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C. Daniel, P. V. Bole & A. N. D. Nanavati APRIL 1979 : ex Rs. 35 NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS io Contributors of ane articles are Tequested to assist. the editors by observ- : ing the following instructions: ? ee 1. Papers which have at the same time edn offered ee ess to ‘other . journals or periodicals, or have already been pubes elsewhere, should not be : ae submitted. | 2. The MS. sear be typed (double spacing) on one side of a sheet only, i: ae. and the sheets properly numbered. | 3. All scientific names to be printed. in italics should be aderiaed: 4. Trinomials referring to subspecies should only be used where identifica tion has been authentically established by ani san & spectaets ae collect- oe Photographs for reproduction must. be clear and show , soak es , se . _ Prints must be of e size not smaller than 8.20 x 5. cm aN. 2 eee and on | glossy glazed paper. 3 6. Text-figures, line drawings, and | maps : should be in Tle ink, preferably ee on Bristol board. 7. References to literature should be se at the pad of the paper, alpha- betically arranged under author’s name, with the abridged titles of journals or periodicals underlined (italics) and titles of books not underlined Canes type). thus: Banerji, M. L. (1958): Botanical Exploration in East ee Ue Bombay nat.- Hist. Soc. 55(2):243-268. Prater, S. H. (1948): The Book of Indian Animals. bomiae Titles of pape | should not be underlined. 8. Reference to literature in the text should be made by quoting the author’s Seo), name and year of publication, thus: (Banerji 1958). 9. Synopsis: Each scientific paper should be accompanied by a concise, : clearly written synopsis, normally not exceeding 200 words. . 10. Reprints: Authors are supplied 25 reprints of their articles free of charge. In the case of joint authorship, 50 copies will be given gratis to be distributed among the two or more authors. Orders for additional reprints should be in mullti- ples of 25 and should be received within two weeks after the author is informed of the acceptance of the manuscript. They will be chareed for at cost plus postage and packing. 11. The editors reserve the right, other things being eae to publish a mem- ber’s contribution earlier than a non-member’s. - Hornbill House, | EDITORS, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, , _. Journal of the Bombay Bombay 400 023. Natural History Society. VOLUME 76 (1) : APRIL 1979 Date of Publication: 12-2-1980 CONTENTS PAGE BEHAVIOUR OF HoOOoLOcK GIBBON (Hylobates hoolock) DURING DIFFERENT SEASONS IN ASSAM, INDIA. By Ronald L. Tilson. (With three figures) i 1 A BOTANICAL SURVEY OF Cannabis IN THE HIMALAYAS. By G. K. Sharma ee 17 A COMMENT ON Actinodura nipalensis (AND waldeni). By S. Dillon Ripley ie 21 TYPE MATERIAL IN THE HERBARIUM OF THE BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT POONA. By N. P. Singh and U. R. Deshpande at 24 REVISED NOMENCLATURE FOR TAXA IN WYNTER-BLYTH’S BOOK ON THE BUTTERFLIES OF INDIAN REGION. By R. K. Varshney si 33 BIRDS SEEN ALONG A MOUNTAIN TRAIL IN PAKISTAN. By P. Jones. (With two text- figures) ae 41 THE GENUS Athyrium ROTH IN NAINITAL HILLS. By K. K. Dhir and K. Rani. (With ten text-figures) a 49 APPLICATION OF SOME BIOCHEMICAL METHODS IN BANDICOOT TAXONOMY. By M. S. Pradhan. (With four text-figures) ee ay) PRELIMINARY CROCODILE SURVEY—SRI LANKA. By R. Whitaker and Z. Whitaker. (With eight plates) Bie 66 A PROVISIONAL, ANNOTATED CHECK-LIST OF THE FRESHWATER FISHES OF IRAN. By Brian W. Coad. (With a text-figure) ok 86 BIOECOLOGY AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF TERMITE GENUS Cryptotermes. By M. L. Thakur. (With a text-figure) at 106 OBSERVATIONS ON THE BICLOGY OF THE PiGMY HoG (WiTH A FOOTNOTE ON THE HispspD Hare). PigMy Hoc Survey 1977—Part II. By William L. R. Oliver. (With two plates and three text-figures) ae 115 REVIEWS: i. The herons of the World (Salim Ali) ot 143 2. A dictionary of life sciences (A. K. Joshee) us 145 3. The birds of China, Mongolia and Korea: Vol. 1 (R. E. Hawkins) at 145 4. Jim Corbett’s India (David Fernandes) a. 147 5. The sixth sense of Animals (Robert B. Grubh) 2 149 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: MaMMats: 1. On the occurrence of the common otter in Maharashtra (Itiadoh lake-- Bhan lara District) with some notes on its habits. By M. B. Chitampalli (p. P51) 232), Byi- dence for a tiger eating a panther cub. By A. J. T. Johnsingh (p. 152); 3. Range extension of crabeating mongoose in Bangladesh. By M. A. Reza Khan (p. 153); 4. An interesting behaviour of three Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius Ogilby 1833) kids. By A. J. T. John- singh (p. 154); 5. A supplementary note on some mammals recently collected in Bhutan. By Subhendu Sekhar Saha (p. 155). Birps: 6. Occurrence of ‘chestnutheaded bee-eater (Mvrops leschenaulti) in Bombay. By P. Kannan and G. Bertrand (p. 157); 7. Beehive predation by wasps (Genus Vespa) and its possible benefit to honeyguides (Indicatoridae) in Bhutan. By S. A. Hussain and Salim Ali (p. 157); 8. A note on the predation of jungle myna (Acridetheres fuscus Wagler) on field mouse. By A. J. T. Johnsingh (p..159); 9. The nesting of tickell’s flycatcher (Muscicapa tickelliae) in Bombay. By Humayun Abdulali cc 159); 10. New records of birds from Orissa. By N. Majumdar (p. 161). | REPTILES: 11. Captive rearing of marine turtles. (With two plates). By Romulus Whitaker (p. 163); 12. Malformation at birth in the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus Schneider) in Orissa, India. By S. K. Kar (p. 166); 13: ‘Sexual attracticn of a wild niugger (Crocodylus palustris Lesson) sowie captive muggers. (With three text-figures). By Lala A. K. Singh (p. 167); 14. Winter temperature gradient in tunnels of Uromastyx hardwickii Gray. By R. K. Bhatnagar, R. K. Bhanotar, Y. Mahto and Y. N. Srivastava (p. 172); 15. Identification of snake skins. (With two plates). By K. Viswanathan (p. 173). AMPHIBIA: 16. Food of Rana hexadactyla Lesson. By M. I. Andrews (p. 175). FISHES: 17. On the breeding behaviour of Schizothorax niger Heckel in Dal Lake. (With a text-figure and a photograph). By K. K. Vass, H. S. Raina and Shyam Sunder (p. 179). INSEcTs: 18. A note on the zoogeography of Indian Meloidae (Coleoptera). By R. K. Anand and Swaraj Ghai (p. 184); 19. On some insects associated with Lac in India. By R. S. Gokulpure, B. P. Mehra, P. Sen and Jawahir Lal (p. 185); 20. A flourishing colony of Copitotermes heimi (Wasm.) (Insecta: Isoptera) in a Naval Boat. By M. L. Thakur and P. K. Sen-Sarma (P. 188). CRUSTACEA: 21. On the eulittoral Palaemonid Shrimp (Crustacea, Decapoda) of Visakha- patnam coast. (With a texi-figure). By K. Ravindranath (p. 189). OLIGOCHAETA: 22. First record of Lumbricus castaneus (Savigny) from India (Lumbri- cidae: Oligochaeta). By J. M. Julka (p. 191). SPONGES: 23. Faunal associations of littoral sponges in and around Balugaon in Chilka lake (Lagoon). By A. L.. N. Sarma, D. G. Rao and S. Satapathy (p. 192). BoTANy: 24. The broadcasting of Karvi seed. By D. J. Panday and J. D. Panday (p. 195); 25. The genus Amomum Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) in Andaman and Nicobar islands. (With two plates). By N. P. Balakrishnan and N. G. Nair (p. 196); 26. Record of Hyptis capitata Jacq. (Labiatae) from Peninsular India. (With a text-figure). By T. G. Varghese (p. 200); 27. A new distributional record for Distemon indicum Wedd. from Tehri Garhwal. By Shiv Kumar Dhyani (p. 200); 28. On the occurrence of Gymnema cuspidatum (Thunb.) K. Schum. (Asclepiadaceae) in Maharashtra. (With six text-figures). By S. K. Malhotra, K. Madhusudan Rao and B. G. Kulkarni (p. 202); 29. An intersting grass from Maharashtra. (With twelve text-figures). By U. R. Deshpande and N. P. Singh (p. 204); 30. Some in- teresting plant records for Rajasthan. By V. Singh (p. 206); 31. Some new plant records of Nagpur region. By S. A. Paradkar and S. K. Munshi (p. 209); 32. Notes on two interest- ing sedges from Gujarat State, India. (With a plate). By S. D. Sabnis and J. V. Joshi (p. 210); 33. New records of plants from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. By Paritosh Chakraborty (p. 212); 34. Filamentous Myxophyceae of Aurangabad District, Maharashtra. By P. V. Ashtekar and N. D. Kamat (p. 215). JOURNAL Cr Tie BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 1979 APRIL Vol. 76 BEHAVIOUR OF HOOLOCK GIBBON' (HYLOBATES HOOLOCK) DURING DIFFERENT SEASONS IN ASSAM, INDIA‘ RONALD L. TILSON? (With three figures) A small population of hoolock gibbons (Hylobates hoolock) was observed during 62 days between July 1971 and February 1973 at Hollongapar forest reserve in upper Assam. Social structure amcng seven groups consisted of a monogamously mated pair of adulis with 0-3 offspring (mean size = 3.4). These family groups occupy territories of about 22 ha (range = 18-30 ha) which overlap by 23 per cent the space of adjacent families. Fruit is a preferred food item, constituting 67 per cent of their diet in winter, with leaves and insecis contributing 32 and 1 per cent, respectively. On cold winter mornings gibbons climb into special trees and sunbathe (mean = 92 min) before feed- ing. They sunbathe less frequently (56 per cent of mornings) and for shorter periods (mean = 26 min) during the warmer summer. Infants are born during the dry winter months, perhaps to synchronize early gestation and lactation with the monsoon. Dif- ferences in behaviour between summer and winter periods are discussed relative to other gibbon species occupying equatorial forests. INTRODUCTION In 1930 McCann (1933) spent two months collecting and observing hoolock gibbons (Hylobates hoolock) at Changchang Pani in the Naga Hills of Assam. He established that they live in monogamous family groups and 1 Accepted July 1977. 2 Division of Environmental Studies, University of California, Davis 95616. U.S.A. that the dichromatism of the species is deter- mined by sex and age rather than individual variation. The only food habit study on H. hoolock reports that certain leaves and fruits were selected by captive animals as principal dietary items (Candler 1904). Except for these brief observations by McCann in the field and Candler in a zoo, there is no other informa- tion available on the behaviour and ecology of hoolock gibbons. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Gibbons are small arboreal apes that range from the Brahmaputra River in Assam, east to Indochina and south through Malaya into the Indonesian archipelago. Of the nine re- cognized species (Groves 1972), six occur in equatorial rain forest where forest phenology can be aperiodic and largely unpredictable (Richards 1966, McClure 1966, Medway 1972). with few exceptions, the equatorial species of Malaysia and Indonesia have been studied extensively and thus form the basis from which gibbon ecology is extrapolated (Ellefson 1974, Chivers 1974, Tenaza 1975, Rodman in press). in contrast, observations of gibbon species occupying more northern latitudes by McCann (1933) in Nagaland and Carpenter (1940) in Changrai, Thailand, were too brief to reveal any influence of seasonality. In Assam, India, the hoolock gibbon lives in evergreen rain forest between latitudes 22° and 28° north. Here seasonality is more pronounced, with two dissimilar seasons, the warm wet summer and cold dry winter. Behavioural responses of hoolock gibbons to these different environ- ments are presented. HABITAT AND METHODS Study Area A small viable population of hoolock gib- bons was found in Hollongapar Forest Re- serve 12 km south of Jorhat, Sibsagar Dis- trict (26°70’N, 94°30’E), upper Assam (Fig. 1). The forest, boundary encompasses 1,900 ha, but selective timbering has reduced the habitat suitable for gibbons to about 800 ha. The flat lowland forest (altitude 119 m) is intersected by numerous streams that flood during the monsoon but otherwise are dry. Ground water is available throughout the year in small isolated pools. A railroad track 2 runs through the southern section, and two roads divide the forest into four unequal qua- drats. The reserve is surrounded by extensive tea gardens, creating a forest island. The vegetation is evergreen forest dominat- ed by Dipterocarpus macrocarpus, Shorea assamica and Mesua terra (Champion 1936). Irregular clumps of bamboo (Bambusa and Dendrocalamus spp.) and cane (Calamus spp.) are common. The forest structure is three-storied with a continuous canopy (ex- cept over the main trails and railway track) rising to a mean height of 15-22 m. The seasons in Assam are distinct. Das (1970) compiled 20-year records from the Indian Meteorological Memoirs for Assam, and data from the Hollongapar area are ex- trapolated and presented here. The summer from June to September is monsoon, with high temperatures (mean = 27.4°C) and heavy rains (mean = 38.9 cm/month). Nearly 63 per cent of the total rainfall in Hollongapar (annual mean = 249 cm) occurs during the monsoon. The winter from December to Feb- ruary is marked by low temperatures (mean= 10.1°C) and little rainfall (mean = 3.2 cm/ month). Winter fogs are common in Assam, with Hollongapar receiving an average of 44 foggy days annually. Elsewhere in Assam dif- ferent weather regimes prevail, leading to plant associations other than evergreen rain forest (Champion & Griffith 1948). Three other primate species, two macaques and one langur, also occur in Hollongapar forest. One group of about 26 pigtail maca- ques (Macaca nemestrina) and three groups of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), aver- aging about 20 animals each, were encounter- ed daily. The multimale bisexual groups of capped langurs (Presbytis pileatus) of 18 and 27 animals and one all-male group of 11 were counted. BEHAVIOUR OF HOOLOCK GIBBON $0” CHIRA Bote 4°: rman ie Oy Se SF; Se = Belerore tarts M ~ ee° a e = SOOT OEO v4 x we vastly . ° i peTQ Ete 63 Bing; Vie Joo 2 © 0% — Khosi-Jaiajia Sine: an —> Ge sorte et PB 4 4 Sarge! iG oor, i ° Oe eo 82 © 0%, 2 of ee 2% e280 2% 80 3] Orr ° ate nh oe 0 Pet een% go 880%? 6 ooo s%o,. * ete © Coe 05850 2 0 0 Ong? 80080 o% SAGO 5 eee, On OOO SO SOS GORA DOO REO OO sr Leno O59 ere eege tee 0 90 Pot ne OOO AOC ar ii ®o : AS OO SOP OOO a0 es Gin COA RCIA OM I ary ie Fale tet ge 88 eo, 2% 0 9 997000 88 Bee Oe i ° =. “== . Hylebates hsolock | @istribution 0 100 Fig. 1. The distribution of hoolock gibbons in Assam. Numerals refer to the seven natural regions: 1) Upper Assam Plains, 2) Central Assam Plains, 3) North Bank Plains, 4) Lower Assam Plains, 5) Meghalaya, 6) Barak Plain, 7) Mizo Hills. The closed circle indicates the locality of Hollongapar Forest and the dotted line indicates the transition zone between 250-700 m elevation above sea level. The Brahmaputra River lies between 134 m to 50 m elevation. 2a JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Areas Surveyed I spent six weeks censusing anthropoid pri- mates in Assam from July to August, 1971, and November to February, 1972-73. Forest- ed areas in Meghalaya (Garo Hills, United Khasi-Jaintia Hills), the Central Assam Plains (Mikir Hills, North Cachar Hills) and the Upper Assam Plains were visited. The Lower Assam and North Bank Plains north oi the Brahmaputra River were included (Fig. 1). District Forest Officers in these areas were interviewed. If gibbons were reported to occur I attempted to find them. Visual or aural contact with gibbons were the only criteria acceptable. Sex and age of all group members was determined when possible. In many cases no gibbons could be found at sites where they apparently once occurred. Their absence is attributed to extensive timbering that has left many areas devoid of any real forest. Methods Three gibbon families were studied for 62 days in Hollongapar forest. The summer period was 34 days (2 July—4 August), and the winter period was 28 days (10-28 Nov- ember, 4-12 January). This forest has been protected from human predation since 1924, and the gibbons lacked the avoidance response common to most wild species. Within a week I could approach three families to within 25 m, which facilitated dawn to dusk observa- tions. When a gibbon group was sighted, its location and direction of movement were re- ferenced to the nearest trail-marker, spaced every 25 m along the main trails. These data were then transferred to a Forest Department map of Hollongapar drawn on a 1: 1,000 scale. Song sites and intergroup interactions were also mapped. I recognized groups from their location and composition. The onset 4 time, duration and location of all gibbon songs were noted on a 24 h basis. Gibbon song sites beyond my view were determined by taking a compass reading and estimating the distance from two separate locations at least 100 m apart. The two readings were then triangulated. This method proved to be accurate to within 25 m at distances of less than 500 m. Songs were recorded for later analysis at 19 cm/sec with a Uher 4,400 tape recorder and an AKG D-160 microphone fit- ted to a 60 cm parabola. Focal animal obser- vations were used when the gibbons were iceding. Each minute the category of food was noted, and after the group left a sample was collected and later identified by A. K. Barbaruh, a silviculturist stationed at Holion- gapar. Other social interactions were record- ed briefly or checked on prepared lists which I transcribed and expanded each evening. RESULTS Distribution H. hoolock once ranged throughout much of what is now Assam, Burma, Bangladesh and parts of southern China (Pocock 1941, Fooden 1969, Groves 1967). Its northernmost range is known to have been north of the Sadiya Frontier Tract in Assam (about 28°N, 96°E) between the Lohit and Dibang Rivers (Parsons 1940, 1941), Goletu. (27°37'N, 97°54’E) in upper Burma (Pocock 1941) and an unknown distance into western Yun- nan (Homo-shu-Pass: 25°00’N, 98°45’E) of China (Anderson 1878, Andrews and And- rews 1918, Fooden 1969, Groves 1967). Par- sons (1940, 1941) established that the Brah- maputra, Lohit and Dibang Rivers in the Upper Assam Plains are the western limits to the range of H. hoolock. The eastern limit, once thought to be the Irrawaddy River in BEHAVIOUR OF HOOLOCK GIBBON Burma (Candler 1904), is now put at the Salween River (Groves 1967), the western limit of the white-handed gibbon H. lar in Thailand (Marshall e¢ al. 1973). The south- em range passes through the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and south as far as Gokteik, Shan States (22°921’N, 96°55’E) of southwest Burma (Anderson 1878, Groves 1967). The present distribution of H. hoolock has been reduced considerably. One hundred years ago gibbons were common in the Chit- tagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh (Anderson 1878, Mountfort 1969), but a reconnaisance by R. Tenaza in 1971 found intensive defore- station has decimated these populations (R. Tenaza, personal communication). The 1935 Vernay-Hopwood Chindwin expedition to northern Burma provides the only available knowledge on H. hoolock in Burma (Carter 1943). Gibbons were observed and collected along both banks of the Chindwin River from Homalin to Dalu at altitudes up to 1,280 m (Carter 1943). Today the greatest concentra- tions of H. hoolock in India are in the Upper Assam Plains (Lakhimpur and Tirap) where major stands of evergreen rain forest still occur. Elsewhere in the Mikir and North Cachar Hills, the Garo Hills and the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills evergreen and mixed ever- green forest persists in the higher altitudes (200-750 m), and gibbons occur but only as isolated and scattered populations (Table 1, Pig. 1). TABLE 1 DISTRIBUTION OF TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST AND GIBBON (Hf. hoolock) POPULATION SIZE IN ASSAM, INDIA. (sq. km) Upper Assam Plain (Sibsagar Only) 3,780 Central Assam Plain 920 Lower Assam Plain 3,480 North Bank Plain 1,560 Meghalaya 3,4804 Barak Plain 2,380 Mizo Hills 650 Total 16,2505 1 Forest data from the Statistical Handbook of Assam, Shillong. 1961-62 (Das 1970). 2These figures, based on values determined in censuses (1971-72) are an approximate assessment of gibbons in Assam. Family groups have a mean size of 3.2 individuals (n=24) with 2.2 groups per 1 km.2 These figures are for complete occupancy in available space and thus represent the maximum population size. ’ Gibbons do not occur north of the Brahmaputra Forest Area! “ ey SRE om or ret eee Total area Groups — Individuals? 15:2 8,310 — 26,600 16.4 2,020— 6,400 15.6 03 Wes) 03 O38 7,650 — 24,500 89.1 5,230 — 16,700 aan 1,430— 4,500 a 24,640 78,700 River. 4The United North Cachar and Mikir Hills con- stitute 80% of this figure, the Garo Hills and Khasi- Jaintia Hills 5% and 15% respectively. 5 No figures are available for Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland or NEFA. Reserved forest constitutes 11.7 per cent of the total land in Assam, with 11,200 km2 suitable for gibbons. See Fig. 1 for locations. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Among the five forest types distinguished in Assam (Champion & Griffith 1948), only evergreen and mixed evergreen rain forest appear suitable for gibbons. Forest types in Assam are correlated with the prevailing wea- ther regimes; evergreen forest does not grow in areas with less than 200 cm of rain per year (Champion & Griffith 1948). Evergreen gapar forest and 17 other groups counted else- where in Assam were comprised of an adult pair with one to four immature offspring. Mean size for the 24 groups was 3.2 = 0.8 animals (range = 2-6). The spacing of off- spring in these family units indicates that in- fants are born approximately every 2-3 years (Table 2). The extraordinary reproductive TABLE 2 COMPOSITION, AGE AND SIZE OF GIBBON FAMILIES IN HOLLONGAPAR FOREST. EEE Group ae Wea ae Usuuadult (8 yrs) (6-8 yrs) (4-6 yrs) 1 M —F — a 2 M—F —~ a 3 M—F — F 4 M —F — — Sj M—F M —_ 6 M—F — 7 Adolescent = Juvenile rR aan ae Infant (2-4 yrs) (<< v) M fs 3 am 1 3 aa 1 4 = 1 4 F 1 5 ey ais 3 sts a 2) io! Ata x n PE 3. Sex is indicated by the symbols (male) and F (female) and if undetermined a numeral is used. ‘The approximate age of individual social classes is indicated (Ellefson 1974, and from personal observation). Mean size for the seven groups is 3.4 = 0.9 individuals. forest is the dominant forest type in the dis- tricts of Sibsagar, Lakhimpur, Nagaland and Manipur, but the last three areas are restrict- ed and could not be surveyed. The increasing population pressures, expanded settlements and continuous jhumming or “‘slash and burn”’ agriculture is reported to have eliminated much of the tall forest in these areas (Das 1970). Since 1835 the human population of Assam has swollen from 800,000 to over 16 million (Das 1970). This enormous increase in human population is incompatible with the preservation of pristine forest; in turn, the ex- clusively arboreal Indian ape is rapidly run- ning out of suitable habitat. Social Organization Seven gibbon groups observed in Hollon- rate of a pair of hoolock gibbons introduced into the Mahandi Wildlife Sanctuary near Darjeeling, where four infants have been born in four years, is unprecedented (Anonymous 1972). McCann (1933) first documented monogamy in HA. hoolock. Numerous sub- sequent studies (Carpenter 1940, Brockelman et al. 1973, Ellefson 1974, Chivers 1974, Tenaza 1975), including the present one, con- firm that all gibbon species are monogamous. Three solitary individuals were encountered. Two were fully grown males that were not attached to any known group. Their glossy pelage, full canines, and solitary status indi- cate they were excluded from their natal groups and were not senile remnants of a mated adult pair. Because they were seen to travel through 2-3 established territories, did BEHAVIOUR OF HOOLOCK GIBBON not sing and avoided other groups, they were assumed not to be territorial. Such floating males are characteristic of vertebrate popula- tions in which all habitat suitable for breeding is held by territorial animals (Brown 1969). All of Hollongapar forest was not evaluated as to gibbon occupancy, but the 200 ha in which these observations were made was fully occupied by mated pairs. A solitary subadult female was seen on several occasions. Her fur was just beginning to turn from juvenile black to the buff colour that characterized adult females (McCann 1933). I followed the subadult female for three consecutive days. Each night she slept in a tree that was over 1,000 m from the tree she slept in the night before, crossing through 3-4 established territories. When a distant pair of gibbons began to call (morning songs are audible up to 800 m), she immediately stopped feeding and began moving in their direction. If a closer pair joined the chorus she changed direction and moved towards them, but contact was never established. One of the seven gibbon families in Hol- longapar included a sub-adult male that was fully grown but dominated by the group’s adult male. He lingered behind the adults in group progressions, and his only close phy- sical contact was with a younger sibling that he often approached and sat with. Whenever he attempted to enter a tree the adults were in, the adult male vigorously shook the branch he was on or rushed -towards him. “Either action caused the young male to depart. No ageression was recorded from the adult female. Songs Candler (1904) and McCann (1933) both have described phonetically the song of the hoolock gibbon. The song is an elaborate duet between the adult pair. Young offspring of both sexes may also sing with the adults. The adult male initiates the song with a single high note given two to three tiimes in suc- cession. If the female does not respond he repeats the series. These introductory notes, audible to about 100 m, are not given by im- mature offspring. Hoolock gibbon songs do not have a phase of progressive elaboration. Instead, the song includes an accelerated pas- sage of alternating high and low notes re- miniscent of the siamang (H. syndactylus), except the base line harmonics gradually ascend (Marshall & Marshall 1976). The song is unusual among gibbons in that there is no clear sexual dimorphism in calis. Marshall & Marshall (1976), heard a single female at the Calcutta zoo render the entire song as a solo. Hoolock gibbon songs last for about 15 min (mean=14.4 += 6.1 min; range = 4-32 min, n = 114). An adult pair usually sings once daily; sometimes they sing a second time (12% of total calls). Songs were given on 87 per cent of the days (54 of 62 days). Sum- mertime songs begin earlier (mean time = O901 vs. 1004 h in winter) and are less clump- ed in their distribution than are winter songs (Fig. 2). Afternoon songs (range 1410-1600 h) were not given in the winter. In summer 75 per cent of gibbon songs occurred between 0800 h and 1100 h, and in winter all songs (100%) occurred during these hours. The later start and more restricted distribution of winter songs may be:a function of the shorter daylight hours and colder temperatures that are associated with extensive sun basking be- fore beginning the day’s activity (see sun- bathing). | Once a family group begins to sing, ad- jacent groups usually do not respond until the first group is finished. Thus, hoolock gib- bon songs pass sequentially through the forest, a PORPORTION GF SONGS STARTING PER 30 MIN. UNTERVALS JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 205 Asa SUMMER 20 « AS | 3 ee ae aus Co “4 16 ‘1800 h LOCAL CLOCK TIME Fig. 2. Diurnal distribution of gibbon songs (per 30 min. interval) for summer and winter periods in Hollongapar Forest. Sunrise and sunset for these periods are indi- cated (from Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, 1971-1972). BEHAVIOUR OF HOOLOCK GIBBON one group after another, much like the pat- tern of H. syndactylus songs (Chivers 1974) and in contrast to the multigroup choruses of H. klossi (Yenaza 1976). Although choruses do develop, 77 per cent of all recorded gib- bon songs (n = 114) were delivered as solos. overlap each other at the edges. Overlap zones vary from 50-75 m wide and amount to about 23 per cent of each family’s space. They are considered to be territorial boundaries. Hoo- lock gibbon territories are comparable in size to those of other gibbon species (Table 3). TABLE 3 HOOLOCK GIBBON TERRITORY SIZES COMPARED WITH OTHER GIBBON SPECIES Species Location H. hoolock North Assam H. lar North Thailand H. lar East Malaya H. syndactylus Central Malaya H. klossii Mentawai Islands, Indonesia H. klossii Mentawai Islands, Indonesia Temitary Size (ha) Mean Range N Source 22 18-30 7 Tilson, this study 26 12-41 3 Carpenter, 1940 39 20-47 4 Ellefson, 1974 25 15-35 Ms, Chivers, 1974 i 5-8 3) Tenaza, 1975 15 12 7-13 Tilson, in ee The mean ee Batata in fd Ke one group’s singing and the start of another group’s song (discounting periods with more than 30 min lapse, n = 12) is 7.7 = 7.8 min (range = 1-23 min). A single burst of song, lasting for 1-2 seconds, was heard eight times. These all occurred early in the morning 42 to 90 min before other groups began to sing. Territory Gibbons defend their space through loud morning songs, confrontations with intruders upon established boundaries and chasing tress- passers (Carpenter 1940, Ellefson 1974, Chi- vers 1974, Tenaza 1975). Singing advertises the occupation of a specific area of forest by a mated pair and functions as a distance- maintaining signal (Marler 1968). Although no intergroup encounters were observed, gib- bons did sing on 87 per cent of all days. Each group sang from within the area circumscrib- ed by its daily movements. These areas, with a mean size of 22 ha (range = 18-30 ha, n=7), eedins eeu A total of 43 species of food trees utilized by gibbons were identified. These trees repre- sent 16 families and include 28 genera (Table 4). The food list is incomplete, but it does impart an impression of the proportions of various food items in the gibbon diet. Of these 43 species 53 per cent produce fruits eaten by gibbons. On the average, hoolock gibbons spend 67 per cent of their feeding time on fruit, 32 per cent on leaves and flowers and 1 per cent on insects. These data reflect the winter diet and may not be comparable to the summer diet. My impression, however, is that fruit may be consumed even more frequently during the summer months, but the data were too few for valid comparison. Gibbon daily activity varied seasonally. In winter (November-February) feeding began 2.4 h after sunrise (mean = 0910 h). Once started, they fed continuously through the day, finishing near sundown (1710 h). Except for the subadult male, family members usually 9 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 TABLE 4 MAJOR FOOD TREES OF GIBBONS IN HOLLONGAPAR FOREST AND THEIR FRUITING SEASONS Tree species Bud-flower Fruit Leaf Fruiting season Anacardiaceae Mangifera indica as aL ue Aug. Bombacaceae Bombax insigne =P + + Aug. B. malabaricum + ug st Aug.-Sept. Burseraceae Canarium bengalense - +. se Oct.-Nov. C. resiniferum af a. tia Oct.-Nov. Dilleniaceae Dillenia indica + + + June Dipterocarpaceae Dipterocarpus macrocarpus = + -- Oct.-Nov. Lagerstoemia flosreginae + = + Oct.-Nov. L. parviflora + os + Oct.-Nov. Shorea robusta + oe + Oct.-Nov. Terminalia_ bellirica al a + Nov.-Feb. T. citrina + esi ts Nov.-Feb. T. myriocarpa + = pe Nov.-Feb. Anthrocephalus cadamba + Ee + July-Aug. Euphorbiaceae + a July-Aug. Bridelia retusa = + a Sept. Endospermum chinense et a me Aug.-Sept. Guttiferae Callophyllum polyanthum “= o ue July Garicinia sp. uns + = Jan. Lauraceae Litsea_ citrata + eu + Jan. Phoebe cooperiana + pas hs Jan. P. goalparansis ao sai = Jan. Leguminosae Albizzia lebbek ab be = Jan. ‘A. procera + pis ob Jan. A. stipulata “- + Jan. Parkia roxburghii a oo May-Aug. Moraceae Artocarpus chaplasha = A. integriflora ee + + Aug.-Sept. A. khasiana at - + Aug.Sept. A. lakoocha at + - Aug.-Sept. Ficus glomerata + + + Jan.-July F. nervosa + + a Aug.-Oct. 10 BEHAVIOUR OF HOOLOCK GIBBON Tree species Bud-flower Myrtaceae Eugenia jambolana int Eugenia sp. ll Sapotaceae - Palaquium polyanthum uh Sterculiaceae Hertiera acuminata a Mansonia_ dipikae + Sterculia alata i S. campanulata we S. villosa kt Theaceae Schima wallichii 2B Ulmaceae Celtis australis + Verbenaceae Premna_ bengalensis ze Vitex sp. ma Fruit Leaf Fruiting season + za Mar.-Sept. ah a Mar.-Sept. ba dt Mar.-Sept. ae ie Jan.-Feb. + ee Nov. ae = July ae ws June-July ne ae June-July + Be Dec. Be al Sept. + 4. Dec. + + (Variable) fed together in the same tree or group of trees. They moved between feeding trees along di- rect routes, and little or no feeding occurred in transit. Average feeding time for a 10-day period was 322 min (range = 260 to 445 min). In contrast, summer feeding began earlier (3 h after sunrise, mean = 0810 h), and more time was spent resting and in social contact with the family unit. The longer summer days (14 h vs. 10 h) allowed more time for social acti- vity, and the warmer mornings may preclude basking in the sun. The average feeding time for a 10-day period was not significantly diffe- rent (mean = 295 min; range = 251 to 386 min.) Reproduction McCann (1933) observed that many of the adult females he encountered were carrying newly born infants and suggested that hoolock gibbons have a birth peak during the winter. In Hollongapar forest three of the seven mated adult females gave birth between mid-Novem- ber and the end of January. During the same period four new infants were observed in near- by forests. These sites are within 50 km of where McCann made his observations. Young infants were not seen during other months, either in Hollongapar or elsewhere. These data, although few, support McCann’s tentative con- clusion that hoolock gibbons have a winter birth season. Sunbathing Gibbons in Hollongapar bask in the sun on cold winter mornings. In each territory there were 1-3 trees used for basking. These trees may be favoured by virtue of their central lo- cation within the territory, their greater height in relation to the surrounding canopy-and their lack of leaves. The family usually moves into one shortly after sunrise. Individuals space out in the tree, sitting on the higher branches with their ventral surface oriented towards the sun. 1] JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 As the chest is more sparsely coated than the rest of the body, this posture emphasizes the role of heat absorption while sunbathing (Ha- milton 1973). The chest of adult females is darker than the rest of the body, and in older females it appears black. In the winter, when ambient temperatures in the morning (0800 h) are low (mean = 10.1°C), gibbons bask nearly every day. A group of three gibbons in Hollongapar sunbathed 11 of 12 days (92 per cent) for an average of 92 min (range = 40-135 min) per day in the winter. In sum- mer, when temperatures are higher (mean = 27.4°C), this same group sunbathed on only 9 of 16 days (56 per cent) for an average of 26 min (range = 12-45 min) per day. DISCUSSION All species of gibbons studied so far share the same features of social organization. Their social unit is a monogamous adult pair with up to four offspring spaced two to three years apart (Tenaza 1975). Family balance is main- tained by excluding offspring as they become sexually mature (Carpenter 1940, Brockelman et al. 1973, Ellefson 1974, Chivers 1974). This process has been reported only for males. Sub- adult males of H. lar, H. syndactylus and H. Klossi are excluded through threats and aggres- sion from the adult male (Ellefson 1974, Aldrich-Blake and Chivers 1974) as are H. hoolock males. The solitary subadult female in Hollongapar suggests females also are ex- cluded from the group and territory. These observations on H. hoolock support in part the hypothesis that intrasexual aggression may be the proximal basis of monogamy in all gib- bons (Tenaza 1975). The defense of mutually exclusive territo- ries is known for three species of gibbons (H. lar, Ellefson 1968; H. syndactylus, Chivers 12 1974; H. klossi, Tenaza 1975). Space is de- fended by loud morning songs and more rare- ly by aggressive intergroup encounters upon boundaries (Eliefson 1968, Chivers 1974) and intrasexual chasing of trespassers (Tenaza 1975). Although no intergroup encounters bet- ween adjacent families were observed in H. hoolock, their daily songs and exclusive feed- ing areas imply that they are territorial. The 22 ha territories reported here for H. hoolock are 32 per cent larger than those of H. klossi (Tenaza 1975) and from 12 to 44 per cent smaller than those of H. lar (Carpenter 1940, Ellefson 1968) and H. syndactylus (Chivers 1974). These variations in size have little com- parative value until the relevant measurements of food resource availability are made in the various forests. Monogamy and territoriality, however, are common to all gibbon species, even though they have been reproductively isolated for at least 10-15,000 years. Gibbons are exclusively arboreal except for rare visits to the ground to retrieve dropped food (Ellefson 1974), to cross short distances devoid of forests (Ellefson 1974), or to have combat (Tenaza 1975). Their suspensory lo- comotion adapts them to exploit the terminal branch niche (Ellefson 1974, Grand 1972), where they feed on a variety of new leaves, flowers, and especially fruit. H. Jar in Thailand and Malaya spend from 70 to 80 per cent of their feeding time consuming fruit (Carpenter 1940, Ellefson 1974), H. hoolock 67 per cent, and H. syndactylus 30 to 40 per cent (Chivers 1974). Regardless of these different percentages of fruit in the diets of different gibbon species, fruit makes up the major part of all gibbon diets with the exception of the siamang. Gibbon sexual activity is thought to be sti- mulated by irregular surges in fruiting seasons (Chivers 1974, Tenaza 1975). Field observa- tions on primates other than gibbons support BEHAVIOUR OF HOOLOCK GIBBON Fig. 3. An adult male H. hoolock. Note the conspicuous white eyebrows, which are joined in hoolock gibbons west of the Chindwin River, Burma, but well separated in those east of the river (Groves 1967). 13 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 this view. In the Indian subcontinent rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) have a distinct breeding season (Southwick et al. 1965), while bonnet macaques (M. radiata) (Rahman & Parthasarathy 1969), grey langurs (Presbytis entellus) (Sugiyama & Parthasarathy 1969), Nilgiri langurs (P. johnii) (Poirier 1968, 1970) and Purple-face langurs (P. senex) (Rudran 1973) show peaks in sexual activity, although mating occurs throughout the year. These spe- cies all have a birth peak in the dry season. Rudran (1973) correlated increased sexual activity and early gestation in P. senex with high rainfall, increased food and decreasing temperature. Rudran (1973) and Rahaman (1973) suggest such periodicity is to synchro- nize infant weaning with the monsoon, when new leaves, buds and flowers are more abun- dant. Observations on H. hoolock infant births here and by McCann (1933) show a birth peak in the dry season as well. With a seven- month gestation period (Badham 1967, Hill 1967) most mating would occur during the monsoon. This direct reproductive response to favourable food resource conditions has been reported for Malaysian primates as well (Med- way 1972). Fooden (1969) first identified the geogra- phical pattern of the distribution of colour- phase variation in gibbons. Monomorphic spe- cies, in which individuals of both sexes are the same colour, are restricted to the southern or Indo-Malayan range. Sexually dimorphic spe- cies, in which adult males are dark and adult females are light (H. hoolock, H. pileatus, H. concolor) are restricted to the northern or Indochinese range. The intermediate asexual- ly dichromic species straddle the zone bet- ween these two regions. Fooden (1969) sug- gests that the dichromatism of H. hoolock evolved from primitive monomorphism (with asexual dimorphism as an intermediate step) 14 during the radiation of gibbons into the north- ern latitudes. The adaptive significance of this dichromatism, however, is obscure. The colour change of H. hoolock was estab- lished by McCann (1933). At birth the infant is nearly white. As the infant ages the coat darkens until it is completely black; only the conspicuous eyebrows remain white (Fig. 3). Both sexes pass through this colour change. In males the dark colouring deepens with age to a glossy black, while a second colour change occurs for females at about 6-8 years of age. Her black coat gradually fades to buff colour as she attains sexual maturity. With age the chest of many females darkens until it appears black. The ail black coat of adult males and immature offspring of H. hoolock may en- hance heat absorption and allow for reduced basking time. The lighter coat of the female may be counterselected for by being more cryptic and thus less conspicuous to predators. The black chests of females in the other two sexually dichromic gibbons (H. pileatus and H. concolor), both of which are northern spe- cies, and the greater frequency of black morphs (69 per cent; 64 of 93 specimens) in the asexually dichromic gibbon H. lar in northern Thailand (Fooden 1969) suggests that blackness may confer a thermal advantage and thus could have been selected for during the adaptive radiation of gibbons into the northern latitudes. | ACK NOWLEDGEMENTS This study was supported through funds from the Smithsonian Institution. I am indebted to Shri P. Barua, Chief Conservator of. Forests, Assam; Dr. K .N. Sharma, Department of Zoo- logy, Gauhati; Dr. B. Biswas, Indian Museum, Calcutta and the many District Forest Officers I interviewed for their cooperation during my BEHAVIOUR OF HOOLOCK GIBBON surveys of Assam and for their useful informa- tion on gibbons in their areas. I am grateful for the invaluable assistance of W. Mills in New Delhi and for the hospitality of the Grey- stone family, Kotalgoorie T. E., in Assam. Spe- cial thanks go to Wazir Khan, Moabund T. E., for showing me my first wild hoolock gibbons. I am especially indebted to W. J. Hamilton, Ill, and R. R. Tenaza for introducing me to gibbons and for suggesting that I go to Assam. Their comments on this paper and those of C. Busse and D. Lindburg are appreciated. REFERENCES _ ALDRICH-BLAKE, F. P. G. AND CHIveRS, D. J. (1973): On the genesis of a siamang group. Amer. J. phys. Anthrop. 38:631-636. ANDERSON, J. (1978): Anatomical and zoological researches: zoological results of the two expeditions to western Yunnan in 1868 and 1875. Vol. I. Lon- don. Bernard Quaritch. ANDREWS, R. C. AND ANDREWS, Y. B. (1918): Camps and trails in China. New York. Appleton. ANONYMOUS’ (1972): Gibbons in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. Cheetal 1:96. BADHAM, M. A. (1967): A note on breeding the pileated gibbon. Int. Zoo Yb. 7:92-93. BROCKELMAN, W. Y. Ross, B. A., AND PANTU- WATNA, S. (1973): Social correlates of reproductive success in the gibbon colony on Ko Klet Kaeo, Thailand. Amer. J. phys. Anthrop. 38:637-640. Brown, J. L. (1969): Territorial behaviour and population regulation in birds. Wilson Bull. 81:293- 329. CANDLER, G. (1904): Notes on the habits of the Hoolock. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 15:700-703. CARPENTER, C. R. (1940): A field study in Siam of the behaviour and social relations of the gibbon (Hylobates lar). Comp. Psychol. Monogr. 16:1-212. CARTER, T. D. (1943): The mammals of the Ver- nay-Hopwood Chindwin expedition, northern Bur- ma. Bull. Amer. Mus. nat. Hist. 82:99-120. CHAMPION, H. G. (1936): A preliminary survey of the forest types of India and Burma. Indian For. Rec. (N.S.) 1(1) :1-286. AND GRIFFITH, A. L. (1948): Ma- nual of Silviculture for India. Oxford. CHIVERS, D. (1974): The siamang in Malaya: A field study of a primate in a tropical rain forest. Contrib. primatol. 4:1-335. Basel. S. Karger. Das, H. P. (1970): Geography of Assam. New Delhi. National Book Trust. ELLEFSON, J. O. (1968): Territorial behaviour in the common white-handed gibbon, Hylobates lar Linn. In Primates: Studies in Adaptation and Vari- ability: 180-199. Jay, P. (ed.) New York. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. (1974): A natural history of White- handed gibbons in the Malayan Peninsula. In The Gibbon and the Siamang. Vol. 3. Rumbaug, D. (ed) Basel. S. Karger. FoopEN, J. (1969): Color-phase in gibbons. Evo- lution 23:627-644. GRAND, T. I. (1972): A mechanical interpretation of terminal branch feeding. J. Mammal. 53:198-201. Groves, C. P. (1967): Geographic variation in the Hoolock or White-browed gibbon (Hylobates hool- ock Harlan 1834). Folia primatol. 7 :276-283. (1972): Systematics and phylogeny of gibbons. In The Gibbon and the Siamang. Vol. 1. Rumbaug, D. (ed) Basel. S. Karger. HAMILTON, W. J., III (1973): Life’s Color Code. New York. McGraw-Hill. HILL, C. A. (1967): A note on the gestation pe- riod of the siamang. Int. Zoo Yb. 7:93-94. MarLeER, P. (1968): Aggregation and dispersal, two functions in primate communication. In Pri- mates: Studies in Adaptation and Variability. Jay, P. (ed) New York. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. MARSHALL, J. T., Ross, B. A. AND CHANTHAROJ- VONG, S. (1973): The species of gibbons in Thai- land. J. Mammal. 53 :479-486. AND MARSHALL, E. R. (1976): Gib- bons and their territorial songs. Science 193 :235-237. McCANN, C. (1933): Notes on the colouration and habits of the White-browed gibbon or Hoolock (Hylobates hoolock Harl.). J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 36:395-405. McC.ure, H. E. (1966): Flowering, fruiting and animals in the canopy of a tropical rain forest. Ma- layan Forester. 29:182-203. Mepway, Lorp (1972): Phenology of a tropical 15 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 rain forest in Malaya. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 4:117-146. MounrtTrorT, G. (1969): The Vanishing Jungle. London. Collins. PARSONS, R. E. (1940): Rivers as barriers to the distribution of gibbons. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 42(2) :434. (1941): Rivers as barriers. to the distribution of gibbons. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 42(3) :926. Pocock, R. I. (1941): The fauna of British In- dia, including Caylon and Burma. Mammalia, Vol. II. London. Taylor and Francis. PoirigR, F. E. (1968): The Nilgiri langur (Pres- bytis johnii) mother-infant dyad. Primates 9:45-68. (1970): The Nilgiri langur (Pres- bytis johnii) of South India. In Primate Behaviour: Developments in Field and Laboratory Research: 251-383. Rosenblum, L. A. (ed) Vol. I. New York. Academic Press. RAHAMAN, H. (1973): The langurs of the Gir Sanctuary (Gujarat)—a preliminary survey. J. Bom- bay nat. Hist. Soc. 70:295-314. AND PARTHASARATHY, M. D. (1969): Studies on the social behaviour of bonnet monkeys. 16 Primates 10:149-162. RicHARDS, P. W. (1966): The Tropical Rain Fo- rest: An Ecological Study. London. Cambridge Uni- versity Press. RODMAN, P. (in press): Diets, densities and dis- tributions of Bornean primates. In Arboreal Foli- vores. Montgomery, G. G. (ed). RUDRAN, R. (1973): The reproductive cycles of two sub-species of purple-faced langurs (Presbytis senex) with relation to environmental factors. Folia primato!. 19:45-68. SOUTHWICK, C. H., BEG, M. A. AND Sippiqi, M. R. (1965): Rhesus macaques in North India. In Primate Behavior: 111-159. De Vore, I. (ed) New York. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. SUGIYAMA, Y. AND PARTHASARATHY, M. D. (1969) : A brief account of the life of Hanuman langurs. Proc., Nat. Inst. Scie. Ind. 35:306-319. TENAZA, R. R. (1975): Territory and monogamy among Kloss’ gibbons (Hylobates klossii) in Siberut Island, Indonesia. Folia primatol. 24:60-80. (1976): Songs, choruses and count- ersinging of Kloss’ gibbons (Hylobates klossii) in Siberut Island, Indonesia. Z.Tierpsychol. 40:37-52. A BOTANICAL SURVEY OF CANNABIS IN THE HIMALAYAS’ G. K. SHARMA? The Himalayas are known for their wild or nearly wild populations of Cannabis. These mountain ranges also have a folklore for Cannabis. Botanical studies of Can- nabis populations in their natural habitats in the Himalayas are of great significance for understanding the ecological, biochemical, and genetic relationships existing in the taxon. It is suggested that a concerted, thorough investigation of this mysterious pliant be made in its probable home in the Himalayas. The findings of a preliminary survey of Cannabis in the Himalayas are discussed. The purpose of this paper is to report some botanical characteristics and phenotypic varia- tions in Cannabis as observed in a wide variety of microhabitats and macrohabitats in the northern Himalayas. The Himalayas are an excellent laboratory for the study of Cannabis. This enigmatic taxon occurs in the 2,500 kilometre long Hima- layan arc stretching from Afghanistan to Burma and covering the northern highlands of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Burma. Cannabis is considered native to central Asia. The northern Himalayas have wild or nearly wild populations, mostly untouched by man. These mountains have large areas of sparse human habitation, per- mitting the discovery of pockets of wild popu- lations in the area. In addition, some of the ancient scriptures of India mention the medi- cal, religious, and social significance of Can- nabis in the area as far back as 5,000 B.C. The sacred Vedas and Susrita are scriptures known for their descriptions of this plant, one of man’s oldest companions in the northern 1 Accepted May 1978. 