaff. . It has a faint tinge of green in the upper plumage, which is dark brown. Underparts are pale butf, and both wings and tail are edged with olive-yellow. It breeds in N. Asia, and passes through to the Sibi plain and Sind from 21st February to 15th April, and later birds give song. Going South it passes through from 25th September to mid-November, but many spend the winter in pairs or singly in cantonment gardens. : P. sindianus breeds in Central Asia and Ladakh, and winters in Sind, N.-W, F.P., Punjab, U. P., and Rajputana. The wing formula is the same, but this race has no green tinge on the upper parts. It passes through farther East, and I have only obtained it twice, both in N.-E. Baluchistan in November. A specimen obtained at Quetta by Meinertzhagen on 28th July could not be separated by Dr. Ticehurst from the typical race. It was much greener above, and had some yellow on the breast. It had at that early date com- pleted its moult, and Dr. Ticehurst thinks it was probably a vagrant that had tailed to breed. 14. Luscinia megarhyncha golzii, I obtained the Eastern Nightingale at Kacha and Robat on the Iran frontier in April 1939. Natives say it does not sing or nest there. 15. Troglodytes troglodytes neglectus. The Wren is very local and has not been previously recorded. I heard it in. 1938 and 1939 in a secluded tangi near Ziarat, and in 1940 found it there and in two other tangis. In all I found four families of half-fledged young in June, and found one nest. It was placed in a crevice underneath a rock, and consisted of juniper bark strips tightly bound round fibres of bark and grassy roots. The lining was of finer root fibres, and some fine bark fibres with a few feathers. Eggs must have been laid in the last fortnight of May, and cocks sang up till 15th July. I obtained one but could not separate it from neglectus. 16. Acridotheres tristis tristis. The Common Mynah I have only seen round the Staff College in Quetta where half a dozen pairs are resident at 5,800 ft. and nest regularly. 17, Carpodacus erythrinus. I have cleared up the question of the distribution of the Rosefinches. Most are only passage migrants, but the intermediate race, kubanensis, is a summer visitor to the chilghoza forests, the juniper forests, and to those higher hills over 7,500 ft. where there are a few junipers, thorny scrub and wild briars. There it nests in wild briars, the nest being a grassy cup lined with fine juniper bark fibres or fine grass roots, and usually containing three and sometimes four eggs, of a-clear blue blotched very sparsely with browns and_ blacks. Average size 19.8X15 mm. . Its clear calls of ‘twee-twee-tweeou’ and ‘twee-tweeou’, with accent on the second syllable, is one of the characteristic sounds of the forests. Of a large series of males obtained in summer, all were unmistakably of this race. They had throat and chest splashed with dark crimson, and a pale suffusion of pink on the abdomen. Of the passage migrants I have identified the pale typical race and the dark race roseatus. The former is fairly common on passage from Sind and Mekran, where it winters, and I have obtained specimens from Chagai in October and March, the Kaisar Jungle near Nushki in September and March, and on Takatu, near Quetta, and Pishin, also in March. Males of this race are much paler all over, and only the chin, throat, and breast are rosy. roseatus I have not seen except in N.-E. Baluchistan, and have obtained only two specimens, in March and September. Males of this race have the throat, chest and abdomen splashed with dark crimson. 482. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII 18. Carduelis caniceps. Some doubt existed as to the races of the Goldfinch found in Baluchistan. It is mainly a winter visitor, and all birds 1 have obtained have been the typical race, wing 83 mm. It is very common in cantonments, and sings away all winter. Dr. Ticehurst identified three obtained in winter as the Far Eastern race paropamisi, and Meinertzhagen got the Eastern race major in Quetta on 27th February, 1913. Possibly the large flocks seen contain birds of all three races. subulata, a larger central Asian race, wing 88 mm., is a summer visitor very locally to some of the higher hills, and no doubt breeds there. I have only found one pair nesting. This was on Takatu near Quetta at 7,500 ft., but I have seen family parties of subulata feeding on sunflowers in cantonments in Quetta in late July. The nest I found on Takatu was made of wool and goats’ hair, lined with finer hairs and grassy fibres. Very inconspicuous, it was 15 ft. up in a fork of an old country aprioct in a deserted patch of cultivation opposite the Marichak Tangi. Four young hatched out on 2nd May 1938, and I saw a family party of six on 12th July, watering within half a mile of the nest. I found another family party in Zhob, June 1942. 1S. Amandava amandava amandava. From September to early December, small flocks of Red Munnias appear regularly in Quetta gardens. A purely plains species, its occurrence is strange. I have seen it at this time in Chaman, Pishin, and the Barshor Valley, and in April at Baleli and Killa Abdulla. Possibly it moves down from Afghanistan in winter to the Sibi plain and Sind. 20. Cinnyris asiatica brevirostris. There was a Purple Sunbird in the Church compound in Quetta from April till June, 1939. 21. Motacilla citreola. There is some doubt as to the race of Yellow-headed Wagtail which is very common, and passes through in March and April. Dr. ‘Ticehurst considers that they belong to the smaller race werali, described by Buterlin (Orn, monatsb. 1909, p. 197); the type locality being Simbirsk, White Sea, East of the Urals. Most W. Indian birds belong to this race. Seven specimens obtained by me in March varied very considerably. No. 1, male, Malezai, Wing 82 mm. No. 2, male Malezai, Wing 84 mm. No. 3, male, Barshor, Wing 80 mm. No. 4, male, Kacha, (Iran frontier), Wing 82 mm. Nos. 5 & 6, female, Malezai, Wing 82 mm. No. 7, female, Kacha, Iran Frontier, Wing 87 mm. So possibly the typical race is the one of Western Chagai.: 22. Dryobates auriceps. Dryobates sindianus. D. auriceps must reach the S.-W. limit of its distribution on the Takht and Shingar, where it is common and resident. It nests in May and June in the underside of the branch of a chilghoza pine, from 15-25 ft. up. I have found it from 7,400 to nearly 10,000 ft. A nest had four eggs on 5th June, and they measured 21X16 mm. I saw a pied woodpecker near Chautair, 16 miles East of Ziarat, on 2nd July 1940. It flew across the valley and settled in a juniper but I was unable to get a close view and cannot say if it was auriceps or the next named. D. sindianus is now very local and is a bird of tamarisk and old Pistachia cabulica rather than of junipers and pines. It is found in Kalat, and in January 1941 there were still a few pairs in the scanty remains of the old Pistachia cabulica forest at Shelabagh, the Khojak and Chaman, between 4,400 and 6,600 It. This species nests much nearer the ground than auriceps, holes being rarely higher than 6-7 ft. from the ground. DISTRIBUTION OF AVIFAUNA OF NORTHERN BALUCHISTAN 483 - 23. Picus squamatus flavirostris. The distribution and variations of this Green Woodpecker are interesting. I have found it resident from the Takht and Shinghar, through the Juniper forests, in the valleys where there is tamarisk and a few willows, down to the Kaisar tamarisk jungle near Nushki, and south into Kalat. Birds from the N.-E. have the lower parts fairly heavily scaled, while specimens from Nushki. are not only much paler generally, but have no scaling on the underparts. Birds from North of Quetta are intermediate. I have found nests from 4,000-9,000 ft: in Pistachia cabulica, willow, apricot, chilghoza, juniper, mountain ash, mulberry, and even in tamarisk scrub. In the Kaisar Jungle where there are no trees, only tamarisk scrub, the nest was in the root of a tamarisk 5 ft. below ground level, where the root was exposed in the side of a muddy nala bank, and 7 ft. above the water. In July 1938 on Chiltan, I watched a bird watering from a hole in an old tree where water had been caught. The nearest water was four miles away. 24, Halcyon smyrnensis smyrnensis. A White-breasted Kingfisher visited the Residency at Ziarat, 8,200 ft., on the 23rd and 24th June, 1938, and Sir Arthur Parsons kindly invited me to come and see it. 25. Alcedo atthis pailasii. The Central Asian Kingfisher is common on passage on all the perennial streams. I was surprised to find that an odd pair sometimes stay to nest. In May 1938 I found a nest hole in the Karak Lora near Quetta, the site being given away by the mass of small bones and guano outside the hole. I found a similar nest hole in the mud bank of the Kaisar River. near Nushki in April 1939. Both holes went in 3 ft. and the chamber measured 5”x4”, and contained fish bones. In each case there were five eggs, averaging 23.4 X20.3 mm. 26. Merops orientalis beludshicus. This race of Little Green Bee-eater is sometimes seen at Chaman. I have not seen it anywhere else. 27. Caprimulgus aegyptius aegyptius. The range of this Nightjar extends from the Sudan in winter to Seistan and Turkestan in summer. It is very light in colour, and has no white spots on the uppet. surface of the wings or tail. I obtained it at Robat on the Afghan-Iran-Baluchistan frontier on 12th April 1939, and saw another. Natives know it well and say it comes to nest there, but I could find no-one who had seen its eggs. My specimen, a male, had wing 208 mm. 28. Strix aluco biddulphi. 9 I obtained a half-fledged Scully’s Wood Owl in July 1940, but in spite of advice as to its feeding from Karachi Zoo, it only lived ten days. It was then three months old. Colonel Venning obtained an adult on 1oth January some years ago, which is now in the Bombay Museum. No other records. Probably resident; tribesmen say it is the common owl of the eeeea forests there, and that it nests under a large boulder. 29. Haliaetus aibicilla, A very fine female frequented a Quetta rubbish dump a mile from canton- ments for some days in the very cold february of 1940. It was very tame, and allowed one to approach within 10 yds. on horseback on several occasions. There was also a female at Kushdil Khan on 1oth June 1940. No other records, though it has been reported occasionally from the coast. 30. Falco peregrinus calidus. Lt.-Colonel O’Carrol Scott, M.p.o.u., a keen falconer, saw a Siberian Pere- grine at Kushdil Khan on rith February, 1940. I went there with him, and we tried to catch her, without success. 13 484 jOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII 351. Falco subbuteo subbuteo. I saw a pair at Ziarat on 20th July, 1939, and watched them for three days. Meinertzhagen recorded one there on 24th July 1913. Major Bedi, P. A. Loralai, a very knowledgeable falconer, saw one near Loralai in October, 1940. 32. Falco jugger. The Lugger Falcon, a plains species, is very rare in N. Baluchistan. One pair nests regularly in the mud cliffs of the Malezai Lora, near Pishin. The nest is ina hole 20 ft. up, and in 1939 four eggs were laid on sticks in April. In 1940 the nest was moved to another hole a few yards away, and no sticks were used, the four eggs being deposited on the sand. From the opposite side of a small nala the eggs could be seen, and the young hatched successfully each year. 33. Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus. The Asiatic race tinnunculus is a passage migrant through Chagai and the S.-W., and also a summer visitor in small numbers and breeds in the higher hills. A few over winter. In April 1939 I was lucky enough to see a migration of Kestrels through Chagai. I followed them tor 130 miles. They flew along the ground, now and again settling on small bushes, and then pushing on again. I counted between 50 and 60, and shot one, which proved to be the typical race. I also obtained it on the Iran border in March. 34, Falco aesalon insignis. The Merlin is a scarce winter visitor mostly to the open parts of Loralai District. Falco chicquera does not occur. 35. Accipiter nisus melanoschistus. Accipiter nisus nisosimilis. The Himalayan race of Sparrow Hawk melanoschistus is darker and nearly an inch shorter than the Asiatic race nisosimuits. The former is a summer visitor, and breeds in the juniper forests in June, in small numbers. The latter is purely a scarce winter visitor. 36. Circus aeruginosus. A winter visitor to Malezai and Zangi Nawar. Natives told me it bred in both places occasionally, and at Zangi Nawar showed me two old nests in dense patches of reeds. In 1940 a pair nested successfully in a dense reed bed at Malezai. Single non-breeding birds sometimes remain all summer. 37. Streptopelia senegallus cambayensis. Streptopelia senegallus ermanni. Two races of the Little Brown Dove occur; cambayensis is the common bird of Zhob, Loralai, Quetta-Pishin, Sibi and Kalat, its numbers being augmented both by passage migrants and summer visitors. It is smaller and darker than eymanni, and males have wings 125-132 mm. and females 121-129 mm. Ermanni is the race of Western Chagai, and I obtained it at Kacha and Robat on the Iran border. Wings of male 135-140 mm., females 130-140 mm. . 38. Fulica atra. In 1939 .a Coot nested on Kushdil in a small reed patch and hatched out five young in the last week in June. .96-g-s 3 | Gets? g¢-9-S } 9¢-S-T¢ Z | 9g-sezz 9¢-9-9 ¢ 96-S-Z ¢ G¢—S-82 g¢-S-£2 ¢ 9¢-S-61 SS oem 9¢-S-ZT ¢ 9¢-S-ZI Zz 9¢-S-6 Q¢-S-LT 9¢-S-ZI zZ 9¢-S-8 Q¢-S-F ¢ 9¢-#-06 € | -e-F-Lz gg-S-9 Q¢-S-T SOT Q¢-S-F ; 9¢-F-62 Ze eoe=Facc 9¢-S-¢ ¢ 9¢-F-61 Z| ge-F42 9¢-S-T p 9¢-F-92 Zz 9¢-F-22 9¢-F-62 7 9¢-F-SZ Z 9¢-F-12 96-82 b 96-F-62 ¢ | 9¢-F-61 9¢-F-92 7 9¢-$-2z ¢ 9¢-F-61 9¢-$-92 ¢ 9¢-$-02 Z QS-P-ZT 9¢-F-£2 S 9¢-F-61 Z 9¢-F-P1 9¢-F-6 ¢ Qe-F-F ¢ 9¢-€-1 9¢-#-6 f 9¢-¥-F ¢ g¢—£-T¢ - oF ei shep a mr B59) poyedng eee pest toj Wo000%7) "38a pesyoj ey, BALIBT IW ATAVL L€-9-OT LE-9-6 LE-S-6E LE-S-€% LE-F-0E LE-F-62 L€-F-I1 LE-S-1?e LE-€-02 LE-E-0¢ 9E-L-&% 9E-S-€c 9€-S-0E 9E-S-SG 9E-S-Sc IESSSEL 9E-S=L 9€-S-9 9€-F-F2 9&-F-F2 9E-F-£¢ SE-T-Ze 9€-F-02 9€-F-61 9€-F-9T 9¢-P-9L 9¢-F-ST 9€-F-2L 9€-£-62 9E-€-82 UO pIv] sooq CO HID Or 00D © NANNANNAN OD oN Nw | 0¢ t™~ 00 O dod NI OD =H wu Anne (a | ra ial OMS ECE Se JEWS | ON’S t | TEE ‘SNIIPUL SNZ01IMOD JO PIODEI KIOJSIY-9}1] Pople} GONIOZUS INDICUS ASH. TABLE 1V Longevity of Goniozus indicus 493 mary a TE S. No. Emerged on OM ONM MNF NH 26-2-36 11-4-36 11-4-36 11-4-36 2-5-36 5-95-36 5-5-36 11-5-36 5-8-36 12-3-37 12-3-37 12~3-37 12-3-37 3-4-37 3-4-37 3-4-37 3-4-37 | 3--4-37 3-4-37 11-4-37 26-4-—37 26-4-37 26-437 26-4-—37 Died on 15-4-36 26-4-36 19~4-36 29-4-36 13-5-36 20-5-36 6-5-36 12-5-36 10-8-36 14—3-37 15-3-35 21-3-37 30-3-37 8-4-37 9- 4-37 12-4-37 18-4-37 15-4-37 16-4~-37 14-4—37 8-5-37 1-5-37 30-41-37 27-4-37 No. of days lived _ CO Mt © OF DS UIE me ee FPN WWMM MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS MALLOWWORTS. BY fexl8s (QAMOS SY Selo. WollaS. Parr II. (Continued from page 241 of this volume), KypIA The genus consists of 2 species, both Indian. Kydia calycina Roxb. is common in the forests of the sub-tropical regions of India and Burma, except the arid tracts. Among the Santals, the leaves are pounded and made into a paste and applied to the body for pains. They are also chewed, when there is a deficiency of saliva (Campbell). Almora;: Pata—; Amraoti: Bhoti—; Assam: Boldabak—; Bhil: Bothi—; Bihar: Bitagonyer—; Bijnor: Palao, Pattra—; Bombay: Motipotari, Varanga, Varangada, Varung—; Buldana: Bhoti—; Burma: Bokemaiza, Dwabote, Dwalok, Myethlwa, Tabo—; Canarese: Belagu, Bellaka, Bende, Bendenaru, Bendi, Billul- hendi, Kadubende, Kolibnde, Nayibende—; Central Provinces: Baranga, Bargha, Bhotti— ; Garhwal: Pillu, Pulao—; Garo: Boldobak—; Gond: Bosha, Burkapa, Buruk, Kunji—; Gujerati: Mhotihirwani Nihotiliwani— ; Hasada: Bitabororo—; Hindi: Baranga Choupultea, Pasha, Pola, Potari, Pula, Puli, Pulipasha, Pulu—; Kharwar: Derki—; Khond: Wala—; Kolami: Bitagoinr, Bittia, Gonyer, Pata- dhamin—; Konkani: Varang—; Lambadi: Charpili—; Lepcha: Sedangtaglar, Ta-gla kung hlosa—; Malayalam: Velukku, Venta—; Marathi: Bhendi, Bhoti, Iliya, Potari, Varung—-; Matheran: Bhoti, Potasi, Warung—; Mechi: Mahow, Moshungon—; Melghat: Bhoti—; Nepal: Kubinde—; Nimar: Safed dhaman— ; North-Western Provinces: Puta, Puttiya—; Oudh: Kakahi—; Porebunder: Mhotihirwani— ; Punjab: Pola, Pula, Pulli—; Ramnagarv: Pula—; Sadani: Biaranga, Bicra, Jhari—; Santal: Poshkaolat, Poskaolat—; Saora: Erukutada, Pulan—; Shan: Dwabok—; Sinhalese: Pule—; Tamil: Vendai—; Telugu: Kondapotari, Pachabotuka, Pandiki, Peddakunji, Peddapotari, Potari—; Tharu: Patar—; Uriya: Bankopasia, Bharimo, Khopashya—. MALACHRA. The genus consists of 6 species, natives of the warmer regions of America, and of the West Indies. Two of them are naturalized in Asia and Africa. Malachra capitata Linn., a native of tropical America, is found throughout the hotter parts of India where it has become naturalized. In La Reunion the plant is used as an emollient and pectoral. It is a popular cough remedy in Mauritius. Bombay: Ranbhendi—; Marathi: Ranbhendi, Vilayatibhendi—; Mauritius: Mauve a fleurs jaunes— ; Porebunder ; Pardeshibhindo— ; Sunderbuns : Bian bhindi, Bandheras—. - MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS MALLOWWORTS 495: MALVA The genus numbers 30 species inhabiting temperate Europe and Asia, and North Africa. All species are remarkable for their mucilaginous and cooling properties. The following are used medicinally in Europe—M. Alcea Linn., M. althaeoides Cav., M. hispanica Linn., M. moschata Linn.., M. nicaeensis All., M. " parviflora Linn., M. rotundifolia Linn., M. sylvestris Linn., M. Tournefortiana Linn.—; in China—M. verti- . cillata Linn.—; in Indo-China—; M. sylvestris Linn., M. verticil- lata Linn.—; in North America and the West Indice moschata Linn., M. parviflora Linn., M. rotundifolia Linn., M. sylvestris Linn.—; in Colombia—M. sylvestris Linn.—; in Madagascar—M. crispa Linn.-—; in La Reunion—M. parviflora Linn., M. sylvestris Linn.—; in Southern Africa—M. parviflora Linn., M. rotundifolia Linn.—-. 1. Carpels 10-12 enclosed within the acerescent calyx, prominently ribbed at the back. wee ... M. verticillata. he Carpels 13-16 not reticulated on the pas, the margins of the back rounded. sit : ... M. rotundifolia. 3. Carpels about 10-12, 2-keeled on the back o» M. sylvestris. 4. Carpels 10, reticulated on the back, the 2 margins of the back keeled. sas aye seh .. M. parviflora. 1. Malva parviflora Linn. occurs in Bengal, the United Pro- vinces, Kashmir, the Punjab, Baluchistan, Sind, the Bombay Deccan, Mysore and Madura. It is distributed through Afghanistan, Persia, the Mediterranean region, Arabia, Nubia. The seeds are used as a demulcent in coughs, and ulcers in the bladder. In La Reunion the plant is used as an emollient and pectoral. In South Africa Europeans drink an infusion of the leaf as a nerve tonic, and apply the leaf as a hot poultice to wounds and swellings. The Xosas have a similar use to the latter, and often use a decoction as a lotion. The Sutos use the decoction of the leaf as a remedy for tape- worm and for profuse menstruation. They also make a lotion for bruised limbs from the plant. Afrikaans: Kasieblaar, Kiesieblaar—; Arabic: Bekoul—; Egypt: Esh-shey- taniyeh, Khobbeyze, Khobbeyzeh—; Ivaq: Khubbaz—; Wurdish: Tulakah—; Kuwait: Khubaiz—; Makran: Guragpad—; Mexico: Malva—; North America: Mallow—; Punjab: Gogisag, Nanna, Narr, Panirak, Sonchal, Supra—; Sinaloa: Malva castilla—; South Africa: Mallow—; Spanish: Chica malva de flor, Pequena malva de flor—; Suto: Mosalasuping, Qena, Thibapitsa, Tilamotse— ; Turkish: Tulah—; Xosa: aNomolwana—; Waziri: Ngankai, Tikalai—. 2. Malva rotundifolia Linn. occurs in Sind, Baluchistan, ‘Waziristan, Kumaon, ascending to 10,000 feet, and in the plains of Northern India. It is distributed through the Oriental regions, Europe, and North Africa. The leaves are mucilaginous and emollient, employed externally in scurvy, and reckoned useful in piles (Honigbergér). 496 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII The seeds possess demulcent properties; they are prescribed in bronchitis, cough, inflammation of the bladder, and haemorrhoids; the seeds are also externally applied in skin diseases. At Hindubagh, in Baluchistan, the plant is used as a cooling drug. At Kalat the plant is ground up, soaked in water, mixed with Sweetmeat, and drunk to relieve retention of urine. In the Transvaal, Europeans apply a poultice of the leaf in inflam- mations of the breast. The leaf has been used in Europe and America, in the form of an infusion or a decoction, for catarrh, dysenteries, and nephritis. As decoction, fomentation, or poultice, it is given in sore throat and ophthalmia, or for maturing abscesses. Afrikaans: Kiesieblaar—; Arabic: Gobhaiz, Honzebey, Khobeiz, Khubbaizi, Roboueis—; Baluchi: Gwaragpad, Pochako—; Brahui: Utper—; Canarese: Kadukadalegida— ; Catalan: Malva de fulla petita, Malva petita de fulla rodona—; Danish: Lille Katost—; Dutch: Rundbladige maluwe—; English: Cheese Calxe Flower, Dwarf Mallow—; French: Fromageon, Fromagére, Herbe de Simon, Mauve a feuilles rondes, Mauve ronde, Menthe de cimetiére, Petite mauve—; German : Kaesepappel--; Harboi Hills : Fochako—; Hindi: Khubasi, Sonchala—; Hindubagh: Sarkukar—; Italian: Malva comune, Malva minore—; Kalat: Uthpar—; Kkharan. Pachko—; Languedoc: Malbré—; Portuguese: Malva—; Pushtu: Kukerai—; Roumanian: Casui popei, Nalba marunta, Nalba mica—; Sind: Chandiri, Khabazi—; South Africa: Dwarf Mallow, Mallow—; Spanish : Malva de hoja redonda—; Telugu: Trikalamalli—; Wasziri: Naghankai, Nahan- kai, Wahankai—. 3. Malva sylvestris Linn. is found in the West temperate Himalaya from the Punjab to Kumaon, at an altitude of 2,000—- 8,ooo feet. It is met with as a weed of cultivation in Bombay, Mysore and Madras. It is distributed to Siberia, the Caucasus, Europe, and North Africa. The plant is a popular demulcent and emollient with Muhammadan physicians. It is used for coughs and colds, and in affections of the urinary bladder. In Teheran the drug—flowers with the small rotate carpels of the fruit in an immature state—is used for whooping cough, Afghanistan: Gulikhadmi—; Arabic: Bekoul, Khitimi, Khubaji Kobbeiza, Moudjdjir, Ouerd-ez-zoual—; Bombay: Khubasi—; Canarese: Sannabindigegi- da—; Catalan: Malva de cementiri, Malva comuna, Malva major—; Colombia : Malva, Malva azul—; Danish: Katost—; Deccan: Vilayati kangoie—; Dutch: Kaasieskruid, Maluwe, Malve-—; Egvpt: Khobbeyze frengiye—; English: Blue Mallow, Bread-and-Cheese, Cheese-cake, Cheese Log, Cheese-flower, Chock-cheese, Chucky-cheese, Common Mallow, Country Mallow, Custard Cheeses, Dock, Frog- cheese, Ground Dock, High Mallow, Loaves-of-Bread, Mallow, Marsh Mallow, Maul, Maws, Pancake Plant, Pick Cheese—; French: Beuret, Beurrat, Fouassier, Fromagelet, Fromageon, Fromageot, Herbe a fromage, Herbe a lacher, Herbe Saint-Simon, Maule, Mauve, Grande mauve, Mauve officinale, Mauve sauvage, Mauve verte, Mauve de ville, Meule—; German: Baerwinde, Blaugloeckel, Blau- malve, Feldmalve, Feldpappel, Feldriss, Feldwinde, Fuenfaderkraut, Gaense- laetsche, Gaensepappel, Hanfpappel, Hanfwurzel, Kaselskraut, Katzenkaese, Katzentee, Kesselkraut, Kornwinde, Malve, Milzkraut, Papelle, Papellkraut, Pappelkaese, Pferdepappel, Rossmalve, Rosspappel, Schwelkraut, Schwollkraut, Siegmarskraut, Tocppel, Waldmalve, Wewinne, Blaue Winde, Ziegerli, Zwischen- kraut—; Greek; Malachi—; Hindi: Gulkhair, Kunzi, Vilayatikangai—; Hunga- vian: Malyva, Papsajt—; Indo-China: Cam quy—; Italian: Malva, Malvone— ; La Reunion: Mauve—; Malta: Common Mallow, Malva, Hobbeiza—; Mauritius : Mauve de France—; North America: Common Mallow, Doll-cheeses, Dutch- cheese, Fairy-cheeses, Low Mallow, Mallow—; North-Western Provinces: Kanji, MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS MALLOWWORTS 497 Tilchuni—; Patna: Khatmi—; Persian: Khib-bazi, Khitmiiluchak, Khubazi, Nanakillagah, Nanikulagh, Penirek, Towdrie—; Polish : Slaz ziele—; Portuguese : Malva, Malva ordinaria—; Roumanian: Nalba—; Russian: Lyesnaia malva, Prosvirka—; Sind: Khabaji—; Spanish: Malva, Malva comun, Malva_ lisa, Malva silvestre, Malva yedra—; Sussex : Maller—; Swedish: Katost—; Teheran: Pasurak—; Turki: Hamam komandji—; Turkish: Ebegumeci—; Urdu: Khu- baji—; Waziristan: Chota gul kharru—. 4. Malva verticillata Linn. occurs in the temperate Himalaya up to 12,000 feet. It is distributed to Northern Asia, Northern Africa, and Europe. In Indo-China the root is used to produce vomiting in whooping- cough. The leaves and young stems are considered digestive and they are given to women in the advanced stage of pregnancy. The ash of the dried leaves is employed in the preparation of a drink which is given in scabies. Assam: Laffa—; Chinese: K’uei—; Indo-China: Dong quy—. MALVASTRUM The genus consists of about 60 American and South African species, two of them cosmopolitan in the tropics. M. coromandelianum Garcke is used medicinally in the West Indies, M. spicatum A. Gray in French Guiana, M. coccineum A. Gray in North America, M. peruvianum A. Gray in Colombia. Malvastrum coromandelianum Garcke is found in the Madras and Bombay Presidencies, the Punjab and the United Provinces, Orissa and Bengal. In the West Indies the plant is considered emollient, resolvent, and bechic. The leaves are applied to inflamed sores and wounds as a cooling and healing salve. The flowers are given as a pectoral and diaphoretic. French Guiana : Ouadé-ouadé—; Mauritius: Herbe a-balais, Mauve sauvage—. PAVONIA The genus numbers 70 species inhabiting tropical and subtropical ~ regions. The following species are used medicinally in Gambia—P. gzeylanica Cav.—; in La Reunion—P. columella Cav., P. wrens Cav.—-; in Madagascar—P. Bojeri Baker, P. macrotis Baker—; in Brazil-— P. diuretica St. Hil.—; in West Tropical Africa—P. hirsuta Guill and Perr.—; in Somaliland—P. propinqua Garcke—. Involucral bracts 8-14, subulate. 1. Ripe carpels unarmed wingless. Leaves slightly lobed od : : meee eee OU OTOL. 2. Ripe carpels glabrous, narrowly mineed Leaves deeply lobed 900 Sho ... P. zeylanica. 3. Ripe carpels with 2 short iiélcled! Leaves oblong creneate S60 60 .. P. propinqua. 498 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLiti 1. Pavonia odorata,Willd. is found in North-West India, Bundel- khand, Sind, Baluchistan, West Rajputana, Bengal, Konkan, Southern Maratha Country, North Circars, Deccan, Carnatic, Ceylon. It extends to East tropical Africa. The fragrant root is esteemed by Ayurveda practitioners, who consider it aromatic, cooling, and stomachic. It is much used, in combination with other drugs, as a remedy for fever, inflammation, and haemorrhage from internal organs. It is a well-known South- Indian febrifuge. In Bombay it is prescribed as an astringent and tonic in cases of dysentery. In Las Bela the plant is used as a cure for rheumatism. Bombay: Walavala—; Canarese: Balarakikasigida, Mudivala—; Gujerati: Kalowalo—; Hindi: - Sugandhabala—; Jodhpur: Chirikenahl—; Las Bela: Zordar—; Malayalam: Wuruntotti—; Marathi: Kalavala, Sughandabala— ; Sanskrit: Ambunamaka, Bala, Barhishtha, MHaribera, MHrivela, Kachamoda, Keshanama, Keshanamaka, Keshya, Kuntala, Kuntaloshira, Lalanapriya, Toya, Udichya, Vajra, Vala, Valaka, Varapinga, Vari, Varida, Varinamaka—; Sin- halese : Pushpa-bevila—; Tamil: Avibattam, Peramutti, Suvesagam—; Telugu: Chittibenda, Ettakuti, Muttavapulagamu, ‘igebenda--. 2. Pavonia propinqua Garcke is found in Sind and Baluchistan ; it is distributed to Abyssinia and Somaliland. In Somaliland a decoction of the leaves and branchlets is used as a wash, in the form of either a bath or a douche, to prevent abortion in syphilitic women. Somali: Brumd—. 3. Pavonia zeylanica Cav. is found in Northern India, West Rajputana, Sind, the Western Peninsula, the Circars, Carnatic, and Ceylon. It is distributed to tropical Africa, and Mauritius. The plant is a South Indian febrifuge. In Gambia the plant is used as a vermifuge and a piece by the Mandingo natives. Canarese: Antutogari, Bialarakshasi, Chittamutti—; Mandingo: Ratach—; Sinhalese : Gasbeuila—; Tamil: Kurundotti, Mammatti, Sevagan, Sittamutti— ; Telugu: Chinnamutavapulagamu, Chinnamutennu, Karubenda, Peramutti—. SIDA. This genus includes 120 cosmopolitan species. The roots of the different species’ are regarded as cooling, astringent, and tonic. The following are used medicinally in the Canary Islands—S. rhombifolia Linn.-—-; in West Tropical Africa—S. acuta Burm., S. cordifolia Linn., S. linifolia Cav., S. rhombifolia Linn.—; in oe Reunion—S. acuta Burm., S$. cordifolia Linn., S. rhombifolia Linn.—; in Madagascar—S. rhombifolia Linn.—; in Southern Africa-—S. cordifolia Linn., S. longipes E. Mey.—; in Indo-China— S. acuta Burm.—; in the Philippine Islands—S. acuta BUrENS S. rhombifolia Linn.—; in Australia—sS. rhombifolia Linn.— in Central and South America—sS. paniculata Linn., S. viscosa ees in Brazil—S. acuta Burm., S.. multiflora Cayv., S. rkombifolia MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS MALLOWWORTS 499 Linn.—; in North America—S. obliqua Nutt., S. paniculata Linn., S. rhombifolia Linn. A. Prostrate trailing herb wae 5b eS: 2 oS. veronicacfolia B, Erect or suberect, herbs or undershrubs. Stellately hairy 1. Petiole spiny at the base a aa oe ws We SPinosa. z. Petiole not spiny at the base a. Awns exceeding the calyx fe ae w» S. cordifolia. b. Awns short. i. Leaves linear lanceoiate, glabrous or nearly so S. acuta. ii. Leaves rhomboid-lanceolate or obovate, hoary beneath he ae Sb .. 9. rhombifolia. — iii, Leaves oblong-ovate obtuse, downy on both surfaces 504 bi .. S. grewioides, Sida acuta Burm. is generally distributed throughout the hotter parts of India. It is found all over the tropics. The root is regarded as cooling, astringent, tonic and useful in nervous and urinary diseases, and also in disorders of the blood and bile. It is intensely bitter, and is prescribed in infusion, and in conjunction with ginger, in cases of intermittent fever. It is considered by the Hindu practitioners as a valuable stomachic and useful remedy in chronic bowel complaints; the dose, a small tea- cupful, twice daily. The authors of the Bengal Dispensatory, after a trial of the roots, were unable to satisfy themselves as to its febrifuge action, but it was found to promote perspiration, to increase the appetite, and to act as a useful bitter tonic. In Goa, the Portuguese value it as a diuretic, especially in rheumatic affections. They also use it as a demulcent in gonorrhoea, and Muhammadans believe this to have aphrodisiac properties. In the Konkan, the root is applied with sparrow’s dung to mature boils. In Southern India the leaves, made warm and moistened with a little gingelly oil, are employed to hasten suppuration. In the \Xonkan they are applied with other cooling leaves in ophthalmia. In Bengal, the expressed juice is used in the form of an electuary in the treatment of intestinal worms. In West Tropical Africa the leaves are sometimes an ingredient in prescriptions for intestinal worms in horses. They are used frequently by native witch doctors to procure abortion. A cold infusion of the leaves is a common Yoruba remedy for gonorrhoea, and they are sometimes taken medicinally cooked with rice or other food. Rubbed up with water, they are used to scrub the body and as a wash for dogs, goats, etc., for scab and parasitic skin diseases. The bitter bark in infusion is taken as an appetiser and stomachic tonic. In Gold Coast the plant is used to cure venereal disease. The leaves when bruised are slimy-and are put on the hands of mid- wives when they are about to remove dead children from the womb; they are mashed in water and the liquid used as an enema for paralysed children to help them to walk; they are frequently used to cause abortion. | 14 500 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST: SOCIETY, Vol. XLII Sanskrit writers. recommend the plant in combination with other drugs for the treatment of snake-bite and scorpion-sting. But Caius and Mhaskar have proved experimentally that the plant ts not an antidote to either snake or -scorpion venom. Andamans: Sirivadibdbila—; Ashanti: Sowa—; Awuna: Xa-gbe—; Bengal: Bonmeshi, Pilabarelashikar, Shvetberelakoreta—; bombay: Bala, Jang- limeshi— ; Brazil: Malva, Vassoura—; Burma: tsatsaynai, Pyendangnalen— ; Canarese: Bhimankaddi, Vishakaddi—; Ceylon: Malaitanki, Vaddatiruppi, Vishapati— ; Deccan: Isarbadi, Isbadi—; Hwe: Ademe-ademe, Afidemii-—; Ga; Shwuoblo—; Goa: Cha de India—; Guwjerati: bala, Jangiimethi—; s1indi: Bariara, Kareta, Kharenti; Paharibariara—; Indo-China: Bai choi, Vai choi—; Kolami: I\pirpijon—; Krepi: Didinglome—; La Reunion: Grosse herbe dure, Herbe a balais—; Malay: Iiselulut putih, Ketumbar hutan, Poko lidah ular, Sada turi, Telor belangkas—; Malayalam: Malatanni, Shiruparuva—; Marathi: Chikana, Pata, Tukau, Tupkaria—; Mauritius: Herbe panier, Herbe a panier a fleurs roses, Mauve du pays—; Mende: Helui—; Mundari: Ipirpichig, Marci- baear, Marcijono— ; New Hebrides: Herbe a balais—; Pampangan: Higotbalato, Pamalis— ; Porebunder: Bala, Dungraubal—; Sanskrit: bala, Brihannagabala, Pata, Pila, Pitberela, Rajbala—j; Santal: Bir miru baha—; Susu: Fankuma- ‘duma—; Jagalog: Escobaghaba, Higotbalato, Pamalis—; Tamil: Arivalmanaip- pundu, Arivalmukkan, Kayappundu, Malaidangi, Malaikkurundaii, Mayirmaniik- kam, Ponmusuttai, Vattatiruppi—; Janna: ‘Veranmatin—; Jelugu: Chittimu, Gayapaku, Muttavapulagamu, Nelabenda, Sahadevi, Visaboddi—-; Jimne: Ekboentomoer, a-tanta, Koe-tanta, Makboentomoer—; Lupin: ‘Tupitcha—; Twi: Apono, Obranetuata, Petekuku, Siwabiri, Sowa—j; Uriya: Ancharna, Siobola, Sunakhodilka-—; Visayan: Higotbalato, Pamalis, Silhigon—; Yoruba: Oshepotu, Oshepotufunfua—. 2. Sida cordifolia Linn. occurs in the tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. it is generally distributed in moist places. A decoction of the root with ginger is given by Hindu physicians, in intermittent fever. It is also administered in fever accompanied by shivering fits and strong heat of body. The powder of the root-bark is given with milk and sugar for the reliei of frequent micturition and leucorrhoea. In diseases of the nervous system the root is used alone, or in combination with other medicines. The bark of the root with sesamum oil and milk is very etlica- cious in curing cases of facial paralysis and sciatica when caused by the inflammation of the nerves concerned (lkoman). . In Cambodia the root is considered diuretic and depurative; it is given in the treatment of gonorrhoea and ringworm. The Thongas of Portuguese East Africa use the plant as a children’s medicine. The leaves, mixed with rice, are given to alleviate the bloody flux. In the Konkan, the leaves, with other cooling leaves are applied in ophthalmia; the root-juice is used to promote the healing of wounds, and the juice of the whole plant pounded with a little water is given in + seer doses for spermatorrhoea. lee ; The seeds are reckoned aphrodisiac, and are administered in gonorrhoea. They are also given for colic and tenesmus. Bengal: Bala, Barila, Brela, Svetberela—; Cambodia : Kantrang bai sa—}; Canarese: Chittuharalu, Hettutti—; Ewe: Didinglome—-; Fanti: Kumpa— ; Gujerati: Baladana, Khareti—; Hausa: Varar hankufa, Farin garmani, Garmani, K?ardafi, Mai-k’alo—; Hindi: Barial, Bariala, Bariar, Kharenti, WKhoroeti, Kungyi—; Katagum: WKardafi—; Konkan: Wobirsirbhaji, Muttava—; La Ke- MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS MALLOWWORTS EOL union: Mauve—; Malay: WKelulut putih—-; Malayalam: Katturam—; Marathi: Chikana, hiranti—; Mauritius: Herbe dure, Herbe panier, Herbe a panier, Mauve a teuilles veloutées, Arivamouc, Barjala, Barriar—; Mundarn: Huring- mindilata—; Porebunder: Bal, Bala, Baldana, Balnochotvo—; Punjab: IKharenti— ; Sanskrit: Badiyaiaka, Bala, Baladhya, Balini, Bhadra, Bhadrabala, Bhadrodani, rela, Jayanti, Kalyanini, Kanaka, Kathorayashtika, Kharakakash- tika, Kharayashtika Krura, Motapati, Nilaya, Odanavha, Odani, Odanika, Phani- jivaka, Prahasa, Raktatandula, Samanga, Samansha, Shitapaki, Suvarna, Svetbe- rela, Variga, Vataghni, Vatyalaka, Vatyali, Vatyapushpi, Vilala—; Sid: Bur- rayra— ; Sokolo: Garamani, Faringaramani— ; Tamil: Arivalmanaippundu, Nila- tutti—; Jelugu: Antisa, Chirubenda, Muttavapulagamu, Suvarnamu, Tellagorra, Tellantisa—; Thonga:; Sitjhesinyana santlhaba—; Timne: Malkboentomoer— ; Uriya: Badiananla, Bisookopari—; Yemen: Ren—. 3. Sida; grewioides Guill. and Perr. occurs in the North-West Provinces and Sind. It is distributed to Arabia and tropical Africa. In Jodhpur and jaisalmer the seeds, ground and mixed with goor, are used as a cure for lumbago. Rajputana: Ball, Dabi—. 4. Sida rhombifolia Linn, is found as a weed of waste places, throughout the tropics of both hemispheres. ~The root is held in great repute in the treatment of rheumatism. The Mundas apply the pounded leaves on swellings. In Lakhimpur (Assam) the roots are taken internally to help childbirth. The herb is also tied round the abdomen for the same purpose (Carter). The stems abound in mucilage, and are employed as demuicents and emollients both for external and internal use. In Europe the plant has been regarded as a valuable remedy in pulmonary tuberculosis and rheumatism. Conflicting reports of its efcacy as a tuberculosis remedy have been published. In Madagascar the plant is mostly used as ‘an emollient; an infusion of the root is given in dysentery; the leaves are pounded and applied to tumours, or chewed and applied to boils. Sanskrit authors recommend the use of the plant in combination with other drugs for the treatment of snake-bite and scorpion-sting. But Caius and Mhaskar have shown experimentally that no part of the plant is an antidote to either snake or scorpion venom. Afrikaans : Pretoria-bossie, Taaiman—; Australia: Common Sida Weed, Jelly Leaf, Native Lucerne, Queensland Hemp—; Bambara: Balan-balan—; Bengal : Lal berela, Pitabala, Pithala, Svetbarela—; Benin: Aramahi—; Betsileo: Kisin- dahorina—; Canarese: Bennegaragu, Gubethadegida, Kallangadale—; Central America: Escoba—; Ceylon: Atipalacheddu, Chittamadi—; Cuba: Malva de cochino—; English : Paddy’s Lucerne, Queensland Hemp, Sida Hemp—; Espiritu Santo: Niveding irin irin—; French: Herbe a balais, Fausse guimauve, Guimauve des Indes—; Fulani: Gogil—; Guam: Escobilla—; Gujerati: Baladana—; Hausa: Faskara saiwo, Miyar tsanya, Namijim hankufa—; Hawaii: [lima—; Hindi: Bariara, Bhiunli, Kharenti, Pitabala, Sahadebi, Sahadeva, Swetbarela— ; Hova: Tsindahoro—; Ibo: Azu uzo mbo, Udo agheregha—; Indo-China: Choi duc, Ke dong tien, Ke hoa vang—; Katsina: Miyatsanya—; Kolami: Ipirpijon— ; Kovambo: Sose, Susi—; La Reunion: Faux thé, Herbe dure—; Malay: Bunga padang, Poko lidah ular, Seliguri guri padang, Senda guri padang—-; Malayalam : Anakkuruntotti, Totti, Valanguruntotti, Vatturam—; Malinke: Mali- sobo—; Marathi: Chikna, Sadeda, Sahadevi—; Mauritius: Herbe halais, Herbe a balais, Thé batard, Kareti, Vattatirippi--; Mundari: Ipiripiung, Pipirpiung—; Mende : Helui—; New South Wales: Paddy Lucerne—; Nimar: Bariari—; North America; Canary-island Tea-plant, Jelly Leaf, Paddy’s Lucerne, Queensland 502 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIiI Hemp, Sida Hemp, Tea Plant—; Nyasaland: Denji—; Owerri: Azu uzo mbo, Udo agheregho—; Panama: Iscobilla—; Pampangan: Escobanghabo—; Pore- bunder : Betraubal, Betraubaldana—; Samoa: Mantofu—; Sanskrit: Ahikhanda, Atibala, Bala, Barela, Brihadagala, Devaarha, Devabala, Devasaha, Gandha- vallari, Gandhavalli, Jyeshthabala, Jkarambhara, MKesarika, eshawardhini, Keshruha, Lalbarila, Mahabala, Mahagalarthaprasadini, Mahagandha, Mriga, Mrigadini, Mrigarasa, Pitapushpa, Pitapushpi, Prasadini, -Sahadeva, Sahadevi, Samanga, Sarini, Varshapushpa, Varshpushpi, Vataghni, Vatya, Vatyayani—-, Sema: Chopfu-ga-bo—; Sinaloa: Malva colorada-—; Sinhalese : Kotikanbevila— , Sokoto: Miyatsanya—; South Africa: Queensland Hemp——; Tagalog: L:scobang- haba—; Vahiti: Burume—; Tamil. Anaikurundotti, Kurundetti, Tenacham— ; Telugu: Atibala, Gubatada, Mayilumanikyamu, Muttavapulagamu—; Tigrinia;: Deche-dabro—; Lulu: MWKadiru—; Uriya: Dholabadeanla, Nalobadianla—; Uruguay: Afata, Malvavisco, Mata alfalfa, Tipicha—; Venezuela: Kscoba—; Visayan: Basengbaseng, Escobanghaba—; Wolf: Ndetalmnor, Ndetinor—; Yoruba: Ewe ifin—; Zulu: iVavana—. 5. Sida spinosa. Linn. occurs throughout the hotter parts of India from the North-West to Ceylon. It is distributed over the tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. The leaves are demulcent and refrigerant, and are useful in cases of gonorrhoea, gleet and scalding urine. They are bruised in water, strained through cloth, and administered in the form of - a draught. The decoction of the root-bark and root is used as a demulcent in irritability of the bladder and in gonorrhoea. The root acts as a gentle tonic and diaphoretic, and is employed in mild cases of debility and fever. They are useful also in the treatment of some forms of cattle disease. Arabic: Julbahebarri—; Bengal: Bonmethi, Gorakchaulia, Pilabarela—; Canarese: Kadumenthya—; Deccan: Janglimethi—; Kgypi: Agul, Melulxhiyet iblis—j; Gujerati: Kantalobal—; Hindi: Bariar, Bariara, Gangeran, Gulsakari, Janglimethi, Khareti—; La Reunion: Herbe dure—; Malayalam : Kattaventiyam, Mayirmanikkam-— ; Marathi: Gandedhaman, Gangeti, Kanteritukati— ; Mundari ; Mindilat, Mindilate—; Persian : Shambalidebarri, Shamlithedashti— ; Porebunder : Balnansavenan, Kantalobal—; Sanskrit: Avishta, Bhadrandani, , Chatupala, Devadanda, Gangeruki, Ghanta, Gorakshatandula, Urisvagavedhuka, Jhasha, Kharagandha, Wharagandhini, ISharavallika, Mharyashthika, Mahagandha, Mahapatra, Mahaphala, Mahashakha, Mahodaya, Nagabala, Pila, Pitberela, Vishvadeva, Vishvadevi— ; Sinhalese: Girivedi-bevila, Kotikambabila, Manmani- kam—; Yamil: Arivalmanaippundu, Mayirmanikkam—; Jelugu : Chinnamuttamu, Chinnamuttavapulagmu, Mayilumanikyam, Muttavapulagamu, Ternallabenda, Virinelabenda— ; Uruguay : Malvavisco—. 6. Sida veronicaefolia Lam. is distributed throughout the hotter parts of India, and throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The flowers and unripe fruit are given together with sugar for burning sensation in micturition. Among the Santals the leaves are pounded and used as a local application to cuts and bruises. They are also given in the diarrhoea of pregnancy. In the Coimbatore District, they are ground up with cummin seeds, onions, and the succulent portion of aloe leaves, mixed with buffalo butter-milk, and given to cattle suffering from rinderpest. Bengal: Junka—; Ceylon: Palampadu—; Gujerat: Bhoyabala—-; Hindi: Bananiyar, Bhiunli, Kharenti—; Nolami: Bariar—; Marathi: Bhoybal, Bhui- MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS MALLOWWORTS 508 chikna— ; Mundari : Jangki, Mindilat, Mindilatanari—; Sanskrit : Bhumibala— ; Santal; Bariar, Bir, Jokhasakan, Tandi—; Sinhalese: Bevila-—; Tamil: Palam- pasi—j; Telugu: Gayapuwaku, Nellabenda—. - THESPESIA. The genus consists of 5 species inhabiting warm regions. T. populnea Corr. is used medicinally in Indo-China, the Malay Archipelago, the Society Islands, Mauritius, Mozambique, and Upper Guinea; T. campylosiphon Rolf. is used in the Philippine Islands. Thespesia populnea Soland. occurs in the coast forests of India and Burma. It is largely grown as a.roadside tree in tropical regions. In the Central Provinces, the root is taken as a tonic. In the Konkan, the flowers are employed in the cure of itch; and the leaves are employed as a local application to inflamed and swollen joints. The fruit yields a yellow, viscid juice, which forms a valuable local application in scabies and other cutaneous diseases. The affected parts of the body are daily washed with a decoction of the bark. A decoction of the bark is given internally as an alternative. The bark is astringent and is prescribed in the Philippines for the treatment of dysentery in the form of a decoction. The fruit, leaves, and root are applied externally in scabies and other skin affections. In Tahiti, the fresh capsules, bruised and applied to the fore- head are said to cure migraine; the yellow sap exuding from. the peduncles is considered a cure for the bites of insects, especially of the centipede; it is also useful in sprains, bruises, and all cutane- ous affections. In Mauritius, the bark is described as depurative, and used in dysentery, haemorrhoids; the juice of the fruits being applied to warts. In Madagascar a decoction of the bark is commonly used in chronic dysentery and cutaneous diseases; the sap is applied externally for herpes. Rumphius speaks highly of the value of the heartwood as a remedy for bilious attacks and colic, and in a kind of pleurodynia from which the Malays often suffer. Waring tried the bark in scabies and other cutaneous diseases in some cases, it exercised a favourable influence, but in the majority it was productive of little or no benefit. The leaves are ground into a paste and applied externally. in children’s eczema; so also an oil prepared by boiling the ground hark in cocoanut oil is applied externally in psoriasis and scabies. The contents of the fruit which is a capsule are applied externally to ringworm. VIL.—A COIN LODGED IN A TIGER’S PALATE. Captain Chetwode’s note under the above title published in volume xli, p. 167 of the Journal has brought forward a suggestion from Mr. MacDonald (Journ. B.N.H,S, vol. xliil, p. 100) by way of explanation for this peculiar incident. I had the opportunity of examining the animal’s skull shortly after it had been shot. For- tunately the skinner had preserved the soft portion of the palate and ‘the coin. An examination of the bony palate and the flesh covering it showed that the pice had been lodged there for a con- siderable time. Slight bony growths at the spot and the cavity in the Heshy portion bore this out. The pice was intact and not per- forated. It only bore slight marks, the result of friction. There is no reason to suggest that the tiger was a man-eater, a point recognized by both Capt. Chetwode and Mr. MacDonald. Nor is there any foundation for the belief that the coin had been shot from a gun—it would have to be a large bore gun! Mr. Mac- Donald however suggests that the tiger may have obtained the coin from an. animal having a necklace of coins in the heat of excitement when killing its prey. As pointed out already the coin had no perforation and thus could not have been used in a necklace, unless it had been stuck to a leather collar as is sometimes done. To explain how the tiger got the coin, I must go back to how did the prey, whatever it was, get the coin? There appears to me to be two possibilities :— (1) that the coin had been dropped by a villager and the prey picked it up by licking, and swallowed it—animals frequently lick metal for some unknown reason. (2) that the coin had been tied up in a cloth, either by itself or along with others and that the cloth had been dropped. A hungry goat, cow or donkey found a ‘wholesome’ rag and swallowed it with its contents. In time the cloth was digested, and the coin or coms remained in the alimentary canal. If the tiger’s victim obtained the coin in either of these two ways, the passage of the coin from the victim to the tiger is quite an easy step. The tiger during its meal got the coin into its mouth and it accidentally lodged behind the soft palate. In this position it: was separated from the floor of the mouth. Once in this cavity, any effort on the part of the tiger to dislodge it with its tongue only pushed the coin further forward, and in time the coin reached the spot where it was discovered—between the palatine bones and the tissue covering them. This appear to me to be the solution to this interesting accident. Bombay NaruraAL History Society, C. McCANN. BomBAY, August 31, 1942. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 519 VIT.