2Professor of Botany, University of Tennessee at Martin & Research Fellow, Botanical Museum, Harvard University, U.S.A. Himalayas. Cannabis is five-purpose economic pliant: the source of fiber, food, medicine, oil, and narcotic. Accordingly, it is commonly culti- vated in the Himalayas. It is an extremely misunderstood plant, especially in the western countries of the world. There is no agreement concerning its family assignment. There is controversy about its taxonomy. It has been maintained by some (Small 1974; Small and Cronquist 1976) that there is only one species, Cannabis sativa; while others (Emboden 1974; Schultes et al. 1974) believe it to be polytypic. Ecologically, it presents several baffling pro- blems. Its plasticity is not completely under- stood. The factors controlling its weedy ag- gressiveness and its narcotic potency are still argued by many. These biological enigmas have social and legal implications, especially in Western countries where it is widely used or misused as an inebriant. Strangely there is dearth of biological data on Cannabis in its natural habitat in the north- ern Himalayas. Preliminary information on altitudinal variation and embryology is, how- ever, available (Ram and Nath 1964; Sharma 1975). I travelled extensively in the northern Himalayas in 1970, 1973, and 1976 making 1 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 field observations and collecting data on Can- nabis from a wide variety of habitats and ele- vations in areas conspicuous for their popula- tions of Cannabis. Most of the observations were made in the provinces of Himachal Pra- desh, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir in northern India. These areas of northern India are contiguous to the wild, uninhabited borders of Tibet and Pakistan. Gross morpho- logical variations in populations and general features of their habitat were recorded in the field. During laboratory studies on Cannabis of different geographic origins from different countries of the world, there is a tendency to label the habitat of these populations cor- responding to the general climatic conditions of that country without any real consideration of the fact that local microhabitat parameters are extremely crucial to the growth and pheno- type of Cannabis. It is, moreover, doubtful if the laboratory or controlled studies without the basic supplemental data from the native range and habitat of Cannabis can aid in clari- fying many of the botanical, ecological, and biochemical problems. Our knowledge gap is often the direct result of lack of study of Can- nabis in its natural habitat. Thus, different microhabitats representing extremely diverse conditions within a country can lead to exten- sive plasticity and variability in Cannabis. This phenomenen is true especially in the Himalayas, where Cannabis exhibits especially high plasticity. Unless it be studied in depth in its probable home—the Himalayas, it is doubtful whether we can resolve many of our uncertainties about the plant. It is not unusual to find two different popu- lations of Cannabis exhibiting entirely different morphological features on the same slope. It owes this remarkable plasticity to ecological factors in the microhabitat. It is erroneous, 18 for example, to say that Cannabis from a cer- tain slope represents a certain population, since I have seen the difference of a single factor producing variation in plant populations on the same slope. In the areas surveyed between 250 and 3,050 metres, I found distinct variation in the gross morphology of Cannabis populations. Plant habit, size, leaf size and colour, foliar charac- teristics (colour, growth, and odour) and seed size were found to be plastic—a plasticity de- pending upon habitat, elevation, and soil fac- tors. Plants growing on man-made, nutrient- rich soils grew to a height of more than four metres with dark green, strong-smeiling foll- age—and this regardless of elevation. These plant populations produced large leaves, thick stems, and extensive roots. Furthermore, these plants cannot be called truly wild: they were either grown by man or indirectly nourished by man. Cannabis growing in the same gene- ral area but not on refuse or man-altered, nutrient-rich soil exhibited growth typical of the ecological region. Under wild conditions, however, Cannabis at higher elevations was larger, laxly branched, vigorous, and had larger leaves than at lower elevations. They also had a strong odour and bright green foliage. Cannabis is a heliophile: quite evident in its probable native home in the higher eleva- tions in the Himalayas. Of all the populations surveyed in these mountains, I found not even a single population growing in the shade. In the plains area or at low elevations, where summer temperatures were extremely high (40°C), Cannabis grew both in shade and in direct sunlight. At higher elevations, nearly all the Canna- bis grew on south-facing slopes exclusively while the north-facing slopes-cooler and mois- ter-were devoid of Cannabis. At lower eleva- CANNABIS IN THE HIMALAYAS tions, however, both the north-facing and south-facing slopes had populations, because of the favourable temperatures, an important feature affecting the botany and ecology of the plant during its entire life cycle. I found no Cannabis populations above 3,050 metres in the northern Himalayas. In all cases, pistillate Cannabis was found to be more branched and bushy than the weaker-looking staminate individuals. This dis- tinction was one of the best ways to separate male from female prior to flowering. Further, pistillate plants were generally bright green, while staminate individuals were greyish green. The “bark” of the older females was some- what thicker than that of the males. A close look at the lower section of the stems of female plants showed distinct, horizontal ridges, whereas the male stems had dots or tiny spot- like structures, less conspicuous than the rid- ges of the female. This pattern I observed con- sistently in all habitats at all elevations. Cannabis is usually the dominant plant in an herbaceous plant community—thus support- ing the suggestion that its aggressiveness or dominance may be due to allelopathic pro- perties. Very few weeds were able to grow among or compete with Cannabis, especially at lower elevations, where pure colonies of the plant were abundant. In cultivated fields, there- fore, Cannabis is considered to be a menace to other crops and is weeded out as early as possible. Generally, at high elevations, the seeds from the preceding autumn germinate about the end of March. Blooming occurs in early June, and the enormous amount of pollen produced by male plants becomes extremely conspicuous in the atmosphere. In the plains at lower eleva- tions, pollen production occurs even earlier in the growing season, since the seeds produced in early autumn germinate in December or January, leading to earlier blooming. At high elevations, Cannabis produces seeds in late summer, while ripening takes place in Novem- ber, the plant then dies. Cold winters at high elevations provide a dormant period; hence germination of seeds produced in the preced- ing season does not take place until March of the following year. While it is known that Cannabis has had a long association with man, there are many disturbed habitats in the area where Cannabis has carried on well for years without -any direct interference by man. Abandoned ter- races, old farm sites, roadsides, and railroads are some of the sites where Cannabis coloniz- ed as a dominant species. Cultivated fields are also invaded by Cannabis, although it is weed- ed out early in the growing season simply for survival of the cultivated crops. When it com- petes and survives in both wild and man-made habitats it exhibits its gregariousness—itself an enigmatic phenomenon, requiring detailed in- vestigations. A general count of male and female plants at low and high elevations indicated a gradual preponderance of female individuals over the male with increase in elevation. It might be interpreted as ensuring fertilization, seed pro- duction, and hence survival and continuity of the species in the relatively harsh environ- ment and short growing season of higher ele- vations. The reverse was evident in the plains and at lower elevations, where male individuals outnumbered female plants. In all cases, male plants withered away earlier in the season than the female Cannabis plants. Field observations in the Himalayas indi- cate clearly that sandy soils are decidedly poor for growth of Cannabis, whether in the plains, low elevations or at high altitudes. The plants growing in sandy soils were dwarfed or even prostrate in some cases with thin stems, small Ne JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 leaves, small seeds, and gave the general ap- pearance of stunted growth. Soils rich in orga- nic matter, however, are the best for its growth. This observation in wild populations in the Himalayas supports the well recognized fact that Cannabis is a “‘heavy feeder.” Plants in the plains area were usually smal- ler than plants under similar habitats at higher elevations. Seeds produced by populations at high elevations were larger than those at low elevations. But, the plants of lower elevations procuced seeds in greater abundance—perhaps a sigiificant evolutionary characteristic. It seems, therefore, safe to suggest that in the northern Himalayan region, seed size in Can- nabis is proportional to plant size and to over- all vigour of growth. Furthermore, I found a slight colour difference in seeds of different populations. Seeds of mountain populations tended to be somewhat light grey, while the colour in the plains was distinctly dark grey. I must make special mention of several populations growing in valleys (elevation 2,500 metres+) surrounded by ice and snow-covered mountains in the background rising to a height of 7,000 metres. Cool, dry, crisp mountain breezes were typical of these areas. Sunny, clear, bright days characterized the early autumn, and the nights were bitterly cold. These are areas renowned for extremely potent Cannabis. The plants collected from these areas had a very rank-smelling, dark green foliage, excellent growth, and large seeds —suggestive that these characteristics might possibly be correlated with the narcotic strength of the plants. Finally, it seems obvious that Cannabis shows great phenotypic plasticity and perhaps corresponding variation in narcotic potency in different habitats in the northern Himalayas, although the latter speculation requires long and critical biochemical analysis. Intensive and extensive botanizing in the Himalayas will un- doubtedly produce answers to many of the questions posed by this bewildering plant. The legal, bureaucratic, and social implications at present certainly hinder free flow of infor- mation and understanding of Cannabis in its natural habitat in the Himalayas. Cannabis research does not have the same glamour in the East as it does in western countries for very obvious reasons. It is doubtful, therefore, that scientific skills and/or resources of the East can be expected to be applied toa thorough botanical and ecological investigation. As a result, a major hurdle to understanding this important plant in its natural habitat in central Asia needs to be cleared. REFERENCES EMBODEN, W. A. (1974): Cannabis—a polytypic genus. Economic Botany 28: 304-310. RaM, H. Y. MOHAN AND NATH, R. (1964): The morphology and embryology of Cannabis sativa L. Phytomorphology 14: 414-429. SCHULTES, R., KLEIN, W., PLOWMAN, T., AND Lockwoop, T. (1974): Cannabis: an example of taxonomic neglect. Harvard Univ. Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23: 337-367. 20 SHARMA, G. K. (1975): Altitudinal variation in leaf epidermal patterns of Cannabis sativa. Bull. Torrey Botanical Club 102: 199-200. SMALL, E. (1975): On toadstool soup and legal species of marihuana. Plant Science Bulletin 21: 35-39. SMALL, E. AND CRONQUIST, A. (1976): A _ practi- cal and natural taxonomy for Cannabis. Taxon 25: 405-435. A COMMENT ON ACTINODURA NIPALENSIS (AND WALDENI!)* S. DILLON RIPLEY? In the Journal of the Bombay Natural His- tory Society (1961:281), I commented on some birds from northern Burma and conclud- ed, as Rothschild had suggested (1926), that two species in this genus, nipalensis and wal- deni should be kept separate. Consequently in my SYNOPSIS (1961), and in the HANDBOOK (S. Ali and Ripley 1972, 7, p. 86-89) we have maintained the forms as two separate species. A brief visit to Arunachal Pradesh in Jan- uary-February, 1978, has given me the oppor- tunity of examining freshly collected Actino- dura which on field observation I assumed to be A. nipalensis. We found the species at Bom- dila, Kameng District at an altitude of 8400 feet. On comparing these specimens with re- cently collected Actinodura nipalensis from Bhutan and Nepal in the National Museum of Natural History, as well as old skins in the American Museum of Natural History from Sikkim I immediately saw that I was in error in my past arrangement. Ticehurst (1935, p. 57) agreed with Baker in the “FAUNA” (1922, p. 307-309) that these populations of Actinodura should be kept in one species, thus disagreeing with Rothschild. That Ticehurst’s opinion, and Baker’s was correct I now believe. I should have been alert- ed by the obvious fact of forty years ago that agreement among these late authors was un- common enough to lend extra weight to a jointly-held opinion. 1 Accepted May 1978. 2 Smithsonian Institution, 20560, U.S.A, Washington, D.C. The problem is partly explained by the de- gree of “‘foxing’’ or change of tone of old specimens in museum collections. When I compared freshly-collected Actinodura nipa- lensis from Bomdila with an ancient skin of Actinodura waldeni daflaensis from the Miri Hills (=Lakhimpur District immediately to the east), I could not at first recognize that the fresh specimens could possibly represent da- flaensis, and not an undescribed race of nipa- lensis, so startling were the apparent differen- ces in colour tone. Daflaensis is listed by Salim Ali and myself (tom. cit.) as a subspecies of waldeni, as I had placed it in SyNopsis. The older skins in col- lections have the rufous coloration, and streak- ing, especially below, associated with waldeni. However, the fresh skins collected by myself at Bomdila are markedly different from A. nipalensis to the west. The only solution is that they represent daflaensis. How then is daflaen- sis, Originally described by Godwin-Austen (1875) to be characterized? Here are the salient points of the original description; “As might be expected, its (daflaensis) nearest ally is A. nipalensis, Hodgs., the coloration above being very similar on the back and tail, but with less rufous barring. The crest, however, is quite different; and in this respect the species approaches A. waldeni from the Naga Hills, on the south of the Brah- maputra valley, only that the crest is far ful- ler. The general blotchy streakiness of the throat and breast is also a mark of connection with, A. waldeni:..... head, ash-brown; fea- 21 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 thers in front spatulate, behind elongated into a full crest, narrowly pale-edged...... side of head ash-grey, the ear-coverts with light silky reflections...... Beneath—the chin and throat pale dingy white, becoming a dirty ochry ash on the breast, with a blurry striation particu- larly on the throat.” In Baker (tom. cit.) the description of daflaensis differs in comparing the form to waldeni by stating; “Similar to “J.” (=Ixops) n. waldeni but a darker, duller chestnut above and the chin, throat and breast feathers grey with reddish-brown central streaks, the whole effect being grey, not rufous; ear coverts a rather darker grey.”’ On examination of these specimens I feel that I was mistaken as well in naming a new subspecies Actinodura nipalensis vinctura. The original description (1950), stressed the “deeper black band on the terminal upper surface of the tail, and noticeably heavier black barring on wings and tail.’ While there is a continuous geographical clinal difference from west to east in the tendency towards a darker, more blackish tip to the tail and heavier barring on wings and tail, I find that there is a great deal of variation in the streaking on head and back, width of bars on wings and tail, colour of ear coverts and tendency to faint streaking on the throat and upper breast. Thus the variable appearance of this population which extends from central Nepal to east Bhutan is better left as nipalensis nipalensis with m. vinctura aS a synonym. For the record then I propose to list the characteristic appearance of Actinodura nipa- lensis daflaensis as follows; freshly collected daflaensis— differs from nipalensis in the darker, more uniform, dark grayish brown cap, (of Smithe’s Color Guide, New York, 1975) extending from the bill over the crown, the softly rounded 22 crest projecting over the nape. The paler, buff shaft streaks are reduced to hair-line size on the crown feathers. There are also hair-width edgings of dull buff to these crown feathers, lacking in nipalensis. The back is unstreaked, dark “burnt umber’? (of Smithe), or dark rufous olive-brown, somewhat variable in tone in individuals. The wings and basal half of the tail are heavily barred with broad black bars, the terminal half of the tail uniform black with dull whitish tips on the central tail feathers. The cheeks and ear coverts are olive gray with a glaucus tone, giving a light sheen to the feathers, darker than the somewhat clay-colour- ed glaucus olive gray in nipalensis. Compared to nipalensis the moustachial streak from the base of the bill running back to the side of the neck and separating the paler throat colour, is more indistinct, reduced in its sharp demarcation between head and throat. Below, daflaensis has a light neutral gray throat with pale, olive-gray streaks on the centers of the feathers. The breast is darker, a light neutral-gray (Smithe) with poorly de- fined olive-gray or glaucus central streaks, somewhat blurred in definition, not sharply defined. The lower belly and flanks are simi- lar to nipalensis, shading into tawny olive- brown. In nipalensis, the throat is much dar- ker, smoky-gray with only an indication of streaking, the breast is unstreaked and infused with a tint of olive-brown in the dirty grayish tone. In old skins, daflaensis appears darker more uniform on the crest, lacking the central shaft streaks of nipalensis, more rusty-brown on the back, also unstreaked, and below definitely streaked on a lighter throat which is smoky- gray rather than light gray. The breast has darkened with age in old skins, darker and dirty olive-gray in tone. The streaking distin- guishes such specimens from the relatively A COMMENT ON ACTINODURA NIPALENSIS (AND WALDENT) clear coloured, dark dirty smoke-gray of nipa- lensis. In waldeni the crest feathers are more pointed, with distinct pale brownish-gray edges and dark brownish-black, sometimes blackish- brown centers. The back is uniform unstreak- ed, dark olive-brown. The cheek feathers are edged with silvery gray. The moustachial streak is reduced, the black feathers well edged with smoke gray, so as to lose their definition as a moustachial streak. The throat is straw brown, with hairline brownish central streaks, shading into cinnamon on the breast edged with light straw-brown. The cinnamon deep- ens slightly on the lower breast and belly due partly to the reduction and eventual disappear- ance of paler edging. East and south of this range are two darker, more maroon or dark-maroon backed sub- species with darker throats and_ streaked breasts, poliotis of the Chin Hills, and satu- ratior of extreme north Burma and adjacent Yunnan with wardi as a synonym. REFERENCES Aut, S. AND RIPLEY, S. DILLON (1972): Hand- book of the Birds of India and Pakistan, vol. 6. Bombay: Oxford University Press. BAKER, E. C. Stuart (1922): The Fauna of British India, vol. 1. London: Taylor and Francis. GopDWIN-AUSTEN, H. H. (1875): Description of a supposed new Actinura from the Dafla Hills. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 16: 339-340. RipLtey, S. D. (1950): New Birds from Nepal and the Indian Region. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washing- ton, 63: 101-108. (1961): Some Bird Records from Northern Burma with a Description of a New Sub- species. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 58(1): 279-283. ROTHSCHILD, Lord (1926): On the Avifauna of Yunnan, with critical notes. Novit. Zool., 33: 274. SMITHE, F. B. (1975): Naturalists’ Color Guide. New York: American Museum of Natural History. STANFORD, J. K. AND TICEHURST, C. B. (1935): Notes on some new or rarely recorded Burmese birds’ Jbis’’Part. “7: 46; -57:" Part 2°: 271: 23 TYPE MATERIAL IN THE HERBARIUM OF THE BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT POONA’ N. P. SINGH AND U. R. DESHPANDE? It is clearly specified in the latest Interna- tional Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Stafleu, 1972) that all taxonomic groups of the rank of family and below must be based on nomenclatural types. A nomenclatural type is that constituent element of a taxon to which the name of the taxon is permanently attach- ed, whether as a correct name or as a synonym. It is necessary to indicate the nomenclatural type on the basis of which a taxon is created with effect from first January, 1958, accord- ing to the code. The herbarium of the Botanical Survey of India, Western Circle, Poona (BS/) includes nearly 100,000 specimens collected since the reorganisation of the Circle in 1956 besides the historical collections of Cooke (over 30,000) and Talbot (over 10,000). A new genus, 30 species and a variety have been de- scribed from this Circle after its reorganisa- tion. The types of these taxa are deposited in the regional herbarium. However, the holo- types of the above taxa are deposited in the CAL. Some types have also been deposited here by a few workers from outside the depart- ment. In addition, there are a good number of type specimens in the Cooke’s & Talbot’s col- lections. Therefore, it was thought desirable to prepare a consolidated list of such material present in the regional herbarium for the bene- fit of taxonomists, who may wish to refer such 1 Accepted May 1978. 2 Botanical Survey of India, Poona. Western Circle, 24 taxa for monographic as well as floristic stu- dies. A total number of 465 type sheets are de- posited in the herbarium which includes 63 & 80 sheets in Cooke’s & Talbot’s collections res- pectively, besides 5 type photos. These repre- sent 91 species and 4 varieties belonging to 66 genera and 32 families, which include 17 taxa in Cooke’s and 35 in Talbot’s collections. On a scrutiny of distribution of these taxa it is seen that as much as 37 belong to Maharashtra & 41 to Karnataka, of which 22 are from Poona (mostly recent collections) and 33 from North Kanara (mostly in Talbot’s collections) res- pectively. Of the remaining 13 taxa, 5 are from Goa, 3 from Tamil Nadu, 2 from Kerala and 1 each from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh & Gu- jarat. Poaceae (27) has the maximum number of types followed, by Asclepiadaceae (8) & Rubiaceae (6). The genera Ceropegia & Ma- nisuris have 6 species each. A total of 19 holo- types (in Cooke’s & Talbot’s collections), 51 isotypes, 15 syntypes (mostly in Cooke’s & Talbot’s collections), 96 paratypes (mostly in recent collections) & 2 neotypes are present in the herbarium besides 5 type photos and 4 type sheets which cannot be categorised due to lack of authentic information about the same. Many of the sheets have been categorised on the basis of corraborative evidence including Talbot’s manuscript notes & protologue containing the illustrations etc. In the following enumeration the families are arranged in Bentham & Hooker’s system of classification. The genera, species & varieties TYPE MATERIAL AT THE BOTANICAL SURVEY are arranged in alphabetical order under each family. The original citation of cach taxon along with name change, if any, is provided for easy location for reference. Under each taxon is given nature of type sheet with number within parentheses followed by locality, in- cluding the actual locality, district & State to which it belongs and Collector’s name and number. The specimens belonging to Cooke’s (C) & Talbot’s (T) collections are indicated at the end in parenthesis. Doubts, if any, are indicated under each taxon individually. RANUNCULACEAE Clematis hedysarifolia DC. Syst. 1:148, 1817. Type photo (1): Dasgown, in rupibus (Ma- harashtra), A. P. Hove. Herb. Musei Britannici. CLUSIACEAE Garcinia talbotii Raiz. ex Sant. Fl. Khandala (ed. 2) 14, 1960. G. malabarica Talb. in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. XI (2): 234, 1897 & (5): t. I, 1898. Holotype (1) & isotype (1): Garsoppa ghat, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 3713 (T). MALVACEAE Aputilon ranadei Woodrow et Stapf in Kew Bull. 87: 99, 1894. Type (1)(?): Ambaghat, Ratnagiri (Maha- rashtra), without collector’s name & number. (C). No number is given in the protologue but since the specimen cited is from the type loca- lity, it may be considered a type sheet. BALSAMINACEAE Impatiens talbotii Hook. f. in Rec. bot. Surv. India 4(1): 42 & 47, 1904. Type (1)(?): Devimoneghat, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 3732 (T). No number is given in the protologue but since the specimen cited is from the type loca- lity, it may be designated a type sheet. MELIACEAE Aglaia talbotii Sundararaghavan in Bull. bot. Surv. India 11 (1 &2): 183-184, 1969. A. littoralis Talb. Trees, shrubs & climbers Bombay Pres. (ed. 2) 76, 1902. Holotype (1): Co-ompta, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 2955 (T). Paratype (3): Co-ompta, North Kanara (Karnataka), Tal- bot sn. (T): Karwar, North Kanara (Karna- taka), Talbot 499-2955. (T). Dysoxylum glandulosum Talb. Trees, shrubs & climbers Bombay Pres. (ed. 1) 39, 1894. Syntype (6): Telgiri, North Kanara (Karna- taka), Talbot 3808 (T). Though no number is cited in the protologue, it is given here on the basis of Talbot’s manu- script notes and of notes given on the sheets cited here. OLACACEAE Strombosia leprosa Talb. in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. X1(2): 235, 1897 & (5): t. IL, 1898. Paratype (2): Yellapore, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot s.n. (T); Potolli, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 1736 (T). The specimens are not mentioned in the prctologue but are listed here on the basis of Talbot’s manuscript notes. CELASTRACEAE Gymnosporia konkanensis Talb. in For. FI. Bombay Pres. Sind 1: 280, 1909. Holotype (1): Monoli forest, Thana (Maha- rashtra), Talbot s.n. (T). Paratype (2): Parol forest, Bassein, Thana (Maharashtra), Ryan 25 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL AIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 1024; Tannah (Thana) (Maharashtra), Talbot SSS 7CT): Though no number is cited in the protologue, the holotype matches well with the illustration given there. G. puberula Laws. in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India b: 61951875. Type photo (1): Bombay, Law s.n. Kew Negative No. 6441 (1). Salacia talbotii Gamble in Kew Bull. 1916: 133, 1916. Syntype (1): North Kanara, Talbot 1217 (T). RHAMNACEAE Ventilago maderaspatana Gaertn. var. fructi- fida Santapau in Kew Bull. 1949: 340, 1949. Holotype (1) & Isotype (2): Khandala, Poona (Maharashtra), Garade 12(C). LEEACEAE Leea talbotii King ex Talb. For. Fl. Bombay Pres. Sind 1: 329, 1909. Holotype (1): Yellapore, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot s.n. (T). Paratype (3): Karwar, South Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot sn. (T.). Though no number is cited in the protologue, the holotype mentioned here matches perfectly with the illustrations. FABACEAE Alysicarpus vasavadae Hem. in Indian Forester 97(1): 65-69, 1971. Isotype (4): Shivneri Fort Hill, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 104350 B-E. Paratype: Shivneri Fort Hill, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Rao 83505 (2) & Hemadri 118101 (5); Kukdi river bank, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 104321 (3); Ganesh Caves, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Henzadri 118132 (3). 26 Eleiotis trifoliata Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bombay 1: 342, 1902. Syntype (3): Badami, Bijapur (Karnataka), Cooke s.n. (C). | Smithia agharkarii 97): 65-69, 1971: Isotype (1): Dhak plateau, West of Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 107486 B. Pa- ratype: Hill above Tata Power Station, Khan- dala, Poona (Maharashtra), Hernadri 85171 A-I (9); Dhobi Falls, Mahableshwar, Satara (Maharashtra), Mahajan 24749 (1); Panch- gani Road, Satara (Maharashtra), Cooke s.n. (1)(C). Hem. Indian Forester MYRTACEAE Eugenia memecylifolia Talb. in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 11(2): 236, 1897 & (5): t. 5, 1898. Holotype (1 )& Isotype (3): Kalpa, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 3127 (T). K. utilis Talb. ibid. 11(2): 235, 1897 & (5): t. 3, 1898. Holotype (1) & Isotype (1): Sonda, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 3644 (T). Syzygium kanarensis (Talb.) Raiz. in Indian Forester 74: 336, 1948. Eugenia kanarensis Talb. in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 11(2): 2305 L897 (5) = 1.2. 1898: Holotype (1): Mula muka, north Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 3552 (T). APIACEAE Pimpinella katrajensis Rolla Rao et Hem. In- dian Forester 102 (4): 232-34, 1976. Isotype (6): Grown in Botanical Survey of India, Poona Garden, from the collections from Katraj Ghat, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 108494 B-D & M-O. Paratype: Katraj Ghat, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 81976 A-B (2); Panchgani, Satara (Maharashtra), Ranade sn. (1)(C); Katraj Ghat, Poona (Maharash- TYPE MATERIAL AT THE BOTANICAL SURVEY tra) Cooke s.n. (3) & Bhide 917 (1)(C). Trachyspermum strictocarpum (C.B.Cl.) Wolff in Pfreich. 43: 89, 1927. Pimpinella lateriflora Dalz.; Hemadri in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 67(2) = 359-357; 1970: Neotype (6): Shivneri Fort, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 104346. RUBIACEAE Lasianthus sessilis Tab. Trees, shrubs & climb- ers Bombay Pres. (ed. 1): 114, 1894. Holotype (1) & Isotype (1): Artabad, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 1027 (T). Para- type (2): North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 266 (T). ‘ Oldenlandia prainiana (Talb.) Craib in Kew Bull. 1910: 278, 1910. Anotis prainiana Talb. inj. Bombay nat. Hist.,Soc. 11(2): 237, 1897 & (5): t. 6, 1898. Holotype (1) & Isotype (4): Santaveri, Kadur, Chickmagalur (Karnataka), Talbot 2995 (T). Psychotria canarensis Talb. Trees, shrubs & climbers Bombay Pres. (ed. 1): 113, 1894. Holotype (1): Garsoppa, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 257. Paratype (3): Gar- soppa falls, North Kanara (Karnataka), Tal- bot 257-337, 337 & s.n. (T). P. flavida Talb. ibid.: 113, 1894. Holotype (1): Sonda, North Kanara (Kar- nataka), Talbot 3661 (T). Paratype (1): Nil- khurd, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 3536 (T). P. ectosulcata Talb. in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 11(2): 237, 1897 & (5): t. VII, 1898. Holotype (1): Siddapore, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 3556 (T). Paratype (1): Without locality, Talbot 3764 (T). Tarenna agumbensis Sundararaghavan in Bull. bot. Surv. India 10(3-4): 341-43, 1968. Isotype (3): Barakana, Agumbe, Shimoga (Karnataka), Sundara Raghavan 62732 B-D. ASTERACEAE Blumea venkataramanii Rolla Rao et Hem. Curr. Science 42(19): 693-94, 1973. Isotype (2): Vadgaon on Poona-Bombay Road, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 118174 B-C. Paratypes: Pavnadam site near Vadgaon, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 110794 A- C(3); Vadgaon, Poona (Maharashtra), Hema- dri 108788 A-B (2); Ralegaon hills near Jun- nar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 68582 (1); Vanewade near Junnar, Poona (Maha- rashtra), Hemadri 68588 A-D (4). Helichrysum cutchicum (C.B.Cl.) R. Rao et Desh. Bull. bot. Surv. India 10(2): 225-227, 1968. Anaphalis cutchica C.B.Cl. Comp. In- dia 111, 1876. Type photo (1): Kutch (Gujarat), Dr. Sto- liczka 5396. Hf. wightii C.B.Cl. in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India 3: 291, 1881. Type photo (1): Sisparaghat, Nilgherry hills (Tamil Nadu), Herb. R. Wight Prop. Wight s.n. Kew negative No. 5368. Vernonia ornata Talb. in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 11(4): 691-92, t. XIII, 1898. Holotype (1) & Isotype (1): Falls of Gar- soppa, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 2663 (T). Though no number is cited in the protologue, the holotype matches well with the illustrations. SYMPLOCACEAE Symplocos kanarana Talb. ibid. 11(2): 238, 1897 & (5): t. IX, 1898. Holotype (1): Ecunbi, North Kanara (Kar- nataka), Talbot 3673 (T). Paratype (1): Devi- mone ghat, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot sn. (T). ASCLEPIADACEAE Ceropegia huberi’ Ansari in Bull. bot. Surv. India 10(2): 219-21, 1968. aT JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SCCIETY, Vol. 76 Isotype (1) & Paratype (14): Ambaghat, Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Ansari 105001 C & 105033 B-C & E-L & Shevade s.n. A-C (C). C. mahabalei Hemadri et Ansari in Indian Forester 97: 105, 1971. Isotype (4) & Paratype (2): Ralegaon, West of Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 108070 B-E and 107266 A-B. Paratype (6): Hills adjoining Bhivade Khurd, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 107573 A-B & 117938 A-D. C. noorjahaneae Ansari in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 69(1): 250-53, 1972. Isotype (3) & Paratype (2): Wai-Panchgani ghat, Satara (Maharashtra), Ansari 104880 B-D & 105098 A-B. C. rollae Hem. in Bull. bot. Surv. India 10: 223, 1968. Isotype (7) & Paratype (10): Dhak Khilla, West of Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hema- dri 107471 B-C & I-L and 107547 A-B & E-L. C. sahyadrica Ansari et Kulk. in Indian Forest- er 97 (2): 688-90, 1971. Isotype (2): Ambolighat, Ratnagiri (Maha- rashtra), Kulkarni 108643 B-C. Paratype (12); Sinhagadh (“‘Singhar’’), Poona (Maharashtra), Garade 57 A-C (C); Ambavne-Sakerpathar, Poona (Maharashtra), Reddi 98655, 98660, 98678, 99165 & 99212A; Ambolighat, Ratna- giri (Maharashtra), Pataskar 102141 A-B & Kulkarni 106321 A-B. C. santapaui Wadhwa et Ansari in Bull. bot. Surv. India 10: 95, 1968. Isotype (5) & Paratype (12): Mahabalesh- war-Mahad ghat road, Satara (Maharashtra), Wadhwa 109640 D & I-L and Wadhwa et An- sari 109651 B-D & I-O + one without alphabet. Marsdenia lanceolata Cooke in FI. Pres. Bom- aby 2: 166, 1904. Syntype (3): Lohagaon near Poona (Maha- rashtra), Bhiva (babajee) s.n. (C). Seshagiria sahyadrica Ans. et Hem. in Indian 28 Forester 97: 126, 1971. Isotype (2): Sinhagad, Poona (Maharash- tra), Ansari 87750 B-C. Paratype (5): Bhiwade Khurd, Durga hills, Junnar, Poona (Maharash- tra), Hemadri 94360 A-B; Gureghar on Panch- gani-Mahabaleshwar Road, Satara (Maharash- tra), Ansari 105077 A-C. CONVOLVULACEAE Neuropeltis malabarica Van Ooststr. in Blumea 5 (1): 272, 1942. Paratype (2): Potoli, North Kanara (Karna- taka), Talbot 2735 (T). ACANTHACEAE Nilgirianthus membranaceus (Talb.) Bremek. op. cit. in Verh. Nederl. Akad. Wet. (II) 40(1): 280, 1944. Strobilanthes membrana- ceus Talb. Trees, shrubs, & climbers Bom- bay Pres. (ed. 2): 261, 1902. Syntype (3): Anmode, North Kanara (Kar- nataka), Talbot 1616 (T). Strobilanthes minor Talb. Trees, shrubs & Climbers Bombay Pres. (ed. 2): 262, 1902. Holotype (1) Isotype (2): Kala Nuddi, Supa, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 1338 (T). LAMIACEAE Leucas angustissima Sedgwick in J. Indian Bot. 2(3): 124, 1921. Syntype (1): Siddapore, (Karnataka), Talbot 3740 (T). L. deodikarii Bill. et Hem. in Indian Forester 96: 858, 1970. Isotype (1): Dhak Khilla, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 117970 B. Paratype: B.S.I. Experimental Garden, Poona (Maha- rashtra), Billore 115985 A-C & M-O (6); Foot of Ras Cha Jungle near Gadad, Khed Taluka, North Kanara TYPE MATERIAL AT THE BOTANICAL SURVEY Poona (Maharashtra), Janardhanan 76249 A-B (2): Ghatghar, Junnar, Poona (Maha- rashtra), Hemadri 120584 A-B (2); Bhivade Khurd, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 117933 A-B (2); Balighat near Tombe, Jun- nar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 117830 A-B (2); Malvand dara, Bhivade Khurd, Jun- nar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 107555 A-B (4) & 118025 (1); Ghat top (Vinchu Cha Nal) near Igatpuri, Thana (Maharashtra), Bil- lore 110557 A-B (2), 116170 A-E (5) & 116796 A-B (2); Kedarnath Hill slope, Harish- chandragarh, Thane (Maharashtra), Billore 115621 A-B (2). Piectranthus parvifolius Talb. in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 11(2): 238, 1897 & (5): t. 10, 1898. Paratype (1): Jungles W. Potolli, Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 1739 (T). It is given here on the basis of Talbot’s ma- nuscript notes. North POLYGONACEAE Polygonum hydropiper Linn. var. glandulosissi- ma Cage in Rec. Bot. Surv. India 2: 401, 1903. Isotype (2): Dandeli, North Kanara (Kar- nataka), Talbot 2682 (T). LAURACEAE Cryptocarya procera Talb. in For. Fl. Bombay Pres. Sind 2: 385, 1911. Holotype (1): Nilkund, North (Karnataka), Talbot 2872 (T). Though no number is cited in the proto- logue, the specimen is mentioned here on the basis of Talbot’s manuscript notes. Kanara LORANTHACEAE Dendropthee gibbosa (Talb.) Razi in Lloydia 20: 242, 1957. Loranthus gibbosus Talb. in Trees, shrubs & climbers Bombay Pres. (ed. 2) 2289, 1902. Type (1): Yellapore, North Kanara (Kar- nataka), Talbot s.n. (T). Since the specimen cited is from the type locality, it may be a type sheet. Viscum mysorense Gamble in Kew Bull. S257 329" 92S) Type photo (1): Araikere, Hassan (Kar- nataka), Meebold 8207. V. trilobatum Talb. in For. Fl. Bombay Pres. Sind 2: 419—20, 1911. Holotype (1): Yellapore, North Kanara _ (Karnataka), Talbot s.n. (T). Though no number is mentioned in the pro- tologue, the said specimen matches with the illustration given there. BALANOPHORACEAE Acrobiastum ambavanense Reddi in Will- denowia 5/3: 389—93, 1969. Isotype (1): Kate Pani Forest near Amba- vane Village, Poona (Maharashtra), Reddi 99494 b. EUPHORBIACEAE Euphorbia katrajensis Gage in Kew Bull. 1914: 236, 1914. Syntype (2): Katraj hills, Poona (Maha- rashtra), Kanetkar sn. (C); Katraj ghats, Poona (Maharashtra), Shevade s.n. (C). Phyllanthus talbotii Sedgwick in J. Indian Bot. 2(3): 124, 1921. Syntype (1): Falls of Garsoppa, Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 828 (T). North URTICACEAE Ficus talbotii King, Sp. Fic. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 1: 51, t. 63 & 84, Fig. Q, 1888. 29 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Syntype (2): Sircy & Yenna rocks, North Kanara (Karnataka), Talbot 655 & 1100 (T). HYDROCHARITACEAE Blyxa talbetii Hook. f. in Fi. Brit. India 5: 661, 1888. Isotype (2): Talbot 920 (T). North Kanara (Karnataka), ORCHIDACEAE Dendrobium mabelae Gammie in J. Bom- bay nat. Hist. Soc. 16(4): 567, 1905. Type (1)(?): Castle rock, North Kanara (Karnataka), Gammie s.n. (C). No number is cited in the protologue but since this is Gammie’s specimen, collected prior to his publication of this species, it may be a type sheet. LILIACEAE Chlorophytum bharuchae Ans., Raghavan et Hem. in Indian Forester 96: 304, 1970. Isotype (5) & Paratype (7): Shivneri fort, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Ansari 88712 B-F (5), Hemadri 107097 (3) & 94310 (4). COMMELINACEAE Cyanotis arcotensis Rolla Rao in Blumea XIV (2): 345—48, 1966. Isotype (1): Tippu kadu R.F., North Arcot Dist. (Tamil Nadu), Joseph 89886B. C. cerifolia Rolla Rao et Kammathy in J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 59 (379): 305, 1966. Isotype (1): Experimental Garden of the Circle, Poona (Maharashtra), Kammathy 77785 B. Paratype (1): Waverly Estate, Ana- malis (Kerala), Kammathy 73950 A. ARACEAE Arisaema caudatum Engler emend Rolla 30 Rao & Ahuja in Bull. bot. Surv. India 11 (3-4): 450—52, 1969. [soneotype (2): Panchgani Plateau, Satara (Maharashtra), Ansari 105095 B. _ ERIOCAULACEAE Ericcaulon horsiey-kundae Fyson in J. Indian Bot. Soc. 3: 13, 1922. Isotype (1): Guddapah (Andhra Pradesh), Gamble 20985 (T). CYPERACEAE Cyperus pentabracteatus Govind. et Hem. in Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. 82 (B)(6): 205—210, 1975: Isotype (1): Durga Khilla plateau, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra, Hemadri 107562 B. Fimbristylis umispicularis Govind. et Hem. ibid. 205—210, 1975. Isotype (3): Durga khilla plateau, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 107528 B-D. KF. woodrowi Clarke in J. Linn. Soc. 34: 68, 1899. Syntype (2): Khandala, rashtra), Woodrow s.n. (C). Poona (Maha- POACEAE Arthraxon deccanensis Jain in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 68: 297—99, 1971. Paratype (2): Sinhagad, Poona (Maha- rashtra), Vartak 5884/6; Sitabai Dara, Arvi, Haveli, Poona (Maharashtra), Ansari 99978. A. jumnarensis Jain et Hem. ibid. 68: 300 —301, 1971. Isotype (2): Warsubai, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 106849 B-C. Para- type (2): Wilson Point Road, Mahabalesh- war, Satara (Maharashtra), Mahajan 27170 A-B. i A. lancifolitus (Trin.) Hochst. var. hindus- TYPE MATERIAL AT THE BOTANICAL SURVEY tanicus Jain et Desh. in J. Indian bot. Soc. S12): eeug72: Isotype (3): Chapora, Kaisuva fort (Par- vorim), Goa, Cherian 88557 B-D. Paratype (4): Ganesh Caves, Junnar, Poona (Maha- rashtra), Hemadri 118151 A-B; Ajoba_ hill slope, Washala range, Thane (Maharashtra), Billore 111947 A-B. A. raizadae Jain, Hem. et Desh. in J. Indian bot. Soc. 51(2): 103—6, 1972. Isotype (3): Mahabaleshwar, Satara (Ma- harashtra), Hemadri 98585 B-D. Paratype: Mahabaleshwar, Satara (Maharashtra), He- madri 98546 A-D (4), 98550—A-E (5), Ma- hajan 24757 (1) (Dhobi Falls), 13048 (2) (Near Venna Lake), 24725 (1) (Babington Point), Ansari 67704 (2) (Lingmala Falls area), 67571 (2) Old Mahabaleshwar Road), 67663 (2) (Along Mahad road ghat), Kano- dia 87054 & 87059 (4) (Near Gureghar Nur- sery), & S. R. Rolla 71739 (2) (on way to Pratapgad). Bhidea burnsiana Bor in Kew Bull. 1948: 445, 1949. Isotype (2): Lonavla, Poona (Maharash- tra), Bhide 20724 (C). | Bothriochioa jainii Deshp. et Hem. in Indian Forester 97(10): 593, 1971. Isotype (2): Durga hills, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 104241B—C. Para- type: Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hema- dri 120572 (2) (Ghatghar), 104401(2) (Durga khilla), 108222 (2) (Dhak Khilla) & Vartak 11944 (1) (Raireshwar); Tiskari Forest out- skirts, Ambavane, Poona (Maharashira), Reddi 95800 (6); Top of Masgaon hill, Am- bavane, Poona (Maharashtra), Reddi 99471 (2); Lingmala Falls, Mahabaleshwar, Satara (Maharashtra), Mahajan 13075 (6): Tara- mati Hill slope, Harishchandragad, Thana (Maharashtra), Billore 115689 (3). Capillipedium magdaleni Almeida in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 72(3) : 813—14, 1975. Isotype (1): Agumbe, Shimoga (Karna- taka), Almeida 2941. Cynodon barberi Rang. & Tad. ibid. 24: 846, 1916. Syntype (1): Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Rangachari & Tadulingam s.n. (C). Danthonidium gammiei (Bhide) C. E. Hubb. in Hook. Ic. Pl. subtab. 3331, 1937. Danthonia gammiei Bhide in J. et Proc. Asia. Soc. Bengal n.s. 7: 513, 51, t. 6, 1911 (1912). Holotype (1) & Isotype (1): Castle rock, North Kanara (Karnataka), Gammie 15636 (C). Dimeria santapaui Almeida in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 66: 510, 1969. fsotype (1): Mirjan Flats, North Kanara (Karnataka), Sedgwick & Bell 6875. D. woodrowii Stapf in Hook. Ic. Pl. subtab. 2312, 1894. Isotype (4): Marmagoa, Goa, Talbot 2557 (T). Enteropogon monostachyos (Vahl) _ K. Schum. ex Engl. in Abh. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. 17, 1894 et in Planzenw. Ost-Afr. C, 110, 1895. FE). badamicus Bhide in J. et Proc. Asia. Soc. Bengal, ns. 7: 514, 1911 (1912). Isotype (14): Badami, Bijapur taka), Bhide s.n. (C). Fsachne borii Hemadri in Indian Forester Oi 223, OTe Isotype (4): Dhak plateau, Junnar, Poona (Maharashtra), Hemadri 117968 B-E. Para- type (3): Plateau above Bushi Lake, Lonavla, Poona (Maharashtra), Reddi 98672 A-C. i. mysorensis Sundararaghavan, ibid. 97(6): 304—07, 1971. Isotype (4): Kandadagudda near Agumbe, Shimoga (Karnataka), Sundararaghayvan 90008 B-E. i Ischaemum raizadae Hem. et Bill. ibid. 96: (Karna- Si JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 318, 1970. Isotype (11): Sadryaghat near Harish- chandragarh, Thana (Maharashtra), Billore 115450 C-F & I-O. Paratype: B.S.I. Exp. Gar- den, Poona (Maharashtra), Billore 115984 A-E & G-Q (15); Ambolighat, Ratnagiri (Ma- harashtra), Kulkarni 119225 A-F (6); Amba, Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Bhide 15 A-B (2) (C); Ambewadi, Nasik (Maharashtra), Pat- wardhan 1115 (C). Lasiurus ecaudatus Satya. et Shank. in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 60(3): 763-66, 1963. Isotype (1): G. R. Farm, Jodhpur (Raja- sthan), Satyanarayan & Shankarnarayan 719. Manisuris acuminata (Hack.) O. Ktze. var. woodrowii Bor in Grass. Burma, Ceylon, India & Pakistan 191, 1960. Syntype (4): Wasco-da-Gama, Goa, Bhide sine (GC): M. forficulata Fischer emend. Jain in Bull. bot. Surv. India 12(1-4): 12-14, 1970. Paratype (2): Ambolighat, Ratnagiri (Ma- harashtra), Talbot 4305 C/2 (T). M. goaensis Rolla Rao et Hem. ibid. 10: 106, 1968. Isotype (2): Near Verna village in Corta- lim—Madgao Road, Goa, Rolla S. Rao 84474 B-C. Paratype (2): Near Porvorim village, Goa, Rolla S. Rao 92850 B & D. M. mysorensis Jain et Hem. ibid. 10: 280- 82, 1968. Isotype (1): Castle rock, North Kanara (Karnataka), Gammie 15643 (C). Paratype (1): Ambolighat, Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Talbot 4305 (T). M. ratnagirica Kulk. et Hem. in Indian Forester 100: 250, 1974. Isotype (5): Chakul Road, Ambolighat, Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Kulkarni 121638 B, D, M, N & O. Paratype (7): Soliya jungle, Amboli, Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Kulkarni 119190 A-D & I-K. by) M. santapaui Jain et Deshp. in Bull. bot. Surv. India 10 (3-4): 277-79, 1968. Isotype (1): Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Saldanha C5/7130 B. M. talbotit (Hook. f.) Bor, Grass. Burma, Ceylon, India & Pakistan 192, 1960. Rottboellia talbotii Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. India “7: 155, 71396: Isotype (1): Marmagoa, Goa, Talbot 2572 CE): 7 Oropetium roxburghianum (Steud.) S. M. Philips. Kew Bull. 30(3): 469, 1975. Tripogon roxburghianus (Steud.) Bhide in J. et Proc. Asiat. Soc. Bengal m.s. 7: 515, 1911 *Cr912). [sotype (4): Badami Fort, Bijapur (Kar- nataka), Bhide, s.n. (C). Oryza malumpuzhaensis Krish. et Chandr. in Madras Agric. J. 45: 471-72, 1958. Isotype (1): Palghat, Kerala, Krishnaswamy & Chandrasekharan s.n. Pogonachne racemosa Bor in Kew Bull. 1949: 176, 1949. Isotype (1): Matheran, rashtra), Woodrow s.n. (C). Schizachyrium paranjpyeanum (Bhide) Raiz. et Jain in Proc. Indian Sci. Congr. abstracts IfI: 130, 1953. Andropogon par- anjapyeanum Bhide in J. et Proc. Asia. Soc. Bengal, n.s. 7: 514, 1911 (1912). Syntype (3): Castle rock, North Kanara (Karnataka), Bhide s.n. (C). Colaba (Maha- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are thankful to Dr. S. K. Jain, Joint Director-in-charge, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah for facilities & to Dr. M. P. Nayar, Deputy Director, Western Circle, Poona for encouragement and also for kindly going through the manuscript. REVISED NOMENCLATURE FOR TAXA IN WYNTER- BLYTH’S BOOK ON THE BUTTERFLIES OF INDIAN REGION R. K. VARSHNEY! INTRODUCTION The BUTTERFLIES OF THE INDIAN REGION by M. A. Wynter-Blyth (1957, Bombay Na- tural History Society; Ist ed., 523 pp., 27 coloured and 45 black-and-white pls.) is still the latest book on its subject. On account of its life-like illustrations, keys, and details of habits and habitats recorded, this book will remain a companion to the novice as well as expert butterfly collector, for a long time to come. Unfortunately, the scientific names used in this book for the butterfly genera and species, are in many cases old and invalid, according to the rules of Zoological nomenclature. Al- though this book was published in 1957, it appears to me that its text was probably pre- pared during early forties. Many of the scien- tific names then valid have later turned out to be synonyms. Hence, a revision has _ be- come quite essential. That these changes were felt necessary even at the stage of printing of this book itself, is evident from such en- tries made in three families, Papilionidae, Pieridae and Hesperiidae: ‘“‘Genus Zetides (now Graphium)”’ [p. 400], ‘‘Colotis protrac- tus (Butler), now C. phisadia (Godart)”’ [p. 439], ““Baoris oceia (now B. farri)” [p. 484] etc. These corrections are obviously inade- quate and incomplete. 1Gangetic Plains Regional Station, Zoological Survey of India, Rajendra Nagar, Patna (Bihar). Present address: Superintending Zoologist, Zoolo- gical Survey of India, 34 Chittaranjan Avenue, Cal- cutta-700 012. Therefore, I have prepared a list of all such names given in this book, in which either the genus name, or species name, or the latter’s author name, requires correction; and along- with provided the present valid name of that taxa. If a particular subspecies, other than nominal subspecies, has been found to com- pletely cover the geographical distribution shown by Wynter-Blyth for a species, then it has been added in the revised nomenclature. The page numbers of his book are cited on the left, for ready reference. It may be stated that all those genera and species, which do not require any change in their nomen- clature, have been left out. Besides, no attempt has been made to show all subspecies under a species. I have, however, given explanatory taxonomic notes on some major changes, in the beginning of each family. In the present paper, only five families have been covered. It is hoped that remaining families will be dealt with in subsequent contributions. It is hoped that these notes and lists of re- vised nomenclature for the taxa of butterflies from India and other neighbouring countries, would be useful to the workers on butterflies in general and to those consulting Wynter-Blyth’s book in particular. Family DANAIDAE Three genera are known from the Indian region. Wynter-Blyth has given their names as Hestia, Danais and Euploea. Hestia Hubner, 1816, is a synonym of /dea Fabr., 1807 [vide Talbot, 1941, Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond. 91 33 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 (4): 105-117]. Danais Latr., 1807, is a syno- nym of Danaus Kluk, 1802, as per Opinion No. 278, of 1954, of the International Com- mission of Zoological Nomenclature. I have elsewhere given details of this case and in- dicated that Kluk published Danaus for the first time in 1780 and his 1802 work is a sub- sequent citation [Varshney, 1973, Curr. Sci. 42 (19): 698-699]. The common tiger butterfly of this region has been referred by two different names in the literature: Danaus plexippus (Linn.) and D. genutia (Cramer). Talbot [1947, FAUNA OF BRITISH INDIA—Butterflies, 2nd ed., 2], whom I have largely followed for revision of this family, has chosen the name plexippus and I differ in this case. It is now well esta- blished that the type specimens of plexippus named by Linnaeus came from North Ame- rica; hence, that American species, the monarch, has presently D. plexippus as its valid name. The Indo-Oriental species has been found to be quite different from that American species, thus it should be appro- priately referred as D. genutia, the next oldest name applied to it. My conclusion is in agree- ment with the decision of the International Commission, now widely accepted [vide Edi- tors, 1960, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 57 (1): 230-231). The correction of the case-ending -ii to -i in all patronymic names formed after male persons has been introduced by me, in accor- dance with rules. [see Table 1]. TABLE 1 DANAIDAE For 1. 64 Genus Hestia [Hibner] 14 iy Hestia lynceus Moore & de Niceville 3. 64-70 Genus Danais [Latreille] 4. 65 Danais aglea (Cramer) Se 66 Danais tytia (Gray) 6. 67 Danais fumata Butler de % Danais limniace Cramer 8. 68 Danais melissa (Cramer) 9. 69 Danais plexippus (Linnaeus) 10. a Danais melanippus (Cramer) 11 71 Euploea alcathoe (Godart) 12. UZ Euploea crameri Moore 13. 3 Euploea coreta (Godart) 14. Ns Euploea crassa Butler Hoye 74 Euploea godarti Lucas 16. 3 Euploea corus (Fabricius) LTE 76 Euploea deione Westwood 18. : Euploea harrisi Felder 19. as Euploea diocletiana (Fabricius) 20. Tht Euploea klugii Moore Correct Genus Idea Fabricius Idea lynceus (Drury) Genus Danaus Kluk Danaus aglea (Stoll) Denaus sita sita (Kollar) Danaus taprobana (C. & R. Felder) Danaus limniace leopardus (Butler) Danaus hamata (McLeay) Danaus genutia (Cramer) Danaus melanippus indicus (Frihstorfer) Euploea doubledayi doubledayi C. & R. Felder Euploea crameri Lucas Euploea sylvester coreta (Godart) Euploea klugi erichsoni C. & R. Felder Euploea core godarti Lucas Euploea phaenareta corus (Fabricius) Euploea algea deione Westwood Euploea sylvester harrisi C. & R. Felder Euploea diocletianus (Fabricius) Euploea klugi klugi Horsfield & Moore IY Es rs) I asi Ez Te Te N Un cae bhen Ne, RTA may LN A REVISED NOMENCLATURE OF BUTTERFLIES Family SATYRIDAE The nomenclature used by Wynter-Blyth for the taxa of this family are generally valid. However, in three genera, Mycalesis, Lethe and Ypthima, he has not provided the names of authors of the species included. These may . be found in Talbot [1947, FAUNA OF BRITISH INDIA—Butterflies, 2nd ed., 2: 110-344]. Major generic changes in the present list are | as follows: Eumenis Hiibner, 1819, is a syno- nym of Hipparchia Fabr., 1807, with its spe- TABLE 2 SATYRIDAE 1h, 83 Mycalesis francisca (Cramer) Dr 84 Mycalesis gotama Moore 3). es Mycalesis orseis Hewitson 4, 86 Mycalesis subdita (Moore) 5: 87 Mycalesis mercea Evans S, - Mycalesis khasia Evans Ws 90 Mycalesis mamerta 8. 94 Lethe distans race nilgiriensis 9. f Lethe distans race dyrta 10. a Lethe distans race rohria Es 97 Lethe sinoryx 2 10C Lethe violaceopicta 13: sh Lethe ocellata 14. i Lethe gemina 5 102 Lethe armandii 16. . Lethe badra 7s. 103 Pararge moorei (Butler) 18. 104 Pararge satricus (Doubleday) 1 106 Coenonympha myops Staudinger 20. 106-108 Genus Eumenis [Hubner] 2 Oi, Eumenis mnizechii Herrich-Schaffer aa 108 Eumenis persephone (Hibner) Bye ie Genus Karanasa [Moore] 24. 113 Erebia shallada Lang 2y. 15 Ypthima asterope 26. 