—BLACK PANTHERS. As you will have gathered from another letter I am_ keenly interested in albinism in birds and animals; but to go to the other end of the scale I am interested in melanism too, although so far my experience has been confined to panthers only. | Black panthers are commonly considered to be freaks, specimens occurring in normal litters. But I have succeeded in breeding them ‘true to type’ and my experience has been that a pair of black panthers will always produce black cubs. My first female cub was obtained from the Straits Settlements, in which parts they are found more frequently than elsewhere. This cub, like others of its kind, had a vile temper and tried to scratch a couple of tigers in an adjoining cage, with the result that the tigers got annoyed and pulled the panther’s shoulder right out of its socket through the bars. I put this cub (? grown) out of its misery with a bullet. TF next got a female from Jamnagar and a full-grown pair (trapped wild) from Singapore and put the three together invacage.. The Singapore female was apparently barren; so | got rid of her. The others two bred as follows :— (a) 1st litter, 2 cubs, male and female, both black. They came to a sad end when a few days old, as the mother refused to feed one and drowned the other in her drinking water through. (b) 2nd litter, 2 cubs, male and female, both black. T[. still have them. (c) 3rd litter, 2 cubs, both male, both black. The mother killed one by sitting on it and the other is still with me. The mother and daughter (b) have both been put back to the sire (Singapore male) and are now in whelp. The sire is jet black but the mother shows faint rosettes when in the sunlight. All adults are of good size and more ‘thick set’ in build than the normal panther. A peculiarity about them is that the fore legs are shorter than the hind legs, which makes them slope slightly towards the head, like Siamese cats (which small relative also originated from the regions noted for black panthers). The cubs are born with a chocolate coloured milk coat with rather prominent rosettes; these latter gradually fade as the cubs grow older and the coat becomes blacker. I have noticed that cubs in succeeding litters appear to have rosettes more faintly marked than in previous litters. The temper of both cubs and adults can only be Wescrined as vile. Panthers are notoriously ‘uncertain’; but black panthers are real ‘limbs of Satan’: Normal panthers are comparatively docile. Gestation period is about 14-15 weeks. My records show mating T5-1-39, cubs born 16-5-39; Mating 2-3-4o cubs, born 20-6-40. RAM SINGH BAHADUR;: KeCaSslanr ba ZS. PaRTABGARH (SOUTH RajpuTana). Maharawat of Partabgarh, August 19, 1942, 520 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII VIII.—A WINE-BIBBING PANTHER—AND OTHERS. My state is ‘stiff with panthers’ and though I now seldom shoot them myself, finding the game rather monotonous after bagging 185 of them, they provide sport for some of my guests who are on shikar bent and keen on collecting a spotted coat or two. The bait consists of a goat tied on top of a platform raised about five feet off the ground to keep it out of reach of hyenas, and it is amazing how soon a panther learns where a free dinner is available. One such panther took to killing regularly in daylight (early evening) and as the platform was conveniently situated my guests and I used to watch it from a ‘hide’ a few yards away. After a time I decided to provide it with free drinks as well as dinner and placed a stone trough near the platform and filled it with sweetened water. The Panther lapped a little liquid rather diffidently but later began to drink regularly and I mixed about 1/6th part of country (mhowa) liquor with the water. Again, to start with, the panther was rather suspicious of the new taste and smell but apparently got used to it and by degrees I increased the proportion of liquor to half and half. By this time our friend looked forward to the cup that both cheered and inebriated, and became indeed a confirmed toper. He would invariably make first for the booze before tackling his dinner and frequently lay down after a drink and ‘slept it off’, forgetting to kill the goat that evening. After some months he turned up with a mate; his female friend however was never seen to join him in a drink; she confined her- self to killing and eating the goat. She was much more wary than her companion and disappeared at any suspicious sound or move- ment made by either us or him; in fact she seemed frightened of him and they never dined together. This little ‘tamasha’ went on for a long time, and after many goats had been taken, the male suddenly ceased to appear. I do not know what became of him. Perhaps he visited a distant bait and was shot. [I certainly cannot imagine the dope fiend giving up his haunts and his habits for any ordinary reason. The female was trapped for my zoo. She was of normal size but had a tail: only a foot long. There was another panther that used to kill regularly by the light of a strong Petromax light suspended just over the bait, while we watched him from a short distance away. Panthers become very bold and daring, especially when they live close to human habitation, as many villagers, and their goats and dogs, know to their cost. When a panther takes to killing human beings, for- tunately a rare occurrence, it is an infinitely greater scourge than a man-eating tiger. Three of the largest panthers I have had were caught as cubs when 1o days old. A 6 ft. 6 in. female that was shot in a beat was found to be in milk; so a search was made and the cubs, 1 male and 2 females, were found, When these grew up they escaped MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 52] from my zoo and had to be shot. They measured 7 ft. 11 in. (male) and 6 ft. 7 in., respectively. RAM SINGH BAHADUR, aCe Solon. o745.Sic PARTABGARH (SOUTH Rajputana). Maharawat of Partabgarh., August 19, 1942. IX.—NOTE ON THE BREEDING OF THE MALABAR GIANT SQUIRREL (RATUFA INDICA MAXIMA) IN ‘CAPTIVITY. I have previously (1939) reported upon the birth of Ratufa macroura in captivity, but there seems to be no record of the breed- ing of the allied more imposing mainland species R. indica. In January 1942 I-received in exchange from the Trivandrum Zoological Gardens an adult pair of R. indica maxima. Both animals had been some time in captivity in Trivandrum, the male since 4th July 1939 and the female since 2nd July 1940, before being sent to me. Prior to this they had been kept as pets by private indivi- duals. They had not previously bred, nor had there been any record of the breeding of this form in the Trivandrum Gardens hitherto. The animals were immediately released into a large open cage 6 ft.x6 ft.x6 ft. with a two-roomed sleeping compartment at the back, similar to the one in which I had previously succeeded in breeding R. macroura. No unusual behaviour was noted until 24th April 1942, a little over four months after their release into this cage, when the female was observed to spend most of the day in her sleeping box, not even coming out to feed. The same occurred on the following day, when naturally I felt something was amiss, when I discovered that she appeared to be straining severely and I concluded that she was possibly in labour. This proved to be the case, for the next day, when she came out for a meal, I observed a single naked baby inside the box. (The male was removed at this stage). No pattern was discernable in the baby’s skin, but in two day’s time it was noticed to be blacker in the anterior half than posteriorly. By the following day the dark colour had spread all over the body, and it could be seen to be due to a fine, close- fitting coat of silky hairs,—approximately at the same age as it was found in R. macroura. Its eyes were not yet open. These did not open until some time in the last week of May, when the animal was about five weeks old, which seems considerably delayed compared with the condition observed in R. macroura, whose baby was able to run about at the age of one month. On gard June it first peeped out of its nest box; and the following day it came out altogether for the first time. The peculiar patterning of the coat in R, indica maxima appeared early. Although on the fourth day the whole body, except the ventral surface appeared uniformly dark, within a very few days, 522 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII when the hairs had had time to erupt sufficiently, it could be ob- served that the ears, nape, and the back and sides of the body were deep maroon, duller than in the adults; whilst the posterior part of the back, rump, tail and the upper: portions of the limbs, and the shoulders and haunches were black. The facial pattern, “how- ever, was not to be made out with certainty until a week or more later, when the characteristic pale cheek stripe could be seen. The ears were small and rounded, adpressed at first, and did not present any pencils until the age at which it first peeped from the box. The tail hairs too, are at first closely applied to the tail as in all young squirrels. At the age of three months the young one is about one- -third the size of its parents. It has erupted its incisor teeth, and these are probably its permanent incisors, since the deciduous predecessors, which are known to occur in Sciuridae, are always lost very soon after birth. It has not yet manifested its vocal powers, which are evident enough in both its parents. I am indebted to Dr. R. K. Nair of the Trivandrum Garden for the previous history of the specimens sent to me and to Miss A. K. Joshua for her co-operation in bringing the Squirrels to Colombo. MeEpbIcAL COLLEGE, W. C. OSMAN HILL} m-p:, chop. , ete; COLOMBO, CEYLON, August 5, 1942. REFERENCE. Hill, W. C. O., 1939.—On the Neonatus in Ratufa and Funambulus, Ceylon JE Or SSC; <(B)ieexxi spe eros Z X.—DEFORMED TUSH IN A BOAR. (With a plate). A boar I shot in a beat a few days ago appeared to have only one tush on the right side protruding 34 in. from the gum. It was later discovered that the left tush was growing a couple of inches further back than the right one and lay parallel to and inside the teeth; it was not deeply imbedded in its socket and could be slightly moved; its: forward end curved downwards. and had made a hole or rather depression about 4 in. diameter in the lower jaw. The boar was an exceptionally fat and hefty specimen of a hill boar. I should be glad to send you the jaw if you would care to have it. RAM SINGH BAHADUR Ve OsGellag WaZoS Maharawat of Partabgarh. PARTABGARH (SOUTH RAJPUTANA). August 19, 1942. | His Highness forwarded the specimen to the society for examina- tion, It is a most extraordinary form of malformation. The title of the note is somewhat misleading for what at first sight appears JouRN. BomMBaAy Nat, HIst. Soc. Malformed Tushes of Wild Boar. (vide note) 7, oe ee, ile ou a. fs Sen Re aes Joe MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 528 to be an abnormal tush is in reality a most curious development of the second premolar of the left side of the lower jaw. The true tusk is completely suppressed and a very shallow cavity indicates its normal position. The bone in the area is somewhat spongy. The corresponding tusk of the right lower jaw is normal. The first premolar of the right side is normal. The corresponding: tooth developed, but possibly due to the interference of the abnormal tooth was displaced and a shallow cavity, filled with bony tissue, marks its position. The second premolar. of right side is quite normal. However, its partner on the left has developed into the form of a tush. aie base of the tooth is thick; from its now-widened socket it bends forward and finally enters a somewhat deep cavity (about 3/8 inch deep) which has been worn into the bone between the last pair of incisors. The tip lies crookedly within the cavity. From the base of the socket of the tooth, there appears a now-healed-up suture in the bone, which seems to show the path followed by the tip of the tooth at an earlier period, till it finally came to rest in its present position. The tooth was apparently loose in its socket as the cavity in which it rests is larger than otherwise necessary, but it cannot be extracted. All the remaining teeth are normal. The abnormal tooth bears a scar which indicates where the upper tooth or teeth contacted it when the animal was eating. The lower jaw viewed from the underside shows no abnormality beyond the fact that the usual bulge in the bone necessary to accommodate the tusk (of the left side) 1: Eps. | | XI.—SOME EXPERIMENTS IN ALBINISM. (With a plate). Some of your readers may be interested in my efforts successful after several attempts, to breed albino chital. The history is briefly as under: Abou four years ago I bought a chital stag in Bombay. I have always been interested in albinism, in any kind of animals or birds, and hearing that a ‘White deer’ was for sale at Crawford market, visited the unsavoury quarter where the animal dealers ply their trade. The dealer said he did not know what kind of deer it was; but I recognized it as a perfect specimen (except for the horns, which had no tines) of an albino chital stag and, cutting down the fabulous price demanded to less than half, secured it for a reasonable figure. : I placed this stag in my zoo and matéd it to a normal doe; result was a normal female, which may be called exhibit (A). (A) was in due course mated to her albino sire, result a normal female (B). iS mated to her albino sire, result normal male. (B) again mated to her albino sire, result normal female (C). (C) mated to albino sire, result normal female (D). (D) also put back to albino sire and produc ed a perfect albino ae (E)-on 23-3-40. (D) again put back to albino sire and has again prod luced another albino male (F) on 24-2-41. 524 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL AIST. “SOCIETY, Vol. XLITI It will be seen that doe (D) which is now apparently breeding ‘true to type’ is the fourth generation. I am hoping that in due course she will produce an albino female, which, if put back to the original albino sire, should definitely ‘fix’ the type. I may add that the albino males (E) and (F) are typical specimens and have ruby eyes (which are rather intolerant of sunlight) pink noses, pink ears and light coloured hoofs. The original sire has horns about 2 feet in length with no tines; they are always in velvet, of a pink flesh colour, and the ends appear slightly raw. He drops his horns annually but the new ones grow in the same way. I enclose a family group photograph of D. E. & F. As already mentioned, I am keen on albinos and have had perfect specimens of an albino black buck (from Jaipur jungles) and chinkara gazelle (from Dhrangadra). These died,, in due course, and have been beautifully mounted entire by a famous firm of taxidermists ; but, alas, the effect is somewhat spoilt by their being given normal black -eyes and noses. I have at present an albino female of the common-ringed parakeet (canary yellow, with ruby eyes) and a male blossom headed parakect (orange, with light pink head and ruby eyes) I am trying to mate them. I also have an albino crow, just as big a villain as his normal corvine brother, an albino common mynah and albino ‘moonias’, also a pair of albino rhesus monkeys (all white with red faces and pink eyes and nails). RAM SINGH BAHADUR, K.C:Sil, #FsZaSt PARTABGARH (SoutH Rajputana). Maharawat of Partabgarh. August 19, 1942. XTT.—OCCURRENCE OF THE WHITE-CHEEKED BULBUL (MOLPASTES LEUCOGENYS LEUCOTIS) IN THE C.P. On the 15th September 1942 a female White-cheeked Bulbul (Molpastes leucogenys leucotis) was killed by a_ field-collector at Nagpur. The specimen has been mounted for display in the Bird Gallery of the Museum. As this is a very rare bird in this part, probably the first recorded from the south of Narbudda, I am reporting the matter in case you desire this information for record. S. S. PATWARDHAN, ' Curator. CENTRAL MUSEUM, NAGPUR, September 16, 1942. “(q ‘uone INO]OD Iv WwIOU ) 20p |v MO) ‘OTS OUTQ]e [CUISTIO ou) punossyovq ou, Uy (q ‘oyear) uMey fey ourq¢y (q ov ur) Ir ue) OUT] Y Puno. BELO 2 | "NING "yrorrrT "UAT TYTOTMATO CY FT RAITNTIISY C re. Biers. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 525: XIHI.—THE OCCURRENCE OF THE COMB-DUCK (SARCIDIORNIS MELANOTA) IN MYSORE STATE. As being of possibly some interest for your records, I would like to report that I shot a Comb-Duck (male), on the 3oth November 1941, in the neighbourhood of Gundalpet, Mysore State. The bird was one of four seen on the tank (probably two pairs). I understand from Major Phythian-Adams that although he believes that he has seen these birds in the Mysore State in former years, he was not aware that one had actually been shot. A solitary specimen of the Great Indian Bustard was seen the same day, but efforts to bag it proved unsuccessful. ‘LANSDOWN’, Regelhic: OONE Ye OQoTACAMUND, July 11, 1942. XIV.—THE BIRDS OF A BOMBAY GARDEN. The war has put an end to the habit of social and duty calls hither- to practised, ardently or with reluctance, by Bombay Europeans and some others. But birds know nothing of war activities, and still less about petrol restrictions, and, with some notable exceptions, they have been if anything more assiduous than ever in putting in an appearance on my premises and attracting my-attention- to their existence and their charms. I am hoping that I may be allowed to repay their politeness by giving an account of them in this, I presume, friendly Journal. As several of them have never been in my garden before, and some have never even been seen in Bombay island before, I consider that their presence, however fleeting, deserves to be recorded. I ought perhaps to begin by saying that I am well placed for visits from birds. My house, though unfortunately it is not actually mine, overlooks Back Bay. It has “the hanging eardens immediately below it, and on one side what used to be the Ladies’ Gymkhana, now almost entirely derelict, and on another side the flat Phiro- zeshah Mehta garden, covering a water reservoir, and beyond that the grounds of the Towers of Silence, which include a large area, well treed and mostly wild. Besides this, my garden, on both sides of the house, contains a good many trees, and there are many more on and across the roads outside. Not far away to the south are the grounds of Government House, and as most of the houses and buildings on Malabar Hill have well kept and well timbered gardens or compounds, the forty or so birds that I have on my Piling list are probably fewer than might be expected. A human caller from Delhi treated the number with contempt. In his Delhi garden his bird acquaintances numbered eighty, he told me. Politeness, or slowness of wit, prevented my replying that in such a matter a compact and civilised city might well be expected to be beaten by a straggling BR country town 626 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCTERY, Vol. Xie iil Certainly there is nothing very remarkable about my ordinary residents. If there had not “been some much more distinguished personages among my recent visitors I should not have ventured on this article. But “before I speak of these I will list the humbler, but more constant friends that I really depend on for bird company. ~My constant and unfailing companions are house crows, kites, mynahs, purple-rumped sunbirds, magpie robins, Mr. and Mrs. Koel, and a pair of rock-pigeons. Almost equally certain to put in an appearance, perferably when I can watch them at close quarters during the half hour that I am generally able to give to tea in the shadow of the bungalow ana small lawn that overlooks the Bay, are the coppersmiths (often numerous), iora, spotted fantail-flycatcher, white-breasted kingfisher, red-vented bulbuls, house sparrows, rose- ringed parakeets, palm-swifts, and, towards nightfall, Mr. and Mrs. Spotted Owlet. These, with one most important addition, the white- browed bulbul, whose cheery, rattling call rings out round the bungalow all day, make up my regular bird society. If I have counted them correctly they number nineteen. Had I made this list two years ago I should have added the Indian robin and the Indian oriole. We used to see the latter frequently, and unless my memory deceives me we used to have the former also, but I certainly have not seen them, since, for now just about two years, I have taken to watching systematically. Over and above these faithful nineteen a further nine birds take an interest either in me or my surroundings sufficient to bring them here pretty constantly, and to establish a considerable degree of familiarity between us. These are the bee-eaters, present, often in numbers, from October to the end of the year, when for some reason or other they forsake me though remaining in the neighbourhood until the monsoon. Besides the bee-eaters there are the red- whiskered bulbul, drongo, grey and white wagtails, Bombay rufous babbler, white-throated babbler, spotted munias and jungle crows. I must confess that this season I have only once or twice been looked up by a grey wagtail and not at all by any white ones. I ‘annot account for this, for both species used to be our constant tea-time companions. Per contra, the spotted munias. and white- throated babblers, whose visits, always in little parties, we used to consider a very special favour, have been here again and again throughout this last cold- weather, and I often see a party of the former flying by. Presumably they know when I have anything worth stopping for, just as the white-throated babblers seem to have a genius for discovering when my mali has created a suitable bathing puddled at the foot of an oleander which they treat as a convenient, and modesty ensuring bathing box. All attempts on our part to establish a regular bird-bath have failed; it was invariably taken possession of by crows and kites, and caused a noticeable reduction in the visits of our smaller friends. From this list of our residents and visitors there are at least two notable absentees. Brahminy mynahs undoubtedly inhabit the gardens and roads of the western, sea-face, side of Malabar Hill, but they totally ignore us on the eastern, Back» Bay side. Is this some subtle social distinction that [ am too simple-minded to grasp? Do they write their names at Goyernment House, I wonder, or is MISCELLANEOUS NOTES - . 