116 Ypthima hibneri eg 117 Ypthima avanta 28 121 Coelites nothis (Boisduval) DOR 122 Neorina patria Leech 30. zs Genus Anadebis [Butler] 31. i Melanitis leda (Drury) 32 123 Melanitis phedima Cramer 33 PA Elymnias singala Moore 34 128 Elymnias nesaea (Hewitson) S129 Elymnias_ pealii Wood-Mason 36. is Elymnias URW penanga (Westwood) ry Elymnias Correct Mycalesis francisca (Stoll) Mycalesis gotama charaka Moore Mycalesis orseis nautilus Butler Mycalesis visala subdita (Moore) Mycalesis igilia mercea Evans Mycalesis intermedia (Moore) Mycalesis annamitica Frihstorfer Lethe rohria neelgheriensis (Guérin) Lethe rohria rohria (Fabricius) Lethe rohria rohria (Fabricius) Lethe sinorix (Hewitson) Lethe violaceopicta kanjupkula Tytler Lethe ocellata iyncus de Nicéville Lethe gemina gafuri (Tytler) Lethe ermandii khasiana (Moore) Lethe bhadra (Moore) . Rhephicera moorei Butler Rhaphicera satricus (Doubleday) Coenonympha myops macmahoni Genus Hipparchia Fabricius Hipparchia mniszechii (Herrich-Schaffer) Hipparchia persephone enervata (Staudinger) Genus Hipparchia Fabricius | Erebia shallada Marshall & de Nicéville Ypthima asterope mahratta Moore — Ypthima ceylonica huebneri Kirby Ypthima lisandra (Cramer) Coelites nothis adamsoni Moore Neorina patria westwoodi Moore | Genus Ethope Moore Melanitis leda ismene (Cramer) Melanitis phedima (Stoll) Elymnias singhala Moore Elymnias nesaea (Linnaeus) Elymnias_ peali Wood-Mason penanga chelensis de Nicéville (Swinhoe) A aN GN IL Si 35 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 cies falling under Dryas group. Karanasa Moore, 1893, is also a synonym of Hipparchia -Fabr., with its species falling under Actaea group. Genus name Anadebis Butler, 1867, was proposed as a new name for genus Theope Moore, 1857, which was preoccupied. However, a replacement name Ethope Moore, 1866, was published by Moore himself as a substitute for Theope, before the publication of Anadebis. Hence, Anadebis is suppressed in favour of Ethope. - Although Talbot (loc. cit.) has been gene- rally followed, however, his attempt to change Ypthima watsoni to Y. pandocus watsoni is not adopted here, in view of the study by Cantlie & Norman [1959, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 56: 66]. The species-group name Y. hiibneri is corrected by me as huebneri, under the provisions of Article 32(c)(i) of nomenclature rules. [see Table 2]. Family AMATHUSIIDAE Nine genera are included by Wynter-Blyth in this family. The names used for all of them are correct and valid, except one genus, ‘Sti- copthalma’ or ‘Stichopthalma’ (sic). It seems Wynter-Blyth followed Evans [1932, THE IDENTIFICATION OF INDIAN BUTTERFLIES, 2nd ed. : 132] who has also erroneously spelt it. It should be correctly spelt as Stichophthalma [vide Hemming, 1934, Generic names of Ho- larctic Butterflies:51}. Among the species names, some changes in the present list are as follows: Stichophthalma sparta is now considered as a subspecies of S. louisa, but it is recorded from North-Eastern Burma only; while the subspecies found from Assam to Burma is S. /. tytleri [Talbot, 1947, FAUNA OF BRITISH INDIA—Butterflies, 2nd ed., 2: 421-423]. Thauria lathyi is presently con- sidered as one subspecies of T. aliris, and its distribution is restricted to Southern Shan States of Burma. Discophora tullia has been merged in D. sondaica zal, but since Wynter- Blyth has shown wide distribution of ftullia, I am unable to restrict it to that subspecies only. Faunis arcesilaus has been found as an invalid name and substituted with canens arce- silas, following Stichel [1933, LEP. caT.—Ama- thusiidae, 54: 73]. [See Table 3]. TABLE 3 AMATHUSIIDAE Page No For 1, 132 Faunis arcesilaus (Fabricius) 72, 133. Genus Sticopthalma 3), a Stichopthalma sparta Tytler 4, 134 Thaumantis diores Westwood Oe sh Thauria lathyi Frihstorfer 6. a Amathusia phidippus (Johanssen) ah 135 Discophora tullia (Cramer) 8. 138 Discophora continentalis Moore Correct Faunis canens arcesilas Stichel Genus Stichophthalma Felder (C.) & Felder (R.) Stichophthalma louisa tytleri Rothschild Thaumantis diores Doubleday Thauria aliris (Westwood) Amathusia phidippus (Linnaeus) Discophora sondaica Boisduval Discophora timora timora Westwood 36 REVISED NOMENCLATURE OF BUTTERFLIES Family PAPILIONIDAE The nomenclature of Papilionid butterflies included in Wynter-Blyth’s book needs to be revised on large scale. Most of the generic names of this family used there, are now con- sidered as invalid, while some groups of spe- cies need to be transferred en-bloc from one generic name to another, thus, changed com- binations for many species will result, as in- dicated in the list below (Table 4). by Evans in their books, was replaced with Polydorus Swainson, by Talbot [1939, FAUNA OF BRITISH INDIA-Butterflies, 2nd ed., /: 70] reporting that it is the oldest name among several synonyms of this genus. However, Polydorus also proved to be a preoccupied name. Corbet [1943, Entomol. 76: 206] stated that it should be substituted by Atrophaneura Reakirt, with which Talbot [1947, op. cit. 2: 490] agreed. Contrastingly, Eugene Munroe [1961, Can. Ent. 93 suppl. 17] has replaced TABLE 4 PAPILIONIDAE Page No. 1. 373-378 Genus Tros [Kirby] (now Polydorus) Dg OMS HT Res Tros alcinous (Klug) now plutonius (Oberthiir) 3. 379-381 Genus Chilasa [Moore] 4 380 Chilasa paradoxa (Zinken-Sommer) 5. 384 Papilio memnon Linnaeus 6d 7386 Papilio elphenor Doubleday 7 392 Papilio polytes Linnaeus 8. 397-400 Genus Pathysa [Reakirt] (now Graphium) 9. 400-404 Genus Zetides [Hiibner] (now Graphium) 10. 402 Zetides evemon (Boisduval) bbe 403 Zetides euryplus (Linnaeus) 11938 os Zetides bathycles (Zinken-Sommer) 13. 404-405 Genus Paranticopsis [De Nicéville & Wood-Mason] (now Graphium) Genus Meandrusa [Moore] (now Graphium) IS, * Meandrusa payeni (Boisduval) 16. 407 14. 406 Genus Leptocircus [Swainson] (now Lamproptera) 17. 408 Genus Armandia [Blanchard] Changes in the names of genera are as fol- lows: Armandia Blanchard is preoccupied and should be substituted by Bhutanitis Atkinson. Tros Kirby, used by Wynter-Blyth and earlier Sa PIS ee Correct Genus Atrophaneura Reakirt Atrophaneura plutonius (Oberthiir) Genus Papilio Linnaeus (Clytia Group) Papilio paradoxa telearchus Hewitson Papilio memnon agenor Linnaeus Papilio elephenor Doubleday Papilio polytes romulus Cramer Genus Graphium Scopoli Genus Graphium Scopoli Graphium evemon albociliatis (Fruhstorfer) Graphium eurypylus cheronus (Fruhstorfer) Graphium bathycles chiron (Wallace) Genus Graphium Scopoli Genus Graphium Scopoli Graphium payeni evan (Doubleday) Genus Lamproptera Gray Genus Bhutanitis Atkinson Polydorus by another name Pachlioptera Rea- kirt. On examining the case, I have observed that (1) Pachlioptera is an incorrect subsequ- ent spelling of Pachliopta Reakirt; (ii) both 37 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 - of these replacement names, Atrophaneura _and Pachliopta, have been published in a single paper, entitled, ‘Notes upon exotic Lepi- _doptera, chiefly from the Philippine Islands, with descriptions of some new species’, by Reakirt [1865 (1864), Proc. ent. Soc. Phila- delphia 3: 443-504]; and (iii) being published in the same work and on the same date, the relative precedence is to be accorded on the _-choice made by the first reviser, according . to the rules of nomenclature. In this case, Atrophaneura has been chosen’ by Corbet [1943, loc. cit.] and Hemming [1964, Annot. Lep. 3: 84]. Hence, Atrophaneura shall have to be taken as the valid name of this genus. Four generic names, viz., Pathysa Reakirt, Zetides Hiibner, Paranticopsis De Nicéville & Wood-Mason, and Meandrusa Moore, which have been used in the book by Wynter-Blyth, have all been merged as synonyms of the genus Graphium Scopoli [vide, Hemming, 1934, GENERIC NAMES OF HOLARCTIC BUTTER- FLIES: 151], and indication to this change has been made in Wynter-Blyth’s book also. Peile [1937, A GUIDE TO COLLECTING BUTTER- FLIES IN INDIA: 20-39] has treated Gra- phium and 5 other genera as merely “groups of the genus Papilio Linn.’’, but his action has not been followed by later workers in the case of Troides, Polydorus (now Atrophane- ura), and Graphium. Chilasa Moore was also treated as a separate genus by Talbot [1939, loc. cit.], but he later on [Talbot, 1947, ibid. 2: 491] relegated it to the position of a “‘spe- cies group of Papilio’, following Ford [1944, Trans. R. ent. Soc. London, 94: 206]. Generic name Leptocircus Swainson has been found invalid and a junior objective synonym of -Lamproptera Gray [Hemming, 1934, ibid.: 153]. Among species names, only one case re- quires comment. Talbot [1947, ibid. 2: 491] 238 has reported that the species name Polydorus aristolochiae (Fabr.) is strictly preoccupied by Atrophaneura ascanius (Linn.) and _ that the Indian subspecies will be diphilus (Esper). This change has not been followed by me, because the specific name aristolochiae (Fabr.) has been upheld by the International Com- mission of Zoological Nomenclature, in its Opinion No. 265, in 1954. The subspecies names in this series have been given in such cases only, where either a subspecies, other than nominal, occurs with- in the whole Indian region, or where the geo- graphical distribution shown by Wynter-Blyth for a species, has been found to clearly indi- cate any particular subspecies. [See Table 4]. Family PIreRIDAE Jiri Paclt pointed out the philological in- convenience of this family name Pieridae and suggested that in accordance with its type genus Pieris, the grammatically correct and valid name would be Pierididae. Hemming, however, did not like this change and as Secretary to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, he arranged the use of Plenary powers to validate the spelling ‘‘Pieridae”’ as against “‘Pierididae’’ [vide, Hem- ming, 1956, Bull. zool. Nomencl., 12: 291- 306]. Among the generic names of this family used in the book by Wynter-Blyth, the fol- lowing changes are indicated here: Huphina Moore, 1881, is invalid and found to be a junior synonym of Cepora_ Billberg, 1820. Belenois Hiibner, 1819, has been merged in Anaphaeis Hiibner, 1819. I further observe that Talbot [1939, FAUNA OF BRITISH INDIA— Butterflies, 2nd ed., /] has spelt it as Anapheis throughout; and given Klotsas author of Bele- nois, but Hemming [1967, Bull. Br. Mus. nat. REVISED NOMENCLATURE OF BUTTERFLIES Hist., Ent. Suppl. 9: 42] shows that the ori- ginal lettering is Anaphaeis, and the author of Belenois is Hubner. Generic name Parenonia was proposed by Bingham [1907, FAUNA OF BRITISH INDIA—Butterflies, Ist ed., 2: 276] to replace Valeria Horsfield, 1829, which Bin- gham thought erroneous due to the tautonymy in the name of genus and its type species, valeria Cramer. This being untenable, the name Valeria Horsfield is restored. Genus Terias Swainson, 1821, is synonymous with Eurema Hibner, 1819; vide, Talbot 1939 [op. cit.] which has been largely followed for revision of this Part. A confusion exists regarding validity be- tween the two species names, nerissa Fabri- cius and coronis Cramer, for the type species of genus Cepora; both names having been pro- posed in 1775. Examining this case, I find that the International Commission of Zoolo- gical Nomenclature in its Opinion No. 516, of 1958, has ruled that the work of Fabricius is to be given priority over that of Cramer. Hence, it can be concluded that nerissa has precedence over coronis, on the subjective taxonomic ground. This derivation, however, is not in agreement with Peile [1937, A GUIDE TO COLLECTING BUTTERFLIES IN INDIA], which shows coronis as valid name. Similarly, in the case of validity to be ac- corded to one of the two species names, calais Cramer and amata Fabricius, for the type species of genus Colotis, I consider amata as the prior name, on the basis of same ground given for nerissa above. In this case, my derivation is not in agreement with Tal- bot [1939, op. cit.], and Wynter-Blyth, who have shown calais as the valid name. Numerous authors have reported that Cat- opsilia crocale and C. pomona interbreed in the nature and are, thus, conspecific [see, Tal- bot, 1947, op. cit. 2: 493]. However, the spe- cimens assigned to these names are morpho- logically well-differentiated and they are neither sexual forms nor seasonal forms of each other. Hence, under the circumstances, [ am of the opinion that instead of treating them entirely synonymous, they may be re- tained as two separate subspecies as C. cro- cale crocale and C. crocale pomona, under C. crocale (Cramer), which is the prior name among the two. [See Table 5]. TABLE 5 PIERIDAE Page No. FOL He Correct Apcria leucodice (Eversmann) Delias acalis (Godart) Genus Cepora Billberg Genus Anaphaeis Hibner Anaphaeis aurota (Fabr.) Subfamily Pierinae: Whites Le AUS Aporia leucodyce (Eversmann) Dv A19 Delias thysbe (Cramer) 3. 421-422 Genus Huphina [Moore] (now Cepora) AD AD is Genus Belenois [Hiibner] (now Anaphaeis) Se 3 Belenois mesentina (Moore) now A. aurota (Fabricius) 6 426 Appias lalage (Doubleday) Appias pandione (Geyer) Appias albina darada (C. Felder & R. Felder) 39 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Page No. For Correct 8. 431 Appias nero (Fabricius) Appias nero galba (Wallace) 9. 434 Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus) Pieris brassicae nepalensis Doubleday 10... 435 Pieris rapae (Linnaeus) Pieris rapae iranica Le Cerf rh, ie Pieris (now Pontia) daplidice Pontia daplidice moorei (R6ber) (Linnaeus) ib s Pieris (now Pontia) glauconome Pontia glauconome Klug : (Klug) 13. 436 Euchloe ausonia (Hubner) Euchloe ausonia daphalis (Moore) 14. 438 Colotis amata (Fabricius) now C. Colotis amata (Fabr.) calais (Cramer) 15. 439 Colotis protractus (Butler) Colctis phisadia protractus (Butler) now C. phisadia (Godart) 16. 442-444 Genus Parenonia [Bingham] (now Genus Valeria Horsfield Valeria) 17. 444 Parenonia valeria (Cramer) Valeria valeria anais (Lesson) Subfamily: Coliadinae: Yellows 18. 446 Catopsilia pomona (Fabricius) Catopsilia crocale pomona (Fabr.) stat. n. 19. 447 Catopsilia florella (Fabricius) Catopsilia pyranthe (Linn.)—Dry season form florella (Fabr.) 20. 448 Dercas verhueli Moore Dercas verhuelli (Hoeven) 21. 449 Gonepteryx aspasia Ménétries, Gonepteryx mahaguru mahaguru (Gistel) now mahaguru (Gistel) 22. 450-454 Genus Terias [Swainson] (now Genus Eurema Hibner Eurema) 23. 450 Terias libythea (Fabr.) now Eurema brigitta rubella (Wallace) E. brigitta (Cramer) QA ASS Terias blanda Boisduval Eurema blanda silhetana (Wallace) 25455 Colias croceus (Fourcroy), now Colias electo fieldi Ménétries electo (Linnaeus) BIRDS SEEN ALONG A MOUNTAIN TRAIL IN PAKISTAN: P. JONES? (With two text-figures) As anyone who has ever walked the Hima- laya knows, this vast and complex chain is extraordinarily rich in bird life. One of the true pleasures of the walker or climber is to keep an eye out for, among other facets of nature, the interesting species of birds to be met with as he or she pursues some other quest up river valleys and across mountain passes. I had the great good fortune to make an acquaintance with Himalayan species while a high school student at Landour, Mussoorie, U.P., and on treks in the Nag Tibba area and beyond to Dodi Tal and the ridges above the Hanuman Chatti. More recently, while living in Pakistan, I was able to visit the mountains that surround the northern end of the Hima- laya: the Kaghan Ranges, the trans-Indus Kohistan, which incorporates the fabled Val- ley of Swat, and the upper Bashkar Valley of the Buni Zom Range in South-eastern Chitral. As these were usually climbing trips, and my duties seemingly always entailed hiring porters, moving equipment, and setting up camps, it was not possible to do any con- centrated bird watching. Hence, this list is not intended to be a comprehensive one, but rather an example of the variety of birds that can be seen along an Himalayan trail and the pleasure they can afford the amateur bird watcher. ! Accepted September 1976. 2705 South Main St., Wishington, Pa. U.S.A, 15301, The specific trail in question here is that which begins at Matiltan (8,000’), the road- head, in the Ushu (ooshoo) Valley of Kalam Tehsil, Swat, from which we departed on June 11, 1975. Our route (see Figure 1), took us up the Ushu and across the Kachakhant Pass (c. 15,600) into the Bashkar Gol of Chi- tral. We then proceeded up the Bashkar Vai- ley, attempted Ghochhar Sar, and returned to upper Swat via the Manali Pass (c. 16,100) and the unmapped Gabral Valley. The list below describes the birds seen on this trip, but I have also taken the liberty of adding some notes from previous trips in Swat, as well as some from the Kaghan Valley, where the Chitral group spent a week prior to going to Matiltan. For those interested, I have also appended a list of birds seen at Nathiagali during a three-day stay in April 1975. It should be noted that wherever possible observation was made with the aid of field glasses. Identification was made with refer- ence to Salim Ali’s INDIAN HILL BIRDS, (Bom- bay: OUP, 1949), and S. Dillon Ripley’s A SYNOPSIS OF THE BIRDS OF INDIA AND PAKI- STAN, (Bombay: BNHS, 1961). The number given for each species below refers to the number of that species in Ripley’s SYNOPSIS. 166 Aquila chrysaetos, Himalayan Golden Eagle. On the same day, but at a higher altitude (12,800), as 213, we watched as one of these magnificent birds put up a covey of pheasant (see 305). 4] JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 181 Gyps himalayensis, Himalayan Grif- fon Vulture. Watched this bird patrolling the Bashkar Gol around Gareek one evening, and saw him again the next morning as we walked up to the lake—June 27 and 28, 1975. 213 Falco subbuteo, Central Asian Hobby. Observed in June 1974 on the ridges east above the Mahodand Meadows, at about Big. t, 42 Q Tis Puk 11,500. In March 1975, I saw this species at about 7,500 near the village of Nakkai Imam Chatti on the lower slopes of Musa ka Musela and in June 1975 on the upper ridges of the same mountain (about 12,000) in the Kaghan Valley. 236 Alectoris graeca, Chukor Partridge. Heard and observed in the early morning at the Willow Camp in an area of meadow \ shandur &. & a Village Oo Care --- Rovte Ushu eee =i AS 1 R PALOGA ia DS MATILTAN OD B Bateen "4 13,000 £ Sketch map of Author’s route to Chitral. BIRDS OF A MOUNTAIN TRAIL IN PAKISTAN interspersed with large’ boulders. 305 Pucrasia macrolopha, Koklas Pheas- ant. A covey of five birds was put up by a Golden Eagle at about 12,800’ on the mea- dows to the east high above Mahodand. What was memorable about this event was the opportunity to see how the covey seemed to send out a decoy when frightened by the eagle. We were resting on a small alp when the eagle appeared. The main body of phea- sant flew low to the ground down the ridge, while one bird detatched itself, flew out be- hind our alp and rejoined the covey behind a screening ridge. The eagle made no pre- datory move. See diagram below (Fig. 2). Fig. 2 513 Columba leuconota, Snow Pigeon. Saw a pair just above the confluence of the Kharkhari Gol with the Gabral River. Though familiar with the bird from the excellent colour plate in Ali’s HILL BIRDS, this was my first actual sighting of this species. I was surprised at how large a bird it was. One of the pair made several slow, wide sallies over the valley before returning to perch on a large boulder. The effect of the flight as well as the predo- minant whiteness of the bird while in flight almost reminded one of gulls at the seashore. Identification through glasses was unmistake- able. Was thrilled to see this species. 515 Columba _ rupestris (turkestanica), Turkestan Rock Pigeon. Also a first sighting. This occurred in the Ishporili Gol, at the terminus of the Ishporili Glacier moraine (c. 13,800). The birds were brought to my attention by one of our Chi- trali porters, who was also a shikari. He had earlier used the glasses to spot a large herd of markhor. Without his aid, I would not have seen these birds, as they were extremely well- camouflaged against high cliffs. 580 Cuculus saturatus, Himalayan Cuckoo. We heard this bird almost every evening while in the Bashkar Gol below the lake, especially around Mandan and the Willow Camp, where this species was finally spotted in a grove of stunted birch—June 26, 1975. 694 Apus melba, Alpine Swift. As in 913 below. A large swift. The even- ing swarms above the Bashkar Lake seemed tireless. 913 Hirundo rupestris, Crag Martin. Noted all through the Bashkar, Kacha- khani, Ishporili and Manali Gols, in com- pany with the Alpine Swifts and House Mar- tins. The birds were very active over the rivers and especially over the Bashkar Lake in the mornings and evenings. At the latter place, there were hundreds of birds—in clouds it seemed—dashing all over the sky above the lake with their incredibly swift and intricate aerial dynamics. With the swifts and other martins, they appear to nest in the vast cliffs above the lake. 916 Hirundo rustica, Common Swallow. Very common in the lower Swat valley in the towns both above and below Mingora. Hundreds swarm in the streets down to a foot 43 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 or two above the ground amongst crowds and traffic—incredibly, without colliding with anything or anyone. A familiar sight in early July are the long lines of swallows on tele- phone wires. 931 Delichon urbica, House Martin. As 913. 1022 Garrulus lanceolatus, Blackthroated Jay. Seen at Bela Village (6,300), above Paras, Kaghan Valley, March 27, 1975. 1029 Pica pica (bactriana), Whiterumped Magpie. In and around Sor Laspur and once at Mandan, I noticed a Magpie-like bird with a prominent tail, black and white colouring, and a conspicuous white patch on the wing. He seemed fond of the Poplar groves around the fields of Laspur. This was an entirely new species for me, so I made sketches and later identified the species with the aid of Mr. J. Bruce Amstutz. 1045 Pyrrhocorax graculus, Chough. We spotted this bird at about 11,000 on Makra above the FRH at Shongran in the Kaghan Valley on June 4, 1975. In the Ushu Valley, the bird first begins to appear at the place where the Falakser Dhand (tor- rent) meets the Ushu about 11 miles beyond Matiltan. From that point (ca. 10,000) we noted it at least once a day to the Kacha- khani Pass. It was common in the areas of Chitral which we visited, especially around the great cliffs above the Willow Camp (11,500) where there were numerous nesting pairs. The species seems most gregarious. One evening I watched a flock of perhaps sixty to eighty birds feeding together in open grassy terrain in the moraine hills above the Willow Camp. The highest we saw this bird in Chitral was at about 18,000’ above the Ishporili Gla- Kashmir or Yellowbilled 44 cier—the same height at which I saw a small flock of this species on Mankial (Swat) in August 1974. This Chough was also common in the Manali and Kharkhari Gols. Strangely, although I looked for but did not see P. pyrrhocorax. 1053 Corvus monedula, Jackdaw. Fairly common around the Rest House, Balakot, Kaghan Valley (Hazara) in March OTS. 1059 Corvus corax, Raven. Noted a pair at the Mahodand Meadows (c. 10,500), Ushu Valley, Swat on June 6 and 7, 1974. They kept to a dense stand of pines at the north end of the meadows and at first seemed agitated at our arrival. Their raucous, duck-like call is unforgettable. 1085 Pericrocotus ethologus, Longtailed Minivet. Noted several breeding pairs at Shongran FRH, Kaghan Valley in early June 1975. Keeps very much to stands of pine. 1125 Pycnonotus leucogenys, Whitecheek- ed Bulbul. At Balakot (3,300) and Paras (4,300), in the Kaghan Valley, March 27, 1975. 1289 Garrulax variegatum, Variegated Laughing Thrush. First met with this species while on a morn- ing walk up the torrent above Kalam, Swat, at about 8,000, in an open fir and deciduous forest with an undergrowth of Redbud and May Apple. Saw this bird several times and heard its remarkable song, which seems to be preceded by a low hum. I came close enough to one to frighten it from its nest, which, finally found, was a well-made cup of grass and pine needles placed about 4 inches off | the ground in a verdant patch of flowers and small shrubs. The nest contained no eggs. This occurred on June 11, 1974. On June 13, 1975 at Divangar (lit. Diwan-ghar) in the BIRDS OF A MOUNTAIN TRAIL IN PAKISTAN Ushu Valley, we heard this species several times. It was observed once in the extensive undergrowth by the pond at the Willow Camp in the Ishporili Gol (11,500). We also heard another thrush, but did not see it: could it have been the Plain-Backed Moun- tain Thrush? 1313 Garrulax limeatus, Streaked Laugh- ing Thrush. Noted a thrush song around Sor Laspur (9,700’)—our lowest altitude in Chitral—and saw several birds there in willow and poplar thickets. It is a small thrush, gregarious and most active in flocks on the ground. 1396 WHeterophasia capistrata, Blackhead- ed Sibia. Saw one bird in a grove below Madyan (c. 4,000), middle Swat, July 4, 1975. This area is somewhat west of Ali’s distribution range for this species. 1579 Phylloscopus affinis, Tickell’s Leat Warbler. Fairly common in early June 1974 at the Mahodand Meadows (10,500), Ushu Valley. Swat. 1650 Erithacus brunneus, Blue Chat. Believe I spotted a pair (M and F) by the Kunhar River at Balakot (3,300’), Kaghan Valley, March 30, 1975. Noted, June 3 and 4, 1975, along the meadows at Shongran FRH and in the thickets along the road from Sarai (9,000) towards Makra Peak. 1654 Erithacus cyanurus, Bush Robin. Found this species to be quite common— noted at Sor Laspur (9,700), the Kachakhani Gol (10,200), at Mandan (11,500), in the Ishporili Gol (up to 14,000), and at and above the Bashkar Golo Chhat, both male and female. It seems to enjoy clumps of stunted birch and willow, though it is also common along streams with a sparse covering of under- Orangeflanked growth over rocky terrain. Its colours are not so brilliant as those of Plate 26 in Ali’s HILL BIRDS. We called this the ‘“‘paper-tearing bird,” because its song is always followed by an ab- rasive sound, as if paper is being torn. 1675 WPhoenicurus frontalis, Bluefronted Redstart. : Noted only once during the trip—on a small tributary of the Bashkar just below the Bashkar Golo Chhat (lake) at 11,900’. 1679 WRhyacornis fuliginosus, Plumbeous Redstart. As above, common in the Kaghan and Swat Valleys. We did not see this species in Chitral, but began to see it again in the Gabral Valley. 1680 WHodgsonius phoenicuroides, Hodg- son’s Shortwing. Commonly seen in the Bashkar Valley of Chitral, from 10,000 to 14,000 feet. It seem- ed to be always preseni, especially favouring rocky ground with patchy ground cover. In the Ishporili, it was to be found in places that were still covered with winter snow— though it was melting rapidly. 1688 Enicurus maculatus, tail. Noted at Bahrein (6,000’), middle Swat, August 23, 1973. This was the only time I saw this bird in this part of the sub-continent. It seems to be considerably less common here than in Tehri-Garhwal, India. 1697 Saxicola torquata, chat. Noted at about 7,500 on the road from Bela Village to the Sharan FRH, Kaghan Valley. In March 1975, I had noted this spe- cies at Paras, beside the Kunhar River. It seems to have moved up some three thousand feet and is probably nesting in the scrub forest along Sharan Road and around the terraced fields. Spotted Fork- Collared Bush- 45 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 1700 Saxicola caprata, Pied Bush Chat. A familiar bird in the sparse growth along the Kunhar below Balakot. Also, commonly seen during the cold season north of the Salt Range. 1705 Saxicola ferrea, Dark Grey Bush- chat. Spotted in the Gabral Valley, at about 9,000’, Upper Swat, July 3, 1975. 1716 Chaimarrornis leucocephalus, White- capped Redstart. This species is to be seen frequently along the Kunhar, Swat, Ushu and Gabral Rivers. It was seen only once in Chitral—at Sor Las- pur, but here its colouring was rather washed- out as compared to the bird in upper Swat. Otherwise, we did not see this bird in Chitral, quite possibly because we remained at too high altitudes while in Chitral. However, once across the Manali An (Pass) and into the Kharkhari Gol, we began to see it once again. 1726 Mbonticola sclitarius, Blue Rock Thrush. Spotted at Gareek (c. 10,800’). Bashkar Valley. It remained atop a huge boulder for some minutes while I observed through glasses. 1729 Myiophoneus_ caeruleus, Himalayan Whistling Thrush. A much loved bird—noted several times in the Ushu Valley, Swat, but never above 10,500 feet. Not seen in Chitral at all, but we did see it several times again in the Kharkhari Gol, where the torrent and grass-cevered cliffs made for an ideal nesting site. In this area it seems a silent and subdued bird—a little dis- appointing for one who knows the Mussoorie area well. 1773 Cinclus cinclus, Kashmir Dipper. First saw this species in June 1974 along the sand banks of the Ushu at the Mahodand Meadows. In June 1975, met this bird twice 46 in the Upper Ushu—once at Divangar and once at a point about two miles above Divan- gar where the river broadens out and flows quite calmly for several hundred yards. At the latter place, where the bird was seen at mid-morning, the Kashmir Dipper was wad- ing along sand shoals and taking short, rest- less flights up and down the river. At Divan- gar, the previous evening, I watched a Dipper for quite some time, noted its bobbing and curtseying manner and saw it disappear in- to very swift water several times in search of food: a most lively display. Divangar is at an altitude of about 11,500’. 1775 Cinclus pallasii, Brown Dipper. Believe I spotted this bird along the Ushu River about a mile and a half below Divan- gar, where we had halted for lunch. It seem- ed to be in a great hurry and was kept under observation for only a few moments. 1782 Prunella strophiata, Rufousbreasted Hedgesparrow or Accentor. Fairly common in the extensive meadows at Gareek and around Willow Camp. Also noted in the Ishporili and Bashkar Gols, in the latter place, especially around the lake. 1792 Parus major, Grey Tit. At the Nadi FRH (locally known as the Kund Bungalow), at 7,800 above Balakot, Kaghan Valley on April 29, 1974. This spe- cies seems far less common in Hazara and Swat, as compared to the Mussoorie area in U.P., India. 1802 Parus melanolophus, Crested Black Tit. Also noted at the Mahodand Meadows, Ushu Valley and in the Gabral Valley, both in Swat, June 1975. 1804 Parus_ rubidiventris, Crested Tit. Common in the evergreen stands around the Mahodand Meadows in June 1974 and -Rufousbellied BIRDS OF A MOUNTAIN TRAIL IN PAKISTAN 1975. The species is most active during the early mornings and late evenings and has a most attractive double whistle. 1807 Parus dichrous, Brown Crested Tit. Sighting uncertain. I thought I saw this species in the great forest behind Sharan FRH in the Kaghan Valley at about 9,000’. But, having discussed this possibility with Mr. Tom Roberts of Karachi, I must bow to his vast experience and record this sighting as unlikely. 1855 Anthus trivialis, Tree Pipit. Found in the groves around Sor Laspur. 1883 Mbotacilla citreola, Yellowheaded Wagtail. One of the commoner birds on the trip. Noticed often in the upper Ushu Valley. Ex- cept for the Chough, this was the last bird we saw before ascending the Kachakhani Pass. It was at the very last portion of open water on the Ushu (c. 13,900). It was also present in the Bashkar Gol. A breeding pair was noted around the large pond at the Wil- low Camp. The male in breeding plumage is a brilliant yellow, and this and the antics of the fellow at Willow Camp on more than one occasion brought out our party’s tele- photo lenses. 1886 Mbotacilla alba (personata), Masked Wagtail. Was quite surprised at meeting with this species. Observed at a small pond in the meadows which cover the moraine hills just above and between the confluence of the Ish- porili with the Bashkar Gol. 1887 Motacilla alba, Hodgson’s Pied Wag- tail. Observed at Valley. 1946 Passer rutilans, Cinnamon Tree Spar- row. Several nesting pairs around the FRH, Gareek (10,800), Bashkar Shongran, Kaghan. 1982 Mycerobas Yellow Grosbeak. Noted once in a forested area, Gabral Val- ley, Swat, at about 8,000. 1989 Carduelis carduelis (caniceps), Hima- layan Goldfinch. Noted a small flock of about two miles above Sor Laspur at about 10,000 feet. This was at the first stand of poplar and willow that one comes to upon walking down the valley. 1990 Carduelis Greenfinch. First noted at Bara (8,000) in the Chukail Valley, Swat in August 1974. On the Chitral trip, we saw this species at Gareek (10,800), Bashkar Gol. 2010 Carpodacus erythrinus, Rosefinch. Enjoyed watching this species very much. Active and busy—spotted several times at Mandan (11,500), both male and female, in pairs or flocks of four or more. Also noted at the Bashkar Golo Chhat (12,000). The male is distinctly rose-coloured around the head, nape and throat, but elsewhere this fades into a light brown colour, just perceptibly tinged with pink. 2051 Emberiza cia, Meadow Bunting. Common in the Ushu, Gabral and Bash- kar Valleys. icterioides, Black-and- spinoides, § Himalayan Birp LIST, NATHIAGALI, PAKISTAN, APRIL 27-30, 1975. 580 Cuculus saturatus, Himalayan Cuc- koo. Nathiagali. 662 Strix aluco, Himalayan Wood Owl. On Miran Jani at about 9,000. 807 Picus squamatus, Scalybellied Green Woodpecker. Common at Nathiagali. 47 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 836 Picoides Pied Woodpecker. Nathiagali. 842 Picoides auriceps, Brownfronted Pied Woodpecker. Nathiagali. 1042 Nucifraga caryocatactes, Largespot- ted Nutcracker. Nathiagali, 8,100. himalayensis, Himalayan 1148 Wypsipetes madagascariensis, Black Bulbul. Nathiagalli. 1181 Pomatorhinus erythrogenys, Rusty- cheeked Scimitar Babbler. Nathiagali. 1341 Pteruthius flaviscapis, Redwinged Shrike-babbler. Nathiagali. 1342 Pteruthius xanthochloris, Green Shrike-babbler. Tentative sighting, Nathiagali. 1396 Heterophasia capistrata, Blackhead- ed Sibia. Nathiagali. 1421 Muscicapa superciliaris, | White- browed Blue Flycatcher. Common at Nathiagali. 1445 Muscicapa thalassina, Verditer Fly- 48 catcher. Nathiagali. 1606 Phyiloscopus occipitalis, Crowned Willow Warbler. Nathiagali. : 1705 Saxicola ferrea, Dark-grey Bush Chat. Common at Nathiagali, seen on Miran Jani at 9,100. 1723 Monticola cinclorhynchus, Bluehead- ed Rock Thrush. Several times at Nathiagali. 1824 Sitta europaea, Kashmir Nuthatch. Miran Jani, 9,000. 1832 Sitta leucopsis, hatch. Nathiagali. 1845 Certhia himalayana, Himalayan Tree Creeper. Nathiagalli. 1946 Passer rutilans, Cinnamon Tree Spar- row. Common at Nathiagali. 1982 Mycerobas _icterioides, Yellow Grosbeak. Common at Nathiagali. 1983 Mycerobas affinis, Nathiagali. Large also frequently Whitecheeked Nut- Black-and- Allied Grosbeak THE GENUS ATHYRIUM ROTH IN NAINITAL HILLS* K. K. DutrR? AND K. RANI (With ten text-figures) ‘The paper deals with an illustrated taxonomic account of ten species of the genus Athyrium Roth from Nainital hills (North-Western Himalayas). From the detailed morphological observations, it is concluded that caudex coupled with indusial and spere ornamentation are found to be constant and decisive characters to classify the species. Half the number of species have distinctly perisporiate spores whereas the other half falls into the category of having non-perisporiate spores. The Himalayan species of Athyrium Roth, the type genus of family Athyriaceae, have been variously treated by earlier workers. Clarke (1880) and Hope (1899, 1903) consi- dered Athyrium as a subgenus of Asplenium Linn. Beddome (1883) kept Athyrium sepa- rate from Asplenium but he could not pro- perly analyse the species complexes and their nomenclature. Bir & Shukla (1966) described 16 members of this rather difficult genus from Simla hills. Recently Dhir & Datta (1976) gave an explicit taxonomic account of Athy- rium Roth from Dharamsala hills. In the pre- sent paper. which is a part of the project on “Taxonomic revision of Himalayan Ferns’, 10 members of the genus from Nainital hills are described and illustrated alongwith the key for identification in the field. Voucher speci- mens are deposited in PAN. Athyrium Roth Rhizome short, erect or decumbent or elon- gate-creeping, scaly; Rachis glabrascent or sparsely scaly, grooved; lamina pinnately de- compound, sometimes simply pinnate; texture herbaceous to coriaceous, glabrous except on the axes; venation anadromous, veins always free; sori dorsal, typically elongate, sometimes short and roundish; indusium of the same shape with entire or lacerate-fimbriate mar- pins. A large genus comprised of nearly 200 spe- cies with world wide distribution. 10 species occur in the area investigated. KEY TO THE SPECIES A. fronds pinnate. B. Rhizome ascending; fronds caespitose; lamina small to medium sized. C. Rhizome scales dull-brown in colour. D. Lamina lanceolate, not attenuated downwards; spores perisporiate. E. Stipe brown, thin and fragile; sporangium non-giandular; indus- ium with acutely lobed margin rays Su A. anisopterum E. Stipe straw coloured, firm and erect; sporangium stalk with a gland; indusium with a wavy margin 1 Accepted May 1978. 2Department of Botany, Chandigarh. Panjab University, Neate A. rupicola 49 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 D. Lamina _linear-lanceolate, sporiate attenuated downwards; spores non-peri- see ate A. attenuatum C. Rhizome scales golden or bright brown in colour D. Lamina linear-lanceolate, narrowed at both ends, hairy; indusium lacerate aN cantata A. falcatum D. Lamina oblong-lanceolate, never attenuated at base, glabrous; indus- ium small, fugaceous B. Rhizome wide-creeping; fronds distant; Mico ae A. drepanopterum lamina large, broadly-lanceolate; rachis and rachilets covered with multicellular uniseriate hairs; indusium with wavy margin; spores tuberculated biogenesis A. japonicum A. Fronds bipinnate to decompoundly-pinnate. B. Rhizome ascending; fronds approximate, spores non-perisporiate. C. Costae and costules setiferous; lamina broadly lanceolate, rooting by vegetative buds Ree ne A. clarkei C. Costae and costules not setiferous; lamina lanceolate, acuminate; stipe dark brown at base B. Rhizome wide-creeping; perisporiate oblong lanceolate to sub-deltoid lamina; Ne A. proliferum spores C. Fronds bipinnate; stipe dark brown at base; secondary rachis glabrous; indusium with irregularly lobed margin at ie A. schimperi C. Fronds 3-4 pinnate; stipe stramineous, secondary rachis pubescent and spiny; sori minute; indusium with a wavy margin A. anisopterum Christ, Bull. Herb. Boiss. 6, 962, 1898. ~ Rhizome 0.5-0.7 cm thick, ascending, thick- ly covered at the apex with brown, lanceo- late, 6.5-7 mm long, 0.6-1 mm broad at base scales; fronds closely tufted; stipes upto 6-7 cm long, fragile, brown, scaly at base, scales filiform, about 2 mm long and 0.2-0.3 mm broad at base with almost entire margin; lamina 10-14 x 1.5-2.5 cm, lanceolate, mem- branaceous, bipinnatifid; pinnae upto 13-14 jugate, broadly lanceolate, shortly stalked, cut down 1/3 to 2/3 distance to mid rib into distinct segments with crenate margin, basal lobe enlarged forming an auricle on the an- terior side; texture rather flaccid, pinnatifid; venation pinnate, each vein 1-2 times forked; sori curved, generally on superior veinlets, in- dusiate; indusium stalked, reniform, mem- branaceous with acutely lobed margin; spor- angia with 14-15 annulus cells; spores dark brown, globose, perisporiate (Fig. 1). It grows on shaded and humus rich rocks 50 a ees A. pectinatum in the dense forests near Kilberi and Pangote (1,500-2,000 m). Very common in the area investigated. A. rupicola (Hope) C. Chr., Ind. Fil., 145, 1905. Rhizome upto 0.3-1 cm thick, ascending, covered with a tuft of scales; scales 6-7 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad at base, dull brown, linear lanceolate, hair pointed and uniseriate; fronds tufted, 24-36 cm, dull green; stipes 7-12 cm long, firm, erect, straw coloured, clothed near the base with similar to rhizome but deciduous scales; lamina 17-24 x 6-9 cm, lanceolate, bipinnatifid; pinnae 18-25 jugate except for the acuminate apex, alternate, sub- sessile, 3-4.5 cm x 0.8-1.2 cm, narrow, lanceo- late, acuminate at apex, cut down into 6-14 pairs of 4-5 mm x 1-3 mm pinnules with crenate or serrate margin, lower 1-2 pair de- flexed; texture sub-coriaceous; veins pinnate, generally forked, one veinlet to each tooth, rachilets wavy; sori median, generally along the superior veinlets, linear or globose, indu- THE GENUS ATHYRIUM ROTH IN NAINITAL HILLS Fig. 1. Athyrium anisopterum. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 4.6; B. Rhi- zome scale, x 21.8; C. Stipe scale, x 21.8; D. Indusium, x 21.8; E. Sporangium, x 97.9; F. Spores, x 282.8. : Fig. 2. Athyrium rupicola. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 3.8; B. Rhizome scale, x 8.4; C. Indusium, x 17.8; D. Indusial cells, x 74.2; E. Sporangium, x 74.2; F. Spores, x 231.7. 51 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 siate; indusium thin, membranaceous, glo- bose, margin wavy with a few projections; sporangia with 19 celled annulus, glandular, glands stalked and attached near the base of the sporangial stalk; spores perisporiate with broad folded perisporium (Fig. 2). It is always found growing in exposed places. Enroute Cheena Peak (2,600 m). A. attenuatum (Clarke) Tagawa, Acta Phy- totax. et Geobot., 16, 177, 1956. Rhizome 1-1.5 cm _ thick, erect, densely covered with scales; scales brown, lanceolate, subulate, 5-6 mm long, about 1 mm broad at base; fronds 30-35 cm long, closely caespi- tose; stipes 2-6 cm long, firm, erect, grooved, scaly below; scales 3-5 mm long, similar to rhizome scales, lamina 25-32 x 3.5-7.4 cm, linear-lanceolate, bipinnatifid; pinnae 25-29 pairs, patent or slightly ascending, pinnae gradually reduced, cut down into small closely placed segments with serrate margin; texture herbaceous, greenish-brown; venation simple or once forked; mid vein wavy; sori small acroscopic, indusiate; indusium reniform with irregular projections along the margin; spo- rangia with 16-17 annulus cells; spores light- yellow in colour, non-perisporiate, bilateral with smooth exine (Fig. 3). Met with near Land’s end as a lithophyte in rock-crevices. A. falcatum Bedd., Ferns South India, t. 15], 1863. Rhizome 2-6 mm thick, short, ascending, profusely branched, scaly; scales linear-lanceo- late with long drawn out apical part, wavy margined, 8-9 mm long and 0.5-0.8 mm broad at base; fronds rather approximate; stipes 2.5-6 cm long, firm, erect with a well deve- loped basal part, scaly; scales golden, linear- lanceolate, hair pointed uniseriate, margin smooth, 8-9 mm long and 0.5-0.9 mm broad at base; lamina 10.5-35 x 2.5-5 cm, linear- 52 lanceolate, narrowed at both ends, bipinnati- fid, primary rachis covered with similar to rhizome but smaller scales; pinnae 20-28 jugate, alternate, subsessile, lowest 2-3 pairs deflexed; pinnae falcate, generally furnished with a large obtuse auricle at both the supe- rior and inferior base, cut down into 8-10 pairs of 1-3.2 x 4-8 cm pinnules with crenated margin and obtuse apex; texture herbaceous, hairy along the veinlets, hairs 3-4 celled, thin walled; venation simple or sometimes forked; sori linear along the veinlets opening to- wards the mid-rib, indusiate; indusium more long than broad having finger-like lacerae along the margin; sporangia with 15-celled annulus; spores non-perisporiate, tuberculate (Fig. 4). Grows on moist, exposed rocks. Commonly met with near Bhowali (1,500 m) and Sat-tal (22007 mi): A. drepancpterum (Kze.) A. Br., Milde, Fil. Eur. 49, 1867. Caudex stout, 3-5 cm in diameter, ascend- ing, clothed with numerous reddish-brown, linear-lanceolate, hair uniseriate pointed, smooth margined having clear Juminae with a few distorted cells, 6.7-10 mm long and — 0.7-1 mm broad at base scales; fronds caes- pitose; stipe 8-15 cm long, grooved, dull straw- coloured, scaly at base, scales persistant, simi- lar to rhizome scales; lamina 18-22 x 2-4 cm, oblong-lanceolate, 1-2 pinnate; pinnae 28-32 jugate, often falcate, subsessile, alternate, 2-3 cm X 4-6 mm, deeply pinnatifid into 8-11 seg- ments; pinnules 2-3 x 1-2 mm, ovate-lanceo- late, auricled with serrate margin; texture co- riaceous; venation simple, veins pinnated, almost reaching the margin; sori small, linear or curved in two rows one on either side of the mid rib, median, indusiate; indusium often hippocrepiform, brown, fugacious, membran- aceous; sporangia with 14-15 celled annulus, THE GENUS ATHYRIUM ROTH IN NAINITAL HILLS Fig. 3. Athyrium attenuatum. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 2.0; B. Pinna showing position of sori, x 2.0; C. Rhizome scale, x9.9; D. Stipe scale, x 9.9; FE, Indusium, x 28.6; F. Sporangium, x 44.7; G. Spores, x 129.2. Fig. 4. Athyrium falcatum. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 2.7; B. Rhizome scale, x 7.2; C. Stipe scale,x 7.2; D. Rachis scale, 7.2; E. Hairs on pinnae, x. 58.08; F. Indusium, x 12.9; G. Indusial cells, x 58.0; H. Sporangia, x 58.0; I. Spores, x 167.8. 53 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 VS NANG: Yay i es ae Fig. 5. Athyrium drepanopterum. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 2.6; B. Rhizome or base of stipe scale,x 7.1; C. Sporangium, x 54.5; D. Spores, x 157.56. Fig. 6. Athyrium japonicum. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 2.2; B. Rhizome scale, x 10.5; C. Stipe scale, x 10.5; D. Hairs of rachis and rachilets, x 47.6; E. Hairs on surface, x 47.6; F. Indusium, 10.5; G. Indusial cells, x 47.6; H. Sporangium, x 47.6; I. Spores, x 137.6. THE GENUS ATHYRIUM ROTH IN NAINITAL HILLS annular cells with thick transparent walls having dark brown luminae; spores hyaline, bilateral with smooth walled exine, non-peri- sporiate (Fig. 5). This is a fern of low altitudes (1,200-1,500 m) growing on forest floor along water chan- nels. A. japonicum (Thunb.) Copel., Phil. Jour. Soe: Bot. 3C; 290; 1908: Rhizome upto 3-4 mm thick, widely-creep- ing, scaly; scales 4-6 mm long, 1-2 mm wide at base, pale-brown, thin, lanceolate, hair pointed, sub-entire margined; fronds quite apart, long, herbaceous; stipe 10-20 cm long, scaly, scales similar to rhizome _ scales but smaller in size; lamina 10-24 x 6-14 cm, broadly lanceolate, bipinnatifid, rachis and rachilets more or less woolly with multicel- lular uniseriate hairs; pinnae alternate, 2-8 x Q.7-1.5 cm, subsessile, cut down quite to the mid rib into broad, falcate segments with ob- tuse apex and crenated margin; texture her- baceous, bright green in colour; venation pin- nate, veins rarely forked; sori elongated nearer the midrib in 2 rows one on each side of the midrib, indusiate; indusium broad, thin, elongated, membranaceous with wavy margin, indusial cells polygonal with regular cell walls: spores light yellow to brown in colour with tuberculated exine (Fig. 6). It prefers moist and shaded forest floor. Found at 1,950 m altitude around Nainital. A. clarkei Bedd., Ferns Brit. India, Suppl., Tits 360, 1876. Rhizome 1 mm thick, ascending, scaly at apex; scales 6-8 mm long, 0.5-1.5 mm _ broad at base, dark-brown, linear-lanceolate, hair pointed uniseriate with smooth margin; fronds caespitose; stipes 11-20 cm long, scaly below, scales similar to rhizome scales but smaller in size; lamina 20-50 x 10-20 cm, lanceolate, bipinnate, rooting from a bud on the upper part of the rachis; pinnae deltoid-lanceolate, upto 9 x 2.2 cm; pinnules shortly stalked, acroscopic, basal one the largest, oblong, lob- ed up to half the way to the mid rib with serrated apex, primary rachis stramineous, secondary winged, setae present on upper sur- face along costae and constules; texture her- baceous, green; venation forked 1-2 times, single veinlet supplying to each tooth; sori short, oblong, curved, two rows one to each side of mid rib, indusiate; indusium reniform, thin, fugaceous with almost, wavy margin, indusial cells with smooth walls; sporangia having 14-15 annulus cells; spores light-yel- lowish-brown, reniform, non-perisporiate with a smooth exine (Fig. 7). The species was found growing near Kilberi (2,000 m) on humus rich, densely shaded, and moist forest floor. A. proliferum Moore, Gard. Chr., 778, 1866. Rhizome 1-1.5 cm thick, ascending, scaly; scales 2-2.5 mm long, about 1 mm broad at base, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, hair pointed uniseriate, sub-entire margined; fronds closely tufted; stipe 14-17 cm long, hard, grooved, straw coloured with a dark-brown base, scaly, scales 4.5-5 mm long, about 1 mm broad at base, oblonge-lanceolate, hair point- ed; lamina 40-44 x 14-16 cm, lanceolate with pointed acuminate apex, tripinnatifid; pinnae 7-9 x 1.8-2.5 cm, lanceolate, 25-28 jugate, cut into 10-14 pairs of pinnules; each pinnule oblong, cut into 4-5 pairs of bifid lobes; tex- ture coriaceous; venation simple, veins forked, almost reaching the margin, mid-vein wavy: sori linear, present along the superior vein- let, indusiate; indusium oblong with wavy margin, indusial cells squarish, irregularly margined with smooth cell walls; sporangia with 13-14 annulus cells; spores bilateral, thin-walled, hyaline, non-perisporiate (Fig. 8). It prefers humus rich shaded forest floor 25) JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 I> = —> Fig. 7. Athyrium clarkei. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 2.5; B. Rhizome or stipe scale,x 18.0; C. Indusium, x 18.0; D. Indusial cells, x 54.0; E. Sporangium, x 54.0; F. Spores, x 156.0. Fig. 8. Athyrium proliferum. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 4.0; B, C. Rhi- zome scales,x 19.0; D. Stipe scale,x 11.2; E. Indusium, x 19.0; F. Indusial cells, x 248.0; G. Sporangium, x 85.3; H. Spores, x 248.0. 56 THE GENUS ATHYRIUM ROTH IN NAINITAL HILLS Z fre = Se a= ; =. = ———— - 4 \\ — — z EE .: vi — 2 i (=rs - - —S Fig. 9. Athyrium schimperi. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 2.5; B. Rhizome OF stipe, scale >< 2107. ©: Indusium, x 12.0: D. Indusial cells, x 54.0; E. Sporangium, x 54.0; F. Spores, x 156. Fig. 10. Athyrium pectinatum. a. Plant. A. Pinna showing venation, x 3.7; B, C. Rhizome scales, x 18.0; D. Stipe scale, x 18.0; E. Rachis scale,» 18.0; F. Spine on surface, x 18.0; G. Hairs on both surfaces along veinlets, x 81.0; H. Indusium, x 51.7; I. Indusial cells, x 81.0; J. Sporangium, x 81.0; K. Spores, x 234.0. 5 / JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 at an altitude of 1,950 m around Nainital. A. schimperi Moung. ex Fee, Mem. Fouge- res, 5 (Gen. Fil.), 187, 1850-52. Rhizome 0.4-0.6 mm thick, widely creep- ing, covered with dark-brown, linear-lanceo- late, 3-4 mm long, upto 0.5-0.7 mm broad at base scales; fronds distant, yellowish to bright- green; stipes dark-brown at base, firm, erect, having a few scales near the base which are similar but smaller to rhizome scales; lamina variable, 26-30 x 14-18 cm, oblong-lanceolate, bipinnate; pinnae opposite below, alternate above, basal ones reduced; each pinna lanceo- late acuminate, 7-8.5<1.5-2 cm; pinnules al- ternate, patent, having decurrent base, sessile, 1.5-2 x 0.8-1 cm, cut down half the way to the costa into 4-6 pairs of segments with serrate margin; texture herbaceous; venation general- ly forked; sori j-shaped or reniform at matu- rity, placed along the superior veinlets nearer to the costae, indusiate; indusium broad, firm with an irregularly lobed margin, indu- sial cells irregular with deeply lobed cell walls; sporangia with 13-14 celled annulus; spores dark-brown, perisporiate, perispore folded giving the appearance of reticulations (Fig. 9). One of the commonest species of the area, growing in damp, shaded, and humus rich places. Met with near Land’s end, snow-view, Lariakanta, and around the lake, between 1,800-2,400 m altitude. A. pectinatum Presl, Tent Pterid., 98, 1836. Rhizome 0.4-1 cm thick, widely creeping, branched, covered with yellowish-brown, thin, lanceolate, hair pointed, upto 2 mm long, 0.5-0.8 mm broad at base scales: fronds, tuft- ed; stipes 5-17 cm long, straw coloured, fra- gile, scaly, scales 4.5-6 mm long, 0.5-1 mm broad at base, lanceolate, hair uniseriate, pointed; lamina 10-45x4-12 cm, lanceolate to subdeltoid with acuminate apex, finely dissect- ed, 3-4 pinnatifid; primary pinnae 15-24 pairs, subsessile, sub-deltoid, acuminate, 4-7 x 2-4 cm. distantly placed, cut down into 7-10 pairs of 0.3-0.5 x 1-1.3 cm pinnules; pinnules fur- ther divided into ultimate segments with de- ntate margin; rachis greenish and grooved but rachilets pubescent with 1-3 celled uni- seriate hairs on both surfaces, secondary rachis minutely spiny on upper side; texture sub- coriaceous, firm; venation forked; sori small, present on superior veinlet, reniform, indus- iate; indusium thin, membranaceous, more broad than long with wavy margin, indusial cells irregular elongated with smooth walls; sporangia with 13-16 celled annulus; spores dark brown, perisporiate, perispore loose and reticulately folded (Fig. 10). This species inhabits open but rather moist situations along roadside. It is common around Bhowali (1,500 m). REFERENCES BEDDoME, R. H. (1883): A Handbook to the Ferns of British India, Ceylon and Malaya Penin- sula. Thacker Spink & Co. Calcutta. Bir, S. S. AND SHUKLA, P. (1966): Pteridophytic Flora of Simla Hills (N. W. Himalayas). Family Athyriaceae. Bull. Bot. Surv. India, 8; 264-277. CLARKE, C. B. (1880): A Review of Ferns of Northern India. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, I, Bot., 58 1, 425-611. Dur, K. K. AND Datra, K. S. (1976): Ferns of Dharamsala hills-2 (North-Western Himalayas). Fam. Woodsiaceae, Aspidiaceae and Athyriaceae. Nova Hedwigia, 27: 393-424. Hore, C. W. (1899, 1903): Ferns of North Western India. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 12: 527- Slots iB WISE APPLICATION OF SOME BIOCHEMICAL METHODS IN BANDICOOT TAXONOMY’ M. S. PRADHAN? (With four text-figures) INTRODUCTION The paucity of information concerning even the most common forms of Indian rodents is particularly noteworthy. The full importance of Indian rodents in India gene- rally is not realised (Spillett 1968). Rodent taxonomy suffers seriously from lack of bio- logical information. In spite of the fact that field rats directly affect the human populations the taxonomy of the genus Bandicota was not clear. Eller- man (1963) while studying the genus divid- ed it into two species B. bengalensis and B. indica ‘and cleared most of the confusions at generic level. While revising the classification of subspecies of B. bengalensis, Agrawal and Chakraborty (1976) reduced the number of subspecies described by Ellerman (1963) from seven to three. They have concluded that there is no difference between B. b. bengalen- sis, B. b. kok and B. b. gracilis. Bombay variety of field rat is B. b. kok (lordi) (confir- mation from Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay). Does it also belong to the same catagory of B. b. bengalensis or whether it shows some variations, remained unconfirm- ed. The present paper deals with this problem and some modern taxonomical methods which 1 Accepted July 1977. 25. S. & L. S. Patkar College, Biol. Dept., Gore- gaon West, Bombay-400062. Present address: Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional Sta- tion, 933/A, Shivajinagar, Pune-411016, (India). have not been used so far, like the biochemical techniques, were employed in the present studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS The classification of local stock of Bandi- cota bengalensis was identified and confirmed by the authorities from Bombay Natural His- tory Society, Bombay and it was concluded that the stock belonged to Bandicota benga- lensis kok (lordi) (Ellerman 1963). To avoid errors resulting from the overlapping of characteristics, sexually mature animals were selected for the present studies. The total number of animals studied was 293. The measurements of the following regions were recorded :- External measurements: (1) Complete body, ic. from tip of the snout to tip of the tail, (2) Head + body, (3) Tail, (4) Pinnae, (5) No. of tail rings and (6) Hindfoot. Cranial measurements: (1) Occipitonasal length, (2) Nasals and (3) Tooth-row. The standard deviations from means were calculated for each characteristics. All mea- surements were taken in mm. BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES: The following blood proteins of bandicoot rats were studied. The details are given in author’s (1976) thesis for Ph.D. Haptoglobin and Transferrin: The proce- 59 293 TABLE 1 RAGE MEASUREMENTS (IN MM) WITH STANDARD DEVIATIONS OF THE MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF B. b. kok (lordi) N a IH SHOWING AV JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 dure adopted for starch-gel-electrophoreses was the same as that described by Smithes é in es (1959). Buffer used was barbiturate buffer : oe RES with pH 8.6. = a Haemoglobin: Paper electrophoresis me- thod described by Pauling et al. (1949) was 3 i" S adopted for the present work. 2 Pa lts OBSERVATIONS a 0 + General: Though known by the name field ame ma a rat, as its habitat is in general agricultural fo) i. fields in rural areas, B. bengalensis of Bom- : bay region particularly inhabits human dwel- 2X1 g | lings and leads an epizootic life. They are es] ss ferocious in nature and when disturbed they ss 1 So] make grinding noises with their prominant in- ea Teil cisors. The head is triangular, the tail is short, Le i naked with a number of rings on it. The tip Be venys of the tail is mostly white. m2 a i Fur and its coloration: The animal pos- iB ea va sesses short hairs. The fur is soft, especially ae i pe during winter season. The harshness of the ee A eatiale fur is felt due to some hard hairs intermixed ae a 2 with some soft hairs. The colour on the dor- Ss = 06 sal surface varies in all shades from light to ees a x dark black brown while undersurface is in gray eae ‘aioy «=AIJSNPUI SUIYsSy o8IeT L po10do1 [eJaAas fru poqioda1 [VIZA9S OOT-OS ue esuery IU] ay niy wes -BIOPO|W niy IANLV sjeuvo SpIM “WOT CIIV ISIE] BOI 3310] SIDE QOOPZ [jews SOIOB 9S6Z SoI9e 697 SOD OOP SIIOB OS6E oquiojoa epesouniny aquiojoa (elena) Rly eueiedg peoy eyesouniny / Mey (erayeiiA ) dV] eposog vAIpOyorIMeye welny weisng PMIM PIPMNN Welny yemeseg CMOAA PSSIT, IIOAIISOYY vuesuele yy LLAONs6C LEOIsLC LL-OV-9¢ EEO tery HLWNIE|! GERD ILS) HEV E=9)|! ILLAO) 9). Ll Ol=Ot ‘OL ‘69 ‘89 1) ‘99 $9 ‘V9 SS SE I FE SS TT ET EEE I RS 80 PRELIMINARY CROCODILE SURVEY —SRI LANKA poomATg oy} jo JUaWIYsI[qe}so oy} oouls jJUasqe MOU ‘oIOY A]IOUNIOJ sayIposolo §= BNou ‘(eMnpHoy) ssop Auew yysned pey YosiyM Aj}UDDeI po -[[tJ powoder (‘uig) SUO ‘ssuI -J4SIS B[IPOdOID [eUOIsedDO 10d -o1 sjUOpIsoI pue uUdUIIOYsSI{ Sop -09019 3ules pue SsUIYyd}eo jo puoj Ajpoyioder sie (edwepepy oy} jo youelq &) JoAry eAIU -opeley, oy} suoTe s[doeg jo] SI[IPOIOID OWOS SALY O} poIod -o1 os[e SI ‘eq vjodeyeg ‘I0Ali sty} Jo yourliq YW ‘skep 9soy} ynpe ue Ajore1 pue soajipoooss SunoA SUID9S JJOdaI UsWIOYsIy ‘peoy eAnidig oy} uo ewesinjy WOI, soplw [el -aAo0s dulems Ul Uses A][eUOIS -8990 SO[IPOdOID JosIeq ‘sdes} ysy Ul Uses So[IpOdOID [[ewWS “euvyyey} -IAV ye woos AT[euoIsvssO0 4nq goreos (snsosod *D) Sda[IpodsoIn ‘proy ejepueAlig oy} UO evUMpeuOy pue ‘swy Of (oA uMop) euejoyoy ye (snsoiod ‘D) usos oq ued [IQs Aoy] o104M seoly ‘SIoyIOM pues JdALI pue uoswieysy 0} SuIpiI0s0R jnjnustd Ap1owIOF saflIposo1D "SINdDO [[QS SUI -jsoU duIeMS pUR[UI ssusp 9U} jo syed ul yey) Inq ‘orour Aue uses 318 So[IPO9O0ID Moy 1eU} oye]s UsWIOYsy pue sjUepIsoy ‘eore sIq} Ul yysned usNq DALY SIjsnjod “Dd pue snsosod “y SUNOX ‘d10q SoJIPOsOID §=suNYysIs Al][euoTseo -00 yIOdel UsUIOYSsIy ‘wets SIy} JO Sopis UI sjouUN) [eIOAeS +r wonerodi073) = jiu — MOfJ - MJ paiodas — [BIQAas OpIM ae ‘weT-Ol = wini pou = ees UNO — Spin WOT opIM “UW Oc-OF = esue OpiM -snje> ‘WOr-0¢ 66 66 “125 2112) eleyn[ ny SLTNSHA S.FGNVGHM “HW dO AUYVNINNS — MJ — suol ‘WUyC]| — OpiM “UIC oquojo) 66 (e]04}UID ) esuey UIH LL-Ol-v oye] eMnpeyH LL-Ol-r (epesurlequy ) JoAry edwepep LL-O1-€ JoATYy eMnpypod LL-OT-€ JOAIY evieyjueg /-OI-€ IOAITY esuesn[ey, = LL-O1-€ UOOSse] OQUIOSEN //-OI-€Z (veyeduiry) vAQ nyeseuryny 1-01-77 9 a3 C ‘T CL 81 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 4 ee a a a ES SS SS a *SJOOI 901} sulsuey IOAO Jopun sjouun) aaey YOIyM wUorlje[ndod 9]Ipos -O19 [jews @ yIOddns sjood oy} wees [jews AIoA e& Ysnoyy ‘poiiod JYsnoIp ot} I9AO Opt} 0} SsuOOSe], OY} sosn Ausredde siuysnjpd -D ‘arel o1Inb oq 0} sivodde snsoiod ‘2 ‘suoose] 9soy} JO jno puvr ul A][eUOsess SAOU SojIpOd0ID ‘eloy OUWIOD syue} ][eWS wolf safipooo1in Apuoredy ‘dn AIp 0} vole djiAyog 9} UL SyUe}) JSe[ 94} JO SUO SI SIU], ‘Aqieou weeny reyoOy 3 OS[Y “UMO} djianyjog JO ospo oy} UO pa -}e00] Ysnoy} UdsAd uUoOTe;ndod gjIposo1d jjews e sey Aljel -9u03 yur} [Jews 94} ‘Mou AIG ‘uoljeindod ey e sAey TNs 0} pies yuey ‘usuLloysy Aq Aj]}U99 -o1 yysned so[Ipooo1d sunox ‘giqe}suod sorjod Aq Ay}Ua9 -a1 joys Ajpayiodel 9s[Ipos01d ‘aioy poyoder |[Ns ole sojip -09010 Moy ee pue SAOISULUT sey YoIyM (YINOUW S,d[IPOd0I19) oneynguiry,, pojfeo sovjd e st vAkeMepoy iY ‘uOIsed -90 UO IOAII dn Sof Maj Uses ‘mou lel AI9A Sd[lIpooo1d ‘suler AAvoy Iojje JOAII OY} Ul WOU} pue MOU 4NngG MoU Uses Ajalel Sd[IPpOd0ID ‘I9}UNY 9][IPOdO19 UMOUY ][OM e SI dIOY} 10H ‘sed oY} Ul s}sou pue Aj}UOD -a1 UdBS UdEeq DAY Sd{IPpOd019 9 0} dn e3ueyH eeMIN oy} jo youviq e ‘eq eandey iV S3d9J “SyoRs} MOJ O0c-Ol [ru OOT-OS MJ [B19A98 esuey eleMTIN jjews 66 winipsu jews SIDE S6IZ “WOP-OF Opi “WOP-0E ejoJuequeH (djianyjod) Wevaljs viepuepueT uoosey Aeg wesniyv uoosey eureuedg ce welny meUIUeS ieledwy weeny eieweyy, yueyl ewesedipry (e}0)Ue[equiy ) VBZULLD) OMETE AA eljesue ly (ereyey) BIe}eI eSUeH) PIeA\TIN LL-O1-6 LL-OI-8 LL-OI-8 LL-O1-8 LLEsOl 9 LL-OI-9 LL-OI-S LL-OI-S VI ‘ell Cl ll ‘Ol 6 8 Ub 82 PRELIMINARY CROCODILE SURVEY —SRI LANKA ‘uolje[nd -Od poos [[Ns SI o104} OS o1Dy Sa[[pooo1d Jo Suljuny op] AoA yIOdSI USUIOYSI “}SO1OJ JV UI ‘poos YM vole plIM & SI SIUL ‘MOU posueys yonul SI Sd]IpOd0ID Jo souepunqe poyioder AjIouIoy oy ‘sioded -SMOU [edO, Ul ApjUa0aI Usas powodal sem ds[Iposo0s1D o31e] VW ‘uolje[ndod snso1od ‘jy ~e CD, AA=BC, DD anteriorly =about 4C (but posteriorly < IC). Clitellum saddle-shaped, XXVIII- XXXIII; tubercula puberatis longitudinal bands, slightly lateral to B, at 4XXVIII, XXIX-XXXII. Male pores on XV, in BC, without tumescences. Genital tumescences around setae A and B on X, XXIX-XXXII. Quadrithecal; pores in CD, at 9/10-10/11. Nephropores obvious, behind XV _ irregularly alternating with asymmetry between levels just above B and well above D. Septa thin and delicate. Oesophagus widen- ed and markedly moniliform in XI-XII; giz- zard in XVII; typhlosole beginning in region of XXI-XXII and ending in 66th to 75th seg- ments, leaving 4, 8 and 13-17 atyphlosolate segments from posterior end. Calciferous sacs in X, horizontal, opening into gut posteriorly and ventrally at the insertion of septum 10/11. Excretory system holoic, nephridial bladders J-shaped. Extra-oesophageal vessels joining dorsal trunk along 9/10; hearts in VII-XI. Holandric; testis sacs present; seminal vesi- cles in IX, XI and XII; spermathecal ducts short, entering the parietes at 9/10 and 10/11. Distribution—India: Mashobra (Himachal Pradesh). Extralimital: New Zealand, Canada, U.S.A., Mexico, Europe. Remarks.—According to Gates (1958), the lumbricids in India are domiciled only at hill 191 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 resorts where Europeans have resided in the past. Further, he states that they have been transported from Europe to these places along- with the earth surrounding the roots of exotic plants. The occurrence of Lumbricus castan- eus (Savigny) at Mashobra might be due to this phenomenon like the other Indian lum- bricid species. The lumbricids are able to with- stand freezing temperatures for long periods (Gates 1958). KEY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF INDIAN SPECIES OF Lumbricus. 1. Athecal; clitellum begins in front of XXV; tubercula puberatis absent. Bey eee is eRe ek Lumobricus eiseni Thecal; clitellum begins behind XXV; tubercula puberatis present e © © © © © © © © © 8 ew ew ew ele 8 HiGH ALTITUDE ZOOLOGY FIELD STN., ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, SOLAN (H.P.), April 4, 1977. 2. Clitellum begins behind XXX. Hea Lumbricus terrestris Clitellum begins in front of XXX 3. Clitellum XXVI, XXVII-XXX, XXXI, XXXII; tubercula puberatis on XXVILEXXXD Me Lumbricus rubellus Clitelllum XXVIII-XXXIII; tubercula puberatis on XXIX-XXXII BCT CEs os Lumbricus castaneus ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to Dr. S. K. Khera, Joint Director-in-charge, Zoological Survey of India for facilities to carry out this work. Thanks are also due to Dr. Raj Tilak, Superintending Zoologist, Zoological Survey of India for his valuable suggestions. J. M. JULKA REFERENCES GaTES, G. E. (1951): On the earthworms of Saharanpur, Dehra Dun, and some Himalayan hill stations. Proc. natl. Acad. Sci. India, (B) 21: 16-22. (1958): Contributions to a_ revi- sion of the earthworm family Lumbricidae. II. Indian species. Breviora, No. 91: 1-16. (1972) : Burmese earthworms. Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc., 62 (7): 1-326. REYNOLDS, J. W., CLEBSCH, E. E. C. AND REy- NOLDS, W. M. (1974): The earthworms of Tennes- see (Oligochaeta). 1. Lumbricidae. Bull. Tall Tim- bers Res. Stn., No. 17: 1-133. STEPHENSON, J. (1923): Fauna of British India, Oligochaeta—Taylor and Francis, London: 1-518. 23. FAUNAL ASSOCIATIONS OF LITTORAL SPONGES IN AND AROUND BALUGAON IN CHILKA LAKE (LAGOON) The littoral system of Chilka lake, the lar- gest brackish water lagoon situated on the east coast of India supports luxuriant growths of algae and sedentary animal growths on the boulders and shingle of various islands in the lake (Annandale & Kemp 1915, 1916; Sewell & Annandale 1922; Parija & Parija 1946). The littoral plant and animal growths are of 192 immense ecological importance as they form favourable habitats for a variety of organisms which in turn attract higher trophic level or- ganisms for foraging (Gislen 1929; Dahal 1948; Round ez al., 1961; Perera & Arudpra- gasam 1966; Sarma & Ganapati 1972; Rao & Rao 1973). The organisms associated with these sessile growths at Chilka are little known MISCELLANEOUS NOTES except for isolated taxonomic accounts of in- dividual groups (Annandale & Kemp 1915; Sewell & Annandale 1922). Sarma & Satapa- thy (1978) recently reported on the phytal- faunal associations in and around Balugaon in Chilka lake. In the present paper the re- sults of a study on the qualitative and quanti- tative distribution pattern of epibiotic fauna of two species of sponges of the lake are dealt with. , Samplcs of two species of encrusting spon- ges, namely Spongilla sp. and Laxosuberites lacustris Annandale occurring at Kalijugeswar, Chadheiga and Kalijai islands situated in and around Balugaon were collected during Jan.- Sept. 1977 and analysed as outlined by Rao & Rao (1973). The qualitative composition and mean den- sities along with percentage composition bas- ed on an analysis of samples of diverse faunal elements inhabiting Spongilla and Laxosube- rites are presented in Tables I and II respec- tively. 31 species belonging to seven major taxa namely Foraminifera (4), Polychaeta (2), Co- pepoda (11), Amphipoda (9), Isopoda (2), Tanaidecea (1), Bivalvia (2) have been iden- tified. Besides, several species of undetermined identity belonging to Nematoda, Ostracoda and adult insects and larvae are found to exist associated with sponges. On an average Spongilla supported a mean density of 852 animals/100 cc, of which am- phipods, nematodes, tanaidaceans and _ fora- miniferans were dominant. In the January samples of Spongilla as may as 57000 gem- mules/100 cc were observed. Laxosuberites was found to harbour a mean density of 2742 animals/100 cc, consisting of nematodes, am- Phipods, copepods, tanaidaceans, ostracods as 13 the dominant forms in the order of their ab- undance respectively. The general morphology of the host animal, the sediment accumulated on it and the phy- sicochemical parameters of the environment appear to influence the composition and abun- dance of the epibiotic organisms (Dahal 1948; Round et al. 1961; Sarma & Ganapati 1972; Rao & Rao 1973). The loosely aggre- gated Spongilla growths laden with numerous monaxon spicules and less sediment deposition offer fewer biospaces for animal inhabitation and as such it supported few species and low density of organisms. The compact mat-form- ing Laxosuberites with well developed cortex affording more surface area for animal coloni- sation and sediment settlement supported a high species diversity and faunal density. How- ever, foraminiferans were more on Spongilla than on Laxosuberites as the rough body wall of the former offers more grip to them than the smooth surface of the latter. There are no published census of sponge associates from the Indian coast to compare and contrast with the present observations. The density of lake sponge associates is many times higher than that reported for the littoral sponge Halichondria panicea at Oregon (1.15 organisms/cm*) by Long (1968). From the foregoing account it is clear that the littoral sessile animal growths serve as an Oikos for a variety of morphologically and biologically divergent organisms and as such play a vital role in the bio-economy of the littoral system. Grateful thanks are due to the authorities of Regional College of Education, Bhubanes- war (N.C.E.R.T.) for all the facilities provid- ed for carrying out the present work. 193 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 TABLE I | Cyclops sp. ae + Mesocyclops sp. Ss + QUALITATIVE COMPOSITION OF EPIBIOTIC FAUNA OF Saphirella sp. ie # Spongilla sp. AND L. lacustris ANNANDALE AMPHIPODA: Species Spongilla sp. L. lacustris Talorchestia martensi (M. Weber) ae te FORAMINIFERA: Hyale brevipes Chevereux ae ae Rotalia sp. + + Orchestia platensis Kroyer at + Spirillina sp. + — Photis longicaudata Cibicides sp. + — (Bate & Westew) ab bef Trochammina sp. + = Photis sp. Be St NEMATODA: Paracalliope fluviatilis Undetermined spp. + + (G. M. Thomson) a ate POLYCHAETA: Maera sp. + ae Nereis chilkensis Southern + + Niphargus chilkensis Chilton + a Fabricia spongicola Southern + + TANAIDACEA : OSTRACODA: Apseudus chilkensis Chilton + dt Undetermined spp. + + ISOPODA : COPEPODA: Exosphaeroma parva Chilton + oe Oithona sp. — + Ligia exotica Roux + oe Laophonte sp. a + ADULT INSECTS & LARVAE: Nitocra sp. + + Undetermined sp. + a Mesochra sp. = + BIVALVIA: Harpacticus sp. + + Modiola undulata Dunker ae + Ergasilus sp. es + Modiola striatula Hanley ae a Cyclopina sp. = ++ LS Halicyclops sp. = + Present +; Absent — TABLE II MEAN NUMERICAL DENSITY DISTRIBUTION AND PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OF EPIBIOTIC FAUNA OF Spongilla sp. and Laxosuberites lacustris ANNANDALE. Spongilla sp. L. lacustris Animal groups Nos. /100 cc. “% Composition Nos. /100 cc. “ Composition Foraminifera 107 1255 10 0.36 Nematoda 250 29.30 1333 48.60 Polychaeta 25 2.93 15 0.54 Ostracoda 3 6 0.70 67 2.45 Copepoda 10 1.20 167 6.10 Amphipoda 273 32.00 1007 36.73 Tanaidacea 116 13.60 93 3.39 Isopoda 47 5.60 17 0.62 Adult Insects & Larvae 3 0.35 — — Bivalvia 15 1.76 33 1.20 Snr nse >osee mnn eee Total 852 99.99 2742 99.99 194 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES DEPARTMENT OF LIFE SCIENCES, REGIONAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, (NCERT), BHUBANESWAR, (ORISSA). NAYAGARH COLLEGE, NAYAGARH, (ORISSA), August 25, 1978. A. L. N. SARMA D. G. RAO S. SATAPATHY REFERENCES ANNANDALE, N. AND Kemp, S. (1915): Fauna of Chilka Lake; Introduction. Mem. Indian Mus. 5 (1): 1-20. — (1916): ‘Fauna of the Chilka Lake. Mollusca, Gastropoda and Lamellibranchiata, with an account of the anatomy of the common Solon’. Mem. Indian Mus., 5(4): 327-74. DaHAL, E. (1948): On the smaller Arthropoda of marine algae, especially in the polyhaline waters off the Swedish west coast. Undersokningar over Orsund., 35: 1-193. GISLEN, T. (1929): Epibioses of the Gullman Fjord I. Kristineberg. Zool. Sta. 3: 1-123. Lonc, R. Epwarp (1968): The associates of 4 species of marine sponges of Oregon and Washing- tone "Pact Sci: 722.01) 35/7: PARIJA, P. & PaArRigA, B. (1946): Algal succession on a rocky island named Chadaiguha, in the Chilka Lake. Indian Bot. Soc. M.O.P. Iyengar. Commem. Vol. (Ed. by B. Sahani): 375-379. PERERA, M. M. & ARUDPRAGASAM, K. D. (1966) : Animals living in association with Ostrea virginica at Batticaloa. Ceylon. Jour. Sci. Biol. Sci. 6(1): 20. Rao & Rao (1973): The epibiotic flora and fauna of Serpulid band in the littoral region of Mukkam coast., Rivista Di Idrobiologia. Vol. XII-Fasc. 2/3: 71-95. ROUND, F. E., SOLANE, J. F., EBLING, F. J. AND KITCHING, J. A. (1961): The ecology of the Lough Ine X—The hydroid Sertularia opercularia and its associated flora & fauna: Effects of transference to sheltered water. J. Ecol. 49 (3): 617-629. SARMA, A. L. N. & GANAPATI, P. N. (1972): The faunal associations of algae in the intertidal region of Visakhapatnam. Proc. Ind. Nat. Sci. Acad. 38B: 380-396. SARMA, A. L. N. & S. SATAPATHY (1978): A note on the phytal fauna in and around Balugaon in Chilka Lake. Curr. Sci. 47 (7): 242-245. SEWELL, R. B. S. & ANNANDALE, N. (1922): Fauna of the Chilka Lake: The hydrography and invertebrate fauna of Rambha Bay. Mem. Indian. Mus. 5 (10): 667-710. 24. THE BROADCASTING OF KARVI SEED On the 26th of May 1977 while out on a morning walk at Mahableshwar we had the good fortune to observe the mechanics where- by Karvi plants (Karvia callosa) shed and broadcast their seed. No record is found of the characteristic behaviour in this group of plants, so we give a detailed account of what we saw. The Karvi or Strobilanthes had flowered en masse during the monsoon of 1976, and by May the plants were dead and sear with the capsules containing the seeds (several on each core), well matured but enclosed and hidden by the dry bracts forming the cores. On the afternoons and evenings of the 24th and 25th of May there had been heavy thun- der shower which had laid the dry summer dust and soaked the soil. The morning of the 26th was bright and sunny. About 10 a.m. we came to the brow of the hill overlooking an open Karvi covered slope descending into the valley. J. D. P. was intrigued by continu- 195 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 ously occurring sharp little ticking sounds from among the Karvi and realized that the ticking was caused by Karvi capsules sudden- ly splitting open and catapulting the seeds out- wards and upwards, sometimes to a distance of over 4 feet from the parent plant. We spent some time in the area observing the busy broadcasting operations. It was notic- ed that they were actively under way only in areas which were directly under sunlight. On contours of the slope still in shade there was hardly any seed shedding activity, and the capsules were completely covered by bracts, whereas in the active areas the bracts had opened out slightly exposing the capsules to perform their broadcasting function hindered. The capsules are dark brown, flat, shaped like a broad, symmetric spearhead, pointed both at the apex and base, c. 188 mm. A seam runs down the middle of both flat sides from apex to base. The split occurs along this seam. The two parts or valves of the split capsule sometimes remain open, joined at the base, but quite often drop off with the force of their own little explosions. Each capsule normally contains a pair of 4-A, RASHMI, CARMICHAEL RoOap, BomMBAY-400 026, September 19, 1977. un- seeds, ovoid, paper thin flakes, off white in colour, which are buoyant on the wind as they are flung out from the capsule and so are spread more or less evenly. Though quite conspicuous on the wet dark brown earth yet strangely no birds seemed to be interested. This and other Karvi patches were visited on subsequent days in the hope of witnessing another mass broadcasting but nothing not- able occurred except for an occasional cap- sule splitting which would have gone quite unnoticed if not expectantly watched for. During the next fortnight the earth remain- ed continuously damp. The moist seeds dis- coloured slightly and stuck to the soil with mildew-like filaments firmly enough not to be washed down by heavy rain. By the 14th of June when we left the hill, most of the Karvi had shed their seed. They must have done so on different days at dif- ferent times, unobserved, unappreciated and unrecorded. It was rare good fortune that in the first instance we came upon the right place on the right day, at the right time. How rare the good fortune was can be appreciated when one considers that Karvi flowers and seeds once in eight years. D. J. PANDAY J. D. PANDAY 25. THE GENUS AMOMUM ROXB. (ZINGIBERACEAE) IN ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS (With two plates) INTRODUCTION The first species of Amomum to be report- ed from Andaman and Nicobar Islands was A. fenzlii which was described with illustra- 196 tions by Kurz in 1876. Subsequently Baker in 1892 reported A. aculeatum Roxb. from S. Andaman Island based on a collection by Kurz. Recent intensive botanical explorations in different islands revealed that in addition MISCELLANEOUS NOTES to the above, another species A. maximum Roxb. also occurs in S. Andaman _ Islands. A. fenzlii is endemic to Nicobar group of islands where it is common in Car Nicobar, Katchal and Great Nicobar Islands. This species is not found in Andaman group of islands. A. aculeatum Roxb., a species found in Malaysia & Java has never been collected from these islands ever since Kurz made his collection in 1870. Recently this species was again collected from dense forests in S. Anda- mans along with another interesting rare spe- cies A. maximum Roxb. Roxburgh’s original description of A. maximum Roxb. was based on specimens brought from ‘Malay Islands’ by Colonel Kyd. It is surprising that subse- quent authors Ridley (1924) and Holttum (1950) have never reported this species as occurring in Malaya. Most probably the ‘Ma- lay Islands’ cited by Roxburgh refers to Anda- mans where Col. Kyd made collections in 1791. Backer & Bakh. f. (1968) give A. deal- batum Roxb. a species occurring in NE. India, as synonymous to A. maximum Roxb. How- ever it is doubtful whether they really belong to same species. The specimens studied by us from Andamans and also the original des- cription by Roxburgh differ from A. dealba- tum in longer peduncles of inflorescences, elliptic-obovate, entire and not emarginate lip, shorter filaments and aromatic pungent fruits and seeds. Moreover recent studies of Assam plants of A. dealbatum Roxb. by Rao & Verma (in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 14: 135. 1972) indicate that the leaves are brown pube- scent beneath whereas the Andaman plants of A. maximum Roxb. show whitish pube- scence. The descriptions and _ illustrations were drawn up from fresh plants. given KEY TO SPECIES la. Inflorescence dense-flowered with many closely imbricate bracts; anther not crested; lip narrow, up to 1.2 cm broad, as long as corolla lobes, longitudinally folded, inflexed at tip. 1. A. fenzlii 1b. Inflorescence lax-flowered with fewer loosely arranged bracts; anther crested; lip broader, longer than corolla lobes, not folded longi- tudinally, reflexed at tip. 2a. Petioles very short; lip wedge-shaped, 3-lobed at apex; anther crest 3-lobed; filaments 1.2— 1.4 cm long. 2. A. aculeatum 2b. Petiole long; lip elliptic-obovate, entire: anther crest truncate; filaments shorter, 2-3 mm long. 3. A. maximum 1. A. fenzlii Kurz in J. As. Soc. Beng. 45 (3): 154.) t. 22) 18/62) Bakerin’ Hook. fa Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 234.1892. Plants 3-4 m tall, leaves broadly lanceolate to oblong lanceolate, obtuse to obliquely sub- attenuate at base, shortly acuminate at apex, 40-85 cm long, 11-15 cm broad, glabrous, dark green above, pale beneath; petiole 1.5-2.5 cm long, 4-6 mm thick, glabrous; ligules broadly ovate, obtuse to subacute at apex, ciliate at margins, 1.5-2.0 cm long, 1.0-1.5 cm_ broad. Inflorescences arising from the rhizome, glab- rous, densely flowered; peduncle 8-18 cm long; sterile bracts elongate-ovate, 4-6 cm long, 1.2- 1.6 cm broad, reddish brown, ciliate at mar- gins; floral bracts ovate to linear obovate, 3-5 cm long, 1.0-2.5 cm broad; reddish; bracteoles tubular at base, bifid at apex, 1.9-2.2 cm long, pubescent. Calyx 2.0-2.5 cm long, oblique and 2-fid at mouth, pubescent. Corolla-tube 1.5-2.0 cm long; lobes 3, narrowly obovate, 1.8-2.0 cm long, 3-4 mm broad, pubescent outside. Labellum elongate-rhomboid, attenuate at base, narrowed towards apex, sometimes ob- scurely 3-lobed, 1.8-2.0 cm long, 0.8-1.2 cm NST, JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 broad; lobes inflexed, pale red, glabrous. Anther 5-6 mm long, 2-3 mm broad, inappen- diculate, ciliate towards base; filaments 4-5 mm long, 2-3 mm broad; staminodes absent. Ovary 4-5 mm long, 3.0-3.5 mm thick, dense- ly villous; style 2.2-2.5 cm long, pubescent; stylodes 2, + 4 mm long, 2-3 mm broad, pubescent at apex; stigma trigonously capitate, glabrous. Capsules obovoid, irregularly ridged, 2.0-2.5 cm long, 1.0-1.5 cm broad, pubescent. CAR NICOBAR ISLAND: Arong, Sea Level, 21 May 1975, N. G. Nair 2631 (PBL); KATCHAL ISLAND: Mildera, + 30 m, 9 May 1975, P. Chakraborty 1531 (PBL); GREAT NICOBAR IS- LAND: Campbell Bay, + 75 m, 19 May 1975, N. P. Balakrishnan 2690 (PBL); East-West Road, 33 KM from Campbell Bay, + 165 m., 22 July 1976; N. P. Balakrishnan 3942 (PBL). Distribution: Endemic to Nicobar Islands. Notes: This species is very common in Great Nicobar Island especially in inland hill forests wherever there is some sunshine pene- trating and reaching the forest floor. In a stray plant (Balakrishnan 3942), the inflores- cences were found to be arising from the tip of the pseudostems amidst leaves and also in the same plant mature fruits were found at the base of the stem on rhizome! This may be due to an accidental prolongation of peduncle through the pseudostem. In the illustration given by Kurz (Lc., t. 12), the figures labelled by him as staminodes are actually stylodes. Study of several flowers from different localities indicate complete absence of any staminodes at the base of lip, in con- strast to the following two species. 2. A. aculeatum Roxb. Asiat. Res. 11: 344, t. 6. 1810 et. Fl. Ind. 1: 40. 1820; Baker in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 242. 1892: Holtt. in Gard. Bull. Sing. 13: 212. 1950: Backer & Bakh. f. Fl. Java 3 :54. 1968. A. flavum Rdl. in J. Str. Br. Roy. As. Soc. 198 322071332 1909 ct. Fl Mal: Rem) 742263. 1924. (Plate I). Plants 2.5-3.5 m high; rhizome branched, yellowish-brown; stems 2.5-3.5 cm thick, red- dish at base; leaves appearing with flowers, distichous, elliptic, lanceolate, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, 40-60 cm long, 7-12 cm broad, glabrous; petiole short; ligule + 1 cm long, subentire to bifid. Inflorescences many, arising from rhizome; peduncles 12-22 cm long, 1.0-1.5 cm thick; sterile bracts many, spirally arranged, closely sheathing, ovate, cus- pidate, 4.0-5.5 cm long, 2.5-3.5 cm broad, red; spikes oblong, 7-15 cm long, 4-7 cm_ thick; floral bracts ovate, boat-shaped, slightly notch- ed at apex, 4.5-5.5 cm long, 2.0-2.5 cm wide, reddish purple; bracteole tubular, 1.2-1.4 cm long, pinkish purple; oblique and minutely in- cised at mouth, puberulous on keel; pedicels 2-3 mm long, 4-5 mm thick. Calyx tubular, 2.5-3.0 cm long, 3-keeled towards apex, split for up to half way, red, puberulous on keels towards apex; limb 2-lobed, + 5 mm _ long; lobes ovate. Corolla-tube 1.6-1.8 cm _ long, white; lobes 3; lateral lobes elliptic-oblong, obtuse to subacute, 2.5-2.8 cm long, 1.0-1.2 cm broad; median lobe obovate, obtuse, boat- shaped, 2.5-3.0 cm long, 2.5-3.0 cm_ broad. Labellum wedgeshaped, undulate-crispate at margin, 3.5-4.0 cm long, 3.8-4.2 cm _ broad, white with thick yellow red-striated median band, trilobed at apex; lateral lobes rounded, + 1.5 x 2 cm, hyaline; median lobe triangu- lar, obtuse, subacute, sometimes bilobed, 6-8 mim long, 8-10 mm wide, hyaline, white with two thick yellow spots at middle. Staminodes 2, fixed at the base of lip, linear-subulate, 4-5 mm long. Anther oblong, 1.0-1.3 cm long, 5-6 mnt broad, puberulous; crest 5-6 mm _ long, 1.5-1.7 cm broad, 3-lobed, white; lateral lobes orbicular, 5-7 mm long, 4-5 mm broad; me- dian lobes truncate, rounded or irregularly cre- J. BomBay NAT. Hist. Soc. 76 PLATE I Balakrishnan & Nair: Genus Amomum Fig. A. habit; B. rootstock with rhizomes and inflorescence; C. leaves; D. flower with bract; E. bracteole; F. calyx; G. corolla; H. lip; I. stamen, inner view; J. stamen, outer view; K. ovary with style and stylodes; J. BoMBAY NAT. Hist. Soc. 76 PLATE II Balakrishnan & Nair: Genus Amomum Amomum maximum Roxb. Fig. A. habit; B. leaf; C. rootstock with inflorescence and infrutescence; D. flower with bract; E. flower spread out, bract removed; F. calyx; G. lip; H. stamen, inner view; I. stamen, outer view; J. ovary with style and stylodes; K. t.s. of ovary; L. fruit. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES nate at apex, 3-5 mm long, 3-4 mm broad; filament linear, flat, 1.2-1.4 cm long, 3-4 mm broad, glabrous. Ovary 4-5 mm long, 3-4 mm thick, puberulous, pink; ovules numerous; style filiform, 4.2-4.5 cm long, puberulous; stigma cup-shaped, dorsoventrally compressed, + 1] mm long, + 2 mm broad, puberulous. Stylodes fleshy, cream-coloured, 2-3 mm long, many-lobed. SOUTH ANDAMAN ISLAND: Ferrargunj-Mile- tilak, + 50 m, 15 May 1976, N. G. Nair Bye. Distribution: S. Andamans, Malaysia and Java. The present specimens differ from true A. aculeatum in the smaller midlobe of labellum and in the white colour of the lip. However these differences seems to be of minor impor- tance as they agree with A. aculeatum Roxb. in most major features. 3. A. maximum Roxb. FI. Ind. 1: 41. 1820; Backer & Bakh. f. Fl. Java 3: 54. 1968. (Plate II). Plants 2-3 m high; rhizome branched, yel- lowish-green; stems 3-5 cm thick at base; leaves appearing with flowers, distichous, broadly oblong-elliptic, cuneate at base, acu- minate at apex, 50-70 cm long, 12-18 cm broad, dark green above, pale pubescent be- neath; petioles 5-8 cm long. ligules + 3 cm long, entire to 2 fid, Inflorescences several, crowded basally at ground level, arising from rhizome, appearing with and near base of leafy stem, ovoid; peduncles 10-15 cm long, 1.0-1.5 cm thick; sterile bracts several, spirally arrang- ed, closely sheathing, ovate, mucronate, 5-8 em long, 2.5-5.0 cm broad, white, tinged red; floral bracts becoming slimy and disappearing before anthesis, white; bracteole absent; pedi- BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR CIRCLE, PorT BLAIR, ANDAMAN, Anueust 3h 1977. cels 4-5 mm long, 2-3 mm thick. Calyx enclos- ing ovary, 2-3 cm long, thinly hyaline with 3 triangular lobes. Corolla-tube 2.3-2.5 cm long, white; lobes 3, oblanceolate to obovate, suba- cute, 2.3-2.8 cm long, 0.8-1.2 cm broad, white. Labellum elliptic-obovate, 3.0-3.5 cm_ long, 1.6-1.9 cm broad, longer than corolla lobes, entire, undulate crispate at margin, white, with thick yellow red-speckled median band; claw + 2 mm long, reddish above. Staminodes 2, subulate, -_ 2 mm long, inserted at base of lip. Anther 1.3-1.5 cm long, glabrous with connective prolonged into a crest; crest trun- cate, broad at apex, split or emarginate at middle, recurved at margin, 2-3 mm long, 8-10 mm broad, white, nerved; filament flat, 2-3 mm long, + 2 mm broad, white, scattered glandu- lar-hairy. Ovary drum-shaped, angular, 5-6 mm long, 4-5 mm thick, 3-celled, glabrous; ovules numerous; style filiform, white, lying between anther cells, 3.3-3.5 cm long; stigma widened at apex, cup-shaped, compressed dor- soventrally, + 1.5 mm across, ciliolate at margins. Stylodes 2, free, on both sides of stylar bases, semicylindrical, obtuse, 7-8 mm long, yellowish. Fruits in dense heads, ovoid, 2.5-3.0 cm long, 2.0-2.5 cm thick, aromatic, longitudinally 9-winged; wings imperfectly irre- gularly toothed. SOUTH ANDAMAN ISLAND: Ferrargunj-Mile- tilak, + 50 m, 15 May 1976, N. G. Nair 3751. Distribution: S. Andamans and Java (7). ACK NOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to Mr. B. L. Burtt and Miss R. M. Smith of Edinburgh Herbarium for studying the descriptions and illustrations of A. aculeatum Roxb. and A. maximum Roxb. and for their opinion. N. P. BALAKRISHNAN N. G. NAIR 199 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 26. RECORD OF HYPTIS CAPITATA JACQ. (LABIATAE) FROM PENINSULAR INDIA (With a text-figure) Hyptis capitata Jacq. in Coll. i. 102. Ic. Rav. I. t. 114. 1786; Prain in Bengal Plants 633.1903 (reptd. 1963); Mukerjee in Rec. Bot. Surv. India 14(1): 63.1940. The collection of this interesting Labiatae (Lamraceae) from Kottayam; Kottayam Dis- trict, Kerala State (Kept at MH) records its occurrence for the first time from Peninsular India. Hitherto it has been recorded from lower Bengal and Andaman Islands. Prain (1903) and Mukerjee (1940) have dealt with this plant in detail. As the plant is poorly known in Peninsular India and is an exotic, introduced from America, it is thought that an illustrated (see text-fig. on p. a0) descrip- tion will be of use. Herbs, reaching about 3 m iheients branches quadrangular, pubescent. Leaves 10-15 x 5-8 LECTURER, C. M. S. COLLEGE, KOTTAYAM, KERALA STATE, November 2, 1977. cm, broadly ovate-oblong, hairy, apex acute, base tapering, nerves 6-8 pairs; petioles upto 5 cm long, hairy. Flowers in heads, axillary, peduncles larger than floral head; bracts ovate- lanceolate, reflexed. Sepals 5 lobed, lobes subu- late, densely hairy, shorter than the tube. Petals white, larger than sepals, lobes sub- equal. Stamens 4, didynamous; filaments free, anther cells confluent. Disc present entire. Ovary 4-partite, bicarpellate. Style shortly bifid at tip. Nutlets 4, 2 x 1 mm, ovoid, smooth, not winged, basal scar small. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to express my sincere thanks to Dr. J. Joseph, Regional Botanist, Botanical Sur- very of India, Coimbatore, for help and sug- gestions. T. G. VARGHESE REFERENCES MUKERJEE, S. K. (1940): Labiatae of the Indian Empire. Rec. Bot. Surv. A revision of the India 14 (1). PRAIN, D. (1903): Bengal Plants. (reprint 1963). 27. A NEW DISTRIBUTIONAL RECORD FOR DISTEMON INDICUM WEDD. FROM TEHRI GARHWAL Distemon indicum Wedd. Monogr. Urt. 551, t. 20. 1856, J. D. Hooker in FI. Brit. Ind. 5: 588, 1888, D. grossum Wedd. in DC. Prodr. 16, 1: 235, 1869. A slender annual herb. Leaves alternate, 200 petioled; toothed. Stem 60-90 cm. Flowers monoecious in small bracteate 3-fid, androgy- nous clusters which form long terminal spikes. Bracts broadly ovate, acuminate concave. Male flowers minute tipped with hooked hairs, MISCELLANEOUS NOTES S es SS SA Seen Fig. 1. Hyptis capitata Jacq. (for description see p. 200). 201 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 female strigose. Achene broadly ovoid, beaked. I recently surveyed the area of Tehri Garh- wal and observed this species growing as an undergrowth of Adhatoda zeylanica Medic. (Date 28.11.76, Dhyani 278). Further the dis- tribution of the taxon is not widespread and its migration to the area seems to be recent. BoTANY DEPARTMENT, D. A. V. P. V. COLLEGE, DEHRA DUN, August 17, 1977. This species has been collected for the first time from south Garhwal. The plant was re- ported by M. B. Raizada in 1939 from Deh- ra’ Dun (ind. Fer. Reco!) (ns.) Bot: 2) 5; 1939), I acknowledge my sincere gratidue to Prof. S. D. Sharma. SHIV KUMAR DHYANI 28. ON THE OCCURRENCE OF GYMNEMA CUSPIDATUM (THUNB.) K. SCHUM. (ASCLEPIADACEAE) IN MAHARASHTRA (With six text-figures) Though Trimen (1895) noted Gymnema cuspidatum (Thunb.) K. Schum. as endemic to Sri Lanka, it has been subsequently collect- ed by Woodrow (1898) from Dharwar district and over 60 years later by Santapau (1962) from Jog falls, both from Karnataka. How- ever, except for a specimen from Sri Lanka there are no specimens in any of the Indian herbaria and apparently it is quite rare. Dur- ing the recent explorations of Bhandara dis- trict, Maharashtra State, it has been recollect- ed from Chorkamal forest. In view of the rarity and absence of any published illustrations for the plant, a draw- ing of the plant (see tex-figures on p. 203) is given along with a brief description. Gymnema cuspidatum (Thunb.) K. Schum. in Pfam. 4(2): 284, 1895, Sant. in Univ. Bom- bay Bot. Mem. No. 4: 50, 1962. Gymnema BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, WESTERN CIRCLE, Poona-411 001, August 22, 1977. 202 pergylarioides (Thw.) Wt. & Gard. ex Hook. f. in FBI. 4: 32, 1883, Woodrow in J. Bom- bay nat. Hist. Soc. 5(12): 167, 1898. Twining undershrub. Leaves acuminate at the apex rounded at the base. Cymes um- bellate, peduncles 1-2 cm. arising from be- tween the petioles. Calyx lobes glandular within, lobes 2.5 x 1.5 cm. Corona of 5 double villous ridges, adnate to the lower half of the corolla tube. Gymnostegium 3-5 mm. Ovary glabrous-follicles 5-7 cm., cylindrical, tapering to a sharp point. FI. & Frt.: September-October. Loc.: Chor- kamal forest, Malhotra 144660. ACK NOWLEDGEMENTS We are thankful to the Deputy Director, and the Regional Botanist, Western Circle, Botanical Survey of India, Poona for facilities. S. K. MALHOTRA K. MADHUSUDAN RAO B. G. KULKARNI MISCELLANEOUS NOTES N, \ Figs. 1-6. Gymnema cuspidatum (Thunb.) K. Schum.: 1. Flowering branch; 2. Flower; 3. Calyx; 4. Cross section of corolla; 5. Pollinia; 6. Follicle. (For description see p. 202). 203 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 29. AN INTERESTING GRASS FROM MAHARASHTRA (With twelve text-figures) Raizada & Jain (1957) recognised 3 species of Eremopogon (Hack.) Stapf namely E. foveolatus (Del.) Stapf, E. strictus (Roxb.) Camus & E. tuberculatus (Hack.) Camus, all of which are found in India, the latter two be- ing endemic. However, Bor (1960) has syno- nymised EF. strictus (Roxb.) Camus with E. foveolatus (Del.) Stapf, and recognised only 2 species under the genus. He stated that E. tuberculatus (Hack.) Camus is endemic in Madhya Pradesh and that it is a raerly col- lected. Recently an interesting grass was collected from Dhulia district in Maharashtra which on critical examination and on matching with Duthie’s specimens 8465 & 10595 mentioned in Bor’s exsiccata, turned out to be E. tuber- culatus (Hack.) Camus. So far this species was considered to be endemic in Madhya Pra- desh from the adjoining districts of Betul, Khandawa & Asirgarh (Nimar district) (Hoo- ker 1896; Bor 1960; Maheshwari 1961) and therefore, its occurrence in Maharashtra is of phytogeographical interest, as this extends the distribution of this endemic grass in Madhya Pradesh to further south in Maharashtra as well and suggests the possibility of its occur- rence in the other neighbouring districts too. The species can be easily differentiated from the other species of genus Eremopogon BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, WESTERN CIRCLE, 7 KOREGAON RoaD, Poona-411 001, July 18, 1977: 204 (Hack.) Stapf by its lower glume of sessile spikelet being tuberculate at keels and nerves and not pitted. Eremopogon tuberculatus (Hack.) Camus in Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon. 68: 207, 1921; Rai- zada & Jain in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 54 (4): 858-865, 1957; Bor, Grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India & Pakistan 149, 1960; Mahesh- wari in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 58(1): 213, 1961. Andropogon tubercultus Hack. in DC. Monog. Androp. 6: 404, 1889; Hooker f. FI. Br. India 7: 168, 1896. Specimen examined: Laling Kuran, near Dhulia, District Dhulia, Pataskar 118364 (8-10-1969) deposited in the regional herba- rium of the Western Circle, Botanical Survey of India, Poona (BS/). A general sketch (see p. 205) along with the dissection drawings is provided for facili- tating easy identification. ACK NOWELEDGEMENTS We are thankful to the Director, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah for facilities; to the Regional Botanist, Western Circle, Botanical Survey of India, Poona for encouragement; and to the Forest Botanist, Systematic Botany Branch, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun for kindly supplying the two Duthie’s sheets on loan for the study. U. R. DESHPANDE N. P. SINGH MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Figs. 1-2. Eremopogon tuberculatus (Hack.) Camus: 1. Upper portion of culm; 2. A pair of sessile & pedicelled spikelet; 3-7. Sessile spikelet: 3. Lower glume; 4. Lower lemma; 5. Stamens & pistil; 6. Upper lemma; 7. Upper glume; 8-12. Pedicelled spikelet: 8. Pedicel; 9.. Lower glume; 10. Lemma; 11. Stamens; 12. Upper glume. (For description see p. 204). 205 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 30. SOME INTERESTING PLANT RECORDS FOR RAJASTHAN During botanical exploration of Banswara district, southern Rajasthan, I coilected 16 species of angiosperms, belonging to 16 genera and 13 families, which have not been record- ed from any locality in Rajasthan by earlier workers (Blatter & Hallberg 1918-21; Puri et al. 1964; Vyas 1967; Ramdeo 1969; Majum- dar 1971; Singh 1974). Most of these species are common in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gangetic plains. The spe- cies are enumerated below with their field numbers, short diagnostic features, affinities with other related taxa, flowering and fruiting time, habitat with exact locality of occurrence and frequency and abundance in the area. The specimens are deposited in the herba- rium of Botanical Survey of India, Jodhpur (BSJO) and Central National Herbarium, Howrah (CAL). LEEACEAE Leea edgeworthii Santapau (2929). Annual herbs. Leaves unipinnate or lower ones bipinnate; leaflets with close parallel veins. Flowers greenish, in dichotomous cymes. Berries purple when ripe. Fl. & Fr.: August- October. Common in shady localities in the forests; abundant in Puna pathar forest block (Alt. 950 ft.). Mature berries are eaten by the local people. PAPILIONACEAE Clitoria biflora Dalz. (2972). Erect, annual herbs. Leaves pinnate; leaflets 5. Flowers blue-violet, axillary, solitary or rarely geminate, deflexed. Pods flat, 3-4.5 cm. long, deflexed. Fl. & Fr.: August-October. Common under bushes and shrubs in the 206 forests, particularly in Anand Sagar forest block (Alt. 575 ft.). Desmodium spirale (Sw.) DC. (3676). Erect, annual herbs. Leaves 3-foliolate. Pods flat, indented very deeply on both the sutures; segments rhomboid, with strongly in- volute and revolute margins thus giving the pods a spirally twisted appearance. Fl. & Fr.: August-October. Common in shady localities on the hills, particularly in Hura Bowji forest block (700 ft.) in association with D,. dichotomum (Willd.) DC. which it also resembles in vege- tative stage. Recently, Maheshwari & Sharma (1969) reported D. neomexicanum A. Gray, a native of America, from Ajmer and Mt. Abu. It differs from D. spirale (Sw.) DC. only in that the margins of pod-segments are sin- uate, not spirally twisted. Galactia villosa Wt. & Arn. (2974). Herbaceous or semi-woody climbers. Leaf- lets 3, eglandular. Nodes of racemes tumid. Stamens didynamous (9+1). Style beardless. Fi. & Fr.: July-September. Common among bushes and _ shrubs in Anand Sagar forest block (Alt. c. 180 m). It is sometimes confused with Teramnus labialis Spreng. RUBIACEAE Knoxia sumatrensis (Retz.) DC. (2983). Annual herbs, upto 60 cm. high. Leaves elliptic to ovate-lanceolate. Stipules bristly, often connate into a sheath. Flowers violet- purple, 4-merous, sub-spicate on the branches of corymbose cymes. Cocci 1-seeded. Fil. & Fr.: August-October. Common among grasses in wastelands near Forest rest house, Danpur (Alt. c. 300 m.). MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ASCLEPIADACEAE Holostemma annulare (Roxb.) Schum. (3082). Annual climbers. Leaves ovate-cordate. Flowers white, in axillary cymes. Anthers with membranous appendages and one pendulous pollen mass in each cell. Fl. & Fr.: August- October. Rare; A climber on trees in Shergarh forest block (Alt. c. 280 m.). It resembles closely species of Mardenia R. Br. and Dragea Meyer. Tylophora hirsuta (Wall.) Wight (2927). Twiners, with hirsute stem, penduncles, pedicels and calyx. Leaves ovate or ovate- lanceolate, almost glabrous. Flowers pale- green, in distant, few-flowered, umbellate cymes. Coronal lobes wholly adnate to the staminal column. Follicles paired, glabrous. Fl. & Fr.: August-October. It is a Himalayan element; common on the hills in Puna Pathar and Hura Bowyji forest blocks (Alt. c. 300 m.). It is sometimes con- fused with T. dalzellii Hook. f. or T. mollis- sima Wight. LOGANIACEAE Cynoctonum mitreola (L.) Britt. (3675). Erect, annual herbs. Leaves ovate, acute. Stipules broadly deltoid, often connate and reduced into a transverse ridge. Flowers white, unilateral in dichotomous cymes. Bracts and bracteoles linear, persistent. Capsules wedge- shaped, 2-horned; horns incurved. Seeds ellip- soid, 3-gonous, with a ventral cavity. Fl. & Fr.: August-November. Common in wet and shady localities in Puna Pathar forest block (Alt. 700 ft.). It resembles closely species of Ophiorrhiza L. (Rubiaceae). GENTIANACEAE Canscora decussata Roem. & Schult. (3690). Erect, annual herbs. Leaves 3-nerved. Stem, pedicels and calyx distinctly winged. Flowers white. Capsules membranous. FI. & Fr.: August-October. Common in wet and shady localities in Wadita village forest block (Alt. 650 ft.). ACANTHACEAE Neuracanthus_ sphaerostachyus (3010). Erect, semi-woody herbs. Flowers violet- purple, in dense, spherical or globular, axil- (Nees) Dalz. lary, bracteate spikes. Fl. & Fr.: August- October. This species is apparently endemic in Western Peninsula. Present collections from shady localities on the steep slopes and foot of hills in Loharia forest block (Alt. 500 ft.) extend its distribution further northwards. The number of viable seeds per plant is few. Dalzell (1850) and Santapau (1951) have given contradictory remarks in this regard. LABIATAE Leucas zeylanica R. Br. (3067). Erect, annual, hispid herbs. Leaves linear, less than 1.5 cm. broad. Calyx-mouth oblique, produced above, villous within. Nutlets obo- void-oblong, sharply angular on the inner face. Fl. & Fr.: August-October. Common weed of cultivated fields in the western part of the district, particularly near Shergarh village (Alt. c. 250 m.). AMARANTHACEAE Amaranthus caudatus Linn. (3020). Annual, glabrous herbs. Leaves obtuse. Bracts straight, not much exceeding the obo- vate, mucronate sepals. F/. & Fr.: August- October. 207 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Occasional; found in humus rich fertile soils near habitations (Banswara; Alt. c. 300 m.). ZINGIBERACEAE Curcuma pseudomontana Grah. (23860). Tubers elliptic or globose, yellow inside, borne at the end of root-fibres. Corolla yellow, covered within greenish bracts tinged with red or purple. The position of the spike in rela- tion to the leaves is at first lateral. Later on, in the rainy season, this lateral spike decays and gives way to a central one. Most of the flowers are infested by some insects (see San- tapau. 1945, 1952; Chavan & Oza 1966). Fl. & Fr.: July-October. Common in the forests; abundant on Dagia Bowji hill near Ghatol (Alt. c. 210 m.). DIOSCOREACEAE Dioscorea hispida Dennst. var. daemona (Roxb.) Prain & Burk. (8083). Extensive woody climbers, often bearing bulbils on the nodes. Leaves 3-foliolate. Male flowers closely packed. Fertile anthers 6. Seeds winged on one side only. Fl. & Fr.: August- November. Rare; found in the dense forests of Shergarh block (Alt. c. 280 m.). Roxburgh (1832) says that the tuberous roots are dreadfully nause- ous, even after being boiled. ARID ZONE CIRCLE, BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, JODHPUR, November 1, 1977. 208 CYPERACEAE Cyperus meeboldii Kuk. (3034). ‘An erect sedge, upto 25 cm. high, with a small pseudo-bulbous base. Spikelets elliptic, 4-6 x 1.5-2.5 mm., condensed in solitary, ter- minal heads about 1 cm. in diameter, subtend- ed by 3, unequal, leafy bracts. Glumes boat- shaped, mucronate, 5-nerved, 2 mm. long. Anther one. Style slender, without stigmatic lobes. Achenes 3-gonous, turbinate, about 0.5 mm. long. Common in open wastelands near Forest Nursary, Kushalgarh (Alt. c. 280 m.), in as- sociation with C. triceps (Rottb.) Endl. This is a peninsular species reported so far from Badami (Mysore) in India (see Fedde Report. 18: 347. 