597 their caste too high even for that? Can it be that they are Con- gress birds, and Subject in their social relationships to unnatural inhibitions from afar? Another notable absentee from the list as so far given is the rosy pastor. He brings me to my once-or-twicers, the last five of whom are the real excuse for this article. With a name like his he might have been expected to be frequently seen at a house called Bishop’s Lodge. But only once has he paid his duty call, and then with only a single companion. That was at the end of March last year, when at Colaba I had seen many of them, and at IXurla, at sunset, many hundreds. Another bird remiss in its attentions is the purple sunbird. I think I glimpsed him once, but am uncertain, whereas from Salim Ali’s book, shortly to be mentioned, they appear to be not infrequent in the island. Other rare visitors have been paradise flycatchers and pied crested cuckoos, on all occasions towards the end of the hot weather, when no doubt they are on the move up the coast. The fly catchers have always been in the chest- nut stage of feathering, but the last seen (this year), though still ehestand clad, had developed the long tail-feathers. And now for my special and most honoured visitors, considered to be such on the authority of information derived from Salim Ali’s Birds of Bombay and Salsette. If only every separate part of India had authoritative and exhaustive lists like this one, how much | easier life would be for all who like myself desire to be able to put names to faces, however occasionally or imperfectly glimpsed. I will put these special five visitors in a crescendo, or perhaps it should be a diminuendo, of grateful awe. First, because they are so small, I put the party of white-eyes that visited the above-mentioned oleander last January. Salim Ali gives four references for their appearance on Malabar Hill, but KHA, our other and older authority for Bombay, confesses to have never seen them on the island, though he considered them common in the cold-weather across the harbour. Next, I had in December a series of late evening visits from a white-bellied drongo. EHA attributes him to Bombay, but Salim Ali does not bring him nearer than Tulsi Lake. He did not sit so still as the ordinary drongo does, but kept pouncing upwards into the air, uttering a sharp cry each time. He is smaller than the other drongo. . January, which brought the white-eyes, brought also an Indian shikra. He came in the middle of the day, but fortunately perched where I could see him from the lunch table, and gave me time to get quite near with a field glass. EHA describes him under the name Sparrow Hawk, and evidently considered him a common Bombay island bird, but SA (if I may call him that) has only two references for him, one in the city and one on Malabar Hill. The island is much more thickly built on than in EHA’s time, and this and other birds have become rare; I think my pride in my shikra is justified. Still more so is my pride in my Peregrine Falcon; yes, the real article, as aristocratic as anything could “be, Falco peregrinus pere- grinus. He was a tea-time visitor and stayed for a quarter of an hour, and then, when the crows became too impertinent, sailed away 528 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII with a most beautiful liquid flight, down towards Chaupatti, and then back to settle, presumably, somewhere further along the hill out of my sight. The fleckings on his breast resembled large and numerous drops of gravy. Mr. Prater assures me that these show that he was a young bird. From the skins I was shown the mark- ings on the breast evidently vary much in different specimens. Though not uncommon on the neighbouring mainland coast he is not recorded to have been seen in the island before. The final visitors on my ‘list are three large cuckoo. shrikes, one by itself in January and then two together in March. They are largish birds, and the first was hunting assiduously through a series of trees. In Whistler there is no picture, and the one in The Hand- book of Indian Birds does not show the fine, pale crosslines on the breast that all three birds displayed. Salim Ali has no references for Bombay island and considers them uncommon in Salsette, but FHA says that he had frequently seen them on Malabar Hill. Though this exhausts the birds that I have so far seen in my garden the list does not include all that can be seen from it. From November to March, for instance, there are constantly gulls on Back Bay, especially when fishing is in progress. The brahminy kite is constantly about in the monsoon. A pond heron once flew by at close quarters; our puddle is too insignificant and ephe- meral for the likes of him. The vultures that belong further down the hill only occasionally soar into sight. There are two kinds, and why they are not more often in the sky I cannot imagine, just as I can form no theory to account for the flittering about of palm- swifts on some evenings but not on others. Two vultures once settled in a brab palm in full sight of our verandah, as though considering its. suitability for a nest or roosting place. I should not have welcomed them as neighbours, and I am glad to say they never came again. Before I end I should like to mention a few more birds seen recently on Bombay island. Kestrels, though they have abandoned the Marine Lines reclamation now that it is built over, are still to be seen at Colaba, where also, pretty frequently I think, the marsh harrier shows himself. A pair of blue rock-thrushes continue to inhabit for the present the southern of the two Worli hills. I say a pair though I have only once seen the hen, and on that occasion the cock, with his usual lack of sociability, was completely ignoring her. At the foot of the hill I thought I had this year a desert wheat-ear, and I still think it was one, as it was larger than the very similar bush-chat that was there next time I called. On the fore-shore at the foot of the same hill, I am sorry to say a parti- cularly noisome piece of fore-shore, owing to the Lovegrove outfall, I had a year ago, at the end of May, and late in the evening, a flock of golden plover. SA speaks of these as frequent in the neighbourhood though never seen by him on the island. EHA, who must have known that they had been shot at Worli and on the flats and race-course of those days, seems doubtful whether they were likely to be seen. Now that the southern hill at Worli is being dug away for an esplanade and development in terraces, how. much longer will these three birds be seen? MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 529 In search of waterside birds I visited last November the tidal pans and flats that lie between Antop and Trombay hills. There I had my one and only sight of a redshank. SA considers that it is not abundant in these parts, and has no island references for it. He is a beautiful bird on the wing, and as we were able to stalk him we had a good close up view of the curious way in which, when stationary, he ducks his head as though trying to swallow or regurgitate some morsel. The action is usually described as a bobbing of the tail. It is not that, though the tail, what there is of it, necessarily goes up when the head and forepart of him go down. Just beyond the place where this bird was seen runs the tidal creek that used to connect with the Bandra creek and justify Bombay being called an island. Beyond the creek, in some small Pilu (Salvadora) trees, I came upon a party of white-cheeked bulbuls, crestless, and except for their yellow vents looking more like much overgrown cock-sparrows than anything else. Only a short time before, I had seen them, or rather their crested relations, in similar trees in Cutch, and I was interested to find that Salim Ali considers that in the neighbourhood of Bombay they are either escaped cage-birds, or, as I much prefer to think, migrants from Gujerat. Salvadora is a tree for which they have a special penchant. It is a waterside tree, often planted by Deccan wells, and very common in its natural habitat the sea-side of Gujerat and the North Konkan and on for some distance to the south. It is natural to suppose that birds would gradually work their way along the line of a favourite food plant. But Salvadora is supposed to be the mustard tree which our Lord says grows from the tiniest of all seeds to be big enough for birds to lodge in its branches. Were the birds He meant white-cheeked bulbuls, and can Bombay there- fore claim to have two Bible birds, the other being Worli’s Blue Rock-thrush, constantly thought, owing to its solitary habit, to be the bird that in the English translation of the Bible ‘sitteth alone upon the housetops’? My authorities are inadequate to answer this question, but it is a highly suitable one with which to end an article from this particular pen. RICHARD DYKE ACLAND. BisHop’s LODGE, MALABAR HILL, BomBay, June 12, 1942. Postscript :— Once again (for it has happened twice before) a bird has taken upon itself to upset what I have written, and has done so almost immediately after the manuscript had left my hands. It is a Brahminy Mynah that has played me the trick this time, whether with companions watching his escapade and egging him on from the background I do not know. He appeared in the garden early on the morning of June 16th, two days after the monsoon had started. He soon made off, and while here gave every indication of being on unfamiliar ground and in an uneasy state of mind or conscience. Re EDs. RAY £30. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII _XV:-—CAN HILSA BE TAKEN WITH ROD AND LINE? With reference to the enquiry regarding Hilsa in the last number of the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (Vol. xliit, p. 266). The Hilsa feeds on plankton (microscopic organisms) and its gill-rakers are setose, acting as a sieve to filter out these minute particles of food. It will thus be clear, from the nature of its food and feeding habits, that rod and line cannot be used for catching this delicious fish. The fishermen of Bengal are very clever and if Hilsa could be secured on rod and line, they would certainly have used baited hooks for its fishery long ago and not left it to be ‘caught in nets of a somewhat curious shape and modus operandi’. EDITORS. XVI.—THE MONITOR LIZARD (VARANUS MONITOR). Someone asked mie a few days ago whether monitor lizards could swim. I said I thought some did and others didn’t basing my remark on my limited personal experience of these reptiles. The only two occasions on which I have seen monitors swim was first while I was fishing for mahseer at Gurmi near Harnat in the Sibi District. The lizard which was about 3 ft. 6 in. in length and of a brownish colour on top but light underneath was basking amongst some stones close to the water. I put down my fly rod and ran to catch it but it was quicker than I and ran up a mulberry tree. I climbed up after it but it jumped down from a branch some 8 feet from the ground and made for the water into which it plunged swimming easily like a crocodile down into some weeds where it remained submerged for at least 10 minutes, after which I resumed my fishing, not seeing it again. The second occasion was while I was making my way up a small tributary of the Indus near Thor in Chilas. The monitor on this occasion too was of the same browntsh colour and measured about 4 feet including its tail with which it lashed me across the right shoulder when ji caught it. I released it near the stream to see whether it would swim and it ran into the water remaining close to the bank but completely submerged. I mention these two instances because I understand that the Water Monitor (Varanus salvator) is not found in India outside Bengal and possibly Assam while the Common Monitor (Varanus monitor) which is found all over India is alleged to be ‘Terrestrial, living in holes in dry places’ (fauna). The Yellow Monitor (Varanus flavescens) which is found in North India too is said to be ‘Terrestrial’ (Fauna). Possibly common monitors (which I think these two were) only take to water when pursued by an enemy. Nevertheless the species whatever it may be certainly seems to be amphibious. QUETTA, R. K. M. BATTYE, BALUCHISTAN, . Capt. July 2, 1942. | The Common Monitor may certainly be referred to as amphibious as it readily takes to water and can remain submerged for a con- siderable time. It also hunts crabs in streams and it has been known to even enter the sea when on islands. Eps. | MISCELLANEOUS NOTES E31 XVII.—THE FOOD OF THE BLIND SNAKE CEPEIEOR STA CUALUTS BOULENGER). As far as I am aware nothing definite appears to be known about the diet of the Typhlops in general. Wall (Journ. B.N.H.S. XXV, p. 375) merely makes a general statement, ‘They live for the most part beneath the soil, and subsist upon worms, grubs and insects.’ I’he usual habitat of the various species, at least during the monsoon months, under stones and in decaying timber has often led me to the beliet that Typhlops lives principally on the eZ?) pupae and larvae of ants. Incidentally, such habitats are common to ants during the same period as they are often swamped out of their underground nests, and is the best period to collect series of these Hymenoptera for research work. On September 12 Mr. H. Abdulali brought in a specimen ot 7’. aculus which on being put into a pre- servative vomited what it had eaten. An examination of the sub- stance revealed that it was composed of nothing but the eggs and pupae of ants. ‘This fact confirms my original belief so far as this large species is concerned. The question naturally arises as to how the Lyphlops is able to obtain the eggs and pupae from the formicid owners which are very often very pugnatious and attack everything that disturbs their peace. BomBAy NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, C. McCANN. BomBay, September 16, 1942. XVIII.—THE KING COBRA (NAIA HANNAH) IN CAE ARIWVAINYS: Ditmars in his Snakes of the World’ has given a rather detailed account of King Cobra (Naia hannah) which is regarded by him as the star snake of the Indo-Malayan area. Interesting observations on the feeding habits of this cannibalistic serpent are also made by Boulenger in the popular book The London Zoo.* The King cobra has been known to occur in the Cochin State forests for over 23 years, and the State Zoo at Trichur has always had one or more specimens in Captivity during this period. The first specimen was captured from Kanhirapilly in 1919 and lived for over twelve years -in captivity. It is reported that the authorities then had great difficulty in feeding this snake as they had no idea for some months that it lived upon the common rat snake. But, once the proper prey was discovered, there was no difficulty in keep- ing the snake in captivity. The King Cobra was also regarded as very rare in the Cochin forests till 1936, when as many as three specimens were procured for the Zoo, one from Chalakudy and one each from Pattikad and Thanikudam, localities not far from Trichur. Specimens were also collected in the years 1937 and 1938 from other adjacent localities. But none of these lived in the Zoo for more than a year and their deaths were attributed to injuries received during capture and in one case probably due to in- 1 New York, The Macmillan Company, 1937. 2 London, J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1937. 16 832 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII anition caused by complete abstinence from food. This young snake, unlike others that broke their self-imposed fasts alter some days or months of captivity, persisted in refusing food until at lasi even artificial feeding with beaten eggs was of no avail. The loss of a number of specimens made me bestow careiul attention on the surviving ones. “ihe dates of feeding were noted xn each case and daily observations were made to fina out whether the snakes were showing signs of ill health. While most specimens resorted to hunger strixe when put under artificral conditions, an apparently healthy snake, captured trom Vellanikara Estate, after one year of captivity, during which period there was no dilttficulty at all in feeding it, developed a strange illness. It» was first noticed when the snake ceased to shed its skin, the periodical renewal of which is essential for the health and activity oi- reptiles. All attempts to induce the snake to cast its skin by making it pass through the granite locks kept in the cage were without success and the condition persisted till it ended fatally. There was only one more specimen left in the Zoo and this ia its turn began. to show signs of inactivity and long intervals in shedding its skin after ‘an year of captivity. The snake was also continuously off its feed for over two months and judging from previ- ous experience its life was evidently in danger. The only course open to the Zoo staff was to peel off the dead skin by artificial means. One of the experienced keepers volunteered to carry out the operation and curiously enough the snake seemed to like it very much.- The snake regained its activity when the dead slough was se and before long captured a live rat snake as usual. After about six months of normal life the condition again recurred. This was during the rainy season and the chillness ot the weather seemed to add to its inactivity. The idea of warming the snake by some arrangement suggested itself and was carried out with complete success. The snake appreciated the amenity of artificial heating of its cage and readily coiled itself near the improvised oven. After a couple of days the scales began to come off, the snake started moving about and was evidently in search of food. A small- sized rat snake kept pressed to the cage by a long stick whetted its appetite and was readily caught. Larger specimens given during the succeeding weeks were caught without difhculty and the snake again became the unique exhibit of the reptile house attracting the usual crowd on feeding days. The process of removing skin by artificial means was resorted to a third time during the hottest part of the year when the snake again became very inactive and refused its feed. The experience in keeping King Cobras in the Zoos has thus led me to think that most of these giant reptiles find it difficult to slough of their own accord after some months of captivity and that, unless efforts are made to remove the epidermis artificially, the snakes become ill, refuse to capture their prey and die. M. GOVINDAN KUTTY MENON, m.a., STATE MUSEUM AND ZOO, Superintendent, ‘PRICHUR, July 0, 1942. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES E323 XIX.—NOTES.ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF SOME SNAKES. (With a plate), _Five snakes in the Reptiliary of the Zoological Gardens, Trivan- drum, laid eggs within the last half year. Reference has already been made on p. 108, vol. xliii of this Journal, about one of these, the chequered water snake (Nerodia piscator) which as reported has laid the record number of eggs (g1) observed for the species. The others that had their breeding season during this period were two pythons, one wolf snake and one krait. Attempts have been made to incubate the eggs of all these snakes, but hatchlings were obtained only in the case of Nerodia. Of the latter it might be mentioned that Major Wall says in his ‘Popular Treatise on the Common Indian Snakes’ that all attempts to incubate them have proved futile (/.B.N.H.S., vol. xvii, p, 864). In case it might be of interest to the readers, | am giving below, details of observations made regarding the breeding season, number and size of eggs of each clutch, period of gestation and period of incubation as far as has been ascertainable. The Python (Python molurus).—Vwo individuals of this species laid eggs, one on Feb. 19, and the other on March 19, 1942. In both cases the snakes soon after the commencement of the process of discharging the eggs coiled themselves round them. The number of eggs in the clutch of the former was 21, and of the latter 22. An egg measured 34 in. by 24 in. . They were white in colour when laid, but later on turned brownish white. Though on previous occasions eggs have hatched out here, this time both the snakes moved away after nesting over the. brood for a few days. While one of these was ‘brooding’ a fowl was let into the cage for feeding another python which was lying about 3 yards away in the same cage. The ‘brooding’ one at once darted forwards and caught hold of the fowl and commenced swallowing.. After the feed it turned away from. the eggs and subsequent attempts to coax it back to its. clutch failed. The pythons while remaining coiled over the eggs were found to make jerky movements at regular intervals of between thirty seconds to one minute. The Chequered Water Snake (Nerodia piscator).—This snake was admitted to the Reptiliary on the 24th November 1941, and has been in captivity since then without a mate. It laid eggs on the 29th January 1942. The period of gestation therefore cannot be less than 67 days which have intervened between its capture and the discharge of eggs. Major Wall mentions 55 days as the period of gestation for this species as observed by him. It took more than 12 hours for the reptile to void all the eggs (91) after which it remained inactive for a long time, its tail resting on the brood. The eggs were removed the next day, counted and placed in a glass jar over loose earth, covering the eggs with wet earth. The jar was so placed that for a couple of hours during the day direct rays of the sun might get access to it through the window of the Reptiliary. The earth was kept moist by occasionally sprinkling - 534 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII water on it. In the meanwhile the mother had taken to its regular feed, shed its skin and to all appearances was quite unconcerned about the eggs. A few eggs hatched out on the roth of March. The young ones were very inactive at first, but when put into water became very active and were swimming about. About 16 young ones were hatched out by the 12th March. The other eggs had begun to decay and were therefore removed. Many of these had fully developed embryos inside. Attempts to rear up these young ones failed and all of them died one after another during the succéd- ing few days. A hatchling as it emerged from the egg measured 7.2 ins. The period of incubation for the eggs of this species may be taken as 41 days. The Wolf Snake (Lycodon aulicus).—A snake of this species was caught in a well on the 2nd June and brought to the zoo. It laid four eggs on the 3rd. After laying, it crept up to a corner of the cage and remained inactive for the two succeeding days. Even though it came down later it was not observed to feed on the small frogs which had been let into the cage. The snake was found dead on the roth morning. It measured 19% ins. The Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus)._-A female measuring 3 ft. 4 ins. has been in captivity here since December 15, 1941. It laid 8 eggs on the 15th February 1942, 63 days having elapsed since its capture. Its mating must therefore have taken place in November or early in December. Major Wall has mentioned that its exact mating season has not been ascertained but he puts it down as probably during the months of February and March (vol. xviil, p. 722). Prior to laying, the krait built a sort of hollow nest in the sand on the floor of the cage and the eggs were voided into this depression. The eggs were white, glossy and elliptical, an egg measuring 1.3 ins. in length and 0.6 in. in breadth. The mother after laying, coiled itself round the eggs, even though the ‘nesting’ was not as compact as in the case of the Python. After a week it moved away and the eggs on examination were found to have shrunk considerably. Within the next two days they began to decay. This might probably be due to unfavourable weather conditions. According to Major Wall, the female after discharging her eggs remains coiled up with them at any rate until they are well advanced towards incubation. In this case none of the eges which were examined after the mother had moved away, had develop- ing embryos inside. TRIVANDRUM, | E. S. SIMON. June 15, 1942. XX.—RIVER POLLUTION AND FISH MORTALITY. During the recent heavy rain in the Rawalpindi District many of the rivers have come down in flood and it has been a most dis- tressing sight to see the quantities of fish that have been killed by the polluted water from the Leh River. The Leh River as you may know is a small river draining the Pindi district and having no source in the hills. It joins the Sohan River a hundred yards below where the Trunk Road crosses both JouRN. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. eggs. ith its Python w g over its clutch, Python broodin MISCELLANEOUS NOTES B35 rivers about. 4 miles from Rawalpindi. I have seen no dead fish in the Sohan above the junction with the Leh so it is fair to assume that pollution must come from this river. Last week we had a very local storm which brought the Leh down in flood but which had very little effect on the Sohan. The result was appalling. From the junction and right on down to below Morgah Village dead fish were stranded as the water fell. In one reach alone I counted over thirty large fish of over 1 Ib. and many more between 4 and 1 |b. The biggest fish was about 5 lbs. It was most noticeable that there were very few small fish or fry and no really large ones. If this destruction occurs every time the Leh floods I am afraid it will be the end of the Sohan as a fishing river. The cause of the pollution is doubtful; discharge from a Brewery or a Chemical works would seem to be the cause, but this has not been proved to my satisfaction. You will agree that it really is a very great pity and a complete disaster to myself as I am a very keen angler and with petrol ration- ing one naturally has to make use of the river nearby for all one’s sport. Is there anything that can be done? As a keen member of the Society I feel that you could advise what authority would take this up. I cannot tell you if this has happened before this year but the local fishermen say that this year they have never seen so many dead fish so I presume it has happened before but not to this extent. Any further information will be most gladly fie RAWALPINDI, F. R. E. MALDEN. July 23, 1942. | Dr. Hamid Khan, Game Warden, Punjab to whom we referred the matter wrote as follows :— With reference to your letter dated the 31st July, 1942, I have to intimate you that the river pollution and destruction of fish in the Rawalpindi area has been under investigation for the last year or so. It was observed that discharge from the Attock Oil Company’s refinery was responsible for the heavy mortality of the fish. 212, SHAFTESBURY AVENUE LONDON, W.C. 2. THE SOCIETY’S PUBLICATIONS. Birds. Game Birds of India, Vol. II. (Woodcock, Snipe, Bustards, and Sandgrouse) 1st Edition. Rs. 42, = ~ (Price to Members Rs. 30). Game Birds of ‘ = ‘. bel rs . ” ' = a - <¥ - « FF ‘ : : a = a : . 