1922). Hooper and Napper (1972) also mentioned its occurrence in Peninsular India. The recent collections also from Kailana (Moorthy 83 BSJO), Mandor (Tiwari 615b BSJO) and Sardarpura, Pali (Shetty 1843 BSJO) extend its distribution further north- wards. GRAMINEAE Panicum psilopodium Trin. var. psilopodium (3086). Annual, Spikelets long, symmetrical, August-September. Common near water in Shergarh forest block (Alt. c. 280 m.). Variety coloratum Hook. f. occurs on Mt. Abu (Bor, 1960). V. SINGH glabrous grass. Panicles effuse. ovate-oblong to elliptic, 2-3 mm. not gaping. Fl. & Fr.: MISCELLANEOUS NOTES REFERENCES BLATTER, E. & HALLBERG, F. (1918-21): The Flora of the Indian desert. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 26- 27: on different pages. CuHavan, A. R. & Oza, G. M. (1966): The Flora of Pavagarh (Gujarat). Mahar. Sayajir, Univ. Boroda (Bot. Mem.). 1: 222-223. DaLzeLL, N. A. (1850): Contribution to the Botany of Western India. Kew Jour. Bot. 2: 140. Hooper, S. S. & NApPER, D. M. (1972): Cypera- ceae in the Flora of West Tropical Africa. Vol. 3. London. ; Mauesuwari, J. K. & SHARMA, V. S. (1969): Some interesting plants from Upper Gangetic plain. Bull. bot. Surv. Ind. 11 (3-4): 454-456. Masumpar, R. B. (1971): Synoptic Flora of Kota division (S. E. Rajasthan.). Bull. bot. Surv. Ind. 13 (1-2): 105-145. Puri, G. S. et al. (1964): Flora of Rajasthan. Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. 19: 1-154. RAMDEO, K. D., (1969): Contribution to the Flora of Udaipur. Swadeshi Printer’s, Udaipur. Bor, N. L. (1960): The grasses of Burma, Cey- lon, India and Pakistan. London. ROXBURGH, W. (1832): Flora India. Serampore. SANTAPAU, H. (1945): Curcuma pseudomontana Grah. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 45: 618-624. (1951): Acanthaceae of Bombay. Univ. Bombay Bot. Mem. 2: 65-67. (1952): On a common species of Curcuma of Bombay and Salsette Islands. J. Bom- bay nat. Hist. Soc. 51(1): 135-139. SINGH, V. (1974): Floristic studies on south- eastern plateau of Rajasthan. Ph. D. Thesis, Meerut Univ., Meerut. Vyas, L. N. (1967): Contribution to the Flora of north-east Rajasthan. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 64(2): 191-231. Vol. 3. 31. SOME NEW PLANT RECORDS OF NAGPUR REGION The present paper, records four new plants from Navegaon, about 135 Km., east of Nag- pur in Bhandara District. These are: COMBRETACEAE Combretum ovalifolium, Roxb. Hort. Beng. 1814. Fl. Ind. it 256. C. heyneanum, Wall. Cat. 4001. C. roxburghii and C. albidum, G. Don. A large scandent shrub; leaves opposite ovate; racemes lateral and terminal; flowers sessile; fruit pale golden brown with four papery finely transversely striate wings. Flowers—Nov.-Dec. Fruiting—Jan.-Feb. Common plant. Munshi 1. APOCYNACEAE Enlertonia rheedii, Wight, Incon. 1850. t. 1295. F.B.I. iii 641. Climbing glabrous shrub, branches twinn- ing, slender; leaves opposite, elliptic-oblong, acuminate, glabrous; flowers in di-or tricho- tomously branched cymes; bracts small, acute, persistent; folicles 5-15 cm. long, cylindric, divaricate, slightly recurved. Flowers—Nov- Jan. Fruiting—Jan-March. Common. Munshi 2. LABIATAE Dysophyila cruciata, Benth. in Wall. Pi. As. Rar. Vol. I. 1830. Cat. 1541. D. retraphylia, Wight Ic. t. 1444. Mentha quadrifolia, Don Prodr. 113. Hirsute, stem simple, erect; leaves four in a whorl, sessile, linear, margins revolute quite entire; spikes single, dense; flowers pale pur- ple; calyx villous; corolla tube entire or spar- ingly glabrous. 209 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Flowers—Dec.-Feb. Common near wet places. Munshi 3. ALISMACEAE Tenagocharia latifolia, (D. Don). Butchen. Adh. 1868. Butomus latifolius, D .Don, INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, NAGPUR, November 2, 1977. Prodr. 1825. Butomopsis lanceolata, Kunth, Boum. 1841 FP Blk 6 5625) 1393" Marsh plant leaves elliptic-lanceolate, acute at both ends; petioles dilated at the base; } pedicels long, petals white. Flowers—Nov.-Jan. Not common. Munshi 4. S .A. PARADKAR S. K. MUNSHI 32. NOTES ON TWO INTERESTING SEDGES FROM GUJARAT STATE, INDIA (With a plate) After critically going through all the litera- ture available to us on the flora of western India we find that the following two sedges have not been reported from any locality in Gujarat and probably Maharashtra State. Lipocarpha argentea R. Br. in Tuckey, Cong 477, 1818; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 667, 1894; Fischer in Fl. Madras (re- printed ed.) 3:1158, 1957; Haines, Bot. Bih. & Oris. 3 : 973, 1961 (reprinted ed.); Prain, Beng. Pl. 2: 871, 1963 (reprinted ed.). A glabrous erect herb, 40-60 cm tall; rhi- zome 0. Stems tufted, obtusely triangular, smooth. Leaves all basal, upto 25 cm long. Spikelets 3-8, in a terminal capitate head, white or straw coloured. Bracts 3, 0.7-8.4 mm in length. Glumes hyaline dotted and streaked with red-brown tinge, spirally arranged, obo- vate, apex obtusely triangular, incurved, 2-2.5 mm long deciduous from the base of persist- ent rhachilla marked by lozenge-shaped scars. Squamellae 2, 1.00-1.06 mm long, hyaline with a purple tinge, elliptic, inner completely im- 210 bricated by outer, each marked by four verti- very cal prominent ribs. Stamen 1, anther small, filament closely appressed to the inner squamella. Style 0.5 mm long, slender. stigmas 3, as long as the style. Nut small, 0.7-1.0 mm long, oblong or ovoid, Plano-convex, brown, usually minutely punctate. The plants were collected from alluvial sandy soil on a small island in the bed of river Tapti near Variav about 9 km northwest of Surat. The plants were associated with species of Cyperus and Fimbristylis. Flowering and Fruiting—August-September. JVJ 211 herbarium, The M. S. University of | Baroda (BARO). Distribution: | Western Himalayas 6000 ft, Assam, Karnataka, Wynaad, Nilgiri and Palni Hills 3000-7000 ft, Sri Lanka, Sin- gapore. Tropical and sub-tropical old world. The Sedge in its general appearance re- sembles Cyperus triceps (Rottb.) Endl. (Kyl- linga triceps Rottb.). This fact has also been emphasized by Fischer (loc. cit.). It is there- fore, necessary to see all the available her- upto | | \ i t i i J. Bompay NAT. Hist. Soc. 76 PLATE Sabnis & Joshi: Sedges from Gujarat THE MAHARAJA SAVAJIRAO UNIVERSITY OF BARODA BOTANY DEPARTMENT HERBARIUM FLoaaor SURAT _ Lipocarpa argentea R. Br. pete SR ht Hii Tiny ne Cs Na hop i Shae re i MISCELLANEOUS NOTES barium material of these taxa in order to clearly delineate their distributional areas. Rhynchospora glauca Vahl, Enum. 2: 33, 1806; C. B. Clarke in Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 671 & in J. Linn. Soc. 34: 90, 1898; Fischer in Pie Madras (reprinted ed.)’ 3:71160, 1957: Parabia in Contrib. Cyp. Guj. State 1: 294- 295 (Plate 50), 1974 (Ph.D. thesis, un- published). An annual glabrous herb, 20-30 cm tall. Stem erect, trigonous. Leaves narrow-linear from the nodes, 6-14 cm long with distinct midrib. Bracts linear-narrow, 2-3.5 mm_ long, shorter than panicle. Spikelets in corymbose panicles, shortly pedicelled, ellipsoid, choco- late-brown in colour; lower two glumes empty, outer first shorter than inner 1.8-2.00 mm long, ovate-oblong with a single mid nerve, slightly projecting upwards; second glume slightly longer than first, 2.5-3.1 mm_ long. Flowering glume larger, 5.8-6.1 mm _ long, slightly curved at the base, enclosing the nut, single central vein slightly projecting upwards Hypogynous bristles 6 ascendingly hispidu- lous, 1.8-2.1. mm _ long, linear, all equal, straight, shorter than nut. Stamens 2, filaments longer than nut, 3.2-3.5 mm long, projecting upwards. Style 4 mm long, base dilated, di- viding from the middle, stigmas 2. Nut 2.8 mm-3.00 mm long, ovoid, oblong, biconvex, beaked by the persistent elongated style base which is marked with pinkish dots; nut cho- colate-brown, marked with brown transversely wavy lines alternating with faintly transverse- ly undulate lines. TAXONOMY LABORATORY, DEPARTMENT oF BOTANY, M. S. UNIversity oF Baropa, Baropa-390 002, August 31, 1977. The plants were collected from alluvial sandy soils on a small island in the bed of river Tapti near Variav about 9 km, north-west of Surat. The plants were associated with species of Scirpus and Cyperus. Flowering and Fruiting: August-September. JVJ 210-herbarium, The M.S. University of Baroda, (BARO). Distribution: Khasia at 4000-6500 ft, Nilgiri, Anamalai (Beddome), Palni and High Wavy (Blatter & Hallberg) Mountains 5500-7500 ft. Nepal, Sri Lanka, Warm regions of the globe. Based on the Junior author’s collection, the plant is included by Parabia (loc. cit). His description of the plant has been modified in the light of our observations. Hypogynous bristles are 6 in all the spikelets dissected by us and not 4 as reported by Parabia (loc. cit.), who uses this as a Key character to distin- guish the two species of Rhynchospora record- ed from Gujarat. Our observations tally with those of Clarke (loc. cit.) and Fischer (loc. cit.) wherein the bristle number is reported to be 5-6. The plant is restricted to high altitude re- gions ranging from 1300 to 2500 m. It’s occur- rence on the sandy beds of a river near Surat almost at sea level is interesting. ACK NOWLEDGEMENT Thanks are due to Dr. M. H. Parabia, Lec- turer in Botany, P. T. Sarvajanik College of Science, Surat for allowing us reference to his unpublished Ph. D. thesis. S. D. SABNITS J. V. JOSHI 211 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 33. NEW RECORDS OF PLANTS FROM ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS The vegetation of Katchal Island in Anda- man and Nicobar Islands has been poorly stu- died. S. Kurz in his paper on “A sketch of the vegetation of Nicobar Islands” (J. As. Soc. Beng. 45 (3): 105-164. 1876) lists seve- ral species from Katchal island. Apart from Kurz there is no other published paper on the flora of Katchal. Since the establishment of the Regional Circle of the Botanical Survey of India at Port Blair, intensive survey of Kat- chal island yielded several species which are new records for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The enumeration list includes 13 species, of which 6 species are new records for India and 7 species are new records for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. MENISPERMACEAE 1. Fibraurea tinctoria Lour. Fl. Cochinch. 2: 709. 1790; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India 1: 98. 1872. Woody liana; bark peeling off in flakes. Leaves alternate, ovate, entire, 9.5-16 cm long, 8-10.5 cm wide, subcoriaceous, glabrous, strongly 3-nerved; lateral nerves on midrib 2-3 pairs; petiole 5.5-8.5 cm long, swolien at base and above, longitudinally grooved. Inflo- rescence + 24 cm long, usually from the old stems in paniculate racemes; flowers solitary, + 2.5 mm long, + 2.5 mm across, pale yel- low in colour; pedicel + 2 mm long; bract minute at the base of pedicel; bracteole mi- nute at the base of calyx and appearing as 4th sepal; sepals 3, free, unequal, less than 1 mm across; petals 6, valvate, free, oblong, obtuse, + 2.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; sta- mens 6; anthers sessile, arising from one point on thalamus, oblong, + 2.5 mm long, + 0.5 mm wide, dehiscing by terminal pore. Fruit ob- 212 long, ellipsoid, + 3 cm long, + 1.8 cm thick; pericarp fleshy; endocarp woody, grooved on one side; seed solitary, longitudinally grooved on one side, + 2.5 cm long, + 1.5 em thick, yellow. Katchal Island: Mildera, 29 April Chakraborty 1231 (PBL). Distribution: Indo-China, Malaysia, Philip- pines & Borneo. A new record for India. 1974, VIOLACEAE 2. Rimorea longiracemosa (Kurz) Craib, Fl. Siam. 1: 90. 1925; Jacobs & Moore in FI. Males. I, 7: 189. 1971. Alsodeia longiracemosa Kurz in J. As. Soc. Beng. 39 (2): 63. 1870. Tree, + 15 m tall. Leaves elliptic to ob- long-lanceolate. Racemes_ slender, solitary, 8-13 cm long; flowers small, greenish white. Capsules and seeds glabrous. Katchal Island: Kapanga, 15 April Chakraborty 2548 (PBL). Distribution: Burma, Indo-China, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java. A new record for India. 3. Rinorea macrophylla (Decne) O. Ktze. Rev. Gen. Pl. 1: 42. 1891; Jacobs in Blumea 15. 135. 1967; Jacobs & Moore in FI. Males. I, 7: 190. 1971. Alsodeia macrophylla Decne, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 3: 468, t. 9. 1834. Rinorea horsfieldii Mig. Fl. Ind. Bat. 1, 2: 117. 1859; Backer & Bakh. f. Fl. Java. 1: 195. 1963. Shrub, -_ 2 m tall. Leaves obovate, ellip- soid-oblong, 8-20 cm long, 4-9 cm wide. In- florescence _ fasciculiform, |= many-flowered; ovary pubescent. Capsule trigonous-globose. Katchal Island: Mildera, 12 Nov. 76, Cha- kraborty 4659 (PBL). 19753 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Distribution: Siam, Malay peninsula, Suma- tra, Java, Philippines. A new record for India. BURSERACEAE 4. Dacryedes rugosa (BI.) H. J. Lam. Jard. Bot. Btzg. 42: 203, t. 11, ff. 64. 1932; Leen- houts, in Fl. Males. I, 5: 221. 1956. Sanitra rugosa Bl. Mus. Bot. 1: 212. 1850. Tree, + 6 m. tall. Leaves compound, pari- pinnate, chartaecous; leaflets, 3-4 pairs, lower leaflets smaller, the upper ones larger, oblong- lanceolate, unequal at base, abruptly acumi- nate at apex, 8-14 cm long, 3-8 cm_ broad; acumen + 1.5 cm long, + 0.4 cm broad; midrib slightly raised above, prominent be- neath; lateral nerves 13-16 pairs, slightly curv- ed, glabrous; petiolules thickened at both ends, 1.0-1.5 mm thick. Fruiting peduncle patently pubescent; fruit an indehiscent drupe, ovoid, slightly pointed at apex, pink in colour, slight- ly oblique, + 2.5 cm long, + 2 cm thick; rugose when dry. Katchal Island: Mildera, 29 April 1974, Chakraborty 1219 (PBL). The specimens collected are in fruit and has been identified at Leiden herbarium. De- tailed description of the species is given by Leenhouts (l.c.). Distribution: Malaysia, Sumatra, W. Java and Borneo. A new record for India. CUCURBITACEAE 5. Cucumis callosus (Rottl.) Cogn. in Eng- ler, Pflanzenr. 88: 129. 1924. Bryonia callosa (‘collosa’) Rottl., Neue Schrift. Gen. Nat. Freunde Zu Berlin 4: 210. 1803. Cucumis trig- enous: Roxb, El Ind, 2: 722. 1824: Clarke in Hook. f. FI. Brit. India 2: 619. 1829. (excl. syn.); Chakraborty in Ind. Journ. Agric. Sc. 16 (1): 51. 1946. Prostrate trailing herb or climber; stem slender, angular; not much branched; tendril simple. Leaves sub-orbicular, 7-lobed, cordate at base, obtuse at apex, slightly broader than long, 2-2.8 cm long, 2.5-3.5 cm broad; petiole slender, 1.2-3.5 cm long, hispid. Flowers uni- sexual, yellow; male flowers in groups at 2-3, + 10 mm long, + 4 mm across; pedicels slender, + 2.5 mm long; calyx-tube narrow, campanulate, villous, + 3 mm long; lobes 5, subulate, + 1.5 mm long; corolla campanu- late, 5-lobed; lobes oblong-ovate, acute + 6 mm long, + 3 mm across; stamens 3, insert- ed on the calyx-tube; filament short, free; an- ther oblong, 5-grooved, + 2 mm long; con- nective less than 1 mm long; pistillode + 0.5 mm long. Fruit obovoid, puberulous, = 3 cm long, + 2.5 cm across; secds white, oblong with acute apex, == 4° mim long, -— 2 mm broad, less than | mm thick. Katchal Island: Kapanga, 22 Aug. Chakraborty 2163 (PBL). Distribution: N. Africa, Peninsular, Central and Northern India, West Bengal, Malaya, Australia, China. A new record for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 1974, RUBIACEAE 6. Randia curvata Valet. in Ic. Bogor. 2: t. 146. 1903-1906; Back & Bakh. f. Flora of Java 2: 310 1965. Liana; leaves ovate, ovate-oblong to elliptic; thorn deflexed; cymes terminal; fruit globose, + 20 mm across. Katchal Island: Hill towards jetty, E. Bay, 20 Dec. 74, Chakraborty 2221 (PBL). Distribution: Java. A new record for India. SYMPLOCCACEAE 7. Symplocos microtricha Hand-Mazz. in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 62-B; 17. 1943, Noote- boom, Rev. Symplocaceae 239. 1975. 213 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Shrub + 2 m. tall; leaves eiliptic to obo- vate, + 10 cm long, 3.5 cm wide; nerves 8-10 pairs; fruit ovoid, constricted towards the apex, + 8 mm long, + 4 mm thick. Katchal Island: W. Bay, in inland forests, 13 Feb. 77, Chakraborty 5204. Distribution: Indo-China, China and Malay peninsula. A new record for India. OLEACEAE 8. Myxopyrum smilacifolium Bl. Mus. Bot. 1: 320. 1850; Kurz, For. Fl. Burma 2: 160. 1877; Clarke in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India 3: 618. 1882. Climber, stem quadrangular; leaves 14-18 cm long, 8-10 cm wide; inflorescence a pani- cle; fruit globose. Katchal Island: Mildera, 7 May 1975, Cha- kraborty 2527 (PBL). Distribution: Assam, Cachar, Chittagong, Pegu, Penang, Malaya. A new record for An- daman and Nicobar Islands. APOCYNACEAE 9. Hunteria corymbosa Roxb. FI. Ind. 1: 695. Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India, 3: 637. 1882; Ridley, Fl. Malay Peninsula 2: 335, 1923. Tree, + 5 m tall; leaves oblanceolate; nerves fine, 20-25 pairs; corymbs 3-5 cm long; corolla white; berries globose, beaked, yellow. Katchal. Island: Kapanga, roadside, 2 Nov. 76, Chakraborty 4602. (PBL). Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra. A new record for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. AMARANTHACEAE 10. Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R. Br. ex R. & S. var. tenuissima (Suess.) Backer in FI. Males, I, 4: 93. 1949. Alternanthera tenuis- sima Suess. in Bot. Arch. 39: 382. 1939. 214 filiform, 0.5 cm Leaves from a_ narrowed base, shortly mucronate, 2-6 cm long, + wide. Katchal Island: Kadao village, W. Bay, 1 May 1977, Chakraborty 5547 (PBL). Distribution: Malaysia and New Guinea. A new record for India. ZLINGIBERACEAE 11. Zingiber aromaticum Roxb. FI. Ind. 1: 45, 1824, Backer in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India, 6: 240. 1892. Spike globose; lip pale yellow; anther crest large; capsule + 2.5 cm long, oblong, trigo- nous. | Katchal Island: Kapanga, coastal, 28 Au- gust 74, Chakraborty 2108 (PBL). Distribution: Sikkim, N. Bengal, Meghalaya, Bangladesh. A new record for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. COMMELINACEAE: 12. Pollia sorzogonensis (E. Meyer) Endl. Gen. Pl. 14: 1029. 1840; Hook. f. FI. Brit. India 6: 367. 1892. Aclisia sorzogonensis E. Meyer in Presi “Rer iaenka la ce eee 1827. | Stem erect, viscid; leaves 15-25 cm _ long, shortly petioled; peduncle villous with deflex- ed hairs. | Katchal Island: Mildera, 10 August 74, Chakraborty 2023 (PBL). Distribution: Sikkim, Bhutan, Burma, Ma- lacca, Sri Lanka. A new record for Andanvan and Nicobar Islands. COMMELINACEAE 13. Aneilema vaginatum (L.) R. Br. Prodr. 271. 1810; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India 4: 381. 1892. Commelina vaginata L. Mant. 177. 1771. Maharashtra. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Roots fibrous; stem decumbent, rooting at nodes; flowers 1-3 pedicelled; stamens 2, fer- tile; staminodes 2; capsule cuspidate; seeds. Katchal Island: Delhi village, W.. Bay, 13 June 77, Chakraborty 6028 (PBL). Distribution: Sri Lanka, Peninsular India, Bengal, Burma. A new record for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, Port BLAIR, ANDAMANS, September 12, 1977. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I express my sincere thanks to Dr. N. P. Balakrishnan, Regional Botanist, Botanical Survey of India, Port Blair for his valuable inspiring guidance rendered to me during stu- dies on Flora of Katchal Island. PARITOSH CHAKRABORTY 34. FILAMENTOUS MYXOPHYCEAE OF AURANGABAD DISTRICT, MAHARASHTRA Between September 1975 and June 1977, about fifteen hundred vials of algae have been collected from a number of places in Auran- gabad district in Marathwada_ division of Maharashtra state. The rainfall of Auranga- bad district varies from 50 to 150 cm. The temperature varies from 9°C in December to 41°C in May. The pH of the water of the collection spots was determined by using B.D.H. universal indicator. The pH is men- tioned in brackets immediately after the col- lection spots in the habitats. Camera lucida diagrams of all the algae have been drawn and preserved. In this paper forty five taxa belonging to eleven genera of the filamentous algae have been recorded. Of these only five taxa have been earlier recorded from Aurangabad pro- per by Kamat (1974),1 however, the localities mentioned by Kamat are different from the ones recorded here. The remaining forty algae are additions to the flora of Aurangabad dis- trict. 1 Kamat, N. D. (1974): Algae of Marathwada, Phykos 13: 22-32. Spirulina laxissima West, G.S. In blue green mucilaginous masses in a tap water culture (8.5), Institute of Science Labo- ratory, Aurangabad (28-10-75). Spirulina major Kuetz. ex Gomont Blue greenish masses submerged in a stream (9.5), Aurangabad (6-11-75). Oscillatoria amnmae van Goor Greenish brown masses forming thin layers on moist soils near Harsool talao, Aurangabad (11-10-75). Oscillatoria biswasii Kamat Biuish green mucilaginous masses along with a thin layer of soil floating and submerged in a small pool, Aurangabad (11-10-75). Oscillatoria chalybea (Mertens) Gomont Abundant in a pool (8.5), Khokadpura, Au- rangabad (1-10-75). In oxidation pond (9), near Kanchanwadi (19-10-75). Trichomes are slightly narrower than those of the type. Oscillatoria cortiana Meneghini ex Gomont v. minor Kamat Bluish green masses adhering to the Cypera- ceae members in oxidation pond (10.5) near Kanchanwadi (10-10-75). 215 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL AIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Oscillatoria mougeotii Kuetzing Greenish brown mass adhering to aquatic plants submerged in a temporary pool (9), Aurangabad (6-11-75). Greenish mass form- ing a layer on submerged rock, Kham river (9), Aurangabad (1-10-75). Trichomes are slightly narrower than those of the type. Oscillatoria okeni Agardh ex Gomont Abundant bluish green masses adhering to submerged rocks in Kham river (8.7), Auran- gabad (1-10-75). Trichomes of this alga are slightly narrower than those of the type. Osciilatoria princeps Vaucher ex Gomont Planktonic in a river (8.5) at Farola fata (2-1-77). Bluish green mass in a stream (8.5), Aurangabad (6-11-75). Biue green mass forming a layer on sand in a stream (8.5), University campus, Aurangabad (7-11-75). Oscillatoria profunda Kirchner Blackish green mass adhering to the submerg- ed grasses in a stream (8.5), Aurangabad (6-11-75). Oscillatoria pseudogeminata G. Schmid Blackish green mass adhering to submerged stones in a big gutter (8.5), Aurangabad (6-11-75). Oscillatoria pseudogeminata G. Schmid f. longa Kamat Brownish masses adhering to submerged rocks in Kham river (8.5), Aurangabad (1-10-75). Oscillatoria rosea Utermohl Greenish brown mass forming a thin layer on moist soil near Harsool talao, Auranga- bad (11-10-75). The cells are sometimes much longer. Oscillatoria subbrevis Schmidle Adhering to submerged giasses in a big gutter (8.5); forming a thin layer on the submerged inner wall of a cistern (8.7), Pawanchakki, Aurangabad (1-10-75). 216 Oscillatoria tambi Woronich Greenish brown mass adhering to submerged stones in a big gutter (8.5), Aurangabad (6-11-75). | Piormidium anomala Rao, C.B. Bluish green mass forming a thin layer adher- ing to the submerged glass of the tap water cul- ture (8.5), Institute of Science Laboratory, Aurangabad (8-11-75). Trichomes slightly narrower than those of the type. Phormidium bigranulatum Gardner Greenish blue mass forming a mucilaginous iayer on the submerged stone wali of a kund (8.5), Aurangabad caves, Aurangabad (2-10-75). Phormidium ceylanicum Wille v. minor Kamat Greenish mucilaginous mass adhering to the roots of aquatic plants, Kham river (8.5), Aurangabad (3-10-75). Phormidium favosum (Bory) Gomont Greenish mass adhering to submerged stone slope near a big cistern (8.5), Aurangabad (1-10-75). Phormidium henningsii Lemm. Blackish green mass forming a mucilaginous layer on moist soil, Aurangabad (18-9-75). Phormidium jenkelianum Schmid, G. Brownish green mass adhering to submerged rock in Kham river (8.7), Aurangabad (1-10-75). Phormidium subincrustatum Fritsch et Rich Greenish brown mucilaginous mass forming a layer on submerged sand in a big gutter (8.5), Aurangabad (1-11-75). Phormidium tenue (Menegh.) Gomont Dark green mucilaginous mass floating in a giass beaker (8.5), Institute of Science labora- tory, Aurangabad (8-11-75). Phormidium uncinatum (Ag.) Gomont Blue green mass adhering to submerged rocks in Kham river (9), Aurangabad (20-10-75). MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Cross walls of the alga are never granulated. Lyngbya dixitii Kamat Greenish brown mass adhering to submerged stones in a big gutter (8.7), Aurangabad (6-11-75). Lyngbya epiphytica Hieron. Benthic in the swimming pool (8.5), Auran- gabad (25-5-76). Filaments in the Aurangabad form are not epiphytic as in the type and the sheath is slightly broader than in the type. However it agrees in all other respects with the type. Lyngbya gandhii Kamat On moist soil and on the submerged soil in a stream (8.5), Pallod (16-1-77). Cells of this alga are narrower and shorter than those of the type. Lyngbya gardneri (Setchell et Gardner) Geitler Blue green masses forming a layer on cement wall of a settling tank (9), Aurangabad (25-9-75). Lyngyba maharashtrensis Kamat Blue green mucilaginous masses floating in a tap water culture (8.5), Institute of Science laboratory, Aurangabad (12-3-76). Lyngbya pusilla (Rabh.) Hansg. Epiphytic on the filamentous algae attached to small bricks and small stones submerged in a big gutter (8.5), Aurangabad (1-11-75). Lyngbya stagina Kuetzing f. non-granulata Kamat Bluish green mass adhering to the submerged stones in Kham river (8.5), Aurangabad (3-10-75). Microcoleus cataractarum Hansg. Bluish green algae floating and submerged in Beneck’s medium culture in laboratory, In- stitute of Science, Aurangabad (12-3-76). Microcoleus chthonoplastes Thuret ex Gomont Bluish green planktonic mass in a big fish nursury tank (8.7), Kelana project (16-1-76). Microcoleus hospitus Hansg. Brownish green mucilaginous mass forming a thick layer on sand near water tank on the terrace, Govt. College of Arts & Science, Au- rangabad (19-5-76). Microcoleus tenerrimus Gomont Blackish green mass forming a layer on the stone wall of Aurangabad caves (12-10-75). Microcoleus vaginatus (Vaucher) Gomont Greenish brown mass forming a thick layer on sand near a water tank on the terrace, Govt. College of Arts and Science, Auranga- bad (19-5-76). Nostoc commune Vauch. ex Born. et Flah. Bluish green, mucilaginous mass along with other algae in a tap water culture (8.5), In- stitute of Science laboratory, Aurangabad (8-11-75). Nostoc piscimale Kuetz. ex Born. et Flah. . Along with other algae in a tap water culture (8.5), Institute of Science laboratory, Auran- gabad (28-10-75). Akinetes rarely broader than those of the type. Nostoc spongiaeforme Agardh ex Born. et Flah. v. tenue Rao, C. B. 7 Bluish green mass forming a layer on moist soils and bricks of oxidation pond, Kanchan- wadi (10-10-75). Cylindrospermum sphaerica Prasad f. cylin- dricum Kamat Bluish green mass adhering to the submerged roots of Phoenix sp. on the bank of a stream (8.5), Farola (2-1-77). Cylindrospermum vouki Pevalek Blue green mass forming a layer on sand on the bank of the river (9) near Shekta (21-2-76). Akinetes are slightly broader and shorter than those of the type. 217° JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Anabaena volzii Lemm. Planktonic and submerged in oxidation pond (9.5), Kanchanwadi (10-10-75). Scytonema myochrous (Dillw.) Ag. ex Born. et Flah. Brownish black masses forming a thick layer on the rocks in hill crevices near caves, Au- rangabad (2-10-75). BoTANY DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, AURANGABAD 431 O01, August 15, 1977. Petalonema densum (A. Br.) Migula Brownish green mass forming a thick layer on the stone walls of the caves, Aurangabad (2-10-75). | Dichothrix gypsophila (Kuetz.) Born. et Flah. Brownish green mass forming a_ thick layer on the cement wall of a cistern (8.5), Subhe- dari Guest House, Aurangabad (11-9-76). P. V. ASHTEKAR N. D. KAMAT CORRIGENDA Volume 75(2): August 1978 Miscellaneous Note 28 Danaid butterflies attracted to Heliotropium indi- cum (Boraginaceae), an alkaloid containing plant On page 512, right side column, last word For hormone read pheromone Volume 75(3): December 1978 The changing Wildlife of Kathiawar. On page 634, right side column, line 10 218 For District Magistrate read Political Agent On page 636, right side column, 2nd para, line 5 For Mullet read Mulley (or freshwater shark Wallago attu) On page 644, right side column, line 30 For 1975 read June, 1976 On page 644, right side column, line 31 For 1976 read Sth May, 1977. THE SOCIETY’S PUBLICATIONS Mammals The Book of Thain Animals, by S. 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Our Birps I (with 8 coloured plates) in Kannada: sie Rs. 0.62 2. Our BEAUTIFUL TREES (with 8 coloured plates) in Hindi Rs. 0.62 3. OuR Monsoon PLANTS (with 8 coloured plates) in Gujarati, a ~ Hindi and Marathi. | | Rs. 6.80 4. Our ANIMALS (with 8 coloured plates) in English, Gujarati, Hindi, and Marathi. Rs, 1.25 Glimpses of Nature in India (with 40 coloured plates) in English XS. 7.50 (Price to members Rs. 5) - Back numbers of the Society’s Journal. Rates on application. The Society will gratefully accept back numbers of the Journal, from mem- bers who may not wish to preserve them. 7 TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP Entrance Fees: Ordinary and Life Members ¥8 Bi ms re Rs. 25 Student Members a2 a a ee ou Rs. 10 Subscription: | (a) Ordinary individual Members. Bay es oe Rs, 50 (b) Ordinary Corporate Members f a Ma Rs. 100 (c) Ordinary Members resident outside India me xis Bs 85 Life Members : Rs. 750 Gampound Corporate Members : a hae Student Members (without Journal) Bei a Ps Rs. sn Annual subscription to Journal as ae &: Rs. 105 Members residing outside India should pay their subscription by means of orders on their Bankers to pay the amount of the subscription to the Society in Bombay on the Ist - January in each year. If this cannot be done, then the sum of £ 3.50 should be paid annually to the Society’s London Bankers—The Grindlays Bank Ltd., 23 Fenchurch Street, London _EC3P 3ED. Account No. 1101091. The subscription of members elected in October, November, and December covers the . period from the ie ue os election to the end of He following year. CONTENTS =. : ee a BEHAVIOUR OF HooLocK GIBBON (Hylobates hoolock) DURING DIFFERENT SEASONS IN ASSAM, INDIA. By Ronald L. Tilson . : see cee tie A BOTANICAL SURVEY OF Cannabis IN THE HIMALAYAS, By G. AS . Sharma A COMMENT ON Monodara nipalensis (AND Siena. By me Dillon Ripley TYPE MATERIAL IN THE HERBARIUM OF THE BOTANICAL SuRveY OF InbIA AT: ‘Poona. By N. P. Singh & U. R. Deshpande REVISED NOMENCLATURE FOR TAXA IN WYNTER-BLYTH’S BOOK ON THE — J OF INDIAN REGION. By R. K. Varshney & BIRDS SEEN ALONG A MOUNTAIN TRAIL IN PAKISTAN. By P. Jones ee ok ae _ THE GENUS Athyrium RoTH IN NAINITAL HILLS. By KEK: Dhir ed K. Rani APPLICATION OF BIOCHEMICAL METHODS IN BANDICOOT TAXONOMY. By M. S. Pradhan PRELIMINARY CROCODILE SURVEY—SRI Lanka. By R. ‘Whitaker and Z. Whitaker Die A. PROVISIONAL, ANNOTATED CHECK-LIST OF THE FRESHWATER FISHES OF ae By Brian W. Coad BIOECOLOGY AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF TERMITE GENUS Cr yptotermes, By M. L. ‘Thakur OBSERVATIONS ON THE BIOLOGY OF THE PicMy Hoc (WITH A FOOTNOTE. ON THE | Hispio Hare). Picmy Hoc. Survey 1977—Parr II. By William L. R. Oliver REVIEWS , « we ° MISCELLANEOUS: NOTES 115 145 oe Printed by Bro. Leo at St. Francis Industrial Training Institute, ‘Borivli, Bombay 400 092 and published by Editors: J. C. Daniel, P. V. Bole and A. N. D. Nanavati for Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Bombay 400023. ~ JOURNAL of the | Bombay’ Natural History NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS ContiGutrs of scientific articles are requested to assist the editors by observ- | ing the following instructions: ae? 1. Papers which have at the same time oa offered for Se to other _ journals or periodicals, or have already been nee elsewhere, should not be Ms submitted. 2. The MS. should be Leet (double spacing) « on one ade of a sheet only and the sheets properly numbered. 3. All scientific names to be printed in italics should be underlined. 4. Trinomials referring to subspecies should only be used where identifica- tion has been authentically established by comparison of specimens act collect- : ed. 5. 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Reprints: Authors are supplied 25 reprints of their articles free of See In the case of joint authorship, 50 copies will be given gratis to be distributed among the two or more authors. Orders for additional reprints should be in multi- ples of 25 and should be received within two weeks after the author is informed of the acceptance of the WEAN: They will be charged for at cost as posta ; | and packing. 11. The editors reserve the right, other things being Pavey to © publish a mem- ber’s contribution earlier than a non-member’s. NeeG Hornbill House, | , a O EemeRa. ) Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, | 7: Journal of the Bombay Bombay 400 023. Natural History Society. ON er 16 No. hie 1979 Date of Publication : 28-4-1980 CONTENTS OBSERVATIONS ON THE OVIPOSITION BEHAVIOUR IN Apocrypta bakeri JOSEPH (Tory- MIDAE: HYMENOPTERA). By U. C. Abdurahiman and K. J. Joseph. (With two text-figures) A A CONTRIBUTION TO THE FLORA OF MANIPUR. By U. Shukla and A. K. Baishya DRY SKIN PREPARATIONS OF FROGS AND TOADS AS AIDS- FOR THEIR TAXONOMY. By S. Y. _Paranjape and Leela Mulherkar. (With eight. text-figures) A CONTRIBUTION TO THE VASCULAR FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI. HILLS AND ENVIRONS. By B. Suryanarayana i LARVAL HISTORY OF THE SPIDER CRAB, Schizophrys aspera (H. MILNE-EDWARDS) (BRACHYURA, MAJIDAE) AS OBSERVED IN THE LABORATORY. By V. S. Kakati and V.N. Naval (With four text-figures) RECORDS OF NYCTERIBIIDAE AND STREBLIDAE (DIPTERA, PUPIPARA) IN KARNATAKA, InpIA. By H. R. Bhat, M. A. Sreenivasan and M. A. IlIkal A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF THE RISHI GANGA VALLEY AND THE ~ NANDA DEvi SANCTUARY. By T. M. Reed. (With two text-figures) URBANIZATION IN NEST BUILDING OF INDIAN House Crows (Corvus splendens VIEILLOT). By Rudolf Altevogt and T. A. Davis. (With sixteen figures) BREEDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF Rana cyanophlyctis SCHNEIDER. By P. Mohanty- Hejmadi and Sushil K. Dutta. (With five text-figures) SYSTEMATICS OF THE COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT PRAWNS (CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA, SUBFAMILY PENAEINAE) IN Goa. By M. J. George OBSERVATIONS ON LIFE-HISTORY OF THE PEDUNCULATE BARNACLE, Ibla cumingi Darwin. By S. N. Gaonkar and A. A. Karande. (With six text-figures) PREDATION ON NATURAL NESTS OF THE SALTWATER CROCODILE (Crocodylus porosus SCHNEIDER) ON NORTH ANDAMAN. ISLAND WITH NOTES ON THE CROCODILE POPU- LATION. By D. C. Choudhury & H. R. Bustard. (With five plates and two text- figures) NEw DESCRIPTIONS: Taxonomic studies on some Indian Eulophid parasites (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). By M. Younus Khan and S. Adam Shafee. (With four text-figures) Indian species. of the genus i richaporus Foerster (Hymenoptera: - Aphelinidae). By M. Nayyar Azim and S. Adam Shafee. (With eleven text-figures) Studies on the Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of north India-Part II. Three new species and two new records from India. By S. Biswas. (With four text-figures) PAGE 259 268 PATS 324 335 338 Two new species of Balocha Distant (Idioceridae; Homoptera). By P. Kameswara Rao and Usha Ramakrishnan. (With twenty-three text-figures) ne 342 A new species of Moonia (Homoptera: Ulopidae). By P. Kameswara Rao and Usha Ramakrishnan. (With ten text-figures) ii 346 A new species of fern from South India. By N. Ravi and J. Joseph. (With five text-figures) it 348 REVIEWS: | Pakshikalum Manushyrum. (S. M. Satheesan) a 351 A Bundle of Feathers. (Madhav Gadgil) Ny 352 Flora Malesiana-Series 1-Flowering Plants. (P. V. Bole) Se 353 The Oxford book of Trees. (P. V. Bole) is, 355 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: GENERAL: |. The Surat dangs revisited. By Ernest M. Shull (p. 356). MAMMALS: 2. A note on the tiger census conducted in Gujarat State from 15th to 21st April, 1979. By M. A. Rashid (p. 357); 3. Occurrence of civets in the city of Rangoon (Burma). By Tun Yin (p. 359); 4. An instance of wild dogs scavenging on a tiger’s kill. By A. J. T. Johnsingh (p. 360). Birps: 5. On the validity of Francolinus pictus pallidus (J. E. Gray). By Humayun Abdulali (p. 362); 6. Incubation and incubation period in the Indian little brown dove Streptopelia senegalensis. By R. V. Nene (p. 362); 7. The voice of the juvenile brown hawk-owl [Ninox scutulata (Raffles) ]. By K. K. Neelakantan (p. 363); 8. Northward extension of the range of the South Indian black bulbul Hypsipetes madagascariensis ganeesa Sykes. By Lavkumar J. Khacher (p. 364); 9. Courtship song and display of the whitethroated ground thrush Zoothera citrina cyanotus (Jardine & Selby). By Dinsha J. Panday (p. 365); 10. Wagtails as predators of field bean aphids. By A. K. Chakravarthy & S. Lingappa (p. 367). REPTILES: 11. Reaction to night spotting in the gharial, Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin). By Lala A. K. Singh (p. 367). INSEcTS: 12. Strange practice of a caterpillar. By A. S. Bhaduri (p. 368); 13. The red pierrot Talicada nyseus Guerin (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in Bombay and the Salsette Island. By Naresh Chaturvedi (p. 369); 14. Ants (Camponotus sp.) hunting flies. By Shailesh J. Zaveri, Jyotindra J. Zaveri & Ameet K. Zaveri (p. 370). BRACHYURA: 15. Colour during life of the crab Atergatis roseus (Ruppell). By B. F. Chhap- gar (p. 370). Borany: 16. New records of Euphorbiaceae from Madhya Pradesh. By S. A. Chaghtai & Aruna Garg (p. 371); 17. Acalypha indica Linn—A new record for Garhwal. By G. S. Rajwar (p. 372); 18. Occurrence of Myriophyllum spicatum. Linn.-In Rajasthan. By G. P. Roy & V. Singh (p. 372); 19. Rare or little known plants from South India. By A. N. Henry & M. S. Swaminathan (p. 373); 20. Notes on the distribution of a few Indian grasses. By Barin Ghosh & R. N. Banerjee (p. 376). JOURNAL Ook 1 HE BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 1979 AUGUST Vol. 76 No. 2 OBSERVATIONS ON THE OVIPOSITION BEHAVIOUR IN APOCRYPTA BAKERI JOSEPH (TORYMIDAE: HYMENOPTERA )' U. C. ABDURAHIMAN AND K. J. JOSEPH? (With two text-figures) Apocrypta bakeri Joseph is a cleptoparasite of the agaonid, Ceratosolen marchali Mayr, breeding in the receptacles of Ficus hispida L. Observaticns on the process of oviposition and the related behaviour of these torymid wasps are briefly given and discussed. The presence of the abdominal keel, formed of the telescopically arranged basal segments is a unique feature and facilitates the penetration of the ovipositor across the fig wall. The eggs are deposited only in those ovaries of Ficus where the agaonid, C. marchali has deposited its egg and injected the secretion from its poison glands. The presence of these ‘internal host factors’ possibly detected by the sensillae present at the tip of the ovipositor of A. bakeri inform this insect about the suitability or otherwise of the fig ovary for oviposition and serve as factors determining success- ful oviposition. INTRODUCTION The oviposition behaviour in different ge- nera of fig-inhabiting torymids has been very little investigated. Joseph (1953) observed the process of egg-laying in Sycoscapteridea (= Neosycoecus) indica Joseph. He gave a de- tailed account of the process of oviposition and the factors determining the same in Phi 1 Accepted July 1977. * Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, Kerala 673635. lotrypesis caricae L., cleptoparasite of Blasto- phaga psenes L. developing in the syconia of Ficus carica L. (Joseph 1958 & 1959). Ansari (1966) studied the process of oviposition in Parakoebelea stratheni (= glomeratus) Joseph. The present paper embodies the results of our study of the oviposition behaviour in Apoc- rypta bakeri Joseph, which develops as a clep- toparasite of the agaonid, Ceratosolen mar- chali Mayr, breeding in the receptacles of Ficus hispida L. It is for the first time that the oviposition behaviour of a species of the genus Apocrypta is studied. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 MATERIAL AND METHODS Mature gall figs of Ficus hispida were brought to the laboratory. The females of Apocrypta bakeri eclosed were reared in the laboratory, feeding them with diluted honey. Tender figs of appropriate stage, freshly col- lected from the tree were provided to these females for oviposition. Ovipositing females were observed under the Stereomicroscope for studying the various sta- ‘ges of oviposition and related behavioural as- pects. The path taken by the ovipositor in- side the fig was traced by cutting the ovipo- sitor at its basal part at the time of oviposi- tion and then by following its course by dis- section of the fig wall. Field observations on the oviposition be- haviour in A. bakeri were also made to sup- plement our study in the laboratory. OBSERVATIONS AND RESULTS In nature, oviposition is more frequent in the morning hours, normally between 6 A.M. and 10 A.M. As many as eight females were observed in the act of oviposition on the same fig. The large scale eclosion of the females in the early morning is one of the probable rea- sons why a large number of females were ob- served ovipositing during the morning hours. Under laboratory conditions, the females readi- ly showed oviposition behaviour during the day when suitable tender figs were provided. The oviposition behaviour in A. bakeri can be conveniently divided for our study pur- pose into 3 different stages. a) Selection of a suitable area for insertion of the ovipositor: The females on eclosion remain for a while on the fig surface. No distinct pre-oviposition period was observed, and many females ac- complished oviposition soon after their eclo- 220 sion. On the surface of the tender figs, the insect wanders in search of a suitable spot to insert the ovipositor. This search is aided by the antennae, the tips of which are kept in contact with the fig surface as the insect moves along (Fig. la). It would seem therefore, that certain olfactory cues perceived by the an- tennae initially inform the insect about the suitability or otherwise, of the spot to be selected for insertion of the ovipositor. The insect now raises the abdomen to the maxi- mum height possible by straightening the hind legs. Along with this the abdomen is elevated from its normal position. Simultaneously, the seven basal abdominal segments that consti- tute the ventral abdominal keel are stretched and this part of the abdomen now further brought perpendicular to the thorax (Fig. 1b). The remaining segments of the abdomen along with the terminal ovipositor are now folded down and the tip of the ovipositor is brought in contact with the selected spot, aided by the hind legs (Fig. Ic). Now the insect under- takes a detailed examination of the spot where its Ovipositor has touched the fig surface. This seems to be done by means of the sensory setae present at the tip of the ovipositor and its sheaths. On several occasions the insect was found to abandon the initially chosen site and recommence its search for another suitable site. b) Penetration of the ovipositor and deposi- tion of the eggs: When the suitable spot is finally selected the hind legs are slowly bent downwards and the hypopygium is lowered in stages as the ovipo- sitor pierces and penetrates into the wall of the fig (Figs. Id & le). The penetration of the Ovipositor down the fig wall is also aided by the force exerted by waves of contraction of the abdomen starting at its base and travelling rhythmically towards its tip. With the further OVIPOSITION BEHAVIOUR IN APOCRYPTA BAKERI Fig. la-li. Different stages of oviposition. (la-lc: Selection of a suitable spot for Oviposition on the syconium; Id-le: Penetration of the ovipositor across the fig wall; lf-lg: egg laying; lh-1i; withdrawal of the ovipositor). Fig. 2. Section of a part of the fig showing the path taken by the ovipositor into a Ficus ovary. Abbreviations: abk—abdominal keel; fw—Fig wall; hyp—hypopygium; ov—ovipositor; ov. sh—ovipositor sheaths; ov. g—ovarian gall; ter—terebra (penetrating stylets of the ovipositor),. 221 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 penetration of the ovipositor its valves which till now helped to fix and direct the ovipositor proper are detached and now they regain their normal resting position horizontal to the body (Fig. 1f). The hypophygium is now consider- ably lowered and in this position the ovipo- sitor penetrates fully into the fig ovary (Fig. lg). The egg is deposited in this stage. At times the ovipositor is seen to be slightly pull- ed out and inserted again, this act being re- peated until it has penetrated into the selected gall flower. The course taken by the ovipositor could be easily traced by cutting the ovipositor in the ovipositing stage and tracing it in situ into the gall flower by appropriate dissection (Fig. 2). The egg comes to be deposited in the nu- cellus of the Ficus ovary, normally away from the region of the style, with the small stalk of the egg attached to the ovarian wall. c) Withdrawal of the ovipositor: After the process of oviposition, the legs are slowly stretched, the hypophygium is rais- ed little by little, and the abdomen is elevated and brought to a perpendicular position with respect to the thorax (Figs. lh & li) result- ing in the complete withdrawal of the ovipo- sitor, which is then cleaned with the help of the tibial spurs of the hind legs. The ovipositor is now ensheathed inside its valves and brought to its normal position of rest. The whole pro- cess of oviposition is completed within eight to ten minutes. Factors determining Oviposition: The internal factors determining egg depo- sition in A. bakeri include the presence of the egg of the host agaonid, Ceratosolen marchali, thereby assuring the presence of the secretion of the poison glands of this host insect in the same ovary. When tender figs free of Cerato- solen eggs were provided to the females of A. bakeri, no eggs were laid eventhough the papape earlier stages of oviposition behaviour were observed. In some cases, when such figs were examined, the fig ovary did not contain the eggs of A. bakeri. This observation supports the possibility of Apocrypta laying its eggs only in those gall flowers in which Ceratosolen female has already laid its egg and injected the secretion of its poison glands. The pre- sence of this secretion may be detected by means of the sensillae present at the tips of the ovipositor valves and of the stylets of the Ovipositor proper. DISCUSSION In all the torymid species where oviposition behaviour has been studied, the eggs are laid in the fig ovaries by introducing the ovipo- sitor through the wall of the fig. However, Closer analysis of the steps involved in ovipo- sition reveals some important differences. In Philotrypesis caricae, the ovipositor is bent with a sharp angle between the elongated segments (8th and 9th) of the abdomen so that the ovipositor can be kept vertical to the fig surface (Joseph 1958). Abdurahiman (1972) observed a similar pattern of oviposi- tion in Philotrypesis pilosa, which breeds in the receptacles of Ficus hispida. In Parakoe- belea stratheni (Ansari 1966) and Sycoscap- teridea indica (Joseph 1953) their abdominal structure does not probably allow such a sharp bending. In Apocrypta bakeri, the adaptations for oviposition are entirely different. The well developed abdominal keel (formed by the tele- scopic arrangement of the seven basal abdo- minal segments), can be stretched considerably to bring the abdominal tip and the ovipositor sufficiently high so that when the rest of the abdomen carrying the ovipositor is bent down- wards, it will permit the ovipositor to pene- trate the fig wall by the force of rhythmic con- tractions exerted upwards and downwards OVIPOSITION BEHAVIOUR IN APOCRYPTA BAKERI 66 along the ““q”’ shaped abdomen. This orga- nisation is a unique feature of the genus Apo- crypta. In Sycoscapteridea indica, Joseph (1953) did not mention about the exact nature of ovaries of Ficus infectoria where the insect deposits its eggs. Ansari (1966) claimed that in Parakoebelea stratheni, the eggs are always laid in those ovaries of Ficus glomerata which did not contain any other eggs. In Philotrypesis caricae, Joseph (1958) showed conclusively that the egg-laying in a particular ovary of Ficus carica was dependent on the presence of the egg and more importantly of the secre- tion of the poison gland of Blastophaga psenes in the same ovary. It has been also suggested by the same author that the presence of the latter internal host factor is responsible for stimulating the sensory structures present at the extremity of the valves and stylets of the ovipositor, thus “informing” the torymid on the suitability for oviposition or otherwise of the particular fig ovary. The present studies also showed the role of these same factors (in this case brought about by Ceratosolen marchali) in determining the successful ovi- position by Apocrypta bakeri. REFERENCES ABDURAHIMAN, U. C. (1972): Biology, Morpho- logy and Taxonomy of some fig insects (Chalci- doidea: Hymenoptera) from Kerala. Ph.D. Thesis, Kerala University (unpublished). Ansari, M. H. (1966): On a new species of fig insect (Chalcidoidea: Hymenoptera) from _ India. Indian J. Ent. 28: 74-83. JosEepH, K. J. (1953): Contributions to our know- ledge of fig insects (Chalcidoidea: Hymenoptera) from India. III. Descriptions of three new genera and five new species of Sycophagini, with notes on biology, distribution and evolution. Agra Univ. J. Res. 2: 67-69. (1958): Recherches sur les Chalci- diens Blastophaga psenes (L.) et Philotrypesis cari- cae (L.) du figuier Ficus carica (L.). Ann. Sci. nat. Zool. Il Ser. 197-260. (1959): The Biology of Philotry- pesis caricae (L.). parasite of Blastophaga psenes (L.) (Chalcidoidea: parasitic Hymenoptera). Proc. XV Int. Cong. Zool., London, 1958, Sect. VIII, paper 21, pp. 662-664. pee) A CONTRIBUTION TO THE FLORA OF MANIPUR’ U. SHUKLA? AND A. K. BAISHYA? The paper describes 49 genera and 53 species of flowering plants reported as new records for the State of Manipur. It also gives a list of 13 Cryptogams recently col- lected from Manipur. The collection of Platycerium wallichii from forests of Manipur appears to be the first report of its occurrence within India. The only noteworthy work on the Botany of Manipur State is by Deb (1961), who col- lected intensively in this region and published a list of 2007 taxa of flowering plants. The present work is based on authors own collections in Manipur during April-May, 1975. The grasses have been described else- where. Platycerium wallichii commonly called the ‘Stag-horn fern’ which is earlier reported from Malay Peninsula and Tenasserium has_ been collected from Moreh, on the border of Burma, well within Indian territory. It is fairly com- mon as epiphyte and is being reported here for the first time from India. Andrographis, Evolvulus, Grangea, Holarrhena, Mosla, Pon- gamia, Sonchus, Sparaganium, Sphaeranthus, Stachytarpheta and Wrightia are new genera for the State. In the following enumeration, species are arranged alphabetically under their respective families which are also listed alphabetically. For each species precise locality, date of col- lection and field number have been given. Field numbers without collectors name are all collections of Shukla. Altitude of the locality, name of plants in Manipuri language and local uses, when available are provided. 1 Accepted November 1977. 2 Botanical Survey of India, Central Circle, Alla- habad. 3 Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Circle, Shil- long-793 003. 224 PHANEROGAMS ACANTHACEAE Andrographis ovata Benth. Herb, flowers whitish. Only one plant seen. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63678. AMARANTHACEAE Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. Creeping and trailing herb, stem hollow, in- florescence silvery white. Very common in water, wasteland and in marshes in and around Keibul. Apparently this species is not used locally. In Megha- laya, however, it is used as a leaf vegetable. Keibul Lamjao, on floating island (750 m), 26.4.1975, Jain 63320; Keibul (750 m), 28.4.1975, Jain 63389; Near Logtak (750 m), 29.4.1975, Jain 63453. This species is a native of Brazil and seems a very recent introduction and now natu- ralised in various places. Alternanthera repens (Linn.) O. Ktze. Trailing herb, inflorescence white. Growing on marsh and gravelly soil. Logtak, Tongbram village (750 m), 29.4.1975, Jain 63451. The species is a native of America but now naturalised in many parts of India. Its first report in India was from near a railway line on Monkey hill plateau in Khandala A CONTRIBUTION TO THE FLORA OF MANIPUR ghats. Subsequently collected in eastern In- dia in 1941 and 1957. AMARYLLIDACEAE Crinum amoemum Roxb. Herb about 50 cm tall, flowers white in terminal whorl. In large numbers in a shady place on a hillock. Tipaimukh road, Mission compound (1350 m), 6.5.1975, 63650. APOCYNACEAE Holarrhena antidysenterica (Linn.) Wall. ex DC. Small tree upto 2 m high. Flowers white, scented. | Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63674. Wrightia tomentosa (Roxb.) R. et S. About 7 m tall tree. Flowers pale yellow, scented. In roadside ravine. Moreh, Indo-Burma road, 9.5.1975, 63727. ASTERACEAE Erigeron bonariensis Linn. Herb upto 45 cm tall. Not common. Tongbram village, Near Logtak Lake (750 m), 29.4.1975, Jain 63469. Grangea maderaspatana (Linn.) Poir. name: ‘Laibongon’. Herb, inflorescence yellow. Very common on roadside. Decoction used for giving bath in case of Eczema and other skin diseases. Keibul, on way to floating island (750 m). 26.4.1975, Jain 63314. Lactuca gracilis DC. Churachandpur, Tipaimukh road (1250 m). 2.5.1975, 63546; Ngaram village, near Than- ga (750 m), 29.4.1975, Jain 63458. Local Sonchus asper (Linn.) Hill Local name: ‘Khomthopv’. Herb upto 60 cm tall, ray-florets white. Keibul, in moist places (750 m), 28.4.1975, Jain 63441. Sonchus wightianus DC. DC. Small rosette herb with glabrous stem, in- florescence yellow. Churachandpur, Tipaimukh road (1250 m), 2519703954. Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. Spreading herb. Very common in lands. Keibul (750 m), 28.4.1975, Jain 63397. subsp. wightianus waste- BORAGINACEAE Helictropium ovalifolium Forsk. Low prostrate herb, flowers white, seeds black. Common in open fields in damp patches. Churachandpur, Tipaimukh road (1250 m), 2.5.1975, 63548. COMMELINACEAE Commelina appendiculata C.B. Cl. Small herb, flowers blue, bracts villous. Not common. Churachandpur, behind Beat Office (1260 mm): 2.5. 1975,., 63563. CONVOLVULACEAE Evolvulus nummularis Linn. Creeping herb, flowers white. Very common on roadside. Moreh, Indo-Burma road, 9.5.1975, 63722. CYPERACEAE Cyperus brevifolius (Rottb.) Hassk. Small sedge. Common near stream. Seprameina, 12.5.1975, 63785. 229 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Verma (1971) reported it from all regions in eastern India except Manipur. Fimbristylis aestivalis (Retz.) Vahl Local name: ‘Kankhanchabei’. -A very variable species, 15 - 40 cm tall. Common in marshy places and floating is- land. Keibul (750 m), 26.4.1975, Jain 63311; Kei- bul Lamjao, 27.4.1975, Jain 63378 & 63379. Verma (1971) does not report it from Ma- nipur. EUPHORBIACEAE Croton bonplandianum Baill. Herb upto 75 cm tall, male flowers white. Common in wasteland and roadside. Imphal-Dimapur road (795 m), 11.5.1975, 63747. Euphorbia hirta Linn. Local name: ‘Pakham- ba-maton’. Trailing herb, inflorescence pedunculate. Logtak-Tongbram village (750 29.4.1975, Jain 63490. m), LABIATAE Mosla ocymoides Buch. - Ham. ex Benth. Small herb, flowers violet. Common in road- side nala. Churachandpur, near Churachandpur Col- lege (1250 m), 1.5.1975, 63536. LAURACEAE Beilschmiedia brandisii Hook. f. Tree upto 7 m tall, fruits dark violet. Not common. Koubru Leikha, 12.5.1975, 63794. LYTHRACEAE Ammannia multiflora Roxb. Small herb, entire plant purplish. Common 226 in moist places and dried-up paddy fields. Churachandpur, Tipaimukh road 2 Km (1250 m), 2.5.1975, 63556; Seprameina, 12'5:19755 03792: MIMOSACEAE Acacia farnesiana Willd. Local name: ‘Chin- gonglei’. Inflorescence yellow, fruits 7-10 cm _ long. Common. Powder of seeds with water used in Cholera. Near Logtak Lake (750 m), 29.4.1975, Jain 63449; Imphal-Dimapur road, 1 Km (795 m), 11.5.1975, 63758. Albizzia odoratissima Benth. Local name: ‘Ulin’. Tree in buds. Tongbram village, near Logtak Lake (750 m), 29.4.1975, Jain 63447. MoRACEAE Maclura cochinchinensis (Lour.) Corner Scandent spiny shrub, 4-5 m tall in the ra- vines. Rare. Churachandpur, near Horticultural Sub-Sta- tion (1250 m), 4.5.1975, 63614. MYRSINACEAE Ardisia solanacea (Poir.) Roxb. Shrub upto 4 m tall, flowers white to light or dark purple. Common along river bank. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63710 & 63711. MYRTACEAE Syzygium formosum (Wall.) Masamune Tree about 10 m tall. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63709. Syzygium griffithii (Duthie) Merr. & Parry. Tree about 5 m tall. Common in rocky soil. Fruits edible. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63676. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE FLORA OF MANIPUR ONAGRACEAE Epilobium angustifolium Lamk. Small herb, flowers yellow. On road side. Saikot village (1450 m), 5.5.1975, 63622. ORCHIDACEAE Cirrhopetalum guttulatum Wall. ex Hook. f. Epiphytic on Albizzia sp., flowers purple. Rare. Tipaimukh road, 11 km (1350 m), 6.5.1975, 63655. Coelogyne graminifolia Par. & Reichb. f. Herb hanging down from rocks, in fruits. Not common. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63687. Coelogyne suaveolens Hook. f. Epiphytic herb, flowers white. Common. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63698. Dendrobium williamsonii Day et Reichb. f. Epiphytic herb, flowers white. Common. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63693. Eria fragrams Reichb. f. Epiphytic herb, fruits green, elongated. Com- mon inside the forest. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63701. Geodorum densiflorum Schlechter Terrestrial herb, flowers white. Not Com- mon. Saikot (1450 m), 5.5.1975, 63646. Renanthera imschootiana Rolfe Epiphytic herb, flowers deep red. Stated to be common in Koubru forest. Imphal-Dimapur road, 11 km, Orchid nur- Sseny, (795.m)), -11.5.1975;..63776. Sarcanthus filiformis Lindl. Epiphytic herb on Ficus sp., flowers small, purplish. Not common. Maullum (1375 m), 3.5.1975, 63590. PAPILIONACEAE Pongamia pinnata (Linn.) Pierre Road side tree upto 10 m high, flowers light purple. Possibly introduced. Imphal-Dimapur road, 7 km (795 m), 1s. 1975, 63760. POLYGON ACEAE Polygonum hydropiper Linn. Herb upto 50 cm tall, flowers white. Grow- ing on marshy places. Logtak-Tongbram village (750 m), 29.4.1975, Jain 63492. Rumex maritimus Linn. Local name: “Torong- khonchak’. Herb, fruiting perianth armed as well as unarmed. Common on road side. Leaves applied on Ring worm infection. Keibul Lamjao (750 m), 26.4.1975, Jain 63327; POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton octandrum Poir. Aquatic floating herb. Common. Thanga-Logtak (750 m), 29.4.1975, Jain 63456. PRIM ULACEAE Lysimachia javanica BI. Annual herb, about 75 mm tall, white. Common in moist places. Churachandpur-Imphal road, 2 km (1250 m). 4.5.1975, 63601. flowers RUBIACEAE Canthium gracilipes Kurz. Local ‘Heibi’. name. O27. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Small tree in young fruits. Not common. Keibul (750 m), 28.4.1975, Jain 63401. Wendlandia coriacea DC. Shrub upto 2.5 m tall, inflorescence dried- up. Growing on hill slopes. Saikot (1450 m), 5.5.1975, 63631. SOLANACEAE Datura suaveolens Willd. Local name: ‘Sa- vaidak’. Herb upto 1.5 m tall, flowers white. Common in wasteland. Imphal-Dimapur road, 10 Km. (795 m), It 5.1975, 163762. Solanum khasianum_ C.B.C1. ‘Singkhaga’. Prickly herb, fruits 2.5 cm diameter, yellow. Fruits were seen being fed to captive bark- ing deer. Keibul Lamjao (750 m), 26.4.1975, Jain 63339. Local name: ‘TILIACEAE Grewia elastica Royle Shrub; petals dull white, stamens yellow. Common on hill slopes. Saikot (1450 m), 5.5.1975, 63642. Grewia sapida Roxb. Low herb, branching from the base. Com- mon. Ripe fruits edible. Keibul, behind Forest Office (750 m), 30.4.1975, 63521. Triumfetta rhomboidea Jacq. Shrub about 75 cm tall, flowers small, yel- low. Common in open fields. Churachandpur, near Horticultural Sub-Sta- tion (1250 m), 4.5.1975, 63603. ‘TYPHACEAE Sparaganium simplex Huds. Tall herb. Not common. 228 Keibul Lamjao (750 m), 26.4.1975, Jain 63324. VERBENACEAE Cieredendrum viscosum Vent. Shrub upto 2 m high, calyx red, fruits black. Common on road side. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63670. Stachytarpheta indica Vahl Herb upto 1 m tall, flowers white. Com- mon on road side. Seprameina, 12.5.1975, 63781. ZINGIBERACEAE Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. Herb in inflorescence, bracts red, flowers yellow, anthers tailed. Common. Churachandpur, behind Beat House (1260 m), 30.4.1975, 63522; Muallum (1375 m), 3.5.1975, 63576. CRYPTOGAMS CYCADACEAE Cycas pectinata Griff. Woody shrub on hill slope. Rare. Keibul, behind Forest Beat Office (750 m), 30.4.1975, 63805. EQUISETACEAE Equisetum debile Roxb. ex Vancher Erect rhizomatous herb, 20 cm—1 m tall. Not common. Occassionally met with in moist shady places. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63712; Imphal-Dimapur road, 1 Km (795 m), 11.5.1975, 63774. LYGODIACEAE Lygodium japonicum (Thunb.) Sw. Herb, growing on hill slopes. Not common. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE FLORA OF MANIPUR MARSILEACEAE Marsilea minuta Linn. Aquatic herb in roadside ditch. Not com- mon. Keibul, near Wild Life Office (750 m), 30.4.1975, 63499. Marsilea minuta Linn. var. indica Gupta Herb about 5 cm tall in sporocarp .Abun- dant in dried up road side depression. Growing in patches forming a continuous mat. Imphal-Dimapur road (795 m), 11.5.1975, 63764. POLYPODIACEAE Platycerium wallichii Hook. ‘Stag-horn fern’ Epiphytic, fronds dichotomously forked, hanging downwards, sori at the under- surface of the fork. Fairly common. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63668. Panigrahi (1961) stated that this taxon is likely to occur in eastern India. He cited Beddome (1883) where distribution is shown as Malay Peninsula, Tenasserium. The present collection from Moreh, is therefore, a new record for India. Pyrrosia nuda (Gies.) Ching Herb, erect or hanging down from rocks and trees, sori marginal. Very common. Moreh, 8.5.1975, 63681. PTERIDACEAE Pteridium aquilinum (Linn.) Kuhn Herb upto 1 m tall on rocky soil. Not common. Keibul, behind Beat Office (750 wm), 30.4.1975, 63518. Pteris cretica Linn. Herb upto 75 cm tall, sori continuous and marginal. Not common. Churachandpur, behind Beat Office (1276 m), 2.5.1975, 63564. Pteris quadriaurita Retz. Herb upto 1.5 m tall, sori marginal. Rare. Muallum (1375 m), 3.4.1975, 63572. Sphenomeris chinensis (Linn.) Maxon var. tenuifolia (Sw.) N. C. Nair. Common on road side hill slopes. Imphal-Dimapur road (795 m), 11.5.1975, 63757. SALVINIACEAE Saivinia nutans Hoffm. Small floating herb, leaves glandular, small. Not common. : Keibul Lamjao (750 m), 2.4.1975, Jain 63373. SELAGINELLACEAE Selaginella amblyphyila Alston Herb. Common on road side hill slopes. Koubru-Leikha, 12.5.1975, 63798. Inspite of the work of Deb (1961) and pre- sent additional records, Manipur must be considered as an underexplored state. Further intensive work may bring to light many hither- to unreported species. Even species new to science may be expected. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We acknowledge our sincere thanks to Dr. S. K. Jain, Deputy Director, Botanical Survey of India, Shillong, for extending the facilities, encouragement and guidance. 229 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 REFERENCES BEDDOME, R. H. (1883): Handbook of Ferns of Manipur Territory. ibid. 3(3+4): 253-350. British India and Ceylon. New Delhi. PANIGRAHI, G. & PATNAIK, S. N. (1961): Pteri- Des, D. B. (1961): Monocotyledonous Plants of dophytes of Eastern India. Ind. For. 87: 242-247. Manipur Territory. Bull. Bot. Surv. Ind. 3(2): VERMA, D. M. (1971): Cyperaceae of Assam and 115-138. neighbouring area. Ph.D. Thesis, Gauhati Univer- (1961): Dicotyledonous Plants of _ sity. 230 DRY SKIN PREPARATIONS OF FROGS AND TOADS AS AIDS FOR THEIR TAXONOMY’ The paper describes the modified method of preparation of anuran dry skins. It also discusses in detail, for the first time, utility of the dry skin preparations as an addi- tional, important, convenient and very useful means of amphibian taxonomy. For the purposes of discussion, black and white photographs of dry skin preparation of one species each of Bufo, Microhyla and Philautus and four species of Rana have been taken into account. Wherever necessary differences in the male and female of a species have also been presented. S. Y. PARANJAPE? AND LEELA MULHERKAR® (With eight text-figures) INTRODUCTION The method developed by Kincaid (1948) for preserving the colour pattern of the skins of frogs is very useful (Knudsen 1966). It appears to have been used by both of them solely from the point of view of colour preser- vation. It is known that, besides the skin colour, the nature of the skin and its marking pat- terns, the nature of fingers and toes, the ex- tent of webbing, separation of metatarsals by the web and nature of the metatarsal tuber- cles happen to be some of the characters of taxonomic importance in the anuran classi- fication. These characters, being essentially external ones, are far more valuable than other internal characters, in visual indentification of the species during field work (Paranjape and Multherkar 1979). From this point of view, the earlier ‘skin technique’ has been modified to a certain ex- 1 Accepted January 1978. 2Department of Biology, Pune-411 005. 3 Department of Zoology, University of Poona, Pune-411 007. Modern College, tent with a view to retaining those—characters as far as possible. Our observations, discussed later, indicate that the modified method is taxonomically quite useful. Besides, such dry skin preparations are very convenient for de- monstration, projection, etc. and that the characters can be studied any time in and out of the season, irrespective of the availability of the amphibian under study. MATERIAL AND METHOD To prepar an album of dry skins the fol- lowing procedure is followed: The frog (or toad) is etherised. It is then quickly skinned by taking incision mid-ven- trally along the body and carrying it on to the limbs. The skin along the jaws and on the head region is separated from the body, as it is somewhat firmly attached. Elsewhere, the skin being loosely attached to the body presents very little difficulty in its separation. The incisions along the limbs are continued upto 4 or # of the palm and the sole regions. Thereafter, the skin on the digits (i.e. fingers and tocs) is removed by gently pulling of the separated skin, in the manner similar to Mag 232 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 cm Fig. 1. Bufo melanostictus Schneider; Common Indian Toad (Fam. Bufonidae, Genus Bufo). Fig. 2. Rana tigerina Daud. Indian Bull Frog (Fam. Ranidae, Genus Rana, Subgenus Rana). Fig. 3a. Rana cyanophlyctis Schneider. Skipper Frog (Fam. Ranidae, Genus Rana, Subgenus Rana). A male. Abberviations: bc, black cornifications; cl, cloacal aperture; cr, cranial ridges; e, eye; fr, fringe; imt, inner-metatarsal tubercle; 11, lower lip; sw, two series of warts; t, tympanum; tmp, typical marking pattern; ul, upper lip; v, vocal sac; vs, vertebral streak; w, web, SKIN PREPARATIONS OF FROGS AND TOADS the removal of a sock. The entire skin is then spread by floating it in water. The everted skin on the digits needs either very careful turning outside in or extending of the incision to each digit. With the support of the phal- anges thus lost, this region presents difficulty in the spreading. The extension of the web along the digits, which has taxonomic import- ance (Boulenger 1920; Daniel 1963), is also not effectively spread. In order to overcome these difficulties and depending upon the size of the animal, meta- carpals/metatarsals were either partly or wholly retained together with the phalanges, by ad- justing the extent of the incisions in the palm/ sole regions. For example in large sized speci- mens they were partly, proximally cut. In smail and delicate specimens these bony struc- tures were entirely retained. It has been ob- served that retention of the phalanges not only facilitates proper spreading of the web, but also preserves the nature of the digit and its tip. Similarly by retaining the metatarsals the extent of separation of the outer metatarsals can be studied. Alongwith these characters careful retention of the vocal sacs, outer and inner metatarsal tubercles, when present, aids further in enhancing the value of the dry skin preparation from the taxonomic point of view. Thus Kincaid’s method is modified by us (Pa- ranjape and Mulherkar 1977). The rest of the procedure regarding spread- ing, mounting, preservation of the dry skin pre- paration etc., was mostly followed as describ- ed by Knudsen (1966). However, the shape of the trunk region is particular in certain fa- milies of frogs. The trunk is rather short, much broad in the middle and shows a sudden posterior narrowing in frogs belonging to Mi- crohylidae and Rhacophoridae. With the usual mode of spreading (Figs. 1-4 & 6-8) it was noticed that the typical shape is not clearly visible. Therefore the mode of spreading was also modified in the case of a microhylid frog (Fig. 5). In this preparation the limbs were so positioned as to simulate their natural ar- rangement as far as possible. The result was found to be encouraging and to this extent also the earlier method has been modified by us. The modified method besides retaining the skin-colour, ensures retention of other external characters of taxonomic importance as can be seen from the discussion. DISCUSSION Various external characters that are retain- ed in the modified method enable in classi- fying anuran amphibia. Some specific-examples are as follows: 1. Nature of the skin: In this character, whe- ther the skin is warty, tuberculate, granular or smooth is taken into account. For example, the skin is distinctly warty or heavily tubere- culate in toads (Fig. 1). It is generally smooth (Fig. 2) or granular in frogs. (Most of the frogs belonging to the genus Rana dorsally bear longitudinal skin-folds or ridges. They are of varying lengths and give a characteris- tic wrinkled appearance. Due to flattening and pressing this character cannot be retained in the dry skin preparations). Further observa- tion of the skin of toad indicates presence of a pair of large parotoid glands (Fig. 1) that are always present in most of the toads (absent in the genus Ansonia) and absent in frogs. Further, the presence of two series of heavy, roundish, black-tipped warts, prominent cranial ridges, tips of fingers and toes and tubercles on palm crowned with dark black cornifications indicate that the toad-skin is of an adult of Bufo melanostictus (Fig. 1). It can be noted here that these characteristic black 233 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Fig. 3b. Rana cyanophlyctis Schneider. Skipper Frog. A female. Fig. 4a & 4b. Rana limnocharis Weign. Indian Cricket Frog or Grass Frog (Fam. Ranidae, Genus Rana, Subgenus Rana). Abbreviations: cl, cloacal aperture; e, eye; tmp, typical marking pattern; ul, upper lip; vs, vertebral streak; w, web. 234 SKIN PREPARATIONS OF FROGS AND TOADS cornifications are peeled off and thus lost in , preserved specimens (Daniel 1963). They are, however, nicely retained in the preparation mentioned above. 2. Colour and marking patterns: These are also of taxonomic importance which are seen in actual dry skin preparations. However, in black and white photographic reproduction provided here, only the marking pattern can be described here. Frog’s skin is invariably variously marked with spots, bars, patches on the dorsal side. They show considerable size’ and pattern variation in the different species. Ventrally the skin is creamy or yellowish white and at times mottled or stippled. From the nature of spots one can readily distinguish three species of the genus Rana, namely, R. tigerina (Fig. 2) from R. cyanophlyctis (Fig. 3) or from R. limnocharis (Fig. 4). Further it can be seen that spots in the form of trans- verse bands are practically spread across the hind-limbs in R. tigerina while they are not band-like and do not reach across the hind- limbs in R. cyanophlyctis and R. limnocharis. By colour and marking pattern the male and female of a species can also be identified. For example, the male of R. cyanophlyctis (be- sides its small size and bluish vocal sacs) bears a white band with dark edges on the back of the thighs (Fig. 3a). Although white spots are present in the female of this species a con- tinuous band is wanting in it. Similarly skin of the female of R. cyanophlyctis ventrally shows a dotted appearance (Fig. 3b), especial- ly so, during the breeding season. The male lacks such an appearance (Fig. 3a). Some- times the marking pattern is so typical of a species that a mere look enables one to visual- ly identify it reasonably correctly, in the field. For example, there is a characteristic blackish- brown mark that begins between the eyes and touching them. It extends posteriorly, shows deep emarginations as it broadens and finally it spreads over the thighs in the form of two stripes. It is flanked by relatively uniform greyish coloration. This is characteristic of Microhyla ornata (Fig. 5). A rhacophorid frog, Philautus bombayensis, shows consider- able colour variation but generally shows a dice-box shaped mark on the dorsal side of the trunk. It has a faint coloured band-like mark slightly constricted in middle, broad at the ends and it is flanked by dark coloration (Figs. 6, 7). In routine preservation not only the colour but this marking pattern also ge- ncrally fades away. Presence of certain marks also helps in identification. For example, there is seen in some forms a V shaped mark extending bet- ween the eyes. It is narrow, acutely pointed and more V-like in R. limnocharis (Fig. 4a) while broad, obtusely pointed in P. bombay- ensis (Fig. 7). Similarly marking pattern of lips is also useful. For example, in R. tigerina (Fig. 2) the upper lips shows a light canthal streak with blackish elongated spots and the lower shows large black spots. In R. limno- charis the lips bear dark bars (Fig. 4a). The mid-dorsal vertebral streak is yet an- other marking pattern that aids in identifica- tion. It may be absent altogether, as is the case in R. cyanophlyctis (Fig. 3) or may be present. If present it may be complete, that is extending from the snout to vent or may be incomplete, that is reaching the vent but not the snout. Similarly, it may be narrow or broad. The streak can also be of different coloration. For example, in R. tigerina (Fig. 2) the vertebral streak is narrow, complete and paie yellowish-white in colour. in R. lim- nocharis (Fig. 4a) it is narrow, generally in- complete and pale yellowish-white in couour. In another type of R. limnocharis (Fig. 4b) it is however, complete, broad and _ pinkish 235 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Fig. 5. Microhyla ornata Dum. & Bibr. Narrow-mouthed frog. (Fam. Microhylidae, Genus Microhyla). Figs. 7 & 8. Philautus bombayensis Gunth. (Fam. Rhacophoridae). Abbreviations: cl, cloacai aperture; d, disc; e, eye; tmp, typical marking pattern, Ww, web; x, area of the disc-boxlike mark. 236 SKIN PREPARATIONS CGF FROGS AND TOADS brown in colour. 3. Fingers: These are also helpful in identifi- cation. The tips of the fingers may be with or without discs. They may be long and slender or short and thickly set. The relative lengths of the Ist and 2nd fingers is also a diagnostic character. For example the fingers (as also the toes) bear somewhat oval adhesive discs in R. tem- poralis (Subgenus: Hylorana, genus: Rana) (Fig. 8). This is an adaptation for its rocky- stream dwelling or semi-arboreal habitat. The fingers (as also the toes) in tree-frogs (Fam. Rhacophoridae) possess circular adhesive . S discs, as can be seen in P. bombayensis (Figs. ©. 6n 7)e The first finger is nearly as long as or a little longer than the second in R. temporalis, R. limnocharis. It is generally longer in A. tigerina, distinctly so in the Indian burrowing frog, R. breviceps (Subgenus: Tomopterna). It is more or less of equal length in R. cya- nophlyctis and quite short in M. ornata. 4. Toes and webbing pattern: Reference has already been made (in 3) whether the tips of the toes are with the discs or not. Other toc-features of relatively minor importance are whether they are long and slender or some- Fig, 8. Rana temporalis Bouln, (Fam. Ranidae, Genus Rana, Subgenus Hylorana). 8a—male, 8b—female, Abbreviations: ci, cloacal aserttire; d, dise; ef, glandular fold; 8, light streak on lip; sp, spot at the atgle of jaws; t, tympanum; w, web. 237 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 what stout, whether the tips are somewhat rounded or not. The extent of webbing forms a very im- portant diagnostic character (Daniel 1963). We feel that in our modified method men- tioned earlier, this valuable character is beau- tifully expressed. For example, the webbing is rudimentary in M. ornata (Fig. 5) and is rather poor in B. melanostictus (Fig. 1) al- though the degree of webbing is of 4 or of 3 type. In P. bombayensis (Figs. 6, 7) the disced toes are not more than 1/3 webbed. In R. limnocharis (Fig. 4) the toes are generally half webbed with three phalanges of the 4th toe free. In R. temporalis (Fig. 8) the toes are 2 or practically fully webbed and the web typically extends upto the discs of the 3rd and 5th while almost two phalanges of the 4th toe are uncovered by it and hence free. The toes are practically fully webbed in R. tigerina (Fig. 2). However, the web does not reach the tip of the 3rd toe and the Sth toe bears an outer fringe of web. This is a feature of forms that are more aquatic in nature. The degree of webbing is typically of the fullest type in R. cyanophlyctis (Fig. 3) and_ the web, as it reaches all the toe-tips shows deep emarginations when toes are spread out. 5. Other miscellaneous characters: The extent of attachment or separation of the two ex- ternal metatarsals (viz., 4th and the Sth) also aids in identification. For example, the outer metatarsals are united in the basal 4 or 1/3 region in R. limnocharis (Fig. 4b) or are bound together in R. breviceps. They are prac- tically separated upto the base by web in AR. tigerina (Fig. 2) and in R. temporalis (Fig. 8). Glandular folds, streaks, as also the rela- tive size difference in the male and the female 238 are also useful in identification. For example, in R. temporalis there are seen two dorso-la- teral, glandular folds. Each extending from above the tympanum to cloaca on that side. The two folds enclose between themselves a fairly broad, light-coloured oval patch on the back (Fig. 8b). In the same frog there runs along the border of the upper lip a light, dirty- whitish streak that also posteriorly forms a similar spot near the angle of the jaws (Fig. 8a). The nature of inner and outer metatarsal tubercles is also useful in identification. For example, the inner metatarsal tubercle is rela- tively small and obtuse in R. tigerina (Fig. 2) but is large, crescentic and shovel-shaped in R. breviceps. Both inner and outer metatarsal tubercles are present in R. limnocharis and in M. ornata. However, the nature of the tuber- cles is not well retained when the skin 1s subjected to pressure in a herbarium press. The character, is therefore, not very satisfac- torily retained, in general, in this method. In frogs, in general, the male is smaller in size as compared to the female of the same species, for example, R. cyanophlyctis (Fig. 3a, 3b). However, the male is large and with strong fore-limbs, as compared to the female, for example, R. temporalis (Figs. 8a, 8b). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are thankful to Mr. J. C. Daniel and Miss S. Isaac, Bombay Natural History So- ciety, Bombay for the help they rendered in identification of the specimens. One of us (SYP) is also thankful to Principal, Modern College, Poona for his encouragement and to Mr. S. M. Katdare, Department of Biology, Modern College, Poona for his help. SKIN PREPARATIONS OF FROGS AND TOADS : REFERENCES BOULENGER, G. A. (1920): A monograph of the South Asian, Papuan, and Australian Frogs of the genus Rana. Rec. Ind. Mus. 20:1-226. DANIEL, J. C. (1963): Field Guide to the Amphi- bians of Western India. Part-1. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 60 (2): 415-438. ——_———— (1963): ibid. Part 2. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 60 (3): 690-702. KiNcAtD, T. (1948): To preserve the colour pat- tern of the skin in frogs. Turtox News. 26: 50-51. KNUDSEN, J. W. (1966): Biological Techniques. Harper & Row & Weatherhill, N.Y., London, Tokyo. PARANJAPE, S. Y. AND MULHERKAR, L. (1979): On the survey of the amphibian fauna in and around Poona J. Univ. Poona Sc. &. Tech. Sec. 52: 423-434. (1977): A modification to the me- thod for preparing dried skins of Anurans, British Journal of Herpetology (Accepted for publication). 29 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE VASCULAR FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS AND ENVIRONS' B. SURYANARAYANA2 Floristic information on Venkatagiri Hills (in the Eastern Ghats) and environs is wanting except for rare references in Flora of the Presidency of Madras (Gamble 1957). This report covers plants collected during 1969-1971 in the area, and is the first report on the flora of the area and lists 320 plants belonging to 90 families. Among these, 9 are pteridophytes, 247 are dicotyledons and 64 are monocotyledons. Further, Canscora perfoliata Lamk. is revorted for the first time from the Eastern Ghats of India. Habenaria digitata Lindl., H. hollandiana Sant. and Sporobolus piliferus ‘Kunth are new records for Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh. INTRODUCTION Venkatagiri hills, a part of Veligondla hills in the Eastern Ghats, are situated 15 km from Venkatagiri Town in the West 13° 57’N and 79° 37’E. They are 79 km off the sea coast. The altitude of the hills in the area ranges between 500 m and 1033 m. The hills can be approached only on foot, from Venkatagiri and the journey is strenous. Venkatagiri is a small town, 130 km north-west of Madras and is con- nected both by rail and road. The Kaivalya river traverses the area and is fed by a smail water-falls at Malleswara Kona in the hills. Though the area is rich in vegetation, floristic information is lacking except for stray citations as “‘Veligondla hills’? and ‘‘Venkatagiri Drug (Cuddapah)”’ found in FLORA OF THE PRESI- DENCY OF MADRAS (Gamble 1957). Therefore botanical excursions were conducted within a 15 km radius of Venkatagiri which include Ammapalem, Jayampu, Malleswara Kona, Mogallagunta, Palemkota and Venkatagiri hills for two years during 1969 to 1971, covering 1 Accepted March 1978. 2 Visvodya College, Venkatagiri, Andhra Pradesh. 240 all the seasons of a year. A number of plants were collected in different stages of their life histories and ample field notes were taken. However this paper lists 320 plants spread over 90 families. Of these 9 are pteridophytes, 247 are dicotyledons and 64 are monocotyle- dons. The identifications of most of the plants were confirmed at the Botanical Survey of In- dia, Southern Circle, Coimbatore by the au- thor. The specimens are deposited in the Her- barium, Visvodaya College, Venkatagiri ‘Town. But the cyperaceous specimens are stored in the herbarium of the Presidency College, Madras. Climate: On the whole the weather is rather dry and the temperature reaches even 44°C during the hot period, from March to early June. Monsoon occurs in two phases. The south- west monsoon, the first phase, occurs between June to September bringing down the tem- perature. The north-east monsoon is the se- cond phase causing heavy showers, during October-December. The cold weather is bet- ween January and February. The annual average rain fall is about 105 cm. FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS GENERAL PATTERN OF VEGETATION After a few showers of rain by about the middle of June, the land is covered by a num- ber of sprouting grasses. Borreria articularis (L.f.) Will., Bulbostylis barbata (Rottb.) Cl., Cleome aspera Koenig, Hybanthus enneasper- mus (L..) F. Muell., fndigofera linnaei Ali, Tribulus terestris Linn., are found among grasses. In the second half of monsoon, grasses grow fairly tall. Apluda mutica Linn., Chloris barbata Sw., Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) Wats., Eragrostis sp., Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex R. & S., Perotis indica (L.) O. Kuntze etc. are often found in mixed or pure stands. Among these tall grasses a num- ber of other plants are noticed namely A gera- tum conyzoides Linn., Corchorus aestuans Linn., Croton bonplandianum Baill., Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk., Euphorbia hirta Linn., Phyl- lanthus asperulatus Hutch., Sida acuta Burm. f. etc. By the end of the monsoon or a little later most of the monsoon vegetation disap- pears and those characteristic of the cold sea- son appear. Some of the common ones are Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees, Anisomelis malabaricus R.Br., Barleria_ prionitis inn., Blumea sp., Elytraria acaulis (£.) Lindau, Helictropium indicum Winn., Lepidagathis mitis Dalz., Leucas aspera (Willd.) Sprang., Orthosiphon pallidus Royle ex Bth., ete. The forests are mainly of two types. 1) dry deciduous on the hills and 2) scrub on the plains. Vegetation of dry deciduous forests: The thick forests in the area are now subjected to significant disturbance by indiscriminate felling and fire operations for the sake of fuel. There- fore there is every danger of these forests be- ing reduced to scrub jungles in course of time. Trees do not seem to reach a good height and are stunted in growth. The common trees of the forests are: Anog- eissus latifolia (Roxb.) Wall. ex Bedd., Ery- throxylon monogynum Roxb., Hardwickia binata Roxb., Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr., Manilkara hexandra (Roxb.) Dub., Strychnos nux-vomica Linn., Terminalia che- bula Retz. etc. The following are occasional trees: Albizzia amara Boivin, Dalbergia paniculata Roxb., Madhuca logifolia (Koenig) Macbride, Spon- dias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz., Vitex altissima Lf. Buchanania angustifolia Roxb., Vitex leuco- xylon Linn.f. etc., are rare. The hedges along footpaths in the forests are commonly represented by Barleria prioni- tis Linn., Carissa spinarum Linn., Diospyros chloroxylon Roxb., Maba buxifolia (Roxb.) Pers., Memecylon edule Roxb., Meytenus emarginata (Willd.) Ding Hou, Tarenna asia- tica (L.) Alston, Xeromphis spinosa (Thunb.) Keay, Zizyphus xylopyrus (Retz.) Willd. The following are a few of the common climbers on large shrubs: Ampelocissus tomen- tosa (Heyne ex Roth) Planch., Dioscorea oppositifolia Linn., D. pentaphylla Linn. var. linnaei Pr. & Burk, Hemidesmus indicus (L.) Schultes, Pergularia daemia (Forsk.) Blatt. & McC. and Rivea_ hypocrateriformis (am.) Choisy. etc. Derris scandens (Roxb.) Bth., MHugonia mystax Linn., Pterolobium indicum A. Rich., and Ventilago denticulata Willd. are occasiona! hanas noticed on tall trees. Vegetation of scrub jungles: Scrub jungles in the area are commonly represented by Aca- cia nilotica (L.) Del. subsp. indica (Bth.) Brenan, Bauhinia racemosa Lamk., Carmona retusa (Vahl) Masamune, Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacg., Euphorbia trigona Haw., Maba buxifolia Pers., Meytenus emarginata (Willd.) Ding Hou, Plectronia parviflora Bedd., Taren- na asiatica (L.) Alston and Zizyphus xylopy- 241 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 rus (Retz.) Willd. ete. Riparian and pond flora: Alangium salviifo- lium (L4£.) Wang., Allophylus cobbe (L.) Raeusch., Flemingia strobilifera R. Br., Helic- teres isora Linn., Homonoia riparia Lour., Mal- lotus philippinensis (Lamk.) Muell.-Arg., Pterospermum heyneanum Wall. etc., form significant components of the vegetation in valleys along the water courses. In some ponds and water logged areas of the river Aponogeton natans (L.) Engler & Krause, Hydrilla verticillata Royle, Ottelia alis- moides (.) Pers., Najas minor All. var. spin- osa Rendle, Vallisneria spiralis Linn., etc., are found in abundance. On the moist banks of rivers and along the wet margins of temporary ponds Bacopa mon- nieri (L.) Wettstein, Phyla nodiflora (1..) Greene form brightly coloured dense mats of vegetation. Along with them several other common and noteworthy plants also are found growing. A few of them are Alternanthera sessilis (L.) DC., Ammannia baccifera Linn., A. multiflora Roxb., Bulbostylis barbata (Rottb.) Cl., Cleome aspera Koenig, Comme- lina diffusa Burm. f., Cyperus tenuispica Steud., Eriocaulon quinquangulare Linn., Lud- wigia perennis Linn., etc. At certain isolated localities Saccharum spontaneum Linn., forms a thick hedge along the water course. In the dry ground of the river-bed and drying temporary ponds Argemone mexicana Linn., Glinus totoides Linn., Heliotropium supinum Linn. and Solanum surattense Burm. f. etc., form loose or dense patches. Other common plants are: Aerva lanata (L.) Juss., A. monsoniae Mart., Anisomelis malabaricus R. Br., Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br., Cassia auriculata Linn., Datura fastuosa Linn., Fim- bristylis sp., Jatropha gossypifolia \inn., Leucas aspera (Willd.) Spreng., Vitex neg- undo Linn., etc. 242 Vegetation along roadsides: Aegle mar- melos (L.) Corr. Albizzia lebbek (L.f.) Bth., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Derris in- dica (Lam.) Bennett. Fiscus religiosa Linn., Limonia acidissima Linn., Sapindus emargi- natus Vahl, Syzygium cuminii Skeels., Thespe- sia populnea Cav., etc., are common along roadsides either planted or growing wild. A number of plants together form thick hedges along roadsides. Among them a few prominent and common ones being, Carissa carandas Linn., Diospyros chloroxylon Roxb., Euphorbia trigona Haw., Meytenus emarginata (Willd.) Ding Hou, Securinega virosa (Roxb. & Willd.) Pax. & Hoffm., Tarenna asiatica (L.) Alston, Zizyphus oenoplia Mill. etc., Ani- somelis indica (L.) O.K., Barleria prionitis Linn., and Cassia auriculata Linn., are a few other common and attractive plants, by their brightly coloured flowers, among the roadside hedges. On these hedges many twiners and climbers were noted belonging to the families, Ascle- piadaceae, Convolvulaceae, Menispermaceae, Papilionaceae and Vitaceae. Among them the common ones are Cissus quadrangularis Linn., Cocculus hirsutus (L.) Diels, Gymnema syl- vestre (Retz.) R. & S., Pergularia daemia (Forsk.) Chiov., Teramnus labialis Spreng., Tylophora indica Merr. Several herbs are found growing in the undergrowth. e.g., Aerva lanata (L.) Juss., Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees, Asystasia eangetica T. Anders., Boerhavia diffusa Linn., Elytraria acaulis (L.f.) Lindau, Hibiscus ova- lifolius (Forsk.) Vahl, Justicia diffusa Wild., Orthosiphon pallidus Royle ex Bth., Pavonia zeylanica Cav. Vegetation in cultivated fields: From the moist cultivated fields a number of plants were collected. Some of the common and prostrate herbs are Borreria articularis (L.f.) F. N. FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS Will., Cleome aspera Koenig, Hybanthus en- neaspermus (L.) F. Muell., Indigofera cordt- folia. Heyne ex Roth, Merremia_ tridentata Hallier, Mollugo nudicaulis Lam., Tribulus ter- restris Linn., etc. Several other common but, erect plants also were noticed in these fields. To mention a few: cyperaceous plants, Fcli- pta alba (L.) Hassk., Euphorbia hirta Linn., Geniosporum tenuiflorum (L.) Merr., Micro- cocca mercurialis Bth., Phyilanthus asperu- latus Hutch., P. simplex Retz. etc. After the harvest, from the drying fields several plants were collected. A few of the common ones are: Achyranthes aspera Linn., Cleome_ vis- cosa Linn., Corchorus aestuans Linn., Croton bonplandianum Baill, Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk., Emilia sonchifolia (L.) DC., Heliotro- pium indicum Linn., Leucas aspera (Willd.) Spreng., Sida acuta Burm. f., Tridax procum- bens Linn. etc. Plant parasites in the area: Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f.) Etting, Viscum — articulatum Burm. f. are common stem parasites in forests usually found on Anogeissus latifolius (Roxb.) Wall. ex Bedd. and Hardwickia binata Roxb., Cassytha filiformis inn., is another common twinning stem parasite in scrub jungles noticed on Carissa spinarum DC., Striga angustifolia (Don) Saldanha, is a frequent root parasite on grasses in the area. ENUMERATION OF PLANTS The plants are enumerated in accordance with Bentham and Hooker’s system of classi- fication with some delimitations of families according to Hutchinson (1960). The name of the plant is followed by a note on relative abundance, flower colour, flowering and fruiting time (Fls., Frts.) and field numbers. All the field numbers are of Suryanarayana. Where no number is stated, name of the col- lector is given. The nomenclature adopted here has, as far as possible, been brought upto date in the light of current literature on the subject. PTERIDOPHYTES PSILOTACEAE Psilotum triquetrum Sw. Rare on moist rocks covered by humus, under shade. December, 1970. 3982. SELAGINELLACEAE Selaginella barbata Spring. Occasional, but forming dense green car- pets in moist humus soil along with Antho- ceros himalayensis L. Strobili December, 1970. B53T: ISOETACEAE Ksoetes coromandelina Linn. Rare among grasses. Sori December, 1969. 3839. MARSILEACEAE Marsilea quadrifolia Linn. Common and abundant in temporary ponds. August, 1969. 3645. ADIAN TACEAE Adiantum caudatum Linn. Common. Sori December, 1969, 1970. 3665, 3950. GYM NOGRAM MACEAE Hemionites arifolia (Burm. f.) Moore Common. Sori December, 1969. 3664. PTERIDACEAE Actinopteris radiata (Sw.) Link Occasional under the shade of rocks. Sori 243 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 December, 1970. No number, D. V. Subbaiah. Pteris geranifolia Raddi Occasional under the shade of moist rocks. Sori December, 1970. 3660. DAVALLIACEAE Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) Presl. Occasional in forests. Sori December, 1970. 3945. DICOTYLEDONS RANU NCULACEAE Naravelia zeylanica (L.) DC. Rare. A gregarious climber in thick forests. Frts. December, 1970. 3892. MENISPERMACEAE Cissampelos pareira Linn. Occasional twiners on hedges. Flowers small green. Fls. December, 1970. 3995. Cecculus hirsutus (L.) Diels An occasional twiner. Flowers small, green- ish. Fls. June, 1969. 3324. Pachygone zeylanica (Gaertn.) Sant. & Wagh. Occasional twiners. Flowers small green. Fls. December, 1970. 3921. PAPAVERACEAE Argemone mexicana Linn. Common in waste dry places. Flowers yellow. Fis. and Frts. February, 1969. 3558. BRASSICACEAE Brassica nigra (L.) Koch. Common in humus covered waste places. Flowers yellow. Fils. and Frts. November, 1969. No number, D. V. Subbaiah. 244 CAPPARACEAE Capparis zeylanica Linn. Occasional on hedges. Frts. 3225. Crataeva nurvala Buch.-Ham. Rare. Frts. May, 1969. 3201. May, 1969. CLEOMACEAE Cleome aspera Koenig Common. Flowers yellow. Fls. May, 1969. 3287. C. gymandra Linn. Occasional in waste places. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. November, 1970. 3540. C. viscosa Linn. Common. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. October, 1970. 4133. VIOLACEAE Hybanthus enneaspermus (L.) F. Mueil. Common. Flowers purple. Fils. and Frts. May, 1969. 3288. FLACOURTIACEAE Flacourtia indica (Burm.f.) Merr. Common. Flowers White. Fls. and Frts. December, 1969, 1970. 3628, 3855. CARYOPHYLLACEAE Polyearpaea corymbosa (L.) Lam. Common in grasslands. Flowers pink. Fis. and Frts. May and November, 1969. 3291, 3495. Por TULACACEAE Portulaca cleracea Linn. A common weed in moist fields. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. October, 1970. 3541. FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS MALVACEAE Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet Common and abundant in mixed stands. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3542. Decaschitia crotonifolia Wt. & Arn. Common on hill slopes. Flowers large, yel- low. December, 1969, 1970. 3619, 3951, 4170. Gossypium herbaceum Linn. Planted. Flowers yellow. 1970. 4015. Hibiscus ovalifolius (Forsk.) Vahl Common in the undergrowth of forests. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3934. Pavonia zeylanica Cav. Fls. February, Common. Flowers bright rose. Fils. and Frts. December, 1970. 3860, 3955. Sida acuta Burm. f. Common. Flowers vellow. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 4128. S. cordifolia Linn. Common. Flowers. yellow Fils. and Frts. December, 1970. 3899. Thespesia populnea Cav. Planted. Flowers yellow with a purple cen- iter Fis? June.” 1969" 3234°"3393. STERCULIACEAE Byettneria herbacea Roxb. Common on hill slopes among tall grasses. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 4109, 4151. Helicteres isora Linn. Common in forests. Flowers red. Fls. Nov- ember. Frts. December, 1969, 1970. 3625, 3643, 4144, 4160. Methania incana Heyne ex Wt. & Arn. Rare in the forests of Jayampu. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3871. Melochia corchorifolia Linn. Occasional. Flowers purple. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3830. Pterospermum heyneanum Wall. Occasional in thick forests. Flowers not seen. Frts. December, 1969. 3614. Waltheria indica Linn. Occasional. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3858. | TILIACEAE Corchorus aestuans Linn. A common weed. Flowers yellow. Fis. and Frts. December, 1970. 3902. C. olitortus Linn. Common on earth bunds of the cultivated fields. Flowers yellow. Fls. November, 1969. Frts. December, 1970. 3483, 3998. Grewia hirsuta Vahl Occasional. Frts. December, 1970. 3952. G. rhamnifolia Heyne ex Roth Occasional. rts. December, 3618, 3881. Triumfetta pentandra A. Rich. Common in the undergrowth of forests. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. December, 1969, 1970. 3613, 3944. 1969, 1970. LINACEAE Heagonia mystax Linn. Occasional in the forests. This specimen matches with the herbarium sheets of Madras Herbarium, BSI, Coimbatore. But in the ab- sence of flowers or fruits the identification is provisional. December, 1970. 3875. ERYTHROXYLACEAE Erythroxylon monogynum Roxb. A common tree in forests. Fils. and Frts. November, December, 1969, 1970. 3469, 3941. 245 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 ZYGOPHYLLACEAE Tribulus terrestris Linn. Common. Flowers yellow. Fils. and Frts. November, 1969. 3515. BALSAMINACEAE Impatiens balsamina Linn. Rare but abundant in pure stands at Mal- leswara Kona. Flowers purple. Fils. and Frts. December, 1970. 3904. RUTACEAE Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. Occasional in forests and near villages. Frts. November, 1969. 3601. Glycosmis cochinchinensis (Lour.) Pierre ex Engler. Common in forests. Fls. (buds), December, 197 O3802: Limonia acidissima Linn. Planted. Frts. May, June, 1969. 3267, 3390. MELIACEAE Azadirachta indica A. Juss. Common. Frts. June, 1969. 3391. CELASTRACEAE Elaeodendron roxburghit Wt. & Arn. Common. The plants are very much stunted when growing in scrub jungles. Flowers and fruits not noticed but the specimens match with the herbarium sheets at Madras Herba- rium, BSI, Coimbatore. Therefore identifica- tion is tentative. 1970. 3979. Meytenus emarginata (Willd.) Ding Hou Common in scrub jungles. Flowers white. FIs. November, 1970. 3808, 3864. Frts. June, 1969. 3334 246 RHAMNACEAE Scutia circumcissa (L.f.) Druce An occasional armed shrub in the scrub jungles. Flowers small, greenish-white. Fis. November, 1970. 3385, 3791. Ventilago denticulata Willd. Rare, but a gregarious climber. Flowers pale green. Fls. December, 1970. 3924, 4169. Zizyphus mauritiana Lam. Occasional. Flowers pale white. Fls. Nov- ember, 1969. 3543. Z. oenoplia Mill. Common in hedges. Frts. December, 1970. 3876. Z. xylopyrus (Retz.) Willd. Common in forests. Frts. December, 1970. 3886, 4148. VITACEAE Ampelocissus tomentosa (Heyne ex Roth) Planch. Common. Flowers scarlet. December, 1970. 3938, 3974. Cissus quadrangularis Linn. Common in plains, straggling on shrubs. Flowers red. Fls. and Frts. May, 1969. 3209, 3259) C. vitiginea Linn. Occasional on hedges. Flowers small, green- ish. Fls. and Frts. June, 1969. 3356. Leea indica (Burm.f.) Merrill. Rare in ravines. Frts. December, 1970. 3918. Fls. and Frts. SAPINDACEAE Allophylus cobbe (L.) Raeusch. Common. Flowers small, white. Fls. Nov- ember, Frts. December, 1969, 1970. 3612, 379593 8855. 3932. Cardiospermum canescens Wall. Rare, a gregarious twiner on large shrubs. FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3965. C. halicacabum Linn. Rare on hedges near _ villages. white. Fils. May, 1969. 3211, 3297. Dodonaea viscosa (Linn.) Jacq. Common in scrub jungles. Flowers purpl- ish-yellow. Fis. November, Frts. December, 1969. 3279, 3407, 3467. Sapindus emarginatus Vahl Occasional in forests, sometimes planted in villages. Fls. December, Frts. June, 1969, 1970. 3387, 3882. ANACARDIACEAE Flowers Anacardium occidentale Linn. Planted. Flowers red. Fls. January, 1969. No number, D. V. Subbaiah. Buchanania angustifolia Roxb. Rare. Fiowers not seen. Fris.. December, 1970. 4141. Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr. Common. Flowers’ greenish-yellow. Fis. December, 1969, 1970. 3641, 3928. Mangifera indica Linn. One tree near the water fall at Malleswara Kona; planted elsewhere. December, 1970. SIN Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz. Occasional in forest. Vegetative. Decembe;x, 1970; 3915. PAPILIONACEAE Abrus precatorius Linn. Occasional. Frts. December, 1970. 3916. Aeschynomene indica Linn. Common. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3846, 4119. Arachis hypogaea Willd. Probably an _ escape from _ cultivation. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. January, 1970. 3999, Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. Occasional. The trees are very stunted and do not atiain more than 3 metres heignt. Flowering not observed in the area, but red- dish-orange flowers were noticed in the forest near Kurnool. Fis. February, 1973. 3207. Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. Occasional. Flowers purple but turning blue with age. Fis. and Frts. December, 1970. 3983) Crotalaria juncea Linn. Occasional. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. January, 1970. 4122. C. madurensis Wt. Rare. Flowers yellow. Fls. January, 1970. 4166. C. medicaginea Lamk. Common. Flowers yellow. Fils. and Frts. December, 1970. 3879, 3947, 4147. C. retusa Linn. Occasional. Frts. January, 1970. 4120. C. verrucosa Linn. Common. Flowers blue. Fls. and Frts. De- cember, 1970. 3879, 3947, 4147. Dalbergia paniculata Roxb. An occasional tree in the forest. Frts. De- cember, 1970. 3545. Derris indica (Lam.) Bennett Common, but usually planted for shade. Flowers bright purple. Fils. and Frts. June, 1969. 3319, 3388. D. scandens Bth. Rare. Frits. November, 1970. 4111. Desmodium puichellum (L.) Bth. Common and abundant at the foot of hills. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. December, 1969, 1970. 3622, 3912. 41:72, BD. velutinum (Willd.) DC. Common at the foot of hills. Flowers pur- ple. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3907. D. triflorum (L.) DC. Common. Flowers purple. Fls. December, 247 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 1970. 3920. Erythrina variegata Linn. var. orientalis (L.) Merr. A favourite hedge plant in _ villages. Flowers red and showy. Fls. February, 1969. 3546. Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. Planted as a hedge pliant. Flowers bright rose. Fls. January, 1969. No number, D. V. Subbaiah. Heylandia latebrosa DC. Occasional. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3851, 4161. Indigofera astragalina DC. Rare. Frts. December, 1970. 3993. I. cordifolia Heyne ex Roth Common. Flowers red. 1970. 3794. I. linnaei Ali Common. Flowers Red. Fis. and Frts. June, 1969. 3312. Ormocarpum sennoides DC. Rare. Flowers yellow. Fis. and Frts. Nov- ember, 1969. 3520, 3600. Pseudarthria viscida Wt. & Arn. Occasional. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3911. Rhynchosia sauveolens DC. Rare. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. De- cember, 1970. 3986. Tephresia tinctoria Pers. Rare. Frts. December; 1970. 3903. Teramnus labialis Spreng. A common twiner on bushes. Flowers yel- low. Fils. and Frts. December, 1970. 3945. Fls. November, CAESALPINIACEAE Bauhinia racemosa Lamk. Common in scrub jungle. Very much stunt- ed, some times even adpressed to the ground when growing in the plains, Flowers yellow. 248 Fls. October-November, Frts. February-June, 1969. 3200, 3412. Cassia absus Linn. Occasional during post monsoon. Flowers vellow. Fis. and Frts. November-December, 1969. 3548. C. auriculata Linn. Common and abundant. Flowers yellow. Fils. January-June, 1969. 3222, 3392, 3462. C. fistula Linn. Occasional in forests. Frts. December, 1970. 3812. C. montana Heyne ex Roth Occasional in ravines. Flowers yellow. Fis. and Frts. December, 1970. 3940, 4149. C. occidentalis Linn. Common in waste land. Flowers yellow. | Fils. and Frts. January, 1969. 3549. C. tora Linn. Common. Flowers yellow. Fis. and Frts. December, 1970) 3368: Hardwickia binata Roxb. A common tree in forests. 196927 3523: Pterolobium indicum A. Rich. Common. An armed straggler. Frits. Nov- ember, 1969. 3529. Tamarindus indica Linn. Common near villages. Fils. May-June, rts. November, 1969. number, D. V. Subbaiah. Fls. November, Flowers reddish. No MIMOSACEAE Acasia caesia Willd. An occasional armed climber. Flowers in white heads. Fls. November, 1969. 3583. A. ferruginea DC, | Common. Frts. December, 1970, 3883. A. latronum Wiild. Common in scrub jungles. Fls. December, 1970. 4131. FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS A. nilotica (L.) Del. subsp. indica (Bth.) Brenan Common in scrub jungles. Flowers yellow. Fils. June, 1969. 3217, 3300. A. torta (Roxb.) Craib. Common. Flowers small in heads. Fls. and rrts. December, 1970. 3960. Albizzia amara Boivin Occasional in forests. Frts. December, 1969. 3584. A. lebbek (L.) Bth. Occasional. It is also planted as avenue tree. Fls. January, Frts. May, 1969. 3257. Dichrostachys cinerea Wt. & Arn. Occasional in scrub jungle. Spikes yellow- purple. Fls. November, Frts. December, 1969, LOMO B229 - B527,) 3884) Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. Occasional in villages. Frts. May, 1969. 3248, 3383. Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce Common and abundant in waste land around inhabitations. Fils. December, Frts. May, 1969. 3230)'3335, 3399. COMBRETACEAE Anogeissus latifolius Bedd. Common. Flowers small greenish-yellow. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3914, 4165S. Terminalia beilerica (Gaertn.) Roxb. An occasional lofty tree in forests. Frts. December, 1970. 3880. T. chebula Retz. Common on hill slopes at Malleswara Kona. Frits. December, 1969. 3447. MYRTACEAE Syzygium cuminii Skeels Common. Flowers yellowish-white. Fis. March, Frts. June, 1969, 1970. 3395, 3948. MELASTOMACEAE Memecylon edule Roxb. Common. Flowers attractive blue. Fs. sparsely flowered in December in the present area. But elsewhere gregarious flowering is observed in July (1973). Frts. November, 1970. 3528, 3642. LYTHRACEAE Ammannia baccifera Linn. Common in moist places. Flowers red. Fils. and Frits. February, 1970. 4010. A. muitifiora Roxb. Common in wet fields. Flowers red. Fis. and Frts. December, 1970. 38235. Rotala densiflora (Roth) Koehne Occasional but found in pure or mixed stands. Flowers red. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3828. ONAGRACEAE Ludwigia perennis Linn. Common in wet fields. Flowers yellow. Fils. and Frts. December, 1970. 3824. CUCURBITACEAE Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Monsf. An occasional creeper in river bed. Frts. May, 1969. 3280. Solena heterophylla Lour. Occasional. Male flowers Fls. May, 1969. 3238. Trichosanthes bracteata (Lam.) Voigt Occasional. Fris. August, 1969, 1970. 3608, 4132. creamy-white, CACTACEAE Opuntia coccinellifera Mill. Occasional in scrub jungles. Flowers red 249 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 and attractive. Fls. November, 1969. 3361. O. elatior Mill. Common. Flowers yellow. Fils. October, 1970. No number, D. V. Subbaiah. MOLLUGINACEAE Glinus lotoides Linn. Common. Frits. May-June, 1969. 3242. 3310. G. oppositifolius (L.) A. DC. Common, flowers white. Fis. June, September, 1969, 1970. 3311, 4138. Mollugoe nudicaulis Lam. Common. Flowers white. Fls. June, September, 1969, 1970. 3315, 4139. Frts. Frts. AIZOACEAE Trianthema portulacastrum Linn. Common. Flowers bright purple. Fls. 1969. 3363. June, ALANGIACEAE Alangium salvifolium (L.f.) Wang. Common in the hedges around irrigation tanks. Flowering was not noticed inspite of intense search throughout the year in the pre- sent area. Therefore identification is provi- sional. 1969, 1970. 3368, 3410, 3931. RUBIACEAE Borreria articularis (L.f.) F.N. Will. Common. Flowers purple. Fls. November, 1969: 3587; Canthium dicoccum (Gaertn.) T. & B. Occasional, flowers white. Fls. November, 1969. 3477. Gardenia lucida Roxb. Occasional, flowers large, white but turning yellow with age. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3956, 4140. 250 Guetarda speciosa Linn. One tree is found, probably planted. Flowers white. Fls. January, 1970. 4112. Knoxia sumatrensis (Retz.) DC. Occasional in the undergrowth. Flowers white with purplish tinge. December, 1970. 3996. Morinda tinctoria Roxb. Planted in private compounds for fragrant white flowers. Fls. January, 1970. 4158. Oldeniandia corymbosa Linn. Common. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. More or less throughout the year, 1969, 1970. 3282, 3317 8405.) 3802: O. affinis (R. & S.) DC. Occasional flowers white. December, 1970. 3977. Plectronia parviflora Bedd. Common. Flowers white. Fls. May-June, Frts. November-December, 1969, 1970. 3301, 3332,,3519, 305950 Tarenna asiatica (L.) Alston Common in forests and scrub jungles. Flowers white. Fls. December, Frts. May, 1969. 1970: 3210.5 3396) 3863533870. Xeromphis spinosa (Thunb.) Keay Common. Flowers white but turning yellow with age. Fls. June, Frts. December, 1969, 1970. 3334, 3935. Fls. and Frets. ASTERACEAE Ageratum conyzoides Linn. Common. Heads white. Fls. and Frts. De- cember, 1970. 3909. Bidens biternata (Lour.) Merr. & Sherff. Common either in mixed or pure stands. Heads yellow, November, 1969. No number, D. V. Subbaiah. Echinops echinatus Roxb. Rare. Found a few plants at Jayampu. Flowers white. Heads September, 1970. 3815. FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk. A common weed. Heads white, November, 1970. 3552. Emilia sonchifolia (L.) DC. Common. Heads purple, December, 3869. Glossocardia bosvallea (L.f.) DC. Common. Heads yellow, November, 1969. 3463. Tridax procumbens Linn. Common and abundant. May-June, 1969. 3320, 3412. Vernonia albicans DC. Common. Heads purple, December, 1970. ) SUI V. cimerea (L.) Less. Common. Heads purple, December, 1970. No number. D. V. Subbaiah. Vicoa indica (Willd.) DC. Occasional. Heads yellow, December, 1970. 3816. 1969. Heads yellow, PLUMBAGINACEAE Plumbago zeyianica Linn. Rare, collected from the roadside bushes on way to Railway Station. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. January, 1969. 3554. SAPOTACEAE Madhuca longifolia (Koenig.) Macbride Occasional. Flowers light-yellow, succulent. Fils. May, 1969. 3232. Manilkara hexandra (Roxb.) Dub. Common. Flowers white, scented. Fls. De- cember, 1969. 3526, 3638. EBENACEAE | Diospyros chloroxylon Roxb. Common, often found in hedges. Flowers white. Fls. May-June, 1969, 3220, 3306. D. melanoxylon Roxb. Occasional in scrub jungles. Identification is provisional in the absence of flowers and fruits. May, 1969. 3205. Maba buxifolia Pers. Common. Frits. May-June, 1969. 3381. 3206, OLEACEAE Jasminum auriculatum Vahl Common in bushes. Flowers white. Fis. and Frts. November-December, 1969, 1970. 3531, 3971. APOCYNACEAE Carissa carandas Linn. Common in hedges. May, 1969. 3252. C. spimarum DC. Common. Flowers white. Fls. June, 1969. 3305. Catharanthus pusillus (Murr.) G. Don Rare in cultivated fields as a weed. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. May, 1969. 3241. Wrightia tinctoria R. Br. Occasional in thick forests. Frts. December, 1970. 3814, 3906. Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) Merr. Planted. Flowers yellow. Fls. May, 1969. 3221. Flowers white. Fls. ASCLEPIADACEAE Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br. Common in wasteland. Flowers Fls. November, 1969. 3536. Caralluma adscendens (Roxb.) R. Br. Common in large bushes. Flowers dark purple. Fls. January, Frts. July, 1970. 4107, 4124. bluish. 251 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Ceropegia bulbosa Roxb. Occasional in the bushes along the Rail- way Station Road. Flowers greenish-yellow. Fls. December, 1969. 3555. Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R. Br. ex Schuit. Common. Flowers yellowish-green. Fis. November, 1969. Frts. December, 1970. 3514, 3811. Hemidesmus indicus (L.) Schult Common, very variable plant. Flowers yellowish-green. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3865, 3922, 4264. Pergularia daemia (Forsk.) Chiov. Common in hedges. Frts. February, 1970. 4013. Sarcostemma brevistigma Wt. & Arn. Common, a leafless straggler. Flowers yel- lowish. Fls. November-December, 1969, 1979. 3487, 3968. Secamone emetica R. Br. Rare, a gregarious climber on large shrubs. Flowers pretty, yellow, Fls. November, 1969. 3461. Tylophora indica (Burm. f.) Merr. Common. Flowers yellowish. Fils. May- June, 1969, 1970. 3270, 3322, 4130. LOGANIACEAE Strychnos nux-vomica Linn. Common in forests. Frts. November, 1969. 3204, 3521. GENTIANACEAE Canscora perfoliata Lam. Rare in moist, cool and shady places. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3901. Enicostemma hyssepifolium (Willd.) Verd. Occasional. Flowers white. Fls. December, 1970. 3831. 252 EHRETIACEAE Carmona retusa (Vahl) Masamune Common in scrub jungles. Flowers white. Fis. June, 1969. 3289, 3400. Cordia obliqua Willd. Occasional on tank bunds near villages. Flowers white. Fls. June, 1969. 3413. BORAGINACEAE Heliotropium indicum Linn. Common. Flowers purplish. Fls. and Frts. November, 1969. 3603. H. supinum Linn. Abundant in dried tanks. Flowers white. Fis. and Frts. May, 1969. 3246. CONVOLVULACEAE Evolvulus alsinoides Linn. Common in grassiands. Flowers blue. Fils. and Frts. November, 1969. 3485. Ipomoea muricata (L.) Jacq. An occasional climber with large purple flowers. Fls. December, 1970. 3793. I. obscura (L.) Ker.-Gawl. Occasional on hedges. Flowers white. Fls. December, 1970. 3985. Merremia tridentata Hallier Common. Flowers yellow. Fls. and Frts. June, 1969. 3281. Rivea hypocraieriformis (Lam.) Choisy. Common. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. November-December, 1969, 1970. 3502, 3531, 3976. SOLANACEAE Datura fastuosa Linn. Occasional. Flowers white. Fis. November, 1969. 3821. and Frts. FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS Solanum nigrum Linn. Common in waste places. Flowers small and white. Fls. and Frts. December, 1969. 3556. S. surattense Burm.f. Occasional in dry places. Flowers violet. Fls. and Frits. June, 1969. 3403. SCROP HULARIACEAE Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettstein Abundant in pure stands in moist soil. Flowers bluish-purple or almost white. Fils. May, 1969. 3234. Lindernia hyssopoides (L.) Haines Common. Flowers purple. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3829. L. oppositifolia (Don) Mukerjee Common. Flowers bright purple. Fls. De- cemben 19 70! 23827, Limnophila indica (L.) Druce Common. Flowers turbid white. Fs. cember, 1970. 3857. Striga angustifolia (Don) Saldanha Common, but scattered in pasture lands. Flowers white. Fils. November-December, 1969, 1970. 3496, 3798, 3849. S. lutea Lour. var. lutea Rare, found among grasses on hill slopes. Flowers yellow. Fls. December, 1970. 4152. De- MARTINIACEAE Martynia annua Linn. Occasional in the forests near Railway Sta- tion. Flowers purple. Fls. January, 1970. 3557. PEDALIACEAE Sesamum indicum Linn. Solitary in waste places. Probably an escape from cultivation. Frts. December, 1970. 4134. ACANTHACEAE Adhatoda vasica Nees Occasional in hedges near villages. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. February, 1971. 4002. Androagraphis echioides (L.) Nees Common. Flowers purple. Fls. and Frts. May, 1969. 3266. A. paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees Common. Flowers purple. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3870. Asystasia gangetica T, And. Common. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. Feb- ruary, 1971. 4106. Barleria prionitis Linn. Common among bushes. Flowers yellow. Fls. November-December, 1969, 1970. 3474, 3873, 3936. Blepharis boerhaaviaefolia Pers. Common in the undergrowth. Flowers tur- bid white. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3962. Elytraria acaulis (L. f.) Lindau Common. Flowers white. Fils. May, 1969. 3293. Justicia diffusa Willd. Common. Flowers purple. December, 1970. 4159. J. prostrata (Roxb. ex C.B.Cl.) Gamble Occasional. Flowers purple. Fls. and Frts. May, 1969. 3296. J. glauca Rottl. Common. Flowers purple. Fis. and Frts. December, 1970. 3964, 4105. Lepidagathis mitis Dalz. Common in hard soil. Flowers purple. Fis. and Frts. December, 1969. 3856, 3913. Fls. and Frts. VERBENACEAE Gmelina asiatica Linn. Common in scrub jungles. Flowers yellow. Pendulous. Fls. May-June, 1969, 1970. 3226, 4132. Lantana camara Linn. var. aculeata (L.) Mol- denke 253 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. Common and abundant. Flowers purple and white. Fils. and Frts. May and November, 1969. 3290, 3505. Phyia nodifiora (L.) Greene Common in large patches in moist soil. Flowers white with purple streak. Fils. and Frts. November, 1970. 3799. Tectona grandis Linn. f. A few trees at Malleswara Kona in lead. De- cember, 1970. 3564. Vitex altissima Linn. Occasional in forests. November, 1970. 4144. VY. leucoxylon Linn. f. Rare. In the absence of reproductive parts identification is provisional. December. 1970. 3927: VY. negundo Linn. Common. Flowers bluish-mauve. Fls. May, L969. 32300 3273. LAMIACEAE Flowers white. Fls. Anisochilus carnosus Wall. Occasional, Flowers light purple. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3905. Anisomelis indica (L.) O. Kuntze Common in hedges. Fls. purple. Fls. and rts. December, 19609: 1970; 32609) 5621mssa 7: A. malabaricus R. Br. Common. Flowers Frts. December-February, 1969, 3852, 3926, 4167. Geniosporum tenuiflorum (L.) Merr. Occasional along earth bunds in cultivated fields. Flowers small, purple. Fls. and Frts. February, 1970. 4004. Leonotis nepetaefolia R. Br. Occasional. Flowers orange-red. Fis. Frts. January-March, 1970. 4012, 4104. Leucas aspera (Willd.) Spreng. rosy-purple. Fils. and 197025 3262, Common. Flowers. white. Fls. and Frts. Nov- ember, 1969. 3504. 254 and SOCIETY, Vol. 76 L. bifiora R. Br. Occasional. Flowers white. Fls. and Frts. November-December, 1969, 1970. 3506, 3949. L. lavandulifolia Rees. Common on hill slopes. Flowers white. Fils. June, 1969. 3342. Ocimum americanum Linn. Common. Flowers purplish-white. Fis. and Frts. February and June, 1969, 1970. 3408, 4009. Orthosiphen pallidus Royle ex Bth. Common. Flowers purplish white. Fls. and Frts. November, 1969. 3500. NYCTAGINACEAE Boerhaavia diffusa Linn. Common. Flowers purple. Fis. June; 1969) 3316 and Frts. AMARANTACEAE Achyranthes aspera Linn. Common. Flowers small, dry-white. Fls. and Frits. January, 1969. No number. D. V. Sub- baiah. Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. Common. Flowers white in wooly spikes. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3866. A. monsoniae Mart. Common in dry sandy soil. Spikes pale pink. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3910. Alternanthera sessilis (L.) DC. Common and abundant in moist margins of temporary ponds and puddies. Flowers white. Fls. and Frits. November, 1969. 3559. Digera alternifolia (L.) Aschers A common weed. Flowers purple. Fls. and Frts. February, 1970. 4008. Pupalia lappacea (L.) Juss. Occasional. Fruiting. Frits. December, 1970. 3969. FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS ARISTOLOCHIACEAE Aristolochia bracteolata Lam. Common in the dry soil. Flowers deep pur- ple. Fls. February, 1970. Frts. May, 1969. 3224, 3259, 4014. LAURACEAE Cassytha filiformis, Linn. Common stem parasite in scrub jungles. Flowers white. January, 1971. 3224, 3259, 4014. LORANTHACEAE Dendrophthoe falcata (L. f.) Etting var. coc- cinea (Talb.) Sant. Common. Flowers red. Fls. December, 1970. BS 18s, 3001. Viscum articulatum Burm f. Occasional. Flowers small, green. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 4118, 4155. EUPHORBIACEAE Acalypha indica Linn. Common and abundant in waste places. Fls. small. Fls. and Frts. November-January, 1970. 3561. | Bridelia retusa (L.) Spreng. Rare in forests. Frts. November, 1970. 4154. Cleistanthus collinus (Roxb.) Bth. & Hook. Occasional in forests. Frts. February, 1970. 3868, 4126. Croton bonplandianum Baill. Common and abundant in waste places. Male flowers white, females green. Fls. and Frts. November-January, 1969, 1970. 3659. Euphorbia hirta Linn. Common. Flowers minute, and Fris. May, 1969. 3256. EK. serpens H.B.K. Common, Flowers minute, green. Fls, and greenish. Fils. Frits. May, 1969. 3245. E. tirucalli Linn. Occasional in 196953327. EK. trigona Haw. Common and abundant in scrub jungles. Flowers red. Fls. January, 1970. 3414, 4114. Hemicyclia sepiaria Wt. & Arn. Occasional in scrub jungles. Flowers small white. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3562. Homonoia riparia Lour. Common at Malleswara Kona. Flowers red. Fls. and Frts. December, 1969. 3946, 4156. Jatropha gossypifolia Linn. Common in scrub jungles. Flowers red. Fls. and Frts. May, 1969. 3216, 4136. Mallotus philippinensis (Lam.) Muell.-Arg. Common at Malleswara Kona. Fruits with red tomentum. Frts. December, 1969. 3616. Micrococca mercurialis Bth. Common in fields. Flowers minute. FIs. February, 1970. 4113. Phyllanthus asperulatus Hutch. Common. Flowers small, greenish. Fls. and Frts. November-February, 1969, 1970. 3568. P. debelis Ham. Common. Flowers small, pale green. Fils. and Frts. December-February, 1970, 1971. 3997) 4116; P. maderaspatensis Linn. Common. Flowers purplish-white. Fils. and Frts. January, 1971. 4117, 4144. P. simplex Retz. Common. Flowers small, greenish-white. Fls. and Frts. November, 1969. 3466. Ricinus communis Linn. Occasional in waste land. Flowers, yellow- ish-white. Fls. February, 1971. 4018. Sebastiania chamaelea Muell.-Arg. An occasional weed in cultivated fields. Flowers small, white. Fls. and Frts. January, 1970, 3810, | hedges. Frits. (dried) June, bdo Nn A JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Securinega virosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) Pax. & Hoffm. Common. Fruits fleshy and white. Frts. Nov- ember, 1969. 3331, 3530: Tragia involucrata Linn. Occasional among bushes. Flowers minute, greenish. Fls. May, 1969. 3260. Trewia nudiflora Linn. Rare in hedges. Flowers small, greenish. Fils. December, 1970. 3834. MOoRACEAE Ficus gibbosa Bl. var. parasitica King. Rare in forests. Fls. and Frts. December, 1969. 3978. F. hispida Linn. f. Occasional near villages. Frts. May, 1969. 3208, 3271. F. racemosa Linn. Occasional in villages. Vegetative, May, 1969. 3292. F. religiosa Linn. Common. Fruits red. March-April, 1969. 3564. MONOCOTYLEDONS HYDROCHARITACEAE Hydrilla verticillata Royle Abundant in ponds. May, 1969. 3285. Ottelia alismoides (L.) Pers. Occasional but gregarious in roadside ponds. Flowers white. Fls. October, 1969. 3447. Vallisneria spiralis Linn. Abundant in ponds. Fls. May, 1969. 3276. ORCHIDACEAE Eulophia epidendracea (Retz.) Fischer Rare. Flowers greenish-white with purplish streak. Fls. December, 1970. 3887. 256 Habenaria hollandiana Sant. Rare in cool, shady and moist places. Flow- ers dull white, with greenish tinge. Fls. De- cember, 1969. 3606A. H. digitata Lindl. Occasional. Flowers dull white. Fls. Decem- ber, 1969, 1970. 3606D, 3966. H. plantaginea Lindl. Occasional. Flowers pure white. Fils. De- cember, 1969. 3606. H. platyphylla Spr. Occasional. Flowers white. Fls. 1970. 3806. Vanda roxburghii R. Br. Rare. Frts. December, 1970. 4153. January, HyYPOXIDACEAE Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. Common in the undergrowth in forests. Flowers yellow. Fls. November-December, 1969, 1970. 3482, 3577, 3797. DIOSCOREACEAE Dioscorea oppositifolia Linn. Common. Flowers greenish. Fls. December, 1970. 3891, 4173. D. pentaphylia L. var. linnaei Pr. & Burk. Common. Flowers small green. Fls. Novem- ber-December, 1969, 1970. 3460, 3609, 3957. LILIACEAE Aloe barbadens Mill. Occasional in scrub jungles. Flowers saf- fron red. Fils. November, 1970. 3801. Asparagus racemosus Willd. Common in forests. Frts. December, 1969, 1970. 3639, 3958. Gloriosa superba Linn. Common. Flowers red with yellow streaks. Fls. November-December, 1969, 1970. 3524, 3626, 3937. FLORA OF VENKATAGIRI HILLS Iphiginea indica (L.) A. Gray Rare among grasses. Flowers deep purple. Fls. and Frts. November, 1969. 3512. Scilla hyacinthiana (Roth.) Macbr. Common during monsoon in grass lands. Flowers mauve. Fls. and Frts. October, 1971. 4101, 4125. HAEMODORACEAE Sansevieria roxburghiana Schult. Common in dry places in scrub jungles. Flowers white. Fls. January, 1971. 3954, 4150. COMMELINACEAE Amischocephalus axillaris (L.) Rao & Kama- thy Common among grasses. Flowers purple. Fls. and Frts. December, 1970. 3826. Commelina benghalensis Linn. Common in moist places. Flowers blue. Fls. and Frts. October-November, 1969. 3565. C. diffusa Burm. f. Common trailing on the ground. Flowers purple. Fls. and Frts. October, 1971. 4103. C. fasciculata (Heyne ex Roth) Schult. Common among grasses. Flowers blue. Fils. October, 1970. 4102. C. tuberosa (Roxb.) Schult. Common in the undergrowth. Flowers blue. Fls. November, 1969. 3501. Murdania spirata (L.) Bruckn. Common. Flowers purple. Fls. and Frts. De- cember, 1970. 3861. PALMACEAE Borassus flabelliformis Linn. Common all over the district in the plains. Frts. May-June, 1969. 3565. Phoenix humilis Royle var. pedunculata Becc. Rare in the forests. In the absence of re- productive organs identification is provisional. December, 1970. 3939. P. sylvestris (L.) Roxb. Common in the plains. Frts. May, 1969. 3247, 3800. ARACEAE Arisaema leschenaultii BI. Rare in the Visvodaya College building con- struction site. The specimens match with the herbarium sheets at Madras Herbarium. In the absence of flowers and fruits identifica- tion is provisional. November, 1970. 3854. APONOGETONACEAE Aponogeton natans (L.) Engl. & Krause Common in temporary ponds. Flowers mauve. Fls. November, 1969. 3509. NAJADACEAE Najas minor All. var. spinosa Rendle Abundant in a pond at Kasigardens. Frts. May, 1969. 3286. ERIOCAULACEAE Eriocaulon quinguangulare Linn. Common and abundant on moist margins of roadside puddles. Heads grey-white. Heads. December, 1970. 3844. CYPERACEAE Bulbostylis barbata (Rottb.) Cl. Common. Spikelets November, 1969. 3475. Cyperus aristatus Rottb. Common along roadside temporary ponds. Spikelets December, 1970. 3840. C. clarkei T. Cooke. Occasional. Spikelets November, 1969. 3494. C. compressus Linn. Common. Spikelets February, 1971. 4100. C. iria Linn. Common in rice fields. Spikelets November, 1969, 1970. 3533, 4137. Zar) JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 C. polystachyos var. laxiflorus Bth. Common. Spikelets December, 1970. 3990. C. tenuispica Steud. Common. Spikelets December, 1970. 3989. C. triceps (Rottb.) Endl. Common among grasses. Spikelets in white heads. December, 1970. 3836, 3838. Eleocharis capitata R. Br. Common in the crevices of rocks in the river bed. Spikelets, May, 1969. 3253. Fimbristylis argentea Vahl Common. Spikelets June, 1969. 3307. F. falcata (Vahl) Kunth. Common in moist places in river bed. Spi- kelets, November, 1970. 3803. F. littoralis Gaud. Common. Spikelets December, 1970. 3835. F. ovata (Burm. f.) Kern Occasional. Spikelets November, 1969. 3498. F. shoenoides Vahl Occasional. Spikelets December, 1970. 383i, F. tenera R. & S. Common. Spikelets November, 1969. 3494. GRAMINEAE Apluda mutica Linn. Common. Spikelets December, 1970. 3975. Aristida adscencionis Linn. Common. Spikelets December, 1969. 3288, 3338; A. depressa Retz. Common. Spikelets June, 1969, December, 1970. 3337, 3843, 3874. Centotheca lappacea Desv. Common. Spikelets December, 1970. 3900. Chioris barbata Sw. Common. Spikelets June, 1969. 3358. Cymbopogon martinni (Roxb.) Wats. Common on hill slopes. Spikelets Decem- ber, 1970. 3893. Eleusine coracana Gaertn. Cultivated. Spikelets February, 1971. 4021. 258 | Eragrostis aspera Nees Common. Spikelets December, 1970, 3859. K. gangetica (Roxb.) Steud. Occasional. Spikelets December, 1970. 3842. KE. tenella R. & S. Common. Spikelets May, 1969. 3303. Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex R. & S. Common. Spikelets December, 1970. 3841, 3925, 398i. Melanocenchris jacquemontii Jaub. & Spach. Occasional. Spikelets November, 1969. 3491. Oplismenus compoesitus Beauv. Common. Spikelets December, 1970. 3611. Panicum psilopodium Trin. Common. Spikelets December, 1970. 3994. Pennisetum hohenackeri Hochst. Cultivated as a fodder plant. Spikelets Feb- ruary, 1971. 4003. Perotis indica (L.) O. Kuntze Common. Spikelets May, 1969. 3262. Saccharum spontaneum Linn. Common and_ gregarious along water courses. Spikelets February, 1971. 4020. Sporobolus piliferus Kunth. Rare. Spikelets November, 1969. 3491. ACK NOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to Dr. Cecil J. Saldanha, St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore, for helpful sug- gestions; Dr. G. L. Shah, Reader in Botany, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, for identification of grasses and encourage- ment; Prof. E. Govindarajulu, Presidency Col- lege, Madras, for identification of cyperaceous plants; the Director, Botanical Survey of In- dia, Calcutta for his permission to work at the Botanical Survey of India, Coimbatore and to the Vice-Chancellor, S. V. University, Tiru- pati, for sanction of UGC Travel Grant to visit BSI, Southern Circle, Coimbatore, LARVAL HISTORY OF THE SPIDER CRAB, SCHIZOPHRYS ASPERA (H. MILNE-EDWARDS) (BRACHYURA, MAJIDAE) AS OBSERVED IN THE LABORATORY* V. S. KakatTr? AND V. N. NAyAK? (With four text-figures) The present paper deals with the larval history of the spider crab, Schizophrys aspera (H. Milne-Edwards) as observed in the laboratory. The metamorphosis comprises 2 zoeal and a megalopa stage at sea water temperature ranging from 26°C to 27.5°C and salinity about 33 ppt. During the experiment the larvae were fed with freshly hatched Artemia nauplii. All larval stages have been figured and described in detail. INTRODUCTION Though larvae of many species of spider crabs have been known since Rathke’s (1840) first description of the zoeae of Hyas araneus (Yang 1968), no work has been done in the genus Schizophrys but for the description of the larvae of a species given by Kurata (1969) as of S. aspera. Except for the laboratory reared larvae of 3 species of the family Majidae, no other spider crab has been reared from the Indian waters. The 3 laboratory reared spider crabs being, Dehaanius limbatus, (Kakati & San- kolli 1975b), Acheus lacertosus (Kakati & Sankolli 1975) and Doclea hybrida (Sankolli & Shenoy 1975). Therefore, the larvae of Schizophrys aspera, one of the 3 species of the genus from Indo-west Pacific region (Se- 1 Accepted May 1977. 2 Present address: Central Marine Fisheries Re- search Institute, Cochin 682018, India. * Karnataka University Marine Station, Post-gra- duate Dept. of Marine Biology, Kodibag, Karwar- 581 303. Present address: Dept. of Zoology, Govt. Arts & Science College, Karwar-581-301. rene 1968) were reared in the laboratory. The other two species of the genus represented in the region are S. dama (Herbst) and S. hilen- sis Rathbun. The present account deals with the 2 zoeac and a megalopa of S. aspera and compares the larvae with those of Kurata’s larvae of S. aspera. MATERIAL AND METHODS An ovigerous female of Schizophrys aspera was collected from Ankola rocky shore, west coast of India, on 12th December 1973 and the crab was kept alive in a plastic container until the larvae hatched on 14th December 1973. The rearing method adapted for the ex- periment was same as described by Kakati & Sankolli (1975). During the course of the experiment the temperature of the sea water ranged from 26 to 27.5°C and salinity about 33 ppt. Freshly hatched Artemia nauplii were used as food for the crab larvae. The shortest period for complete larval development was 8 days. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Fig. 1. First zoea of Schizophrys aspera (H. Milne-Edwards): a. lateral view of zoea; b. front view of zoea; c. antennule; d. antenna; e. mandible; f. first maxilla; g. second maxilla; h. first maxilliped; i. second maxilliped; j. third maxilliped; k,-,. pereiopods; m. abdomen. 260 LARVAL HISTORY OF THE SPIDER CRAB, SCHIZOPHRYS ASPERA First ZOEA (Fig. 1) Rostral spine: 0.90 mm; Lateral spine: 0.66 mm; Dorsal spine: 1.03 mm; Abdomen length: 1.70 mm. Duration of the stage: 3-4 days. Carapace smooth, with all three spines; dorsal spine slightly curved backwards; lateral spines more or less straight; the tips of all spines rounded; 3 setae present along the an- terolateral border of carapace; prominent me- diodorsal and medio-frontal tubercles present. Antennule (Fig. 1,c): Conical, with 3 un- equal aesthetascs. Antenna (Fig. 1,d): Spinous process with 2 rows of 10-11 spines; exopod with 3 unequal spines which in turn have spi- nules; endopod bud well developed. Mandible (Fig. 1,e): With strongly developed molar and incisor processes and without palp. First max- illa (Fig. 1,f): Coxal and basal endites each with 7 setae; palp 2-segmented with a single seta on proximal and 5 setae on distal seg- ments. Second maxilla (Fig. 1,g): Both bilo- bed coxal and basal endites with 3 + 4 and 5 + 5 setae on their lobes; palp unsegmented and with 5 setae terminally, its free margins with minute hairs; scaphognathite with 14 fine- ly plumose setae. First maxilliped (Fig. 1,h): Basipod with 8 setae; endopod 5-segmented with 3, 2, 1, 2 and 5 setae arranged distal- wards; exopod 2-segmented with 4 natatory setae on its distal segment. Second maxilliped (Fig. 1,1): Basipod with 3 setae; endopod 2- segmented with 2 and 5 setae on proximal and distal segments respectively; exopod similar to that of first maxilliped. Other appendages (Fig. 1,j & k1-5): Third maxilliped and pereiopods in bud form, the 3rd maxilliped and Ist perei- opod showing biramous and chelate nature res- pectively; gill buds well developed. Abdomen (Fig. 1m): 5-segmented plus telson, lateral protuberance on 2nd and 3rd segments as illus- trated; the postero-lateral sides of segments 3-5 produced to form spines with rounded tips, and they increase in length posteriorly; a pair of setae present on all segments. Telson (Fig. 1m): Telson fork wide; cornua smooth; process formula 3 + 3. Chromatophores: To the naked eye, larvae look reddish brown. Eyestalks reddish-yellow with brownish reticulate chromatophores along their front margins. Carapace spines devoid of chromatophores. All abdominal segments ex- cept for telson are crimson red in colour with brownish red branched chromatophores. Ba- sipods of Ist and 2nd maxillipeds reddish in colour with brown reticulate chromatophores. Whole front area is yellowish brown in colour. Other chromatophores are as illustrated and are brownish red in colour. This pattern re- mains the same for both the zoeal stages. SECOND ZOEA (Fig. 2) Rostral spine: 1.05 mm; Lateral spine: 0.75 mm; Dorsal spine: 1.07 mm; Abdomen length: 2.12 mm. Duration of the stage: 3-4 days. This stage is characterised by: carapace along its antero-lateral margin carries 5 setae, eyes stalked, mandible with palp bud, maxilli- peds with 6 natatory setae, 6th abdominal seg- ment separated from telson. Antennule (Fig. 2,c): Now with 7 aesthe- tascs and a seta, with endopod bud near its distal end. Antenna (Fig. 2,d): Endopod much elongated extending to about 2/3 of the spinous process. Mandible (Fig. 2,e): Now with palp bud. First maxilla (Fig. 2,f): Coxal endite with 7 setae and basal with 9; palp 2- 261 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Fig. 2. Second zoea of Schizophrys aspera (H. Milne-Edwards): a. lateral view of zoea; c. antennule; d. antenna; e. mandible; f. first maxilla; g. second maxilla; h. first maxilliped; i. second maxilliped; j. third maxilliped; k,-,. pereiopods; m. abdomen. 262 LARVAL HISTORY OF THE SPIDER CRAB, SCHIZOPHRYS ASPERA segmented with 1 and 6 setae on its proximal and distal segments. Second maxilla (Fig. 2,2): Both bilobed coxal and basal endites with 3 + 4 and 5 + 5 setae on their lobes; palp with 5 setae; scaphognathite fringed with 25 marginal setae. First maxilliped (Fig. 2,h): Except for the increase in number of natatory setae to 6 no other change. Second maxilliped (Fig. 2,1): Exopod as in first maxilliped; no other change. Other appendages (Fig. 2.,}, k1-5): More elongated than in previous stage. Abdomen (Fig. 2,m): 6th abdominal segment separated from telson; no other change; Tel- son (Fig. 2,m): No change. MEGALOPA (Figs. 3 & 4) Carapace length: 1.26 mm; Carapace breadth: 1.03 mm. Duration of the stage: 5 days (none moulting to crab instar). The carapace is quadrangular, length being slightly more than its breadth, covered with spines and setae, 2 pairs of spines on each side of the gastric: region, a central spine in the gastric region; 2 spines in cardiac and a spine in intestinal region, hepatic lobes slightly coni- cal, the rostrum bifid though the centre is conical, a single seta springs at subterminal level of rostral horns, eyes with a pair of setae antero-dorsally. Antennule (Fig. 3,c): Peduncle 3-segment- ed, each segment with a single seta, inner flagellum unsegmented and with 2 terminal and 2 subterminal setae, dorsal flagellum 3- segmented, proximal with 1 seta, middle with 6 aesthetascs and distal with 4 aesthetascs ba- sally and a seta terminally. Antenna (Fig. 3,d): Peduncle 3-segmented, basal segment with its distal tips forming lobes. The follow- ing segments with a seta and 3rd segment with 3 setae, flagellum 4-segmented, proximal 2 segments bare, last two segments distally each with 3 setae. Mandible (Fig. 3,c): Masti- catory process rounded, palp 3-segmented with 4 stiff setae on the distal segment. First max- illa (Fig. 3,f): Coxal endite with 9 setae and basal with 17; palp unsegmented, with 2 short terminal setae. Second maxilla (Fig. 3.g): The lobes of coxal endites each with 4 and basal each with 6 setae; endopod simple without any setae; scaphognathite fringed with 35-37 setae. First maxilliped (Fig. 3,h): Coxal endite with 8 setae and basal with 12; endopod un- segmented and bare; exopod 2-segmented with 1 and 4 setae terminally on proximal and distal segments respectively; epipod with 5 setobranch-like setae. Second maxilliped (Fig. 4,1): Endopod 5-segmented and with 0, 0, 1, 3 and 5 setae arranged distalwards; exopod 2-segmented and with 4 apical plumose setae on the distal segment. Third maxilliped (Fig. 4,j): Endopod 5-segmented and setation be- ing, 10, 6, 4, 8 and 4 respectively on proximal to distal segments; exopod 2-segmented and with 4 setae at its tip; epipod with 8 basal setae and 8 setobranch-like setae on its rib- bon-like structure, with an arthrobranch. Pe- reiopods (Fig. 4,k1-5): Cheliped on its dorsal side near the base of the palm with a tooth- like structure; setose exopodites of segments 2-5 with a tooth on inner side and a protu- berance with a seta on outer side, and 4 stilt setae on the inner surface of each of the pe- reiopods 2-5. Abdomen (Figs. 3,a & 4,b): 6- segmented; 2nd and 3rd segments each with a-pair of posteriorly directed lateral spines; setation being 2 on Ist and 4 on 2nd to Sth segments and 2 on 6th segment. Te/son (Fig. 4.n): Rounded and its margin smooth, but on ventral side are 2 setae near uropods. Ple- opods (Fig. 4,1,-4.n): Expods of pleopods 1-4 each with 10 setae while that of 5th (=uropod) with 5 setae; endopods each with 263 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 » d Fig. 3. Megalopa of Schizophrys aspera (H. Milne-Edwards): a. dorsal view of megalopa; c. antennule; d. antenna; e. mandible; f. first maxilla; g. second maxilla; h. first maxilliped. 264 LARVAL HISTORY OF THE. SPIDER CRAB, SCHIZOPHRYS ASPERA Fig. 4. Megalopa of Schizophrys aspera (H. Milne-Ewards): b. lateral view of mega- lopa; i. second maxilliped; j. third maxilliped; k,. first pereiopod (cheliped); k,. second pereiopod; k,. third pereiopod; k,. fourth pereiopod; k,. fifth pereiopod; 1,. first pleopod; 1,. third pleopod; n, telson + uropod, 265 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 2 hooks distally. Chromatophores: General body colour is light yellowish-green; chromatophores are reti- culate and are reddish brown in colour. All pereiopod segments and pleopods with reddish brown chromatophores. DISCUSSION Like most of the other majid zoeae, the zoea of the present species is far advanced in development at hatching with well developed antennal endopod and pleopod buds. The zoeae of the present species (Karwar specimen )differ from those of Schizophrys aspera described by Kurata (1969) in the following: The larvae of the Karwar species have the carapace spines with rounded tips; lateral spines being comparatively longer than the other 2 carapace spines; the postero-lateral projection of the abdominal segments 3-5 in- crease in length posteriorward and with round tips; telson cornua devoid of spines; terminal and proximal segment of endopod of first maxilliped with 4 and 2 setae _ respectively whereas in the Kurata’s larvae, carapace spines are pointed; lateral carapace spines smaller; abdominal projections decrease posteriorward and are pointed; telson cornua each with 3 spines; corresponding maxillipedal segments with 5 and 3 setae. As far as the megalopa is concerned, in the Karwar specimen, the rostrum has 3 spines, the middle one being broadly triangular, late- ral ones each with a seta; epibranchial pro- cess of carapace absent; antennal flagellum apically with 3 setae; dorsal spines of 2nd and 3rd abdominal segments directed away from the mid-line whereas in the Kurata’s megalopa, median rostral spine prominent; 2 setae each on each of the lateral rostral spines; epibran- chial process present; antennal flagellum api- cally with 2 setae; dorsal spines of abdominal segments 2-3 directed towards the mid-line. The differences in the morphology of the larvae of Karwar specimen from those des- cribed by Kurata (1969) as of S$. aspera sug- gest that either Kurata wrongly identified his adult material or that the present material may belong to a hitherto undescribed species. Taxonomy of this species thus needs to be carefully studied in detail, especially in the light of larval evidence, because there is con- fusion in the identity of S. aspera at present and there are many synonyms. Moreover, the revision of the taxonomy of all the 3 species of the genus based on the laboratory reared specimens would be most welcome. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are highly indebted to Dr. L. B. Hol- thuis of Leiden and Dr. Takeda of Japan for their critical examination of the parent female and the drawings respectively and confirma- tion of the identification. Sincere thanks are also extended to Dr. K. N. Sankolli for his kind encouragement and guidance. We take this opportunity to thank the authorities of the Karnatak University for providing ltabora- tory facilities, and the C.S.1.R. for the award of Fellowships. . REFERENCES KAKATI, V. S.. AND SANKOLLI, K. N. (1975): Laboratory culture of the spider crab, Acheus lacer- tosus Stimpson (Brachyura, Mayjidae). Indian J. Mar. Sci., 4 (2): 185-188. 266 +*+——_——— (1975a): New record of the spider crab, Dehaanius limbatus (A. Milne-Edwards) from India. Indian J. Mar. Sci., 4 (2): 205-206. (1975b): On the metamorphosis LARVAL HISTORY OF THE SPIDER CRAB, SCHIZOPHRYS ASPERA of the spider crab, Dehaanius limbatus (A. Milne- Edwards) in laboratory (Brachyura, Majidae). J. Karnatak Univ. Sci., 20: 275-282. Kurata, H. (1969): Larvae of Decapoda Bra- chyura of Arasaki Sagami Bay IV. Mayidae. Bull. loka (Ree. Fish. Res. Lab... 57: 81-127. SANKOLLI, K. N. AND SHENOY, S. (1975): On a new record of a Majid crab, Doclea hybrida (Fabr.) (?) from the Maharashtra waters and its life his- tory. J. mar. biol. Ass. India, 17 (1): 126-137. SERENE, R. (1968): The Brachyura of the Indo- west Pacific region in: Prodromous for a check list of the non-planktonic marine fauna of South East Asia. Singapore National Academy Special Papi be 33-112. YANG, W. T. (1968): The zoeae, magalopa, and first crab of Epialtus dilatatus (Brachyura, Maji- dae) reared in the laboratory. Crustaceana, Suppl. 2: 181-202. * Kakati and Sankolli 1975a, unfortunately have overlooked the paper published by B. F. Chhapgar in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, volume 58, no. 2, of August 1961, on pages 529-531. Chhapgar recorded the spider, crab Acan- thonyx limbatus A. Milne-Edwards [-—Dehaanius limbatus (A. Milne—Edwards) ] from Port Okha in the above cited reference. Therefore, the priority of recording, Dehaanius limbatus (A Milne-Ed- wards) goes to Chhapgar. 267 RECORDS OF NYCTERIBIIDAE AND STREBLIDAE (DIPTERA, PUPIPARA) IN KARNATAKA, INDIA’ H. R. Boat, M. A. SREENIVASAN AND M. A. ILKAL? During a survey of bats and their ectoparasites in the western part of Karnataka in connection with Kyasanur Forest disease epidemiological studies, 1921 specimens of Nycteribiid and Streblid files were coilected. These specimens represent !0 genera and 24 species. They are recorded here with notes on geographic range and host relationship. INTRODUCTION The available information on Indian Nycte- ribiids and Streblids is scattered and scanty, except for a small monograph on ectoparasites of bats from India by Hiregaudar and Bal (1956), which includes 16 species belonging to these two families, occurring in southern India. The present communication deals with ma- terial collected during a survey of bats and their ectoparasites in connection with the sero- logical studies on Kyasanur Forest disease. In all 1921 specimens (947 males and 974 females) were collected. They represent 10 genera and 24 species and are recorded with additional notes on geographic range and host relationships. Perhaps this is the largest col- lection of Nycteribiids and Streblids ever made in India. The classification and nomenclature here are based on the system of Maa (1962, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969) and Theodor (1955, 1967, 1968a and 1968b). | The area covered during the survey includes 1 Accepted July 1977. 2 Virus Research Centre, Indian Council of Medi- cal Research, Poona, India. 268 Belgaum, Bijapur, Chitradurga, Coorg, Dhar- war, Hassan, Shimoga, South Kanara and North Kanara districts of Karnataka State. MATERIAL AND METHODS The bats were collected by trapping them in mist nets or in sweep nets from their day- time roost or foraging areas. Whenever it was necessary they were also collected by shoot- ing. They were killed with chloroform vapour, wrapped in white lint cloth and held for four to six hours to allow any live ectoparasites to detach. All the detached ectoparasites were collected and preserved in 70 per cent alco- hol after identification. RESULTS—RECORDS AND NOTES ON SPECIES Family NYCTERIBNDAE Westwood, 1840 Sufamily Nycteribiinae Westwood, 1840 Genus Nycteribia Latreille, 1796 Subgenus Nycteribia Latreille, 1796 1. Nycteribia (Nycteribia) allotopa Speiser, 1901 Material examined: 54 664, 42 29, all from Miniopterus schreibersi. BELGAUM: 15 ¢@4, 9 2@, removed from bats; 3 64, 3 22, from roost; Thigadi, respectively on 18.vi.71 and 5.viii.71. SHimoGA: 2 @ 4, 2 22, Kotipura, 22 vit t) 14 Oi is SO 0) a 13 Q9@; Kavaledurga, respectively on 18.ii.72 and SV 2. RECORDS OF NYCTERIBUDAE AND STREBLIDAE Notes: Originally described from 1 ¢ and 1 9, ex M. schreibersi collected at Lian Si Pache, W. Sumatra, subsequently recorded from India, Ceylon, Burma, Taiwan, Kiangsu, Moluccas, Philippines, China and Japan from the same host. The colonies of M. schreibersi were also in- habited by other species of bats, but the para- site was not found on them. 2. Nycteribia (Nycteribia) parvula Speiser, 1901 Material examined: 73 &@, 64 22, ex M. schreibersi, 1 8, ex Rhinolophus lepidus. BEEGAUIM. 126 Oy. bs 2, 95: W328 Ses 16 | OO: Thigadi, respectively on 18.vi.71 and _ 5.viii.71. SHIMOGA: 29°" 6 ay 125° 2 9. Kotipura. « 22:vu.71. 1396 6,12 22; 666; 8 2G; Kavaledurga, res- pectively on 18.11.72 and 3.iv.72. 1 3, ex R. lepidus, Kavaledurga, 3.iv.72. Notes: Originally described from 2 2° collected at Lian Si Pache, Sumatra, ex M. schreibersi. It has a common distribution range and host specificity with N. allotopa. Occur- rence on R. lepidus is obviously as straggler, as it was cohabiting with M. schreibersi. Genus Stylidia Westwood, 1840 3. Stylidia ceylonica Theodor, 1967 Material examined: 5 64, 5 Q2@, ex Hipposi- deros lankadiva; 1 92, ex Hipposideros speoris. NORTH KANARA: 2 6 4, ex AH. lankadiva; 1 9°, exw. =speorts, Gersoppa, 2xi/ly 1 jo, 4 9°, ex H. lankadiva, Muroor, 3l1.v.71; 1 @, ex H. lanka- diva, Nislneer, 22.iv.73. SOUTH KANARA: 2 @4 4, 2 92, ex H. lankadiva, Kamalashile, 10.iv.73. Notes: So far known only from Sri Lanka ex H. lankadiva. Occurrence on H. speoris appears to be a straggler as it was cohabi- ting with H. lankadiva. 4. Stylidia phillipsi (Scott, 1925) Material examined: 40 6, 52 22, ex Rhino- lophus rouxi; 1 8, ex Hipposideros bicolor. SHIMOGA: 4 ¢@46,7 22; 1 6, 4 92; Harava- dike, respectively on 20.iii1.68 and 18.vi.68. 1 4, 4 29, Nellikoppa, 20.ii1.68. 3 ¢@6, 3 22, Tho- ragoduy Iv.G8o3 66; 6 6 6,4.29; 16, 3028: Gi ano O30 So, 3 2.2) Nasaraguppe, Tes: pectively on 23rd and 31.v.68, 13, 22 and 26.vi.68. Baa Oo. Hale Ikker, 3.v.71.°4"6 65 3 2 2, Gilalgundi, 14.vii.71. 1 92, Byrekoppa, 25.xi.71. coorG: 3 @@, Gadduge gate, 3l1.vii71. N. KANARAG I Ol. Kagaal, S.xigfl 5616. in, 2, Muroor, 29.iii.72. 1 ¢, ex H. bicolor, Muroor, 31.v.72. Notes: The species has been recorded ear- lier from Ceylon and India ex R. rouxi. The record ex H. bicolor appears to be of a strag- gler, because the species was associated with R. rouxi. 5. Stylidia sp. 1 Material examined: 1 6, ex R. lepidus. NORTH KANARA: 1 @, Muroor, 29.1ii.72. Notes: The species resembles S. szechuana (Theodor, 1954) closely. 6. Stylidia sp. 2 Material examined: 3 6&4, 17 2@, ex R. lepi- dus, Kavaledurga, SHIMOGA, 3.iv./2. 2 92, ex R. lepidus, Kamalashile, SOUTH KANARA, 10.iv.73. Genus Basilia Miranda Ribeiro, 1903 Subgenus Basilia Miranda Ribeiro, 1903 7. Basilia (Basilia) majuscula (Edwards, 1919) Material examined: 24 66, 41 29, ex Pipi- strellus ceylonicus. BELGAUM: 1 @, Thigadi, 5.viii.71. BIJAPUR: 1 ¢@, 1 @, Badami, 15.ix.71. CHITRADURGA: | 6, 7 2@Q, Chitradurga, 24.vi.71. DHARWAR: 3 64, 1 @, Kagi- nel, lovin 6 63,2 6 29, Uppinbetegeri, 4.vili.71; 2 22, Amminbhavi, 4.viii.71; 1 ¢, 1 @, Nargund, 13.ix.71. HASSAN: 1 6, 4 22, Bana- vara, 28.vii.71. SHIMOGA: 4 ¢@@4, 1 @Q, _ Ikkeri, Ovi letieds oOo «all nQng Sagar.» blav.72: Notes: Earlier recorded from India, Java, Sumatra and Philippines ex Pipistrellus spp. The Indian form was originally described as B. scotti Hiregaudar and Bal, 1956 and was later synonimised with B. majuscula by Theo- dor, 1967. 8. Basilia (Basilia) sp. Material examined: 7 66, 12 292, ex Myotis peshwa, Vakkund, BELGAUM, 19.vi.71. 269 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. Notes: The species comes close to B. nana Theodor and Moscana, 1954. Subgenus Paracyclopodia Scott, 1917 9. Basilia (Paracyclopodia) roylii roylii (West- wood, 1835) Material examined: philus temmincki. SHIMOGA: 2, 64, 4 29, Sagar town, 11-v.72. NORTH KANARA: 8 @ 6, 19 92, Nagire near Ger- soppa, 4.x1.71. ‘ Notes: Recorded from India, Ceylon, Burma and Malaya. Recorded hosts are Scotophilus spp., Hesperotenus tickelli, Tylony- cteris pachypus, Megaderma lyra and Pipistrel- lus coromandra. Subgenus Tripselia Scott, 1917 10. Basilia (Tripselia) Dlainvillii (Speiser, 1907) Material examined: 1 6, 1 @, ex Taphozous longimanus, Ikkeri, SHIMOGA, 30.xii.71. Notes: Earlier records are from _ India, Burma, Ceylon, Borneo and Sumatra ex Tap- hozous spp. Genus Penicillidia Kolenati, 1863 Subgenus Penicillidia Kolenati, 1863 10; 2°65 23 2 os. ex Seoto- amiculata 11. Penicillidia (Penicillidia) indica Scott, 1925 Material examined: 29 @&@4, 23 @92, ex M. schreibersi. BELGAUM :. 2) $6 63448 O090.7 7" Mhigadi 18a: SHIMOGA: 2 ¢6¢6, 2 2@, Kotipura, 22.vii.71. 2018 $5 OS OE OS 7 OO: KRavaledurgas nes- pectively on 18.11.72 and _ 3.iv.72. Notes: Earlier records are from India ex M. schreibersi and Ceylon ex M. schreibersi and P. ceylonicus. 12. Penicillidia sp. Material examined: 1 6, 1 Muroor, N. KANARA, 29,111.72. On exe (Rh. Lepidus, Subfamily Cyclopodiinae Theodor, 1967 Genus Eucampsipoda Kolenati, 1857 13. Kucampsipoda fatisterna Schuurmans Stekhoven, 1938 270 SOCIETY Vols 76 Material examined: 169 4&4, 126 92, ex Rou- settus leschenaulti and 1 ¢, ex H. lankadiva. SHIMOGA: 6 @46,7 22; 4 66, 3 29%; Nada- kalasi, respectively on 7.11.68 and i.vii.71l. 11 6 36, 16 9 2, Horabail, 17.11.68. 6 66,7 292, Mungar- valli, 2140.68. (1a, 392) *Hegeodu (Sora)? 911.68, 1°45 2 (9 2 Patresaluy, 220682 Ge ore 15 (29) Wikkerig Owe iy 3), 1a ele? AUNun@ige= sara, Oa. Gye Se Seen Onl Se auOr Bene or Kangodu respectively, “ont, Oia anda lSaxag ie TS GE O42 9512. Sa, 72 2 Matocoppay mespec- tively on) 27:xe71 wand MS x7 ly 4 1a aie om Or oe Bile= vir TO oxa7 179) 285 1949) Bandagaddes alg ox iilr BELGAUM: 3 ¢4, 3 2 @, Thigadi, 21.vi.71. NorRTH KANARA: 34/.4 6. 28: 2 OG whacaals (Saal 2 aa 8 2.9% ses Se 4 ono Muroomenespectively yon 7.iv.72 and 31.v.72. 1 @, ex H. lankadiva, Muroor, Silvey 2s Notes: Originally recorded under Eucamp- sipoda hyrtlii ex R. leschenaulti from Orissa, Assam and Bombay in India; ex R. seminu- dus and Tylonycteris pachypus from Sri Lanka and from a cave in Thailand. The record from H. lankadiva is apparently of a straggler. 14. Eucampsipoda sundaica Theodor, 1955 Material examined: 59 6 4, 37 22, ex Eonyc- teris spelaea and 1 ¢, 1 2, ex habitat of the same species in association with R. leschenaulti; 1 &, ex H. speoris from the same habitat. NORTH: KANARAH OY 24006. Gui SIS On Mi ia 13,2 O12 So 1Ss 682 oO] ANisineen@respectively: on Sxi, and’ 10x72) and? T0173. be a ie trom habitat on 8.xi.72. 6 ¢@ 6, 3 22; Muroor, 1.1.73. bi 9, ex: A speoris, (Nisineer, 3030.73. Notes: ‘The species has been recorded ex C. sphinx from Madras, ex Pieropus from Burma, in a cave from Thailand, ex E. spe- laea from Malaya and Sumatra ex Rousettus amplexicaudatus and E. spelaea_ glandifera from Philippines, Mindanao and Palwan (Theodor 1955 and 1967; Maa 1962). Re- cently the species was also recorded ex E. spelaea from Kumaon hills in the western Himalayas (Bhat and Kulkarni 1974). RECORDS OF NYCTERIBHDAE AND STREBLIDAE Genus Cyclopodia Kolenati, 1863 Subgenus Cyclopodia Kolenati, 1863 15. Cyclopodia (Cyclopedia) sykesii wood, 1835) Material examined: 8 @ 4, 12 22, ex Pteropus giganteus, Kumsi, SHIMOGA, 9.xi.71. Notes: Recorded from several localities in India, Sri Lanka and Burma_ ex Pteropus giganteus. There is a single record from China. It may be mentioned here that Cyclopodia kalyania Chaudhari and Mitra, 1965 is a syno- nym of C. sykesii according to Maa (1968). (West- Genus Leptocyclopodia Theodor, 1959 Subgenus Leptocyclopodia Theodor, 1959 16. Leptocyclopodia (Leptocyclopodia) — fer- rarii ferrarii (Rondani, 1878) Material examined: 16 @&, 7 22, ex Cynop- terus sphinx. SHIMOGA: 2 @ 6, Nadakalasi, 18.11.68. 