2 Pe: _ ; _ _ fi - : 4 : = % = . a i \s > e 4 7 : : ; { a a 4 c * i \ = ~ : . ¥ “ , P ” % mm j , _ 4 ‘ ‘ ~ . . << = — 7 +, S : of - 2, : 7 © ; e + a F £ = 4 td . 7 - ; ¢ y i , ~ : 08 - ¥ 3 } + i. 2 . 2 ~ ‘ = G P * a e ~ @ i ; 2 = 2 JouRN. BomBay Nat. Hist. Soc. 4 Cup and Saucer Plant HOLMSKIOLDIA SANGUINEA Retz. (nat. size ). JOURNAL OF THE Bombay Natural History Society. 1943. | Vout. XLIII. No. 4. SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS BY INE ese DORs OMuAGy PDsSC.y F.0.S.5, lk Sss Forest Botanist, AND M. B. RalzaDA, M.Sc., Assistant Forest Botanist, Forest Research Tsing, Dehra Dun. Part XIII (Continued from Vol. -xliii, No. 3 (1942), p. 297.) (With 1 coloured plate and g text-figures.) VERBENACEAE, Part II. 4. Holmskioldia Retz. (A genus erected in honour of Theodor Holmskiold, 1732-1794, a Danish scientist). Scandent shrubs with opposite, exstipulate, simple _ leaves. Flowers arranged in terminal short panicles or spurious axillary racemes. Calyx membraneous, usually red, the tube very short, the limb large, rotate and spreading, entire or nearly so. Corolla gamopetalous, tubular, the tube elongate, slightly curved, some- what dilated at the throat, 2-lipped; upper lip 2-cleft with the lobes erect spreading, the lower 3-cleft with short reflexed lobes. Stamens 4 didynamous, exserted. Ovary 4-celled, with a solitary ovule in each cell; style filiform. Fruit a 4-3-2-lobed capsule surrounded at the base by the large flat calyx. : qe 25 149 340 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIS?. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz. Cup-and-Saucer Plants (sdnguineus means blood-coloured and refers to usual colour of the nowers). Vescription. ge, scrambling shrub; young parts pubescent. Leaves opposite, 2-4 in. long, ovate or eiuptic-ovate in shape, 1ounaed or truncate at the base but acute at the insertion of the peuuoic, shallowly crenate serrate on the margin, acuminate at the up, MeMbranous 1n texture, dark green above, pale beneath, glabr- ous on the upper surface, minute1y pubescent below when young; petiole siender, up to 1 in. long. {niiorescence a terminal, puberulous, little-branched panicle or reduced to short racemes at the tips of axillary, short shoots. Calyx gamosepalous, almost orbicular in shape from a very short, basal, vell-shaped portion, .6-.75 in. in diameter, net veined, reddish or orange in colour, finally turning brown in fruit. Corolla about 1 m. long, gamopetalous, tubular; tube curved, 2-lipped; upper 2-loped, tower 3-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous, exserted; anther- cells parallel. Ovary 4-celled; ovule 1 in each cell; style slender; stigma bifid. Fruit a drupe, obovoid in shape, deeply 4-lobed at the apex, separating into 4 seeds. f'lowers.—October-December. Distribution.—Native of the sub-tropical Himalayas. Often culti- vated in gardens throughout India. Gardening.—A straggly shrub, remarkable for its large subro- tately-campanulate red calyx reaching an inch in diameter in fruit. The plant will grow even in poor soil and does best in full sunshine. {t is advisable to prune it closely after flowering so as to keep it compact and within bounds. This plant is very popular for cut flowers for even when the corolla has fallen the calyx is pretty and very effective. Usually propagated by layers as cuttings are some- times hard to start. ; A variety with orange flowers has recently been introduced from Assam where it is wild. It is prettier than the type. 5. Clerodendron Linn. The name of the genus comes from two Greek words, kleros, lot, fate, and dendron, tree. The combination may mean ‘tree of fate’ or ‘tree of chance’. The reason for the application of the name to the genus is obscure, but it may well come from the fact that some of the species are considered to have healing properties while others act in exactly the reverse way. According to Burkill’ ‘Clerodendrons are, par excellence, plants of Malay magic’. He then proceeds to give examples and mentions that C. siphonanthus is the chief magical species of northern India. The alleged magical properties of the plant may have also been a reason why the genus was called ‘tree of fate’. ‘A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS Baal A large genus, distributed more or less throughout the tropics, it possesses the following characteristics :— Trees, shrubs, undershrubs or rarely herbs. Leaves simple, opposite, rarely verticillate (see C. siphonanthus.) Inflorescence usually a terminal panicle, less often of axillary cymes, usually lax, elongate or umbelled or capitate; bracts often foliaceous; flowers mostly large, white, blue, yellow or red. Calyx cup-shaped, cam- panulate or funnel-shaped, herbaceous or coloured, truncate or with 3-5-lobes, often enlarged in the fruit. Corolla with a slender tube, often very long, cylindrical, recurved, 4-5-lobed; lobes spreading, almost equal. Stamens 4, exserted, inserted in the throat or in the upper portion of the tube, coiled in the bud; anthers with parallel cells, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary incompletely 4-celled ; ovules 4, pendulous or laterally attached. Style slender, often as long as the filaments, stigma shortly bifid. Fruit a 4-grooved or 4-lobed drupe. The Clerodendrons are great favourites in Indian gardens on account of their showy flowers and often handsome foliage. They never show to such an advantage as they do in their natural homes in the gloom of the evergreen forest where they develop their beautiful panicles to perfection, KEY TO THE SPECIES. Tube of the corolla 4 in. long. .. Cy, siphonanthus, Tube of the corolla 2 in. long or less. Climbing plants. »» C, Thomsonae. Shrubs or small trees. Calyx truncate or very shortly toothed, see IC minenmer Calyx distinctly lobed or dentate. Flowers red or scarlet. . CC, squamatum. Flowers white or rose. Calyx with peltate glands. Calyx-lobes triangular acute. . G. fragrans. Calyx-lobes broadly ovate, foliaceous. .. C. infortunatun, Calyx without peltate glands. Flowers in a pendulous panicle. .. C, nutans. Flowers in erect inflorescences. Flowers in trichotomous panicles; leaves large, 6 in. long or~more. — ... Cy, trichotomum, Flowers in dichotomous panicles; leaves small, 2 in. long or less. we C, phlomidis. Clerodendron siphonanthus R. Br. (C. indicum O. Ktze), Turk’s turban; Tube-F lower. (The specific name is derived from the Greek word, siphon, tube, and refers to the hollow stems of this plant.) Description.—An annual shrub reaching 9 ft. in height. Branches channelled; bark smooth and shining. Leaves verticillate in threes 543 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII or fives, or opposite, sessile, narrowly lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, - attenuate at. both ends, glabrous on both surfaces, entire with recurved margins, membranous, 4-8 in. long by .5-1 in. wide. Fig. 1.—Clerodendron siphonanthus R. Br. x3. Flowers arranged in a leafy, terminal panicle, 8-10 in. long, made up of verticelled, few-flowered cymes; bracts linear-lanceolate, up to .5 in. long; bracteoles subulate; pedicels slightly hairy, up to .75 in. Jong. Flowers white, turning a cream colour, 4-5 in. long. Calyx campanulate, hairy, .6 in. long; tube narrow .2 in. long; 5-lobed; lobes ovate-lanceolate .4 in. long. Corolla glabrous; tube cylindri- cal, recurved, dilated towards the top, up to 4 in. long, 5-lobed, lobes spreading obovate or oblong, obtuse, .5 in. long or less. Stamens 4; filaments long exserted, slender, glabrous; anthers oblong. Ovary glabrous; style very long, slender; stigma shortly bifid. Fruit a bluish-black drupe enclosed in the enlarged calyx. Flowers.—Rainy season. Fruits cold season. Distribution.—Common in many parts of India and Burma extend- ing to Malaya, Indo-China and Java. Often cultivated in gardens for its flowers. Gardening.—A shrub which grows 4-8 ft. tall in Dehra, with a slender upright form which makes it attractive when grown against SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS 543 a wall. The long, white, tubular flowers hanging bell-like from an upright stalk make this a very striking plan during the rains. The flowers are followed by conspicuous dark-blue fruits supported by the persistent, spreading red calyx. The plant prefers partial shade and is propagated by seed. Medicinal uses.—The root is considered useful in the treatment of asthma, cough and scrophulous affections. Pieces of the wood are tied round the neck as a charm against various ailments. The juice expressed from the herbaceous portions mixed with ghee is used as remedy for skin diseases. Clerodendron Thomsonae Balfour. (The specific epithet commemorates the name of the wife of the Rey. W. C. Thomson, a missionary on the West Coast of Tropical Africa, from where the plant was introduced into England in 1861). Fig. 2.—Clerodendron Thomsonae Balfour. x}. Description.—A climbing shrub. Branches 4-angled, minutely pubescent. Leaves opposite, broadly ovate, acute at the: tip, sub- cordate, truncate or abruptly attenuate at the base, minutely and sparsely pubescent below, entire on the margins, chartaceous, 2-3 in. long by .5-2 in. wide; petiole up to .6 in. long. Flower arranged in axillary cymes; peduncles 1.5-2.5 in. long; bracts foliaceous, pubescent, lanceolate; pedicels bracteolate, up to .6 in. long; flowers scarlet. Calyx inflated, membran- ous, white or grey, .75-1.25 in. long by .4-1 in. wide; tube very short; lobes 5, broadly ovate-lanceolate, acute, glabrous or minutely pubescent near the margins. Corolla scarlet or red; tube widened 544 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII at the throat and hairy, 5-lobed; lobes ovate, .2 in. long. Stamens 4; filaments long exserted, slender; anthers oblong. Ovary glabrous ; style not as long as the filaments. Flowers.—Rainy season. Distribution.—Native of west tropical Africa; commonly culti- vated in gardens in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world. Gardening.—A most. ornamental climbing shrub, very showy during the rains with its scarlet flowers which are in sharp and strik- ing contrast to the white persistent calyx. Propagated by seed or by cuttings in sand during the rains. Clerodendron inerme Gaertn. (inermis means unarmed in Latin, but to what this refers we are unable to say, as none of the species of this genus are armed). Fig. 3.—Clerodendron inerme Gaertn. X&. Description.—A shrub reaching a height of 6-9 ft. Branches slender, greyish-brown, lenticellate, glabrous or finely pubescent. Leaves opposite, elliptic-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, rounded or shortly and obtusely acuminate at the tip, Cuneate or acute at the base, entire, coriaceous, rarely membranous, 1.5-5 in. long by .75- SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS 545 3 in. wide, when young sparsely pubescent; petiole slender, .3-.75 in. long. Inflorescence of umbelled, axillary cymes, each of 3 pedicelled flowers, seated on a peduncle, .3-1.5 in. long. Flowers on pedicels 1.3-4 in. long, white, supported by small linear bracts. Calyx cupular, pubescent or glabrous, often glandular without, 5-toothed ; teeth very small. Corolla glabrous or sparsely pubescent, glandular ; tube slender, .75-1.5 in. long, villous inside, 5-lobed: lobes ovate, obtuse, .2-.3 in. long.. Stamens 4; filaments slender, red, long exserted, inserted in the villous part of the tube; anthers oblong. Ovary glabrous; style long, slender, equalling the filaments in length; stigma shortly bifid. Fruit a glabrous, 4-lobed drupe, up to .5 in. long, enveloped in the striate, enlarged calyx. Flowers.—Throughout the year but chiefly from July to November Distribution.—Indigenous to the seacoast of India extending to Polynesia. Gardening.—A straggling, almost scandent, evergreen’ shrub with dark green foliage and white flowers. It is a very hardy and quick growing shrub and is suitable for covering banks, walls, etc. If kept nicely trained it will form a pretty fence and is con- sequently very suitable for hedges. Owing to its rapid growth it might perhaps as well be useful for afforestation work. Medicinal uses.—The wood, root and leaves are bitter and are said toebe of use in treating fevers. It has a reputation as an alterative and tonic. Clerodendron squamatum Vahl. (squamatum means scaly in Latin and refers to the peltate glands on the under. surface of the leaf). Description.—A shrub attaining 6 ft. in height. Branches 4- angled, channelled, glabrous or finely pubescent, furnished at the nodes with a line of interpetiolar, woolly hairs. Leaves opposite, ovate-rounded, shortly acuminate at the tip, deeply cordate at the base, covered with stiff, sparsely arranged hairs, dark green above, pale and covered with numerous peltate glands below, chartaceous in texture, toothed on the margin; petiole glabrous, .2-.4 in. long. Flowers pedicelled, scarlet, sometimes white or rose-coloured, arranged in pyramidal, terminal, broad, glabrous or pubescent panicles seated on long peduncles; bracts and brecteoles small; pedicels short. Calyx glabrous, red, .2-.3 in. long, 5-lobed; lobes much longer than the very short tube, broadly lanceolate-acute. Corolla almost glabrous; tube cylindrical .5-.6 in. long, 5-lobed; lobes spathulate .15-.2 in. long; stamens 4; filaments slender, lone exserted: anthers oblong; ovary glabrous; style very long, slender ; stigma shortly bifid. Fruit a blue-black drupe, up to .5 in. broad, within the accrescent calyx. Flowers.—March-April. Distribution.—Native of China, extending to the Himalayas, Japan to Sumatra, cultivated throughout the tropical and subtropical parts of the globe, 546: JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIIJ Gardening.—This is one of the most showy of shrubs, having great clusters of scarlet flowers which appear during March-April. It should be cut back after flowering, otherwise it becomes bare and US SN SESSA Fig. 4.—Clerodendron squamatum Vahl. X3. scraggy. The plant prefers partial shade and is often attacked by insects, especially mealy bugs and scales. It has been in cultivation in European gardens since 1790.. Propagation is by seed. ~ Medicinal uses.—An infusion of the leaves in vinegar is said to be used for gonorrhoea, and the chewing of the bract for passing blood. Clerodendron fragrans Vent. Description.—A shrub. Branches terete, somewhat quadran- gular. towards the tips, pubescent, almost tomentose. Leaves opposite, broadly ovate, nearly round, shortly acuminate at the tips, almost cordate, but sometimes truncate, at the base, covered with SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS 547 rather sparse, stiff hairs above, pubescent, especially on the nerves below, glandular near the petiole, membranous, regularly toothed on the margins; 4-6 in. long and as much wide; petiole pubescent- tomentose, up to 2 in. long. Fig. 5.—Clerodendron fragrans Vent. xX}. Inflorescence of numerous flowers arranged in terminal, compact, almost sessile panicles; bracts foliaceous, persistent, lanceolate- oblong, attenuate at both ends, pubescent and bearing on the back a nectariferous gland. Individual flowers seated on very short pedicels, white or rose in colour, very fragrant, .75-1.25 in. long. Calyx conical, narrow, finely puberulent, with nectariferous glands, up to .5 in. long, 5-toothed; teeth as long as the tube, lanceolate- subulate, reflexed. Corolla double, glabrous; tube .5-.8 in. long, 5-lobed; lobes obovate, reflexed, .25-.4 in. long. Stamens 4; fila- ments long exserted, slender; anthers oblong. Ovary glabrous, truncate; style slender, very long; stigma shortly bifid. Fruit a drupe, enveloped at the base by the accrescent calyx. Flowers.—Hot and rainy season. Distribution.—Indigenous to China, cultivated or wild through- out India and most parts of the tropics. Gardening.—A vigorous, low growing plant; flowers double, appearing like little roses, white tinged with pink, fragrant. It spreads readily, throwing out suckers here and there and trespass- ing beyond its allotted space. It prefers a moist shady place but is quite hardy and drought resistant. Easily propagated by suckers or cuttings. It was brought into cultivation in European gardens about I50 years ago, gas ( 548 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Medicinal uses.—According to Burkill it is used medicinally by the Malays externally, either as a fomentation for rheumatism and ague, or with other substances in the treatment of skin diseases. Clerodendron infortunatum Linn. (infortunatus means unhappy in Latin; but we do not know to what the epithet refers. Trimen says that this name is due to Hermann 1 Fig. 6.—Clerodendron infortunatum Linn. X>2. (Mus. 25, 45) who translates the Sinhalese name ‘pinna kole’ as ‘infortunatus’), SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS 549 Description.—A shrub. The quadrangular branches are channell- ed and covered with a yellowish pubescence. Leaves opposite, ovate, acuminate at the tip, rounded or cordate at the base, more or less covered with rough hairs, with small round glands on the lower surface, toothed on the margins, rarely entire, 4-10 in. long by 3-8 in. wide; petiole densely pubescent, 1-4 in. long. Flowers arranged in a broad and long, terminal panicle; panicle- branches trichotomous each ending in three flowers, covered with a yellowish pubescence; bracts foliaceous, ovate-lanceolate, falling early; bracteoles lanceolate; pedicels slender up to .5 in. long. Flowers white, tinted with red, unpleasantly scented. Calyx silky- pubescent, covered with peltate glands, up to .4 in. long; calyx tube very short with acute, erect, lanceolate lobes. Corolla densely hairy without; tube cylindrical, slender up to .75 in. long, 5-lobed ; lobes spreading, as long as the tube, the 2 upper spathulate, the 3 lower ovate-oblong, rounded at the top. Stamens 4; filaments long exserted, slender, glabrous; anthers oblong. Ovary glabrous; style slender; stigma shortly bifid. Fruit globular, shining, black, seated upon the enlarged, fleshy, red calyx. Flowers.—January-April. Fruits.—Rainy season. Distribution.—Throughout India; often as an undergrowth in sal forest. ~ Gardening.—A deciduous shrub reaching 12 ft. in height in favourable situations. It is usually considered to be a ‘weed’ but attractive during the cold season with its large head of pinkish- white, sweet-scented flowers. Propagated by seed. Medicinal uses.—The juice of the leaves is stated to be anthel- mintic, and is used as a bitter tonic in malarial fevers. The leaves warmed with ghee are applied to the head for catarrhal colds. Clerodendron nutans Wall. ex Don. (nutans means nodding in Latin and refers to the terminal racemose panicles of this plant). Description.—A shrub reaching 6 ft. in height. Branches quad- rangular, glabrous. Leaves opposite or ternate, oblong-obovate or oblanceolate, shortly acuminate at the tip, long attenuate at the base, entirely glabrous. entire or distantly toothed on the margins, membranous, 5-8 in. long, by 1.5-2 in. wide; petiole channelled, .5-1 in. long. Flowers arranged in pendulous, slender, terminal panicles. Individual flowers pedicelled, white; pedicels .75 in. long, with 2 bracteoles near the middle. Calyx ovoid, inflated, purple, glabrous, up to .5 in. long; tube very short, 5-lobed; lobes ovate-lanceolate, acute, reddish purple. Corolla glabrous or sparsely and finely pube- scent; tube narrowed at the throat up to .5 in. long, 5-lobed; lobes ovate, rounded. Stamens 4, didynamous; filaments slender, long exserted, inserted in the throat; anthers smal], ovate. Ovary small, glabrous; style shorter than the filaments. Fruit a globose drupe, smooth, shinine, seated on the enlarged calyx. ‘Flowers.—September-November, 550 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Distribution.—Sikkim, Assam, Chittagong and Burma, extend- ing to the Malay Peninsula. Fig. 7.—Clerodendron nutans Wall. ex Don. x3. Gardening.—A _ small, hardy shrub with opposite, dark-green, elliptic leaves and pure white flowers produced on long drooping racemes. It is suitable for culture in the ground or in pots, especially in moist, protected places. Propagated by cuttings or seed. Clerodendron trichotomum Thunb. (The specific epithet refers to the trichotomous arrangement of the flowers). Description.—A shrub or small tree, sometimes reaching a height of ro ft. Branches round or the younger quadrangular, soft, glab- rous, pubescent or covered with a fulvous, crisped tomentum ;. bark longitudinally fissured. Leaves opposite, petioled, lower very large and 3-lobed, the upper broadly ovate or orbicular-ovate, 6 in. long by 3 in. broad, rounded or truncate at the base, shortly cuneate at the petiole, long acuminate at the tip, soft and flaccid, sparsely hairy on both surfaces, especially on the nervation, entire on the margin; petiole terete, up to 3 in. long, slender, tomentose, SOME BEAUTIFUL INDIAN CLIMBERS AND SHRUBS 551 Calyx .5 in. long, reddish-brown in colour, sparsely hairy; tube obconical, 5-lobed; lobes triangular or ovate, acute, .25 in. long or longer. Corolla white; tube more or less exserted, very slender, up to 1 in. long, slightly curved, 5-lobed; lobes nearly equal .5 in. y) Fig. 8.—Clerodendron trichotomum ‘Thunb. x. long, elliptic, obtuse or subacute, horizontally. spreading. Stamens 4; filaments long exserted, slender; anthers oblong. Ovary glabr- ous; style slender; stigma shortly bifid. Fruit q-lobed, included in the scarcely enlarged calyx. Flowers.—Rainy season. Distribution.—A native of Japan, now commonly cultivated in the subtropical parts of the whole world. Gardening.—A hardy shrub, quite handsome during the rains when it is in flower. It was introduced into England about 1880 and is propagated by seed. Clerodendron phlomidis Linn. f. (C. phlomoides Willd.). Description.—A scandent bush or small tree. Branches pubes- cent, whitish-grey. Leaves opposite, readily disarticulating, 1-2 in. long, deltoid-ovate, often broader than long, truncate or subcordate at the base, obtuse or acute at the tip, coarsely crenate-dentate or subentire on the margin, glabrous above, more or less puberulous beneath; petiole .5-1 in. long. 563 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII Flowers arranged in small, dichotomous, axillary’ cymes on a rhachis so as to form a rounded, terminal panicle; bracts small, leafy, lanceolate, acute. Calyx .4 in. long or more, divided about half way down, glabrous, not enlarged in the fruit, 5-lobed; lobes ovate, acutely acuminate, veined. Corolla white or pinkish; tube Fig. 9.—Clerodendron phlomidis Linn. f. x4, .7-1 1n. long, slightly pubescent outside, glabrous inside; lobes nearly equal, 5 in number, .3 in. long, elliptic, obtuse veined. Stamens 4; filaments much exserted, slender, slightly pubescent. Ovary glabrous; style slender; stigma bifid. Fruit a drupe, .25 in. ‘long, broadly obovoid in shape, depressed, seated within the per- sistent calyx-lobes. Flowers.—November-December and also at other times of the year. Distribution.—Throughout the drier parts of India from the Punjab and Bengal to South India and Ceylon. Gardening.—A shrub with white or pinkish, fragrant flowers. It is a common jungle plant and hardly deserves to be grown in a garden. Propagated by seed. Medicinal uses.—The leaves of this plant are given to cattle for diarrhoea and worms. THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA BY R. I. Pocock, F.R.S., (Zool. Dept., British Museum, Natural History). Part II, (With 7 text-figures). (Continued from Vol. xlin, No. 3 (1942), p. 317). In the first part of this paper published in the last issue of this Journal, it was stated that the skull of Wallich’s Deer (Cervus wallichit) therein described was not available for examination. It has since then been tound; and, as was surmised, proves to be similar to the skull of the Shou (Cervus affinis). With the total and condylobasal lengths of 468 mm. (about 18% in.) and 441 mm. (about 17 3/5 in.) respectively, it is as large as the largest skull of the Shou recorded and has, moreover, the free edge of the nasal abutting against the facial vacuity very short, only 13 mm. long. The average shortness of this edge was the only character, apart from its general larger size, distinguishing the skull of the Shou from that of the Kashmir Barasingh or Hangul (C. hanglu). The vertical diameter of the orbit is 54, the length of the vacuity is 7o and the length and height of the gland-pit respectively 45 and 25 mm. These measurements agree on the average with those of the Shou and may be compared with those of the Sambar re- corded below. The antlers are decadent with age; but the longer of a pair shed in the Zoological Gardens and found with the skull is about 42 in. over the curves and has a girth above the burr of to} in. It is abnormal in carrying near the base of the bez tine a supplementary branch 7 in. long. The three above-mentioned species of Deer belong essentially to a Palaearctic group of the family and must be regarded as the descendants of trespassers from that region into Kashmir and the Himalayas.. The remaining species of Indian Deer are members of the Oriental fauna. THE SWAMP-DEER, SCHOMBURGK’S DEER AND THE THAMIN. The Swamp-Deer, which is restricted to India, and the Thamin or Eld’s Deer, which is widely distributed to the east of the Bay of Bengal, are usually assigned by recent authors to Rucervus, some- times given full generic rank, and sometimes subgeneric rank under Cervus. But close upon a century ago Gray restricted Rucervus to the Swamp-Deer (duvaucelii) and to Schomburgk’s Deer (schom- burgki) of Siam and separated from them the Thamin (eldi) as Panolia. Since I agree with Gray’s views that the Swamp-Deer 554 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII is generically distinguishable from the Sambar (Rusa) and from the Swamp-Deer, I adopt both Rucervus and Panolia. But since also it appears to me that Schomburgk’s Deer has a good claim to generic distinction, I propose to give it a new name. The three genera may be briefly diagnosed as follows :— a. Pedicles of antlers markedly divergent, (Fig. 1, B) the brow tine and bases of the beams widely separated, upper portion of beams not abruptly outcurved, first posterior inner branch of the beam larger, with at least two tines; nasal penetration of the frontals deep and acutely angular. b. Beam of antlers long, longer than the face and than the main terminal tines of its two branches, of which the anterior outer, when fully develop- ed, is the larger; nasals narrower, more compressed, their anterior excision shallow, with short: outer points oe ne OE LUUC END IES b.‘Beam of antlers short, shorter than the face and typically not longer than the main terminal tines of the two branches which are subequal; nasals broader, hardly compressed, = their anterior excision deep, with long outer points se ... Lhaocervus a.’ Pedicles of antlers erect and parallel or nearly so, (Fig. 1, A) brow tines and bases of beams close together, upper portion of beams with strong outward curvature; first posterior inner branch of beam small, typically consisting of a simple tine which may be reduced to one or two _ spikes; nasal penetration of frontals shallow ... Panolia Genus Rucervus Hodgson. (The Swamp-Deer). Rucervus, Hodgson, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (1), I, p. 154 and of most recent authors, misprinted as Iecervus by Gray in 1847, as Recurvus by Jager and Bessels in 1870 and as Recervus by Tiouessart in 1808. Type of the genus ;—Cervus elaphoides Hodgson (=duvaucelii Cuvier) Distinguished in its external characters from Cervus principally by its much longer, bushier tail, larger ears, broader moist area of the rhinarium below the nostrils in front, the absence of the rump patch and by the antlers which have a single brow tine and DHE LARGER DEER OF. BRITISH INDIA 590 the first anterior branch above it, representing the so-called ‘trez’ tine of Cervus, situated at the summit, bearing at least two tines and never smaller and thinner than the branch behind it but typically surpassing it in size. In the British Indian species of Cervus there ‘is always a bez tine, often regarded as a duplication of the brow NOs Te A, Erect and parallel pedicles and bases of the antlers of a Thamin (Panolia), the brow tine omitted. B. Divergent pedicles and bases of the antlers of Schomburgk’s Deer (Thao- cervus), the same occurring in Rucervus, the brow tine omitted. tine, but this is a variable feature in the genus, being absent in some races of the European Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) and very liable to be’ suppressed under unfavourable conditions, in others that normally possess it.- A more important difference is the small size and simple structure of the first anterior branch, above the brow or bez-tine, namely the ‘trez’ tine which never, in the adult, constitutes part of the summit of the antler and is always markedly subordinate in size to the first posterior branch which is as _ thick as the part below the ‘trez’ tine, constitutes with it the so-called ‘beam’, is elongated and carries at least two tines, the ‘surroyals’, forming the summit of the antler. The skull of Rucervus has its facial portion relatively narrower, the upper portion of the orbits less developed, the anterior nares a) -_ 554° JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XEM narrower as compared with their length and the auditory bullae more inflated, wider and higher, so that they project below the Jevel of the adjoining surface of the basioccipital bone, or above it if the skull is inverted; and the female, according to Hodgson, has no supper canine teeth which are present in both sexes of Cervus. I have only been able to verify this on a single young adult ° skull, one of Hodgson’s, since sportsmen naturally avoid shooting hinds. Rucervus duvaucelii, Cuvier. Cervus duvaucelii, Cuvier, Ossements Fossiles (3), 4, p. 505, 1825. for a presumably nearly complete list of bibliographical references: see Lydekker’s Cat. Ung. Brit. Mus., 4, pp. 93-94, 1915 where the species is cited as Cervus (Rucervus) duvaucelii. Distribution.—India, north of the Ganges from Kumaun_ to ‘Assam and south of the Ganges, principally in the Central Pro- vinces. The characters of this species are contained in the generic diagnosis given above and in the descriptions of the two sub- species recorded below. In his interesting volume Wild Animals in Central India, 1927, Dunbar Brander, who was acquainted with this deer both in the United Provinces north of the Ganges and in the Central Provinces south of that river, pointed out that its habitat differs in the two districts. In the northern area it is essentially a swamp-deer, well deserving its name, whereas in the southern area that name is quite inappropriate, since the species is essentially a grazer in the open plains, showing no liking for wet ground. He found, moreover,— as indeed might have been expected—that the feet of the species in the two districts are adapted to their respective soils and differ structurally in consequence. He suggested the possibility of the existence of one or two additional differences between them and wondered there were not more striking distinctions, considering the long geographical isolation of the two. Since from the measurement of skulls in the British Museum I find evidence that those of the northern Swamp-Deer are larger than those of the southern, it seems clear that there are two local races of the species : and since all the synonyms of duvaucelii appear to have been given to the northern type, the southern requires a new name. I propose to dedicate it to Mr. Dunbar Brander in acknowledgment of his detection of the principal difference between the two races. Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii, Cuvier. (Duvaucel’s Swamp Deer). Cervus duvaucelti,, Cuvier, Foss. Foss., ed. 3, IV, p. 505; 1825; and of most subsequent authors as Cervus or Rucervus (in part). Cervus hahrainja, Hodgson, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1834, p. 99. Cervus elaphoides, Hodgson, Journ, As. Soc. Beng., 4, p. 648, 1835, and Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (1), 1,.p. 154, 1838 (Rucervus). c THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA | 507 Cervus dimorphe, Hodgson, Journ., As. Soc. Beng., 12, p. 897, 1843. Cervus eucladoceros, Falconer, Pai. Mem., |, p. 587, 1868. Locality of the type of duvaucelii, based on sketches of antlers sent by Duvaucel, not recorded, but no doubt N. India; of bahrainja, Nepal; of elaphoides, substituted for bahrainja, Nepal; of dimorphe, the Sal Forests of the Morung, Nepal; of ewcladoceros, Hardwar. Distribution.—North of the Ganges, at least from Kumaun (Naini Tal), the Nepal Terai, and the United Provinces to Assam, and the Sunderbans. Skull larger than in the Southern race, its total length up to almost 16 in. and its condylobasal length to 154 in. Feet with the hoofs ‘spongy’, longer, especially the heels, and with a tendency ‘to splay. Possibly, on the average the colour is lighter. No skin of this race is available at the moment for description ; but I suspect the specimen described in 1871 by P. L. Sclater (Trans. Zool. Soc., 7, p. 347) belonged to it. The colour in the winter, he said, is dullish brown, in the summer brilliant golden yellow glossed in the ¢ with purplish black in front. But on pl. 36 a specimen, alleged to be in summer coat, is decidedly brown, the body being everywhere overcast with black speckling, with the lips, chin, interramal area, the belly and the back of the thighs buffy. Another specimen in the background is redder, it is truc; but it may be noted that both are carrying cleaned antlers suggestive of winter. No spots in the summer coat are mentioned in the text or shown in the figures. There are seven nearly complete adult male skulls assigned to this race in the British Museum; two from Nepal (Hodgson, Nos. 694 a and b), excluding the type of dimorphe which is young ; two from Kheri, Oudh (Hume, Nos. 12. 10. 31. 6 and 91.8.7.8) ; two from Gowhati, Assam (Hume, Nos. 12.10.31.5 and 91.8.7.9) -and one merely labelled Assam (Biddulph, No. 23.10.5.54). The last is the smallest, with tine total and condylobasal lengths 380 and 305 respectively. The largest is one of Hodgson’s (No. 694 a) with those dimensions 397 and 384 mm. respectively. But one from Gowhati, with the occipital crest and condyles missing, had, I esti- mate, a total length of goo mm., certainly not less than in Hodg‘son’s skull. The average total length of these seven skulls is as nearly as may be 15 3/5 in. and the condylobasal length of four of them, the condyle being missing in the other three, is 14 4/5 in. A third skull from Kheri, Oudh (Burke, No. 27. 2. 14. 113) has the muzzle smashed, but its occipito-nasal length is 317 mm., the same as in one of the skulls from Nepal and one from Gowhati; showing that it was average for the race. The nasals, apart from being shorter, do not differ appreciably from those of the Cervus and are equally variable in width individu- ally. On the average, however, they penetrate between the frontals a little more deeply, the angle they form being always acute and surpassing the level of the ends of the vacuities: The free edge in contact with the vacuity is very variable in length. and shape, being long or short, straight, convex or angular. It is longest 558 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII in three Nepalese skulls, 38 mm. in 694 a, 31 mm. in 694 b and 30 mm. in the young type of dimorphe; in two from Oudh (Burke) it is 29 and 21 mm.; in the small skull from Assam (Biddulph) it is 25 mm. and in the large skull from Gowhati (Hume) it is only 21 mm. The vacuity itself, as stated under the generic heading, is short as compared with Cervus, its length being on the average a trifle less than the vertical diameter of the orbit, but its width is greater in proportion to its length. According to Dunbar Brander the great majority of the deer of this race he saw in the United Provinces ‘were standing in water in long grass and they seemed to spend their whole time in localities of this nature, only emerging at dusk to wade up to their bellies in deeper water to graze off water weeds’. Rucervus duvaucelii branderi subsp. nov. (Brander’s Swamp-deer). The Swamp-Deer, Dunbar Brander, Wild Animals in Central India, pp. 193-194, 1927. Locality of the type:—Mandla, Central Provinces. Distribution: —South of the Ganges in the Central Provinces and perhaps Orissa. Distinguished from the typical form by its smaller size, especially indicated by the skull, and according to Dunbar Brander, by the hoof being ‘hard and well knit like that of an animal accustomed to gallop on hard ground’. He also states that the colour is often much darker and that the antlers are rougher and not so white as in typical duvaucelii from the Terai. This impression regarding the antlers is not, however, substantiated by specimens in the British Museum. In both races the antlers are typically streaked brown and yellowish, brown predominating. But one unlocalised skull (Earl of Derby) of the typical race has antlers like ivory; and in a young skull from Baraitch they are smooth and yellowish. . The following description is taken from Brander’s account. The necks of the stags are maned. The ordinary colour (in winter) is brown above, often with a darker dorsal line, but without spots; in ‘master stags’ the tint may be so dark as to appear almost black at a distance. Females are lighter. ‘As the hot weather advances stags become reddish brown, the does yellowish brown, and’ the coat is spotted; the spots are arranged as in the Chital but are indistinct, their colour being merely somewhat lighter than the ground colour and they are sometimes only visible when viewed at an angle. They usually appear after the horns are shed and.are consequently seldom seen by sportsmen. The spots in the newly- born fawn are much more distinct, almost whitish. A good average stag measures 7 ft. 4} in. from nose-tip to tail-tip and stands 3 ft. 11 in. at the withers. The weight of such a stag was 376 lbs. An extreme weight of 420 lbs is contrasted by Brander with Blanford’s record of two stags of typical duvaucelit from Cooch Behar which weighed 460 Ibs. and 570 lbs. respectively. This is another item of evidence of the smaller size of stags from the Central Provinces. THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 5a The only available skin is that of a mounted specimen from they Central Provinces’ (Nos 5:117.30.1). Apart from its, antlers it differs from a Sambar, which stands alongside it, in being much paler, the general colour being reddish or ochreous brown, a little paler below and on the legs; the head is dark grey with no reddish tint and the backs of the ears are the same tint as the neck, with the whitish area on the lower part less sharply defined than in the Sambar and there is no fuscous patch on the front or inner surface of the ear. There is also more white on the upper lip and the fuscous patch on the corner of the mouth extends only up to the side of the rhinarium, not over the summit of the muzzle, but below it reaches the middle line of the jaw behind the white chin. Like the under side of the tail, the inner surfaces of the thighs are white and this tint is sharply contrasted with that of the backs of the thighs, not blending. with it as in the Sambar. There are three adult ¢ skulls in the British Museum. One from Mandla C.P. (Parsons, No. 30.4.24.7), although the smallest of the three, has been selected as the type of R.d. branderi because it has a special locality. It is a ‘twelve pointer’, having five tines at the summit of each antler. Its total and condylobasal length are respectively 360 and 350 mm. The other two skulls (Parsons, No. 30.4.24.11 and Nichols, No. 34.11.12.58) are merely labelled Central Provinces. Their total and condylobasal lengths are re- spectively 366, 351 and 372, 357 mm. The averages of these di- mensions in English inches are as nearly as may be 14 3/5 and 14, just about 1 inch shorter than the corresponding dimensions in the skulls of the typical northern race. The smallest skull of the latter is longer in both dimensions than the largest recorded skull of R.d. brandert. In the three skulls of R. d. branderi the nasal contact with the vacuity is short, ranging from 15 mm. in the type to 23 mm. in the other skull collected by Parsons. In both of these it forms an angular projection; but in Nichols’ skull it forms a rounded bulge and is 16 mm. The contact is relatively smaller on the average than in the typical form;-but the number of skulls is too small to justify any conclusion on that point. About the habitat of this race Dunbar Brander says :— ‘In the Central Provinces the species shows no special addic- tion to water. Its requirements are large grassy plains or maidans on which it can graze. It lives on or along the edges of these plains, only penetrating a short distance into the jungle-clad hills’. Thaccervus nov. Distinguished from Rucervus by the presence of a mane of hair, 2 in. long, extending down the front of the fore-leg below the knee (Brooke); also by some skull-characters and some specialised features in the antlers making them unlike those of any other species of deer. In the skull the nasals are flatter and less compressed ; their anterior ends are much more deeply éxcised, the external processes being exceptionally long, their tips projecting a long way in front of the small, spine-like, internal processes; posteriorly they penetrate more deeply between the frontals and are here narrower 560) JOWRNAIL BOMBAY. (NAUOTCATIES ETS IS ©] Oi aes ano ume Nein eiel and more pointed; the muzzle is broader, the width across the premaxillae above the canines surpassing by about + of an inch (6 mm.) that dimension in the largest measured skull of Rucervus ; and the posterior end of the premaxilla is separated from the nasal by. a narrow process from the maxilla; the gland-pit is shallower and the vacuity smaller. Further particulars about the skull are entered under the specific description. The peculiarities of the antlers are well known and consist essentially in the extreme short- ness of the beam, which is shorter than the facial portion of the skull, and the equally extreme length of the principal tines of the two branches into which the beam dhaidles, these tines being typically longer than the beam. In Rucervus the beam is long, longer than the te and the terminal tines of its two branches are comparatively short, much shorter than the beam. Type of the genus:—Rucervus schomburgki. Thaocervus. schomburgki, Blyth. (Schomburgk’s Deer). Cervus or Rucervus schomburgki, Blyth, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p: 155) and" 1867; p. 1835); Brooke, Proc Zook Soc 1876. sp oor Lydekker, Cat. Ung. Brit. Mus., 4, p. 97, OS), where other biblio- graphical references may be omnl Locality of the type (antlers) believed to be Siam. Distribution :—N. Siam and, it has been alleged, Yunnan and Laos; but considered to be now extinct. According to Brooke the winter coat of an adult stag from Siam, exhibited in “the Paris Museum, was rather long and coarse. The general colour was uniform brown, darkest on the nose and the upper side of the tail, lightest on the cheeks, the lower parts of the sides and haunches; a decidedly reddish tinge on the limbs, occiput and upper lip, the lower lip, belly and under side of the tail being whitish. Brooke also described the presence of the ‘mane’ of long hair down the front of the fore-leg below the knee. This feature has been entered under the generic diagnosis because in all the other species of deer known to me the limbs are covered with uniformly short sleek hair. The height was 41 in.; the tail without the hair was 4 in. long and the length and breadth of the ear were respectively 64 and 3? in. The dimensions of a Swamp-Deer entered by Brooke for comparison were :—height 43 in., tail 5 in. and ear 7 and 34 in., the ear being longer but narrower. These measure- ments taken from mounted specimens are not very convincing. They are entered here because it is not likely that any other measure- ments of Schomburgk’s Deer will be recorded. If, as stated, the ear is broader in the latter, it may indicate a more forest or jungle habitat than is affected by the Swamp-Deer; but as regards size, the skull described below does not bear out the conclusion. that Schomburgk’s Deer is a smaller species. The only available skull in the British Museum (Rowland Ward No. 8.3.17.5) was figured, but not described by Lydekker. With a total length of 395 mm. (15 4/5 in.) it is a few mm. shorter tha: \ THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 561 the longest skull of Rucervus duvaucelit, but exceeds the average length in that species. The condylobasal length is not available; but in its other dimensions, both in length and breadth, it is for Rig a2. A. Side view of orbit, vacuity and gland-pit of Swamp-Deer (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii) labelled Barainga, native name (Earl of Derby). B, The same of Schomburgk’s Deer (Thaocervus schomburgki) with vacuity and gland-pit smaller than in A. C. The same of Thamin (Panolia eldi thamin) from Pegu (Bruce) showing the much deeper gland-pit than in A and B. the most part a little bigger than the average of R. duvaucelii. The main difference between the skulls of the two, described above under the generic heading, may be amplified by actual figures, the average dimensions in the case of R. duvaucelii being taken from i6 skulls. 562 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLII The vertical height of the orbit in R. duvaucelii ranges from 43 to 49 mm., the average being 46. In Th. schomburgki it is nA BO exe OOO ND Ricca. A. Nasals and adjoining parts of the skull of Schomburgk’s Deer (Thaocervus schomburgki) showing especially the breadth of the nasals, between the vacuities and the depth of the anterior excision. The gland-pit dotted. B. and C. Nasals, vacuity and inner part of gland-pit (dotted) of Swamp- Deer (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii) from Kheri, Oudh (Hume) and of R. d. branderi from the Central Provinces (Nichols), the difference being individual, not racial. For comparison with A. THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 563 ‘ about the same, namely 45. The vacuity in Rk. duvauceli varies in length from 39 to 56, the average being 47, and its width or height, measured from the middle of the free edge of the nasal, from 18 to 26, the average being 22; in Th. schomburgki its length and width are respectively 36 and 17, actually a little less in both di- mensions than the smallest recorded for kk. duvaucelii and con- siderably less than the average. The length of the gland-pit in R. duvauceli varies from 38 to 47, the average being just over 4o; in Th. schomburgki its length is 36, a little less than the smallest and still shorter than the average in R. duvaucelii; it is also shallower (Fig. 2). The free edge of the nasal where it borders the vacuity is extremely variable in R. duvaucelu, from 15 to 38 mm. long, the average being 24; in Th. schomburgki it is practically the same as that average, namely 23. The length of the fronto-nasal suture indicating the degree of penetration of the nasals between the frontals ranges in R. duvauceli from 28 to 43, the average being 37; in Th. schomburgki it is 48, a few mm. longer than the longest recorded in R. duvaucelii and 11 mm. over the average of that species. These facts bear out the statements in the generic definition of Thaocervus that the vacuity and gland- pit are smaller and the penetration of the nasals is deeper than in Rucervus (Fig. 3). A considerable number of antlers is preserved in the British Museum; and Blyth in 1867 described and figured many showing a good deal of individual variation. The main differences between them and the antlers of Rucervus duvaucelii are cited above and I have seen no intermediates between them in their principal features. A minor average difference, in my experience, is the apparently invariably rectangular junction between the brow tine and the beam in Th. schomburgki. Occasionally the junction is rectangular in Rucervus duvaucelti; but as a rule it is obtusely angular, the angle being in rare cases so obtuse that the brow tine and the beam are almost in the same line where they join. Blyth (op. cit. p. 837, fig. 5) figured one such antler and pointed out its resemblance in this respect to the antlers of the Thamin (Panolia eldi); but the antlers of a Swamp-Deer figured by Lydekker (0p. cit. p. 95, fig. 18) as of this nature are manifestly not so, the angle between the brow tine and the beam being obviously and tolerably normally obtuse. Panolia Gray. Panolia, Gray, List. Mamm. Brit. Mus., p. 180, 1843 and Cat. Ones amma p. 202qre52 = Blyth, Proc: Zool, Soc; 1867, p. 835 and of most subsequent authors, usually as a subgenus of Cervus or Rucervus. Type of the genus:—acuticornis Gray (=eldt). Essentially distinguished by the pedicles of the antlers being narrowly separated and erect or very nearly so, their inner edges sometimes slightly divergent or convergent, so that the bases of the brow tine and beam are close together, in some cases nearly in contact and subparallel, and the external edge of the pedicle D045 JOURNALS BOMBA VN Ade OAC SEM Sultemens ©) C leLiwlaVeruan 10) same ele ei and of the postorbital area in front of it has its curvature less strongly concave. In these features the genus differs from. all the other genera of Cervidae at least of the Old World. OO foe we oe - - - - . - : . ee ee . ' K OK Se : ) SS eaerececfece* i ald a CaP ee ee ‘ N ") ~“ WI ‘ } s ~ lp 209999979 . . S vayvyytenty: (44 ert ove ie See Gpuvenaed E eee: is. 4: Nasal bones, vacuity and inner part of gland-pit (dotted) of Thamin (Panolia) showing individual variation, frequent asymmetry and especially the- shallow penetration of the frontals by the nasals and their long free edge bordering the vacuity. A. P, eldi, type of cornipes, from Manipur. Bb. P. eldi thamin, type of brucei, from the Ruby Mines, Upper Burma. C. P. eldi thamin, topotype of brucei, from the Ruby Mines. D. P. eldi thamin from Tenasserim. Ek, and F. P. eldi thamin from Pegu. G. P. eldi thamin from Monzwa, Upper Burma, the tips fractured. From its nearest ally, Rucervus, which it closely resembles in the THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 585 inflation of the auditory bullae, it further differs in the following siull- characters: (1) The very variable nasals are more truncated posteri- orly and penetrate less deeply between the frontals, the naso-frontal ‘suture ranging in length in thirteen skulls from 17 to 30 mm., the average being 23. (2) The free edge of the nasals bordering the vacuity is on the average longer, the variation being from 22 to 42 and the average 31. (3) ) Tne vacuity is about the same length, ranging from 41 to 54, with the average.474; but is on the average considerably narrower, its width ranging from 11 to 20, with the average 16. (4) The gland-pit is deeper, with more sharply defined edges, its average length of 40 being the same as in Jtucervus, although the skull is smaller, and it more nearly approaches in length the vertical diameter of the orbit which is on the average 43) “actually smaller than in Rucervus but relatively about the same size {ig. 4). The corresponding dimensions of ‘these parts of the skull in Rucervus are entered under the description of Thaocervus. The total length in twelve skulls ranges from 320 to 346 mm., the average being 333° (13+ in.) and the condylobasal length in eight varies from 301 to 325, the average being 312 (12% in.), the two being respectively about 14 in, shorter than those dimensions in the Smaller race of R. duvaucelii: The antlers, apart from their basal proximity mentioned above are characteristic, showing no likeness to those of Thaocervus and differing typically from the antlers of Rucervus in having the junc- tion of the brow tine and the beam in a straight line or forming a much more obtusely open angle; and to compensate for their basal proximity the beams have a much more strongly pronounced backward and outward curvature. Also the first branch of the beam is less developed, usually undivided and not uncommonly reduced to a small snag; the brow tine often carries accessory upright snags, sometimes as much as eleven inches long, and the tip of the antler is very variable, usually simply bifid but some- times palmate with many small snags. In 1910 (Pro. Zool. Soc., 1910, pp. 244-245) I described and figured the fore and hind feet of a Thamin belonging to the typical Burmese race and pointed out that the integument between the heels of the main hoofs is wider than in other typical Deer, includ- ing Rucervus, giving greater distensibility to the hoofs and that the skin immediately surrounding the false hoofs is naked, not hairy as, for example, in the foot of a Swamp-Deer described at the same time. But in view of Dunbar Brander’s account of the difference in the feet between the two races of Swamp-Deer and Lydekker’s description of the feet in a Thamin from Manipur, referred to below, it is evident that the feet of additional specimens -of both species must be examined before any general conclusion regarding these extremities can be drawn. Panolia eldi, McClelland. (The Thamin or Eld’s Deer) menCeruus eld: McClelland, Gale. Journ. Nats Hist:; 2, p. 417; 1842. Locality of the type:—Manipur. 566) JOURNAL? PB OMBAW. TNIATRO ReAvie ee ES Uae S OCI E MeV ees (0 pam ole NET Distribution: Manipur, Burma as far south as Tenasserim and probably at least the northern parts of the Malay Peninsula; Siam, Annam and Hainan. The main characters of the skull and antlers of this species are given above under the generic heading. Only one skin is at present available for description. This is a mounted specimen in the British Museum, the type of Rucervus thamin Thomas, from Pegu. It has longish hairs on the neck like the mounted example of Rucervus duvauceliu branderi referred, to above; but it differs from that Swamp-Deer in having the general colour fawn, lighter and less red, the whole of the back of the ear like the back, with no white near its lower rim but a patch of that tint at the junction of the ear and the neck externally; the anterior part of the muzzle is lighter than the rest of the face, apart from a dusky patch on the corner of the mouth, but this patch does not spread upwards to the nose or on to the lower jaw to emphasize the whiteness of the upper lip and chin as it does in the Swamp-Deer. An example of the same race from British Burma was described and illustrated in colour by P. L. Sclater (Trans. Zool. Soc., 7, 1872). It showed marked seasonal change in colour which in the autumn (late summer) coat was bright ochreous red, with a few faint spots on the hind flank and thigh, the legs below the knees and hocks duller and paler, the edge of the upper lip, chin, throat, breast, belly and inner side of the thighs white and the upper side of the tail brown (pl. 37). In winter the colour was uniformly dark brown all over the upper side, except the upper lip, chin, interramal area a patch at the top of the throat which, like the belly, were buffy. No trace of the spots present in the summer coat were shown: but the neck, which was smooth in summer, was maned (pl. 38). In 1918 Thomas published a revision of the different kinds of Thamin, which he referred to the genus Rucervus (Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 25, p: 363). The chief value of this paper lies. in its correction of the nomenclature adopted by Lydekker in 1915. I accept Thomas’s conclusions on these points and it is needless to repeat what he said. It is needless also to repeat the synonymies he established. But in one or two particulars I find myself unable to agree with him. The first is his opinion that the Thamin are referable to three distinct species, eldi from Manipur, thamin from Burma and platyceros from Siam and Hainan. The second is his claim that there are two local races of Thamin in Burma. In my opinion there is only one species of this deer and only one race of it in Burma. My reasons for dissent on these points are given below under their appropriate headings. Panolia eldi eldi, McClelland. Cervus eldi McClelland, Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist., 2, p. 417, 1842. Cervus eldi cornipes, Lydekker, Nature, 54, p. 257, Rucervus eldi, Thomas, Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 25, p. 363, 1918 with full synonymy. y THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 567 Locality of the type:—Manipur. Distribution :—Manipur. VA > ~ MG YR ( \ \A) C “7 Ss <& + 9 J mls ee aes an i Sy wert i Ni : \\ AN, \ \ Sa ey 4 ts eae isa 5 A. Lower surface of hind foot of P. eldi eldi, the type of cornipes from the marshes of Manipur (Cumberland). B. Side view of the same foot. Distinguished on the evidence of a single specimen from the other races of Thamin by the structural adaptation at least of the hind feet for progression on marshy land. The hoofs and pasterns are longer and the horny tissue of the heels is continued back- wards on each side of the pastern half way to the false hoofs, the skin between and behind these sharply defined horny strands and over the whole of the rest of the pastern up to and between the false hoofs thick and coarsely coriaceous, irregularly groved 068 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIIT transversely and provided only with a few very short, erect, scattered hairs, not ‘strictly speaking naked as stated by Lydekker when he described this Thamin of the Manipur swamps as cornipes (igzS)): I provisionally accept Thomas’s restriction of the name eldi to the Manipurese Thamin with feet as above described; but, it is to be remembered that since the feet of the actual types of eldi, collected by Eld, and of one named frontalis collected by Guthrie, are ‘unknown, the assumption that they were fashioned as in the type of cornipes is a mere inference. Since the whole of Manipur is not swampy, one or both of the first mentioned types may have inhabited com- paratively dry plains. In that case their feet, it may be supposed, resembled those of the typical Burmese race as described in my paper in 1910. It seems-to me to be probable, moreover, that in Manipur there exist, or existed, Thamin frequenting less marshy districts than those in which the type of cornipes was shot and having feet intermediate 1 in structure between the two extremes above mentioned. There is no evidence of any difference between the skulls of Manipurese and Burmese Thamin. The antlers of those from Mani- pur vary considerably in characters claimed by Thomas to be of sub-specific value. In a fine pair, without skull. (Hume No. 12. 10.31.8) they are coarsely corrugated throughout; the left is 32 in. long; the beams of the two diverge at a decidedly obtuse angle and the brow tine is uptilted at an obtuse angle to the beam; the right brow tine has a large accessory branch near its base 11} in. long, and a shorter one, 2% in. long, near its middle; on the left brow tine there is a basal accessory branch 74 in. ‘long; on the beams the first tines on the inner side are greatly reduced, one more than the other, so as to form practically functionless vestiges; the ends of the antlers are cylindrical and very unequally bifid on the two sides. In the skull of the type of cornipes (Cumberland, No. 1.7.13.1), which has total and condylobasal lengths of 328 and 304 mm. respectively, and is apparently fully adult, the antlers are very small, only 164 in. long, and smooth throughout except quite at the base; their beams diverge at a right angle and end in a bifid tip. Panolia eldi thamin, Thomas. Rucervus thamin, Thomas, Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 25, p. 364, 1918. Ruceryvus thamin brucei, Thomas, op. cit., p. 366. Locality of the type of thamin Pegu; of brucei Thimbaung Gwin plain, Ruby Mines. Distribution :—Upper and Lower Burma including Tenasserim, also Siam and probably the Malay Peninsula. ~ Distinguished from typical eldi, on the evidence supplied by the type of cornipes, by the feet being shorter and more compact, with the skin on the lower surface of the pastern normally soft, thin and closely covered with hair like the upper side and with no extension of the horny heels. THE LARGER DEER OF BRITISH INDIA 569 In his description of the skull of brucei from the Ruby Mines, Upper Burma (Bruce, No. 17.7.8.17-18) Thomas claimed that it differs from typical thamin from Pegu, Lower Burma, in having the ridge forming the upper edge of the gland-pit poorly developed and rounded as compared with the sharp-edged ridge in other Burmese Thamin; also that the brow tines are more bent up, form- ing with the beams an angle of 130 degrees or 140 degrees, instead Fig. 6. Outer side of base of left antler of some Thamin (Panolia) showing differences inthe alignment of the brow tine, to the left, and the beam, to the right. A. Panolia eldi eldi, type of cornipes, from Manipur (Cumberiand), the two branches approximately in line. B. Panolia eldi eldi from Manipur (Hume), an older antler, with the branches divergent at an obtuse angle. ; C. Panolia eldi thamin, type from Pegu, with the junction also cbtuselv angular. D. Panolia eldi thanun, type of brucei from the Ruby Mines, Upper Burma, with the angle only slightly less obtuse than in C. E. Panolia eldi thamin from Magwe, Upper Burma (Stockley) with the angle more widely obtuse than in D. and C. | F. Panolia eldi platyceros from Siam (Schomburgh) with the branches in a straight line. es of being nearly in a straight line with the beams. The main portion of the beams, moreover is more inclined backwards, only slightly divergent, the angle formed by tangents from their median portions forming an angle of from 7o to 75 degrees. This diagnosis seems to have been taken from the type of brucei only. At all events in a second skull collected by Bruce at the Ruby Mines the edge of the gland-pit is not quite so rounded on one side as in the type D105 WOU RNAE SB OMBAVS IN ATu UI RVA ip EIS sims \ OOH ale Vammm {ome Ola AE and although it is broken on the other side, the part that remains is quite sharp. Both these skulls, judging from their exceedingly worn teeth, are old and I believe the roundness of the ridge in question to be an age character. As for the antlers, the features relied upon by Thomas are too variable individually to deserve the systematic importance he attached to them. The brow tine in Bruce’s second specimen from the Ruby Mines is less uptilted than in the type of brucei and in ‘the latter the uptilting is only a trifle greater than in the type of thamin from Pegu and in another skull from the same locality col- lected by Bruce, in both of which the brow tine and the beam are by no means in a straight tine. The variations in the divergence of the beams are even greater. In the type of bruce: the beams are abnormally asymmetrical, the left being much straighter and less outwardly divergent than the right; and in the second skull from the Ruby Mines both antlers are strongly outcurved their tangents meeting at an angle of almost go degrees. Usually in the Thamin, as Thomas stated, that angle is considerably greater than a right angle; but the view he apparently entertained that in Upper Burmese specimens the brow tine is more uptilted and the angle between the main beams more acute and much smaller than in Lower Burmese specimens is demonstrably unsound. In both the north and the south of Burma the brow-tine and the beam may diverge at a definite obtuse angle or be in almost if not quite the same straight line; and in Upper Burma the main beams may diverge at a widely obtuse angle as in an example from Magwe District (Stockley) and one from Monzwa District (Gilbert). On the other hand in a second specimen from Monzwa the angle of divergence is acute, about the same as in the type of brucet. Like the two examples from the Ruby Mines, the two from Monzwa show that the degree of divergence of the beams may vary greatly in the same locality (Fig. 6). This question has been dealt with at some length because Thomas’s verdict that there are two geographical races of Thamin in Burma has been quoted by E. H. Peacock in ‘A Game Book for Burma etc.’ 1933 and by H. C. Smith in his “Wild Animals of Burmar p. 41, 1985. Panolia eldi platyceros, Gray. Panolia platyceros, Gray,. List. Mamm. Brit. Mus., p. 181, 1843; and of subsequent authors including Thomas, Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 25, p. 364, 1918 where other references and full syn- onymy are given under the specific name Rucervus platyceros. Locality of the type :—Siam. Distribution: —Siam, Annam, Hainan. Distinguished apparently from the typical Burmese race, thamin, as figured by Sclater, by the absence of marked seasonal change in the colour which, according to Lydekker, on unstated authority, is reddish throughout the year, with spots along each side of the spinal area and in some cases also on the sides of the body. The THE LARGER DEER. OF BRITISH INDIA 571 most commonly cited difference however, lies in the antlers which seem to be always palmated, somewhat as in the Fallow Deer (Dama), that is to say they are expanded and more or less flattened at the end, with the posterior edge of this area beset with numerous small points. : Upper part of antlers, from the inner side, of various specimens of the Lnamin (Panolia) showing individual variation and especially the intergrada- tion between the ordinary and the palmate types. A. Left antler of P. eldi eldi from Manipur (Hume). B. Left antler of P. eldi thamin, the type of brucei from the Ruby Mines (Bruce). C. Right antler of P. eldi thamin, topotype of brucei from the Ruby Mines . (Bruce). : D. Right antler of P. eldt thamin from Pegu (Bruce). E. Right antler of P. eldi thamin, the type of brucei for comparison with B. and to show the semipalmate type leading to F and G. F. Right antler of P. eldi platyceros from Siam (Schomburgk). G. Right antler of P. eldi platyceros from Nhatrang Annam (Vassall). Reverting to the antlers of the two skulls of thamin from the Ruby Mines some additional differences between them have an im- portant bearing on the status of platyceros. In the topotype (No. 3 572, JOURNAL BOMBAY NATUTVATE SESE |S OGRE mn Vo] seme Nele ET 17.7.8.18) the antlers are normal, ending in two short tines and the first tine of the beam is simple and about 3 in. long. In the type (No. 17.7.8.17) the left antler is normal in shape and sub- equally bifid at the tip, but the first tine of the beam consists of two short points arising from a common base. In the right antler it is similar, but the tip of this antler is unusual in shape for Burmese Thamin, being expanded, compressed and decidedly semipalmate with about half a dozen snags behind the very short anterior apical tine and the back of the posterior portion of the antler above the . two-pointed tine is two-edged, the inner edge pcan a series of small spicules. When: Thomas gave specific value to the palmate structure of the antlers in platyceros he seems to have overlooked the right antler of this type of bruce: from the Ruby Mines, which is nearly intermediate between the normal antlers of the Burmese _ race, thamin, and of the typically Siamese race platyceros, even: approach- ing the latter more than the former. Evidence of this is supplied by the antlers of an example of platyceros from Siam (Schomburgk, No. 65.11.2.1) which has the first tine of the beam similarly com- posed of two short spikes and the expanded part of the beam above it similarly two-edged posteriorly; but it differs in having the inner edge armed. with two big spikes, one near its middle, the other at its upper end, and the outer edge armed with five big or tolerably big spikes; also by the subequality in size of the two normal terminal tines. Another antler of platyceros from Nhat- rang, Annam (Vassal, N. 08.11.1.18) differs as much from the antler from Siam, above described, as the latter differs from the antler from the Ruby Mines. The first tine of the beam consists, as in the others, of a pair of spikes, but the part of the beam above it is more emphatically palmated, being more expanded and flattened, its posterior surface forming a single compressed edge armed with a number of mostly lobate, blunt spikes, apart from one near the middle of the edge which is considerably larger; it resembles the antler from Siam in having the two terminal tines normally large and subequal, but differs from it in that the posterior of these tines shares the palmation and has its hinder edge lobate to the tip (Fig. 7). From the above-cited evidence of intergradation between the normal antlers of the Burmese Thamin and the palmated antlers of the Siamese form, I agree with G. M. Allen (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 22.p: 468, 1906) that platyceros is merely a subspecies of Panolia eldi. It is to be remembered too that according to Swinhoe’s observations in Hainan (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 655) the palmation of the antlers is acquired only when the Thamin is approaching maturity. It may be added that Thomas judging from Swinhoe’s ‘antlers, named the Hainan Thamin Rucervus platyceros hainanus. The evidence that it represents a distinct race is, in my opinion, quite inadequate. THE BIRDS OF MYSORE. BY SAuim ALI. With notes by Hugh Whistier. Part III. (Continued from Vol. xliii, No. 3, p. 341). Acrocephalus stentoreus brunnescens (Jerdon) The Great Indian Reed Warbler, Specimen collected: 493 Q 28-12-39 Dodballaptir (2,900’). Elsewhere noted: Kabani river bank near Thtmsogé village (Begir), Seringa- patam, Palahally and other islets in Cauvery River, Marikanivé and islets in Vanivilas Sagar. [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail i @ 25 87 75.5 mm.—H. W.] Status? Uncommon and sparse. Acrocephalus dumetorum Blyth. Blyth’s Reed-Warbler. Specimens collected: 72 Q 15-11-39, 104 @ 19-11-39 Bandipur (3,000’); 212 9 30-11-39 Manchgowdanhalli (2,500’); 301 Q 9-12-39 Hiunstr (2,000’); 329 0? 13-12-39 Shimsha (2,500’); 382 Q 19-12-39 Nandidrug (4,000’); 420 G 23-12-3g Maklidrig (2,800’); 510 G 31-12-39 Namadachilumé (3,000’). Biligirirangan Hills: 47 3, 48 3, 49 Q 11-11-39 (4,000° Dodsampagi). Elsewhere nected: Marikanivé, Jogimaradi (near Chitaldraig town); Kolar Gold Fields. {[ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 4664 16.5-17.5 63-65 53-54 mm. afl. 6 OQ 16-18 61.5-63-5 51-53-5 mm.—H. W.|] Winter visitor. Common. Met with singly in scrub and bushes, chiefly in deciduous biotope. Latest date recorded by the Survey 5 March. Acrocephalus agricola Jerdon. The Paddy-field Warbler. Specimens collected: 314 ¢ 11-12-39 Krishnarajsagar (2,000’); 582 ¢, 583 do g-1-40 Hiriyur (2,500’). Elsewhere noted: Mandya, Marikanive. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail ; BGO) 14 58-58.5 54-50 mm.—H. W.] Winter visitor. Common. Seen singly amongst irrigated paddy crops and reed-beds standing in water. The bird hops from stem to stem just above the water, clinging on sideways and often picking up tiny insects from the surface. It constantly utters a harsh chir...chir, etc. Locustella nevia straminea Seebohm. The Eastern Grasshopper-Warbler. Specimens collected: Biligirirangan Hills: Q 29-12-32 (4,500—Dodsampagi). Elsewhere noted: Bababudan Hills (4,500—Kemmangundi). 574 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL AIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Winter visitor. Not uncommon in tall grass and sparse date scrub on hillsides, especially on the edge of sholas. A great skulker and flushed a second time only with difficulty. Orthotomus sutorius guzurata (Latham) The Indian Tailor Bird. Specimens collected, 364 ¢ 17-12-39 Satnur (2,500); 4o1 G 20-12-39, 432 3 24-12-39 Dodballapur (2,900’); 543 dG 6-1-40 Marikanivé (2,500’). Biligirirangan Hills: M23(G) 3 20-9-34 (2,000-—Satyamangala); M30(G) <. 13-7-34 (3,000 — Udahatti, E. base). Elsewhere noted: Begtr, Chamundi Hill. Htnsur, Shimsha, Sivasamtdram, Nandidrug, Bangalore, Thondébhavi, Jogimaradi (Chitaldrug town environs), Settihalli, Kolar Gold Fields. [ Measurements : S Bill Wing Tail BeGNGuead. 15-17-5 50.5-55 50-68.5 (summer tail) it oh shagh ol 14.5 47 39 mm.—H. W.] Resident. Common. Restricted to deciduous biotope. Typical habitat: Scrub-and bush country. Cisticola exilis erythrocephala Blyth. The Red-headed Fantail Warbler. Specimens collected: 703 ¢, 704 ¢, 705 @, 706 0? juv., 707 3, 708 ¢ juv. 21-I-40, 723 0? 23-1-40, 734 Q 24-1-40 Bababidan Hills (3,500-5,000’). Elsewhere not noted. | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail AGS 11-12 46.5-51 48.5-56.5 mm. By 5) ) Tales 43-45 46.5-54 mm. 2 juv. — 42-47 ; 49-54 mm. These adults are in nice fresh winter, dress or just finishing the moult to it. ‘The females are perhaps just distinguishable from the males in having the black markings of the upper plumage a little less heavily defined. The juveniles are above a mealier edition of the winter dress with the black markings considerably less in extent and definition. The lower plumage is pale sulphuc in colour, faintly washed with buff on the flanks. In No. 706 the post-juvenal moult of the body feathers is well advanced on the lower surface.—H. W. ] Resident. Common in the Bababudan Hills among tall coarse grass and low Strobilanthes and bracken scrub on the open slopes and ridges alternating with sholas. Cisticula juncidis cursitans (Franklin) The Streaked Fantail Warbler. Specimens collected : 313 ¢ 10-2-39 Mandya (2,200’); 565 2 8-1-40 Marikanivé {2,500 ). j | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail i oh II 53 31.5 mm. Lay 11.5 47 Px) Salata; Both these specimens appear to be in worn ‘summer’ dress.—H. W.] I have an old note (19-12-32) of several seen on a grassy hillside at ca. 5,000° elevation in the Biligirirangans. After experience in the Bababtdans however, I am now inclined to believe that these were more probably C. e. -erythvrocephala. ' Resident. Not common. Frequents tall grass maidans, reeds standing on the margin of tanks and the borders of wet paddy fields. The testes of No. 313 (10 December) were enlarged to 5X3 mm. Major Phythian-Adams has a c/4 collected near Gundlupet, 25-10-1935. ~ THE BIRDS OF MYSORE 57: Franklinia gracilis albogularis (Walden) The South Indian Franklin’s) Wren- Warbler. Specimens collected: 110 0? juv., 111 G, 112 0? 19-11-39 Bandipir (3,300’) ; 371 G 17-12-39 Satnur (2,500); 407 Q 21-12-39, 427 ¢ 23-12-39 Maklidrig (2,800') ; 759 6 28-1-40 Settihalli (2,500). Biligirirangan Hills: CG 29-12-32 (5,000 —Dodsampagi) ; M7o(H) ¢ 15-5-34 (4,000°-—Shenemenhalla); MS890(H) ¢ 18-5-34 (5,000 —Anaribetta) ; M123(H) oS 26-5-34 (4,000°—Bellaji); Mo67(G) ¢ 21-7-34, (3,000 —Udahatti, Eastern base). | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail 8 6d (summer dress) 12-13.5 48-52 45-5-55 mim. I ¢o (winter dress) 255 48.5 50 mm. 3 juvs. 44.40 47.5-54 mm. The most recent examination of the races of this species is by Ticehurst & Whistler (lbis, 1939, pp. 761-763) and Mysore can now be added to the ascertained range of F. g. albogularis—H. W. | Resident. Common. Restricted to deciduous biotope. Flocks in tall grass. and secondary jungle. Two males (19 November, 17 December) had enlarged testes—4x3 and 5X3 mm. respectively. A specimen of the former date was juvenile, evidently recently out of nest. This Wren-warbler usually has 2 or 3 filo-plumes projecting behind the nape as in Pycnonotus luteolus.. I have not seen this particular mentioned in published descriptions. Phragmaticola aédon (Pallas) The Thick-billed Warbler. Specimens collected: 251 Q 3-12-39 Karapur (2,500’); 346 Q 15-12-39 Satnur 00’) 540 ¢ 4-1-40 Namadachilumé (3,000); 653 @ 16-1-40 Sakléshpur [ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail Ae OS® 20 83-85 85-88.5 mm.—H. W.] Winter visitor. Frequent, but not common. Usually seen singly in under- growth, preferentially in the dry-inter belt. ‘Hippolais caligata caligata Licht. The Tree-Warbler. Specimens collected: 318 3, 319 ¢ 13-12-39 Satnur (2,500); 423 Q 23-12-39 Maklidrug (2,800’). {[ Measurements : Bill Wing Tail BOC 13.5-I4 62.5-63 50-50.5 mm. 1 9 13.5 60.5 51 mm.—H. W.] Hippolais caligata rama (Sykes). Sykes’s Tree-Warbler. Specimen collected: 217 Q 1-12-39 Antarsanté (2,500’). Elsewhere noted: Kolar Gold Fields (subspecies ?). {Measurements : Bill . Wing Tail 7 © 15 59-5 51 mm.—H. W.] Winter visitor. Fairly common, in deciduous scrub and bushes. At Satnur loose scattered ‘flocks’ of 12 to 15 birds were -seen about mid-December. Sylvia hortensis jerdoni (Blyth) The Orphean Warbler. No specimen. Two solos were observed among bushes in a dry scrub- covered ravine at Satnur, 16-12-39. 016. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIIl Sylvia althea Hume. Hume’s Lesser Whitethroat. _ Specimens collected: 229 G 1-12-39 Antarsanté (2,500'); 365 CG 17-12-39 Satnur (2,500'); 422 @Q 23-12-39 Maklidrig (2,800’); Biligirirangan' Hills : M31-32(G) dd 21-9-34 (2,000-—Satyamangala). | Measurements : Bill Wing Tail LOS C 13.5-14 68.5-74 55-55-5 mm. Ten, PRG 70 58.5—EL.. We Fairly common winter visitor. Seen singly in deciduous biotope, in babool and other scrub. Earliest date 21 September. Sylvia curruca blythi Ticeh. & Whistler. The Indian Lesser Whitethroat. Specimen collected: 557 Q 7-1-40 Marikanivé (2,500’). [ Measurements : Bill 7 Wing Tail i, 12.5 65 54-5 mm.—H. W.] Winter visitor. Rare. Frequents dry open sparsely scrubbed country. Phylloscopus affinis (Tickell). Tickell’s Willow Warbler. Specimens collected: 381 @ 19-12-39 Nandidrig (4,000’); 385 0? 19-12-39 Maklidrig (2,800’); 683 Q 20-1-40 Bababudan Hills (5,000—Kemmangundi) ; Biligirirangan Hills: Ms58(H) G 20-4-34 (5,000—Attikan). | Measurements : “Bull Wing Tail 6h II 59 44.5 mm. I Q 12 55 42.5 mm. This is the first record for Mysore State, a locality not therefore given in Ticehurst’s monograph.—H. W.] Winter visitor. Not uncommon in deciduous biotope, chiefly in scrub and small tree jungle. Also sparingly up to the edge of sholas. Phylloscopus trochiloides viridanus Blyth. The Greenish Willow Warbler. Specimens collected: 275 CG 5-12-39 Antarsanté (2,500’); 302 CG 9-12-39 Hunsur (2,000’); 380 0? 19-12-39 Nantidrug (4,000’). Biligirirangan Hills: 24 3 8-11-39, ¢G 28-12-32 (5,000—Honnametti) ; M21(G) ¢ 17-10-34 (4,000—Edbithi). Elsewhere noted: Bandipur, Maddur, Settihalli. | Measurements : Ball Wing Tail 366 12-13 59-62 44.5-48.5 mm.—H. W.] Winter visitor. Common. Affects wooded country, chiefly deciduous but also through the intermediate zone up to the edge of sholas. Seen singly in canopy foliage rather than in bushes. The constantly uttered call note chiwee is distinctive. Phylloscopus magnirostris Blyth. The Large-billed Willow Warbler. Specimen collected: 856 2 23, NO, 18-19 82-83 4-36. The 3 Biligiri birds are in moult so not measured.—H. W.] Resident. Common. Confined to deciduous biotope. Affects wooded country and groves of trees about towns and villages, and cultivation. Invariably present on the various figs in fruit. y Gonads of the specimens of 24 and 27 December were mature (testes 10 6 mm.; ovary granular). On 3 December a bird was observed (Karapur) enter- ing its nest hole in the snag of a branch ca. 15 ft. up. Xantholoeema rubricapilla malabarica (Blyth). The Crimson-throated Barbet. Specimens collected: 610 ¢ 13-1-40, 640 ¢ 15-1-40 Sakleshpur (3,000’). Elsewhere noted: Jagar Valley (Bababudan Hills 2,500’). [Measurements: 2 ¢¢ Bill 16-17, Wing 82-83.5, Tail 36-36.5 mm.—H. Ww. Resident. Confined to evergreen biotope where it seems to be the ecological counterpart of the Crimson-breasted Barbet. Also occurs freely in the moist- inter belt. The specimens were either breeding or ready to breed: testes 10X8 and 7X5 respectively. No. 610 was one of a pair with a nest hole in a branch ca. 20 ft. up. The pair attacked and drove off a pair of Mahratta woodpeckers from its proximity. (To. be continued) CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER AND OTHER SPORTING FISH IN INDIA AND BURMA. BY A, St. J. MACDONALD. Aras lelel (Continued from Vol. xiii, No. 3 (1942), p. 361). (With 1 plate and 18 text-figures). TACKLE FOR MAHSEER. I]. HEAVY MAHSEER TACKLE—Rods (1), Reels (2), Lines (3), Splicing -Line (4), Traces (5), Swivels (6), Connecting Links (7), Attaching Trace to Line (8), Weights (9), Lures (10), Mounts (11), Split Rings (12), Plugs (13), Spinners (14), Mounting Dead Bait (15), Legering (16), Weighing Giant Fish (17), Gaff or Spear (18), Bait- ing Needles (19), Disgorger (20), Repairs to Rod (21), Line Drier (22). I]. TACKLE FOR SMALLER FISH—Medium Mahseer Fishing (23), Rods (24), Steel Rods versus Split Cane, Greenheart and Ringal (25), Thread Line Rods (26), Double-handed Casting Rods (27), Solid Cane or Ringal Rods (28), Double-handed Fly Rods (29), Rod Fittings (30), Reels American (31), English Nottingham Reels (32), Stationary Drum Reels (33), Casting ‘Line (34), Thread Line (35), Traces (36), Lures, Plug, Spoons, Dead Bait (37).. III. FLY SPOON AND SINGLE-HANDED FLY ROD—The Rod (38), Reels (39), Lines (40), Traces (41), Treatment of Gut and how to tie Traces (42), How to tie a cast (43), Knots for Traces (44), Knots for attaching gut to swivels (45), Lures (46), List of Tackle Dealers (47). A chapter on tackle could fill a tome, were I to go into detail of past and present, and illustrate the outfit freely. This is quite unnecessary in view of the excellent Anglers’ Guides now offered by the many tackle makers, and by dealers, both in this country and at home. Get a well-illustrated catalogue from Hardy, Allcock, Farlow, Albert Smith or with whomever you deal, or better still out here from Mantons, the Army & Navy or Verona, and you will be equip- ped to study the various forms of baits, knots, etc. ; besides which they have a number of instructive notes. In the first instance ‘Tackle for Mahseer’ is an indeterminate Heading for this chapter, when it is considered that this fish offers sport from + of a pound to 5 score or more, and that consequently tackle must be classified or grouped for “Heavy’, ‘Medium’, and ‘Light’ fishing; so I will subdivide this chapter into three parts. I. HEAVY MAHSEER TACKLE. By ‘Heavy’ I mean big water and looking for big fish, that is for fish 30 pounds upwards. This type of! fishing is almost exclusively enjoyed in Burma and Assam, it is best done from a boat, as the CIRCUMVENTING THE.MAHSEER 597 water is too big to command from the banks, and very often the best places are from islands in the river, or at large junctions. It is a type of fishing unto itself. To illustrate the type of fishing | am dealing with I will quote just two such days; one from Assam and one from Burma from ‘The Angler’s Hand Book’ by Lacey. Assam.— ‘The river is called the Punateet, and runs out of the Khasia hills at Laour. To get to it, you have to branch off at Sonamgunge (on the Soormah) and go by boat to a village called Elamgao; here you can get Dingies and boatmen to take you up the gorge, where you must rough it in a grass hut. It is a beastly unhealthy place. Every time I go there all my servants are knocked over with fever. I got it once myself, but on that occasion I was there six weeks. Extract from my diary :— November 19th got nil, lost 4 fish. es ZO tiie. + lnelbSsal Om lo Stes: ry AS ti Ssc: Ce should be threaded to a baiting needle, and run up through the vent and body to the mouth of the fish, the loop then threaded on to the Attachment Link. Pass a fine needle threaded with silk through the head from above, and through both wire loops _ on the Attachment Link, then through the lower jaw of the fish, run, the silk through yal then tie in front, and through the Attachment (fig.. 7 c). One barb of the treble on wire ‘a’ should Link 7 be fixed into the fish, the hook on wire ‘b’ should be fixed so as to. give the. dead bait a kink, depending on how much you want ‘it to spin, both hooks should then be threaded in turn with silk or strong cotton either through the eye of the treble or over the - CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER #05 shank, and tied around the fish as shown in fig. 7c. The shorter the gill treble mount the better, and I prefer it to have the larger hook of the two, but this can be suited to one’s own fancy. A correspondent sends me the following :— ‘I think the use of twisted Killin wire—which necessitates tinning or it will rust—would bother a novice. And as there are rustless steel wires on the market these are preferable. I have such steel wire—an ‘American product—which is admirable for bait mounting. It takes solder readily (use broken spirits of salt). It is absolutely rustless; even under any salt water conditions.’ ‘The wire is readily manipulated with pliers. Being so thin it does not tear the vent: and its glitter does not matter. I use both this wire and rustless steel twisted wires—for dead bait—rather than Killin. It is made by Wickwire Spencer Steel Company, New York City and San Francisco. No. 7 breaking load 73 Ibs. is suita- ble (this is finer than an ordinary spinning line). It is called Wissco Leaderwire, polished stainless steel. A heavy coil is obtainable for Sh. 5/6d. Obtainable from Verona, Dharamtalla Street, Calcutta.’ Another good mount, and one that I use in fast and heavy water is a Crocodile mount, but with a diving shield, much the same as plugs. And I have found this mount more effective than any of the more elaborately turned out ones as SuKoee by tackle dealers. See fig. 8. | Fig. 8. 16. Legering.—Pass the line of the mount, doubled, through the eye of a single hook, give it three twists around the shank of Fig. 9 A. Fig. 9 B. the hook, then fix to end of mount on either side of fish, a small single or treble hook. (See fig. 9A). 606 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII Fix hook a lightly through the skin of fish in front of dorsal fin, and the two hooks b one on either side. Pass a rubber band under fish and over both hooks to keep them flush with the side, and in position (fig. 9B). : Another method, is as in fig. gC. c is fixed in the same manner as in fig. 9B, a with a single treble attached at end of mount, which lies loose by the side of the fish, with one barb of treble under and just free of the belly. Active fish may get the loose treble hung up on the bottom. The first method is preferable. Fig. 9 c. 17. Weighing Giant Fish.—lf your fish is heavier than your scale register, the correct weight can be arrived at as follows. That is if you have two spring balances. Tie your fish to a stick, and with a scale fixed at either end of the stick lift the fish and the sum of the readings on both scales will be the weight of the fish. 18. Gaff or Spear.—The Mahseer, for his size, has the largest scales of any other fish in India. On a large fish they are as big, and sometimes bigger than the palm of the hand, and are very tough. This makes the use of a gaff difhcult, even to an expert. More- over, the attendant one has with one on a fishing trip, is usually a passed master with a spear, and for this reason I advocate the use of a spear with a barb to it. It is more effective and more penetrating than a gaff, and is just as handy to carry.. 19. Baiting Needles.—kKeep half a dozen baiting needles with you, they are always handy, and are easily lost. 20. Disgorgery.—Be human, and as soon as you have your fish shelved, knock him on the head and kill him. A disgorger can then be used, or a knife or scissors to cut out the hook. I have seldom found a disgorger necessary, but it is useful at times and is quite handy stuck into one’s topee. . 21. Repairs to Rod.—This would only apply to a green-heart or bamboo rod but is worth mentioning, should any one be fixed in the unfortunate position of only having the one top to a rod, and breaking it while on a trip in some remote part. Cut the two broken portions diagonally across so that they will fit (fig. 10 A.) Then with Durofix stick them together, and bind over neatly with strong silk. First of all fix the end of your silk along the splice or groove of the two sections. Continue past the splice and secure your end in the following manner. Before finishing the binding, and when CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 607 about eight coils remain, put a loop of silk at the end of the binding, as shown in fig. ro C. Thread the loop with the end of the silk and draw through under the binding. Cut the end close and varnish over. If the break is where the wood is thin, towards the tip of the joint—the splice will be strengthened by a bird’s quill—halved lengthways and bound. beneath the silk wrapping. 22. Line drier.—This is a most im- portant item in the outfit, as unless the line is dried daily after use, the lower coils of line on the drum will remain saturated and rot. II. TACKLE FOR SMALLER FISH. 23. Medium Mahseer Fishing.—In part one I have dealt exclusively with the tackle for heavy work, and fitted my remarks to water where the ex- ception is the small fish, and the rule the large fellows. In this second part I will reverse the order, and consider the tackle 5 which will suit the smaller size of fish. Big. That is, fish from 30 pounds or so downwards, but be up to taking the large ones should they come our way. For choice, this type of fishing is preferable from the point of view of sport, as it produces more fish, and is as often as not in water where fly-spoon fishing can be combined, and affords rest from the otherwise hard labour that the heavy fishing entails. It is a general condition in most Northern India rivers. Tackle will cover a wider range in variety and fancy for this type of fishing, as fish from 10 to 30 pounds can be taken in many ways if conditions permit. The angler in the Doon, and in other suitable rivers, will perhaps use nothing but plug bait, with an American wide drum casting reel, and short steel or bamboo rod. In still smaller rivers, or where conditions suit lighter tackle, the lover of the Wanless or thread line tackle will stake his wits against the largest fish. Then there is the more orthodox and perhaps conservative method with revolving drum and double-handed casting rod. Lastly, the lover of the fly rod, who would rather cast a one-inch spoon with double-handed ‘fly rod all day, and take his chances with the big fellows, than use casting rods and tackle. 24. Rods.—The short single-handed casting rod, of 5 feet or so, and in case of heavier fish, up to 7 feet in length, are generally popular. - 25. Steel Rods versus Split Cane, Greenheart and Ringal.—The makers of the well-known Apollo steel shaft for golf clubs, have (0) ay 18x) (Oe 608 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XLIII put on the market a variety of steel tube rods, in varying sizes and weights comparable with split cane or greenheart. In con- sidering the merits of the steel rod, and in comparison with the split cane, I have no hesitation in saying that I prefer the latter, as it is.more sympathetic with our cause, and reacts with more smoothness than the steel rod; besides it is lighter. We must, however, cansider the many other aspects. For instance, the effect of: the climate on a split cane or steel centre rod does not arise with the steel rod, nor does it. cost as much, or call for the same care and attention when in and out of use. Then there is the ringal rod of 5 to 7 feet, built for this light work, in this country. I have seen an excellent rod turned out by Verona for this type of fishing— light, strong and a finished job, and at a moderate price. So [| would advise, for the extravagant, a Hardy’s ‘Victor’; for the ‘Inquisitive’ a steel rod by Apollo or any other maker, for every- one else a ringal cane made up out here, by your tackle dealer. 26. Thread Line Rods.—These are made, and carefully calculated out to give a required tension with a fine line, with breaking strain of 2 to 8 pounds, by what is known as ‘Test Curve’ or ‘Strain’. This is roughly speaking, putting a full strain on with the rod, until the line and tip of the rod are in a continuous curve, and the angle disappears. Something of this sort is necessary when it is considered what toy tackle this is, and what the effect of getting the rod, reel and line out of balance, would result in. A stiff rod © would put more strain on the reel, and in turn, a stiff reel on the line, (and if the rod is a light one) on the rod too. So that rods for this type of fishing must be carefully selected, and suited to both reel and line. Makers generally grade the rod to the strength of line to be used, so this should receive your careful attention. The length generally favoured is from 5 to 7 feet. 27. Double Handed Casting Rods.—There is a wide selection from which to make a choice, as this form of fishing is more gener- ally in practice than the two foregoing, and is nothing more than a modified form of part (1), but as the general run of fish will be smaller, we must have a rod light enough to fit these conditions. Probably the most popular rod is one of about 9 or ro feet in length, and about 10 or 12 ounces in weight. If an expensive rod is re- quired the ‘Wee Murdock’ by Hardy in split cane or greenheart, or any other. similar rod is all that is desired. The steel rod for those who prefer it, or the ringal cane built out here. 28. Solid Cane or Ringal Rods.—Verona built me a_nine-foot ringal rod to my specifications, and is all that is desired. I have killed several fish over 30 pounds with it, and over 2,000 pounds of fish all told, it is still as good as new. It cost me Rs. 15. I had to dix my own handle and rings. For another Rs. 15 or Rs. 20 Verona would fix a cork grip and porcelain rings, and personally T would use nothing else. No fear of binding cutting or cement opening, and the chances of repair to a solid ringal if a ferrule gets slack, or a break on a fishing trip, is so much easier than is the case with a split cane rod. I am convinced that as the building of these rods improves in this country, so will we see the exit of the expensive eight- and nine-guinea rod built in England and elsewhere. 29. Double Handed Fly Rods.—There are quite a few anglers in: CIRCUMVENTING THE MAHSEER 603, India who prefer the Salmon fly rod to anything else, and get as good sport, but wielding a 12-foot double handed fly rod in an April sun, is hard work. It is grand sport getting into a big fish, and if you wish to make comparisons of the fighting qualities of Salmon and Mahseer, then take on a Mahseer with this tackle, and compare timings, etc., with your catches of Salmon. — Individu- ally, you will be satisfied I think. I have kept detailed notes of my fishing trips, and here are three extracts from my diary. 24th April 1935. (1) Fishing in the Sarju in Kumaon, above Bageshwar, at top of Balaghat Gorge, with a 1o-foot fly rod, a medium trout gut trace, and one-inch spoon. Hooked at 6 p.m. landed at 8-30 p.m., 600 yards below where first hooked and in third pool down. 294 pounds. (No sulking). 2oth March 1938. (2) Fishing in Nepal in a river about the same size as the Sarju, 25 pounder hooked in ‘Bootha’ rapid at 9-10 a.m. (my wife kept the time) at top of run, followed him down bank 600 yards, with too yards of line out, to tail of pool, then up again half way up rapid and back down into pool. -Killed at 11-20 a.m. on the same tackle as mentioned above. A black Mahseer. r2th. October 1940. (3) Ladhya River, Kumaon. 9g$-pound Mahseer, hooked on to-foot Perfection Rod, medium trout gut cast and half-inch spoon. Killed in 49 minutes. (Time taken by my two companions.) ; These are not isolated cases from the point of view of fight, though they .are lucky for the size of fish, as the usual run of fish was ..very much smaller. The charm of this type of fishing is that you. avoid all the ‘ironmongery’ as used on spoons, plugs and dead bait, of two and three trebles, but just have the one single hook on the fly spoon, and so get as near home conditions as possible. The type of rod.needs no mention here, a fly rod used for heavy Trout and Salmon, fits these conditions also. hb | 30. Rod Fittings.—Use only the best rings. The. expensive rod is usually fitted with good rings, but watch the cheaper ones, and insist on Agate or protected Porcelain rings at the butt and end. Ferrules,. either ‘lock fast’ or ‘Suction’, if of a good make and wel: put on, are the best. Winch fittings should be ‘anti-friction’, avoic the types that fix the reel with a hand nut or screw, and try to get the screw grip as used by Hardy’s or the sliding ring type, but see your reel is rigid, or accidents will occur. 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