1 6, 1 9, Lingadahalli (Chipli), 9.11.68. 2 ¢@ ¢ Horabail, one each! onl ii 7un68 sand 330.v:68: (lind, 2° 2 9, -Hen- negere, 5.11.68. 1° 2, Sagar, J:vi.71. 3. ¢ 4, Kan- PCOdUAl OX Mules CO uGe aa ere aaa 6 is, Os) Haro- goppa, respectively on 27.x.71 and 18.xi.71. Notes: Earlier records are ex C. sphinx from several localities in India and one record ex Megaderma lyra; ex C. brachyotis and C. sphinx from Ceylon; ex C. sphinx from Thai- Jand; ex C. hbrachyotis from Malaya, Sumatra and Borneo; ex C. horsfieldi from Java; and also recorded in Vietnam, Cambodia ex un- det. hosts. Family StreEBLIDAE Kolenat:. 1863 Subfamily Brachytarsinae Maa, 1965 Genus Megastrebla Maa, 1971 Subgenus Megastrebla Maa, 1971 17. Megastrebla (Megastrebla) parvior par- vior Maa, 1962 Material examined: 17 @ 4, 17 28, ex R. les- ehenaultr; 24, 2.3, 16.9 95 ex \E: spelaea; and 1 9, ex H. speoris. NORMEMIKANARAG 2 Gugujnih Pein be A, od Qos yoo 829; ex R. leschenaulti,'Muroor, res- PECtiVely) OniNiSuxii7 1). 31iv.728 and) Sivi.72) 0247) a. 4: 16 92, ex E. spelaea, 1 2, ex H. speoris from common habitat at Nislneer, 30.x1.73. SHIMOGA: 2 24, ex R. leschenaulti Kangodu, 15.x.71. 1 &, Harogoppa, 27.x.71. Notes: The species was originally recorded under the name Nycteribosca gigantea (syn: Brachytarsina gigantea) (Jobling, 1934) which is apparently restricted to the bat genus Dob- sonia (Maa, 1962) in New Guinea, New Bri- tain and Solomon Islands. The species is des- cribed under the present name parvior by Maa (1962) on the basis of material collected in Sumba ex R. amplexicaudatus and in Malaya ex Hipposideros sp. and Batu caves, prob- ably inhabited by Fonycteris spelaea. Recently the species was transferred under the present genus by Maa (1971). Genus Brachytarsina Macquart, 1851 18. Brachytarsina amboinensis (Rondani, 1878) Material examined: 50 64, 79 @@, ex M. schreibersi. BELGAUM: 7 64,6 293;4 46,5 29; Thigadi, respectively on 18.vi.71 and 5.viii.71. SHIMOGA: Oig 20 2.2 : Kotipura,.22.vi.71..18 6 6; 20 2 2; 12 @66, 28 2°; Kavaledurga, respectively on 1Sav7/2 sand: 3.1v.72. Notes: According to the available records the species has a geographic range from India to Ryukyu Island, New Caledonia and New South Wales. It occurs chiefly on Miniopte- rus. Occassionally it has also been recorded from Fonycteris, Rousetius, Rhinolophus and Hipposideros. The records on these species are apparently of stragglers due to the coha- bitation of different bat species in the same habitat. 19. Brachytarsina cucullata (Jobling, 1934) Material examined: 3 84, 8 22, ex Taphozous melanopogon. BIJAPUR: 2 66, 7 29, Badami, 14.1x.71. HAs- SAN aa eee a talebid.. Lovilie? 1. Notes: Originally described upon a male ex IT. melanopogon from Sri Lanka. It has 29/3 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 been recorded from Mindanao ex T. melano- pogon and C. brachyotis, and from Malaya ex I. melanopogon. 20. Brachytarsina modesta (Jobling, 1934) Material examined: 17 @ &, 31 9 Q, ex R. lepi- dus: sand: 28) < 4,30) GOs ex. Ro reuns: NORTH KANARA: ex R. lepidus, 3 26, 5 2° Muroor, 29.iii.72. Ex R. rouxi: 14 $6, 7 @&, Muroor, 29.iii.72. 10 68, 5 92, Gokarn, 30.v.72. SHIMOGA: ex R. lepidus: 1 2, Jog, 5.1.72. 12 66, 21 29, Kavaledurga 3.iv.72. Ex R. rouxi: 1 &, Haravadike, 18.vi.68. 11 2 ¢@, Ikkeri, 3.v.71. 4 ¢ 4, 6 @@, Gilalagundi, 14.vii.71. SOUTH KANARA: 2 Aa A. DO ON texa IRS vepiaus: Kamalashile, 10.iv.73. Notes: First described by Jobling ex R. rouxi from Sri Lanka and subsequently the species was recorded in India from the same species of bat (Hiregaudar and Bal 1956). 21. Brachytarsina pygialis (Jobling, 1934) Material examined: 19 & 6, 40 22, ex H. lan- kadiva and 2 22 ex H. speoris. BELGAUM: 1 @, 1 @, Thigadi, 18.vi.71. CHITRA- DURGA: 1 @, Chandravalli, 25.vi.71. HASSAN: 7 @@, Banavara, 28.vii.71. NORTH KANARA: eX HH. lankadiva: 3.64. 5 2 os 2 Asal? 3 Ger- soppa, respectively on 15.iii.71 and 2.x1.71. 10 ¢ 4, 15 2°.) Muroor, 3i.v.72. (Ex, Be. speoris 132), 202), Gersoppa, 15.iii.71. SOUTH KANARA: 3 6 6, 10 2 @, ex H. lankadiva, Kamalashile, 10.iv.73. Notes: Originally described on specimens collected ex Hl. lankadiva from Sri “Lanka. From the present record it appears to be as- sociated with H. lankadiva. Record from H. speoris is apparently of stragglers due to coh- abitation of the bats. Genus Raymondia Frauenfeld, 1856 22. Raymondia joblingi Hiregaudar and Bal, 1956 Material examined: 45 66, 56 2 @, ex R. rouxi and (2 a6, 202 Cex uk. lepidus: coorG: 3 424, 3 92, Gadduge Gate, 31.vii.71. NORTH KANARA: 3 @2@, Kagaal, 5.x1.71. 5 24, 4 9°. Muroor, 29.10: 72.18 36.6. 20, ooo. (Gokarn, 30.vi72. SHIMOGA: 1 @, Haravadike, 20.11.68. 1 9, Thoragodu, (11v-68: 41 eo er eso OR ane 1 ¢; Kasaraguppe, respectively on 31.v, 13.vi, 26.vi. 68: 1 Sy eo 109 9. kkert,” 33v- 71 esis een - Gilalagundi, 14.vii.71. 1 ¢@, 2 92, Byrekoppa, 25.xd. 7h, Ex TR. lepidus: 2 (oo. 2 ome tals. 5.14.72. 1 @, Kavaledurga, 3.iv.72. Notes: First described from India ex R. rouxi by Hiregaudar and Bal (1956). Ap- pears to be associated with R. rouxi. R. lepi- dus and R. rouxi are commonly found in as- sociation with each other. 23. Raymondia molossa (Giglioli, 1864) Material examined: 211 @ 6, 206 2 9, ex Mega- derma lyra. SHIMOGA: 14 ¢ 4, 11 22, Gilalagundi, 14.vii.71. 6 2°, Bileyur, 19.xi.71. 42 @ 4, 29 92, Gava- toor near Ripponpeth, 2.xii.71. 15 ¢@6, 18 2 @, Kudroor, 9.xii.71. 35 ¢@6, 35 22, Kangodu, 11,72. 54 "6 20056 9:9} Wd 226.712 leone > 28 @2@@, 4xBandalike, 26.v.72. NORTH KANARA: 24 Susy, 123) 19 Oe sBanavasic lw valle Notes: The species has been recorded from Sri Lanka and India under the name R. lobu- lata (Speiser, 1900) by Jobling (1930). Con- sequently the species is designated as R. molossa comb. nov. by Maa (1969). 24. Raymondia pagodarum Speiser, 1900 Material examined: 26 66, 19 29, ex AHip- posideros spp. DHARWAR: 4 6¢, 4 22, ex H. bicolor, Uppin- betgeri, 4.viii.71. 1 6, 2 92, ex W. bicolor, Nar- gund, 13.ix.71. NORTH KANARA: 1 4, 6 @@, ex Hi... bicolor, Gokarn, 30iv.7/2. 1S @.4,5-5, 2.2, vex HH; speoris,:.Muroor, 29:12 516 42) 9 OF rex H. lankadiva, Muroor, 31.v.72. Notes: The species has been recorded from Hipposideros spp. and Rhinolophus spp. from India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands. DISCUSSION A total number of 24 species of bats have been collected during the survey. Sixteen spe- cies of them had one or more species of pupi- paran parasites and eight of them did not yield any pupiparan parasite. The details of host RECORDS OF NYCTERIBHDAE AND STREBLIDAE Rousettus leschenaulti Pteropus giganteus Cynopterus sphinx Eonycteris spelaea Rhinopoma_ hardwickei Taphozous longimanus Taphozous melanopogon Taphozous theobaldi Taphozous kachhensis Megaderma spasma Megaderma lyra Rhinolophus rouxi Rhinolephus lepidus Rhinolophus luctus Hipposideros speoris Hipposideres lankadiva Hipposideros bicolor Myotis peshwa Pipistrellus coromandra Pipistrellus ceylonicus Tylonycteris pachypus Scotophilus temmincki Miniopterus_ schreibersi Kerivoula picta HostT-PARASITE LIST Eucampsipoda latisterna Megastrebla parvior parvior Cyclopodia sykesii Leptocyclopodia ferrarii ferrarii Eucampsipoda_ sundaica Megastrebla parvior parvior Basilia blainvillii amiculata Brachytarsina cucullata — Raymondia molossa Stylidia phillipsi Brachytarsina modesta Raymondia joblingi Nycteribia parvula (straggler?) Stylidia sp. 1 (straggler?) Stylidia sp. 2 Penicillidia sp. Brachytarsina modesta Raymondia joblingi Stylidia ceylonica (straggler?) Brachytarsina_ pygialis Raymondia pagodarum Eucampsipoda sundaica (straggler?) Megastrebla parvior parvior (straggler?) Stylidia ceylonica Eucampsipoda latisterna (straggler?) Brachytarsina pygialis Raymondia pagodarum Stylidia phillipsi (straggler?) Raymondia pagodarum Basilia sp. Basilia majuscula Basilia roylii roylii Nycteribia allotopa Nycteribia parvula Penicillidia indica Brachytarsina amboinensis 213 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 and parasite associations are presented in the accompanying list. Among the species found negative included a few specimens of Tapho- zous theobaldi, Rhinolophus luctus, Pipistrel- lus coromandra, Tylonycteris pachypus and Kerivoula picta; and more than a dozen spe- cimens of each of the Rhinopoma hardwickei, Taphozous kachhensis, Megaderma spasma. India has a representation of more than a hundred species of bats. Approximately 40 species have been recorded from the present study area. The present sample includes 24 common species. Others are apparently rare Or more cryptic in their habit. A more intensive survey of bat parastites is necessary to have a comprehensive list of Indian bat pupipara. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to Dr. N. P. Gupta, Direc- tor, Virus Research Centre, Poona, for con- stant encouragement and for extending all the facilities, and to the staff of Virus Research Centre, Field Station, Sagar for their assist- ance during the study. REFERENCES BHAT, H. R. AND KULKARNI, S. M. (1974): A survey of haematophagous arthropods in western Himalayas, Sikkim and hiil districts of West Ben- gal—Pupipara. Indian J. Med. Res. 62 (8): 1121- 1133: HIREGAUDAR, L. S. AND BaL, D. V. (1956): Some ectoparasites of bats from India. Agra Univ. J. Res. Sct) 5 (1) =) a-1's4: JOBLING, B. (1930): A revision of the genus Raymondia Frauenfeld (Diptera, Pupipara, Strebli- dae). Parasitology 22: 283-301. (1934): A revision of the genus Nycteribosca Speiser (Diptera, Pupipara, Strebli- dae). Parasitology 26: 64-97. Maa, T. C. (1962): Records and descriptions of Nycteribiidae and Streblidae (Diptera). Pacific Ins. 4 (2): 417-436. (1965): An interim world list of batflies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae). J. Med. Ent. 1 (4): 377-386. (1966): Partial revision of the Cyclopodiinae (Diptera: Nycteribiidae). Pacific Ins. 8 (3): 648-685. 274 (1968) : Nycteribiidae). Addition to the Cyclopo- diinae (Diptera: Pacific Ins. 10 Ge ale? 3: (1969): The identity and type host of Strebla molossa Giglioli (Diptera: Streblidae). Pacific Ins. 1] (2): 495-496. (1971): Review of the Streblidae (Diptera) parasitic on Megachiropteran bats. Paci- fic Ins. Monogr. 28: 213-243. THEOvoR, O. (1955): On the genus Eucampsi- poda Kol. and Dipseliopoda n.g. (Nycteribiidae, Diptera). Parasitology 45: 195-229. (1967): An illustrated catalogue of the Rothschild collection of Nycteribiidae (Dip- tera) in the British Museum (Natural History), with keys and short descriptions for the identifica- tion of subfamilies, genera, species and subspecies. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), London. pp. 506; pl: 5. (1968a): Revision of the Strebli- dae (Diptera) of the Ethiopian region. Trans R. Ent. Socs ‘Lond, 120. (16): 313-373: (1968b): New species and new re- cords of Nycteribiidae from the Ethiopian, Orien- tal and Pacific regions. Parasitology 58: 247-276. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF THE RISHI GANGA VALLEY AND THE NANDA DEVI SANCTUARY T. M. REED? (With two text-figures) The Nanda Devi Sanctuary, Garhwal Himalaya, Uttar Pradesh was visited by a party from Cambridge University June-August 1977. Observations were mace of the birds around Joshimath, on the trek to and from the Sanctuary & within the Sanctuary. Details are given for the vegetation and birds of the area. 93 species were seen; some are new records for the area, some are extensions beyond documented altitudinal ranges. The Rishi Ganga is a tributary of the Dhauli Ganga, draining the Nanda Devi sanctuary area of the Garhwal Himalaya (Fig. 1). The river, which has cut a gorge several thousand feet in depth, is rarely visited: the only visit- ors being international climbing expeditions which pass through the gorge to reach their base camps. So far no details have been pub- lished on either the fauna or flora of the area, except Lavkumar’s observations around Joshi- math (Lavkumar 1956).? The present paper is an attempt to partially remedy this state of affairs by detailing the birds seen in the Sanctuary, on the walks in and out, and for the short period spent in the town of Joshi- math prior to the visit to the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary (Fig. 2), a high level, moun- tain girt, basin at 13,000-14,000 feet is reach- ed by a nine day trek starting from Lata vil- 1 Accepted February 1978. 2 Dept. of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS. * Some more data on the fauna has been procur- ed by Mr. Lavkumar during his WWE-sponsored reconnaisance of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary in May-June 1977. lage. The trek crosses several small ranges thereby avoiding the very difficult section of the lower Gorge. The path eastwards into the basin passes through a variety of vegetation types. Above Lata village oak changes quickly into a mixture of deodar and blue pine, the only open areas being clearings fired for grazing. The path from Belta Karak to Lata Karak involves a rapid ascent through lichen draped deodar and pine. From this stage onward undergrowth is typically sparse or absent, shrubs only found where soils are either too shallow or unstable for tree growth. The forest then changes to a dense rhododendron forest by 12,000 feet, which itself gives way to alpine meadows. The meadows are dominat- ed by the colourful annuals of the Rosacae family. The meadows pass quickly into montane grassland with tufted grasses, lichens and squat evergreen shrubs. The grasslands are grazed as far as Dibrugheta by summer flocks from Lata village. In this high area, with passes at 15,000 feet, there are few birds to be seen except for an occasional Impeyan pheasant Lophophorus impejanus, wren Troglodytes 275 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 UPPER GARHWAL © adapted from Lavkumar (1956) Pandakesunar ? i 4 1°? & 63s ee ons? en <(hegee ier bm es 6 ous aur § 3 Glacier “~’ mountain range A peak, height In metres Sale: 1centimetre = 16 Kilometres Fig. 1. Nanda Devi sanctuary area of the Garhwal Himalaya. 276 ORNITHOLOGY OF THE RISHI GANGA VALLEY AND NANDA DEVI SANCTUARY troglodytes or pipit Anthus spp. A rapid descent from the mountain ridge passes through a zone of alpine flowers, then a belt of scrub and birch Betula utilis before returning to the wet forest surrounding the camp of Dibrugheta. The forest here is slight- ly drier than on the other side of the range, a trend that continues into the Gorge and Sanctuary. This desiccation is progressive. since, aS more and more obstacles bar the way that main monsoon winds are quickly drained of much of their load. By the time the monsoon winds reach the Sanctuary the rain is light and in small amount compared to the start of the trek. From Dibrugheta the path to Deodi climbs back up to the grassland, undulating up and down before finally returning to the coniferous forest. It is noticeable that deciduous trees dominate only the ravines and their immediate surrounds, conifers dominating all other areas below the tree line. The waik to Ramani is through an admix of rhododendron and birch before returning to pines which dominate beyond the Trisul river, only reverting to birch on the outskirts of the camp area. Beyond Ramani there is little or no tree cover, what there is mainly birch in the base of the gorge, along its tri- butaries or in inaccessible clefts. The dominant vegetation slowly changes to a sparse cover of montane grasses and squat Ericacae. Only towards the margins of the Sanctuary does scrub juniper Juniper communis appear and quickly becomes the dominant cover. By the time the Sanctuary is reached, at the con- fluence of the Rishi Gangas, the soil is notice- -ably dry with aromatic herbs present in large numbers for the first time. The two branches of the Rishi Ganga are very similar. In each there is a dominant juniper cover which gives way altitudinally to grasses, prone mosses and lichens, and on riverine soils to annual herbs and dwarf willow Salix spp. Both valleys are blocked by glaciers. The woody vegetation ex- tends along the sides beyond the tongue of the glacier before changing slowly to squat alpines and finally to lichens. The observations listed below were made by members of the Cambridge Garhwal Himalaya expedition in the period early July to late August 1977. Due to pressure of time, and the vagaries of the monsoon, observations on the walks in and out of the Sanctuary were rather brief. By far the largest period of ob- servation was carried out in the Base Camp valley (North Rishi Ganga) and on the slopes of the surrounding peaks. The valley is surprisingly rich in birds; 43 species being identified, with many of these close to or beyond documented altitudinal li- mits. The major stronghold is the scrub juni- per. In the juniper were warblers Phylloscopus spp., Rubythroats Hrithacus pectoralis, Gros- beaks Mycerobas spp., Redstarts Phoenicurus spp., and Rose Finches. The other main ha- bitats used by birds were scrub willow and areas of grass and rock debris. A number of species were observed breed- ing until the second week of August when there were great numbers of fledglings about. The first movements out of the valley were taking place by the third week of August. During this period several species, previousiv absent were observed moving down-valley, be- ing first observed high up on the mountain sides and on the glacier margins. Species such as the hoopoe Upupa epops and warblers had presumably come over the adjacent divide from Tibet before descending down the Rishi Ganga en route to lowland wintering quarters. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 soud [emULy £999 S190 : 5 4 » eV WAL 1199, L. y y Gg Bag age si99e te deg ie suneinzoy “+ fe". bese jp ts) ao Xe ) Ww fo ies dwups © as le a bh is SAQA y = BAQBUPUS 1: VjLOS Oy). fo wn [oe & & a 5 “ Mewence y / kag Drip Sos Gal ca oe ee 3 é ik ; DANG WAQ_ \ é AVF {SEED re a ocd Lo & f Se m~ (Sea UBOWO 61 Oe sanow uu}! yubizuSyved ¥v 2Duds UICQUNCU cee \ bur ee ——— 49 ~~, See a oun ; eatin P Ge Noe iethess Sa = S Boje iors AEVOIONYS IASC VaINVN Sil 218 ORNITHOLOGY OF THE RISHI GANGA VALLEY LIST Anser spp. Geese. A skein seen flying at about 24,000 feet near a col on Nanda Devi. Milvus migrans Black Kite. Several seen in the vicinity of Joshimath. Very infrequent com- pared to Lavkumar’s notes 1956. Aquila chrysaetos Golden Eagle. A single aduit above Lata village. Two further adults seen in the Sanctuary at Pataikan (15,400 feet). A single bird observed near the Changbang base camp. An adult was mobbed by 150 chough Pyrrhocorax spp. on the bluffs above base camp. Aquila nipalensis Steppe Eagie. A single bird circling just above the forest margins at Joshimath. Aegypius monachus Black Vulture. A_ pair circling in the valley between Bhuj Gara and Ramani. Gyps himalayensis Himalayan Griffon Vulture. Common on thermals above Joshimath. Adults and juveniles seen together below the town. Several on most days above base camp, occasionally mobbed by Redbilled chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax. Gyps bengalensis Whitebacked Vulture. A single bird above Joshimath. Neophronm percnopterus Egyptian Vulture. Four to five adults and juveniles were com- monly seen flying the length of the Joshi- math valley. Gypaetus barbatus Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture. Up to three seen together in the Base camp valley, with one occasion of two adults and a juvenile flying along the bluff- line. An adult bird was observed ‘bone dropping’ for a period of fifteen minutes. The bird carried a pelvic bone aloft, circl- ed, dropped the bone from a height of 300 feet then swung down to collect the bone before repeating the performance. The pro- AND NANDA DEVI SANCTUARY cess was carried out five times before the bone was sufficiently fractured. Before each drop the bird completed an average of two circles to gain sufficient height. Faico peregrinus Peregrine Falcon. A single bird stooping on a finch in the valley below Lata village. Faico tinmunculus Kestrel. Up to two in the Base camp valley. On one occasion a single bird mobbed by ten chough. Also seen at Joshimath. Lerwa jerwa Snow Partridge. A single bird at 15,500 feet in Base Camp valley giving an alarm call. Tetraogalius tibetanus Tibetan Snow Cock. An adult and four fledglings at 16,500 feet. Lophophorus impejamus [mpeyan pheasant. Three flew from cliffs near Lata Karak, calling vociferously as they descended. Lophura leucomeiana Kalji Pheasant. A pair in the forest near Belta Karak. Columba ‘euconota Snow Pigeon. Several pairs in the Base Camp valley. Birds com- monly seen in ones or twos. One individual roosted for most of the day on a river cliff. Columba rupestris Hill Pigeon. Two seen, one of which was crossing a mountain ridge at 17,000 feet. Columba livia Blue Rock Pigeon. Single birds seen flying in the lower Rishi Gorge. Not noted beyond Deodi. Absent in the Joshi- math region. Coliecalia brevirestris Edible-nest Swiftlet. A single bird above the forest at Joshimath. Upupa epops Hoopoe. A single carrying food at Joshimath. Not noted in the Sanctuary until the end of August, when numbers were seen descending the valley, being noted first high on the mountains above the glacier line. They had probably crossed the moun- tain range from Tibet. 219 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Picoides macei Fulvousbreasted Pied Wood- pecker. Three on a dead tree in mixed forest above Joshimath. Delichon urbica House martin. Smail flocks of up to 20 around cliffs at 15,000 feet on August 1. Three broods on overhanging clifi face at Bhuj Gara being fed on August 26. Lanius schach Rufousbacked shrike. A single bird on telegraph lines at Joshimath and one between Lata and Joshimath. Oriolus oriolus Golden Oriole. A single male on a wall at 7,000 feet. Oviolus traillii Maroon Oriole. In forests near Belia. Acridotheres tristis Common Myna. Common in Joshimath but few compared to lower altitudes. A single bird mobbed a kestrel at Joshimath. Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Redbilled Chough & P. graculus Yeliowbilled Chough. First seen in the Rishi Gorge at Ramani. Found singly or in flocks in the Sanctuary. Flocks built up from the single numbers of the early morning into flocks of up to 150 by late afternoon. ‘Play parties’ were usually mixed and led by P. pyrrhocorax. Corvus macrorhynchos Jungle Crow. Many in and around Joshimath wheeling in thermals. Also in the fields around Lata. Cervus corene Carrion Crow. A pair above the alpine meadow flying towards a cliffline at Dibrugheta. Corvus corax Raven. Joshimath and Lata. Pericrecotus ethologus Longtailed Minivet. Several in a mixed flock of minivets in the forest above Joshimath. Also seen above Lata and near Deodi. Pericrocotus solaris Yellowthroated Minivet. Several in a mixed flock above Joshimath. Pericrocotus roseus Rosy Minivet. Several in a mixed flock above Joshimath. Single bird around 280 Pycnonoius leucegemys Whitecheeked Bulbul. In open scrub in a clearing in the forest above Joshimaih and in scrub between Lata and Joshimath. | Hypsipetes madagascariensis Gray Bulbul. A single bird on telegraph lines in Joshimath. Heterophasia capistrata Blackcapped Sibia. A single bird followed by a party of Sibias in the forest above Joshimath. Muscicapa latirostris Brown Flycatcher. A single bird was caught during ringing work in the Base Camp valley. Muscicapa westermanni Little Pied Flycatcher. A single male in the forest above Joshimath. Muscicapa thalassina Verditer Flycatcher. A pair on the forest margins at Joshimath. Rhipidura hypoxantha Yellowbellied Fantail Flycatcher. A pair in pine trees above Di- brugheta camp. | Rhipidura albicollis Whitethroated Fantail Flycatcher. A single bird near Deodi in pine forest. Phylioscopus affinis Tickell’s Leaf Warbler. Present and nesting in good numbers in the Sanctuary in July and August. Nests pre- dominantly in scrub juniper, dwarf spiked shrubs or occasionally in willow. A single bird was caught and ringed. It raised a brood of four from a nest in a bush two feet above the ground. First movements out of the valley began in the second week of August when there were large numbers of juveniles being fed. Phylioscopus fuligiventer Smoky Leaf Warbler. Two seen in the Base Camp valley in river side scrub. Phylloscopus trochiloides Greenish warbler. Seen moving down the Sanctuary in mixed warbler flocks in the third week of August. Abroscopus superciliaris Yellowbellied warb- ler. A single bird in the forest above Joshi- math. ORNITHOLOGY OF THE RISHI GANGA VALLEY AND NANDA DEVI SANCTUARY Regulus regulus Goldcrest. In pine and birch forest between Deodi and Ramani at 12,000 feet. Erithacus pectoralis Himalayan Rubythroat. Two pairs in the Base Camp valley. Imma- ture birds seen being fed in the third week of August. Erithacus chrysaeus Golden Bush Robin. Seen in scrub at Dibrugheta. Phoenicurus caeruleocephalus Bluefronted Redstart. Two pairs in the area of burnt juniper scrub near the expedition base camp, with a further pair towards the glacier mar- gins. Phoenicurus ochruros Black Redstart. Two pairs seen in the Base Camp valley. One nest found in a tributary ravine. Also a pair observed feeding young on the moraine near the snout of Changabang glacier. Phoenicurus erythrogaster Giildenstadt’s Red- start. A male on scree near Changabang moraine. Chaimarrornis leucocephalus Whitecapped Redstart. Common on all running water above 8,000 feet. Two to three pairs in the Base Camp valley with distinct territorial battles. A nest found 18 feet above the river overhung by grass, and made of dead grass and sedges. Both parents, attended the nest, the male being the more regular of the two. Rhyacornis fuliginosus Plumbeous Redstart. A male and female on a moraine by the North Rishi Glacier. Enicurus scouleri Little Forktail. A single bird on boulders in a ravine near Deodi, stand- ing bobbing its tail. Enicurus maculatus Spotted Forktail. Single birds at Belta, Deodi and Dibrugheta. Sexicota torquata Stone Chat. Several in scrubby vegetation on the outskirts of Joshi- math. Monticola rufiventris Chestnutbellied Rock Thrush. A pair in oak forest above Joshi- math. Monticela solitarius Blue Rock Thrush. Single birds in a fieid outside Joshimath and in the Sanctuary at 16,000 feet. Myiophoneus caeruleus Whistling thrush. On most streams. Commonly seen from Ra- mani upwards. Song heard from high above the river. Tardaus boulbow! Greywinged Blackbird. A pair feeding young in a nest in a rock cleft in scrub on the forest margins above Joshi- math. Turdus merula Blackbird. A single male sit- ting on a bush near Lata. Troglodytes troglodytes Wren. Common in scree areas, on cliffs and crags up to 16,000 feet. Much darker than the European form. Cinclus pallasii Brown Dipper. Seen on the Trisul and North Rishi Ganga rivers. Also noted on a braided section of the Changa- bang outwash river. Prunella collaris Alpine Accentor. On bare rocks above the tree line at Dibrugheta. Also a single bird on scree above the base camp. Prunella strophiata Rufousbreasted Accentor. Two singles seen hopping amongst rocks and herbs on a damp riverside fan in the Base Camp valley. Prunella atrogularis Blackthroated Accentor. Two in field near Lata. Prunella immaculata Maroonbacked Accentor. Single birds in fields near Joshimath. Parus monticolus Greenbacked Tit. Seen in Single bird in fields near Joshimath. Parus ater Coal Tit. In forest above Joshi- math and in a mixed flock at Lata Karak. Also one in pines at 13,000 ft in the Gorge. Parus rufonuchalis Simla Black Tit. In coni- fers at Dibrugheta. 281 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Parus modestus Yeillowbrowed Tit. In forest above Joshimath. Tichodrema muraria Wall Creeper. Several seen in the Base Camp valley either on river cliffs or feeding on high turf and scree fields. Certhia familiaris Northern Tree Creeper. Sin- gie birds seen in the oak and pine forest above Joshimath and at 13,000 feet in the Gorge. Certhia himalayana Himalayan Tree Creeper. A single bird in the forest at 8250 feet. Anthus hodgsoni Hodgson’s ‘Tree Pipit. In low vegetation in the Base Camp valley. Anthus sylvanus Upland Pipit. Several seen at 13-14,000 feet working over morainic vege- tation. Anthus roseatus Rosebreasted Pipit. Adult observed feeding a fledgling near base camp. Miotacilia alba Pied Wagtail. One or two oc- casionally seen in the vicinity of the glacier snout. Passer domesticus House Sparrow. Common around buildings in Joshimath. Mycerobas affinis Ailied Grosbeak. A single male working through low forest cover in the forest above Joshimath. Mycerobas carnipes Whitewinged Grosbeak. Occasionally seen in the Base Camp valiey. A pair observed feeding in juniper scrub at 14,500 feet was joined by a further bird. Single males and females seen foraging at lower heights. Carduelis spimoides Himalayan Goldfinch. Common in fields and gardens around Joshi- math. Acanthis flavirostris Tibetan Twite. Single birds seen in and around base camp. Leucosticte memoricola Hodgson’s Mountain Finch. Single birds seen in a ravine in the Base camp valley on two separate occa- sions, flitting from rock to rock and ledge to ledge, with a further pair in the vicinity of the Changabang Base Camp. Carpodacus erythrinus Common Rosefinch. Pairs seen frequently in the valley. Ca:pedacus nipaleasis Nepal Rosefinch. Pair in junipers at 14,000 feet. Carpodacus rubicilloides Eastern Great Rose- finch. A male and also a pair seen infre- quently in the vailey. Carpedacus puniceus Redbreasted Rosefinch. Male observed in juniper and on rhubarb plants. Propyrrhula subhimachala Juniper Finch. Two pairs seen near base camp with the males frequently observed disputing terri- tory irom juniper or willow song posts. Emberiza cia Rock Bunting. Several pairs in the valley. Secretive but approached close to the camp. Aliso noted at Deodi and Di- brugheta. Emberiza fucata Greyheaded Bunting. A male was seen for a ten minute period in fields outside Joshimath and flushed several times. A maie was also observed in a bush on a field boundary at Lata. : Melophus lathami Crested Bunting. Several seen at Deodi. REFERENCE LAvVKUMAR, K. S. (1956): A contribution to the ornithology of Garhwal. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 55:4:(3) 315-29, URBANIZATION IN NEST BUILDING OF INDIAN HOUSE CROWS (CORVUS SPLENDENS VIEULOT)* RupoL_F ALTEvoGT? AND T. A. Davis? (With sixteen figures) Regarding the normal type of nest (-build- ing) in the Indian house crow, one finds the statement by Salim Ali (1972), that the “nest (consists of) a platform of twigs frequently intermixed with iron wire, with a cup-like de- pression lined with tow, coir fibre, etc., 10 feet or more up in a tree, sometimes several nests in the same tree...The koel commonly lays its eggs in crows’ nests” (p. 91). In 1927, E. H. Aitken reported that “in April and May crows make nests of sticks and line them with coir, or horsehair abstract- ed from a mattress, or even with soda-water wire stolen from the butler’s little hoard. In these they bring up three or four callow crimi- nals in their own image” (p. 61). While this statement by EHA refers to the fancy city of Dustipore, probably a rural site in Northern India, the same author relates the crow situation in Bombay as follows: ‘‘In Bombay the crow population has multiplied to such an extent of late years that the compe- tition for nesting materials has become terrible. In Marine Lines, as the season advances, the crows patrol the road or the garden walks, waiting for sticks to fall, or they get up into the trees and tug at twigs which are still green and will not come off. It is not many years 1 Accepted January 1979. 2 Zoological Institute, Miinster University, Bade- str. 9, D-4400 Miinster, Federal Republic of Germany. 3 Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta 700035, India. 208) Bi Road: since a pair living in the Fort discovered a real El Dorado in an optician’s shop. They worked at that mine so stealthily and cleverly that before they were discovered they had succeeded in abstracting about Rs. 400 worth of spectacle frames which they had worked up into a very superior nest, combining dur- ability and lightness like a “‘helical tube”. The Museum of the Bombay Natural History Society contains a ponderous nest made en- tirely of iron wire, taken apparently from the ruins of railway fences’? (p. 122, 2. edition). From a statement by Salim Ali, the editor of the 3-edition in 1947, it can be gathered that this EHA-statement refers to about 1905 (the 2-edition featuring no year of publication). In 1947, Salim Ali quotes from “‘The Birds of Bombay and Salsette’ (by S. Ali and H. Abdulali) that “‘crows nesting on the over- head wire carriers of the newly electrified suburban section of the...railway (in 1922) held up the trains by the iron wire used as building material causing short circuit. A new type of insulated bracket had to be devised specially to overcome this unforeseen nuis- ance’. There are a few further notes on this pecu- liar habit of wire nesting in Indian crows (Hume, 1889; Dewar, 1929; Baker, 1932; Lamba, 1963), Indian doves (Walsh, 1924), Indian bulbuls (Lamba, 1968), and the latest report by Lamba (1976) states that “‘dry, usually thorny sticks are picked up from under the trees, hedges around the fields and farms, 283 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 and from the firewood-piles of poorer people. If fallen sticks are not readily available, twigs are wrenched off the trees. Occasionally metal strips and wires are also brought in for in- corporation in the outer framework’’. In the non-Indian crows, this wire-nidifi- cation seems to be quite an exception: only Walford (1931) and De Vries (1953) report of Corvus c. corone, in two nests of which apart from rabbit bones (“‘a whole set of ribs being fixed in on one side”’) mainly steel wire had been used. One nest weighed 1845 g (quoted from Melde, 1969). Still, the nest found by Walford “was heavily lined with wool”. Apparently, since these earlier reports the situation in the big cities of India has changed as far as Corvus splendens is concerned, and it is for this reason that the following notes, observations and preliminary data are report- ed here. Moreover, apparently no numerical considerations have been done on the physical properties of crows’ wire nests. We plan to extend our studies throughout other regions of India in the near future. When visiting Calcutta or Bombay, one is struck by the fact that hundreds of nests of Corvus splendens are based on electric posts in crowded streets (fig. 1). Most of these nests are built exclusively or partly with metallic wire and pieces of flat sheet. A variety of nest- ing sites can be noticed, the street lamp prob- ably being the most familiar and most often used. Sign boards on buildings, window sills, between cornices of residential buildings, on the posts supporting power lines of electric trains, on the ceiling of railway station plat- forms (Howrah!) and waiting halls are some other colonized sites (fig. 2). Sometimes many crows compete for one favourable site: on top of a five-storeyed building on the side of a busy road (Barrack- 284 pore Trunk Road) an illuminated signboard attracts four to five pairs of crows every year fighting for possession of this site. Ultimately, they compromise, each pair sharing a porticn, and they make a sort of a community nest (fig. 3). In some of the road-crossings in Calcutta, mercury lights on tall posts (fig. 4) have just been introduced. The different hands starting from the terminal of the post slant upwards providing a safe platform for the crow to establish a nest between them. On ordinary lamp posts, nests are built where there are some joints or projections. In such positions, it is not possible to establish twigs, but thin wire, already bent or twisted by the crow itself (fig. 5), is suitable for founding a nest. There is, however, no difficulty to esta- blish a metal nest on trees because of their branching nature: from one large mango tree (Mangifera indica) growing in the heart of Calcutta, adjoining the offices of the Reserve Police at Baranagar, twentyfour nests were collected, all built mostly or exclusively with metal (fig. 6). Normally in rural areas, the house crow builds nests with only dry twigs which may include dry, sharp and branched brambles. The bird also makes a cup inside the nest and lines it with fibre of pliable twigs (fig. 7). Seldom it uses rags and grass blades (see also the above quotations by earlier authors). The nesting season of Corvus splendens in the north-eastern paris of India begins in Febru- ary and extends upto June, after which the heavy monsoon starts. The use of wire and/or other types of metal depends mostly on the locality and availabi- lity of such material. Apparently, however, also a learning process in the sense of handing over the metal habit from crow to crow is concerned. Crows in general do not fetch their J. BomBay NAT. Hist. Soc. 76 PLATE I Altevogt & Davis: Nest of House Crow Above: Fig. 1. Wire-nest of Corvus splendens in a busy street in Calcutta. Below: Fig. 3. Close-up view of the Indian house crow’s work: wire and wood in a community nest. ‘991] peop & UO S}soU [RII “9 “BIQ :7Ysly ‘suapuajds snasoD JO sou-dIIM Jo [iejoq ‘Z ‘BI :sfaT MOI WNOH JO ISON :SIARC ® ISOAII[V { ALVIg QZ ‘00S “LSIH “LVN AVEWOg ‘f URBANIZATION IN NEST BUILDING OF INDIAN HOUSE CROWS nesting material from long distances (see also Kuhk 1931, Wittenberg 1963, and Melde 1969). While wire seems to be handled effec- tively though laboriously, other odd-shaped metal objects cannot make a firm and uniform- sized nest. Thicker wires are avoided because they are too heavy to be carried upwards and perhaps because the bird cannot give it the necessary shape. It is surprising, however, that some crows have a fascination for aluminium shirt hangers even though their wires are too thick for the bird to bend. Such hangers were collected by a friend in South Calcutta from a nest founded on the roof of his house (fig. 8). Some metal nests were pulled down in 1974, but during the 1975 breeding season at most of those sites new nests of approximately the same weight were rebuilt. The following mate- rials were recorded from metal nests: 1) Dry twigs and brambles at varying pro- portions; 2) Inner cup made of thin shoots and vege- table fibres (fig. 9); 3) Iron wire, often rusted, pliable and of a particular thickness (ranging between 1.5 and 2.0 mm). The preferred wire is usually 25-30 cm long, each weighing not more than 30 grams (fig. 10); 4) Thin strips of metal, perforated flat sheets, grills, expanded metal, springs, coils, discs, cycle pedals, and even aluminium shirt hangers. Table 1 gives some information on ten nests built entirely with metallic wire. The nests are arranged in descending order of weight. The weight of a nest varied from about 1 kg to more than 6 kg. The number of wires per nest ranged from 91 to 644. There was a proportional range in the total length of wire per nest which was between 43.76 m and 265.32 m. The wires did not vary much in thickness (table 1). These ten nests were collected from a locality covering a distance of one kilometre. The data on the number, weight and cumu- lative length of the wire for the ten nests are given in fig. 11. Excepting for a deviation in nests 3 and 4 which had a proportionately greater number of wires than the others, there is a good correlation between the number weight and length of wire in all nests. This again suggests the homogeneity of the nesting TABLE 1 NESTS OF Corvus splendens BUILT COMPLETELY OF WIRE Total Nest weight (kg) of wires 1 6.145 644 Z 4.894 458 3 4.466 497 4 4.327 569 5) 2.690 296 6 2.689 288 7 Be SMI iS) 8 1.910 213 9 1.618 187 0 1 — .071 Number 91 tn toe Sore Total length Mean thickness of wire (m) of wire (mm) 265.32 177 218.94 1.81 198.14 1.76 209 . 26 1.80 116.97 175 123.69 1.84 99.69 1.68 85.00 1.83 70.29 1.57 Ili, 43.76 285 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 700 249 8 140 G S) 9 CUMULATIVE LENGTH OF WIRE (METER) NO. OF WIRE / WT. OF NEST (DECAGRAM) 200 f 2 oS 4 BR Ol ied: 8 9 f0 WIRE NESTS OF CROW Fig. 11. Number of wires, their weight and cumu- length in 10 pure wire-nests of Corvus splendens. lative material used. In fig. 12, the frequency distri- bution of the wire used in nest number | from table 1 for their length and weight is shown. While for the majority of the wire the weight is about 10 g, the length ranges from 10 cm to 120 cm with a mode at 30 cm. The longer wires are usually thinner as the bird seems to fix up its limit at 30 g as the weight it can reasonably carry. Data on four mixed nests gathered from localities about 5 km away from the first one are given in table 2. These four nests were marked by the pre- sence of twigs and inner fibrous lining. All these nests also had wire. Where more twigs are used, proportionately less metal is supple- mented. Flat metals of various size and shape 286 have been used in only two nests. Incidentally, these two nests were pulled down in yet ano- ther locality. There are several small work- shops in this locality, making small utility articles and toys out of thin metal sheets. Thus, instead of wire, only cut pieces of metallic sheets are available here. Some nests contained a few animal bones, coir rope and clay tea cups. In another 28 nests of Corvus splendens from Calcutta taken in 1975, the following constituents were found (table 3). In nests 5, 8 and 13, the cup was lined with soft fibre. In nest 7, there was a piece of tyre about 2 cm X | cm X 5 cm. Nest 21 had a piece of rope weighing about 10 g. In some parts of Calcutta and Bombay one 3607 — 520 @-----® — LENGTH OF WIRE 280 : O-~--- 0 — WEIGHT OF WIRE 240 8 160 NUMBER OF WIRES 10 20 30 40 50 60 76 80 00 #0 LENGTH (em) / WEIGHT (gm) Fig. 12. Frequency distribution of length and weight of wire used by Indian house crows (pure wire- nests). 120. URBANIZATION IN NEST BUILDING OF INDIAN HOUSE CROWS TABLE 2 NESTS OF Corvus splendens: WEIGHT OF CONSTITUENTS OF MIXED NESTS (g) : Inner cup Tron Flat metal Total De toutes of fibre one wire small large No weight 1 350 185 — 250 — — 210 995 D, 325 190 — 230 — _— — 745 3 90 — 30 450 385 160 — 1115 4 45 — 65 765 510 675 — 2060 TABLE 3 DETAILS OCF NESTING MATERIALS OF Corvus splendens FROM CALCUTTA (IN @g) Nest Total Wire Flat iron Flat Springs Wood Flexible weight strips grills wire 1 8300 8200 80 — — 20 — 2 7900 7700 150 — — 50 — 3 5300 4950 200 — 100 50 — ~ 5100 4550 350 200 -— — — 5) 4600 3950 — 150 300 200 — 6 4500 4280 — 180 — 20 20 7 4500 3950 _— 350 — 150 50 8 3500 3300 — — 180 20 — 9 3500 3000 500 — —_— — — 10 3400 3150 — —- — 250 — 11 3300 3000 250 50 — — — 12 3200 2500 500 200 one long umbrella spoke was used 13 2800 2300 300 — 50 150 — 14 2700 2600 50 — — 50 — 15 2500 2300 — 200 — —— — 16 2200 2000 200 = = = = 17 2000 1850 50 100 — — 10 18 2000 1600 150 — — 250 — 19 1700 1700 — one shirt hanger was used in the nest 20 1600 1350 —- = — 250 — 21 1500 1430 — — 50 — —— 22 1300 800 500 = aa — — 23 1200 1180 — == — — 20 24 1100 990 10 50 — — 20 DS) 1100 930 100 —= = aa 20 26 800 800 —_ incomplete nest — — DA 800 800 — incomplete nest — — 28 700 700 — incomplete nest —- — 2] JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 finds crows’ nests almost completely built of twigs and natural fibres while in others pure metal nests seem to be the rule. This finding suggests population differences in nidification brought about by the gradual spreading of this habit from individual to individual in the sense of a “‘tradition’’ (similar to the titmice of Lon- don opening the caps of the milk bottles or the habit of food washing in Japanese maca- ques). There is also a pseudo-social trait in this expanding habit of metal nidification: due to the super-annual stability and durability of the metal nests, fairly often two nests, quite apart in the first year, tend to be enlarged the following year thus “growing” into the close neighbourhood of each other (fig. 13) until finally they unite, hence forming a community nest. In such nests, sometimes proper brood- ing is hardly or not all possible (figs. 14, 15), and yet these nests have successful breeding. A striking example of this type of construc- tion is presented by the “sharing nest” from Barrackpore Trunk Road/Calcutta mentioned above. When pulled down in 1974, the entire nest, completely metal, weighed 25 kg. Dur- ing the 1975 season also, a multi-nest of al- most the original size was made, but could not be weighed. It was striking that no lining with organic material for the egg-cup was provided in any part of the community nest. In fact, because of the lack of a regular cup for laying eggs, eggs from two nests were found to lie side by side. There are some consequences in the con- text of the metal nidification habit which de- serve mentioning: 1) Making a more permanent, super-annual nest of great stability means reduction of labour and saving time (which is obviously used in the urbanized crows for extensive 288 preening and lazying about near the nest). Wooden nests deteriorate within one monsoon season and have to be rebuilt; 2) Protecting the eggs and young from over- heating because the wire-nest is more effici- ently aerated than the nest made of organic material. No necessity for the parent birds to carry cooling water to the nest (as, for inst- ance in Vanellus malabaricus and other birds); 3) Possibly making use of the solar energy for partial incubation of the eggs for which the metal nest is a necessity (and comes in handy due to its preferred site on human con- structions like posts, buildings etc., without much shade); 4) Metal nests have the additional advant- age of enabling the parents to incubate the eggs during the warm day time, for at such a weather most of the Indian birds avoid brooding over the eggs; | 5) Utilizing more advantageous niches where the use of wood as material is impracticable; 6) Placing the wire-nests on or near lamp posts (fig. 16) means extension of time for scavenging and collecting food even at night. Crows pouncing on not properly packed food and food material carried by lorries and on bus tops are a common sight in Calcutta, even after dark. There is one possible disadvantage for the crows in that due to the thermal conductivity of metal, the naked nestlings could be affected by the hot wires. Another disadvantage con- cerns man: Due to the nidification ingenuity of the Indian house crow in urban areas, now and then a power cut is caused especially in the rainy season by the crows’ wire-nests short-circuiting the overhead power lines. There is evidence that crows at the suburbs of Calcutta and Bombay are gradually switching siting nesting J. BOMBAY NAT. Hist. Soc. 76 PLATE V Altevogt & Davis: Nest of House Crow Above: Fig. 8. Wire-nest of Indian house crow featuring an aluminium shirt hanger (Calcutta). Below: Fig. 13. Neighbouring wire-nests tend to unite in next year’s nidification period. jJ. BomBay NAT. Hist. Soc. 76 PLATE VI Altevogt & Davis: Nest of House Crow Above: Fig. 9. Mixed nest: wire construction with inner cup of plant material. Below: Fig. 10. Pure wire-nest. J. BOMBAY NAT. Hist. Soc. 76 PLATE VII Altevogt & Davis: Nest of House Crow Above: Fig. 14. Eggs of three pairs of crows in a community nest (mixed nest). Below: Fig. 15. Even in a mixed nest, proper brooding over the eggs is often hardly possible. a Sts Say i URBANIZATION IN NEST BUILDING OF INDIAN HOUSE CROWS over to the new technique of utilizing metal instead of wood in nest building, thus provid- ing an example of urbanization in birds. SUMMARY 1. In large cities like Calcutta, Dacca and Bombay the Indian house crow (Corvus splendens) is increasingly building its nest fully or partially with metallic wire, strips and odds of flat sheets, grills and expanded metal thus relinquishing the ancient habit of build- ing nests entirely of plant twigs and brambles. Compared to the “‘normal” nest, the metallic construction is stabler and hardly affected by the monsoon climate, hence being utilized again the next year(s). Such nests tend to be enlarged year upon year and confluate to form community nests for several pairs of crows. 2. The advantages of wire nidification are: a) Utilization of nesting sites where the use of wood as nesting material is impractic- able (lamp posts, sign boards, window sills etc.). b) Super-annual nests mean reduction of labour and saving time which is used for other activities. c) Protection of eggs and young from over- heating by better aeration cf the wire-nest: | hence no necessity of cooling by the parents. d) Enabling the parents to incubate the eggs during the warm day time (in “normal” nests most Indian birds do not brood over the eggs during the noon heat). e) Possibly making use of the solar energy for partial incubation, the preferred nesting site often being unshaded. f) Placing wire-nests on or near lamp posts means extended time for scavenging even after dark. 3. From 42 nests ranging from pure metal to mixed constructions numerical data were collected. The heaviest metal nest weighed more than 6 kg, the heaviest mixed construc- tion more than 8 kg, while one community nest (inctal) housing 5 pairs of crows weighed 25 kg. The number of wires per nest were be- tween 644 and 91 with a cumulative length of 265-91 m per nest, wires of 120-10 cm were taken with a mode of 30 cm being most frequently used. The average thickness of the wire was between 1.5 and 1.8 mm. Apart from wire, the most conspicuous nest material were two non-pliable aluminium shirt hangers. 4. There is evidence that the wire nesting is spreading in Calcutta, Dacca, and Bombay which is understood as a process of urbaniza- tion. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We thank Mr. S. K. De, Artist, at the Indian Statistical Institute for preparing the graphs. REFERENCES AITKEN, E. H. (1927): The Tribes on my Fron- tier. Calcutta and Simla. = (1947): The Common Bombay. 3. ed., Bombay. ALI, SALIM (1972): The Book of Indian Birds. 9. ed., Bombay. ALI, SALIM AND ABDULALI, H. (1937): The Birds of Bombay and Salsette. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 39: 91-103. BAKER, C. Birds of S. (1932): Nidification of the Birds of the Indian Empire. London. Dewar, D. (1929): Indian Birds’ Nests. Bombay, Calcutta. DE Vries (1953): Quoted from MELDE. Hume, A. O. (1889): Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds, 2. ed. London. KUHK, R. (1931): Brutbiologische Beobachtun- gen am Nest der Nebelkrahe. J. Ornithol. 79: 269- 278. 289 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 LAMBA, B. S. (1963): The nidification of some common Indian birds—part 1. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 60: 121-133. (1968): Wire nests of redvented bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus). J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 6); V22: (1976): The Indian crows. A con- tribution to their breeding biology, with notes on brood parasitism on them by the Indian koel. Re- cords Zool. Survey India 71: 183-300. 290 MELbDE, M. (1969): Raben- und Nebelkrahe (Corvus corone corone und Corvus corone cornix). Wittenberg-Lutherstadt. WaALForD, N. T. (1931): Carrion-crow building with wire. British Birds (London) 24: 51. WALSH, W. P. P. (1924): Wire nests. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 29: 1055-1056. WITTENBERG, J. (1963): Belaubte Zweige als Nistmaterial der Rabenkrahe. Beitr. Vogelk. 8: 323- 324. BREEDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF RANA CYANOPHLYCTIS SCHNEIDER P. MOHANTY-HEJMADI AND SUSHIL K. DutTTA? (With five text-figures) The breeding habits and development of the Skipper frog Rana cyanophlyctis Schnei der were observed in the populations under natural conditions as well as laboratory maintained ones. Data collected on the development under natural conditions and the development of artificially inseminated laboratory raised tadpoles, showed that in both cases maximum growth in terms of weight and length, occurred during premetamorphic stage. A dramatic decrease, approximately 32% loss in weight and 67% loss in length, occured during the “metamorphic climax” when .the tadpole changed into a froglet. INTRODUCTION The commonest of Indian Ranidae, the Skipper frog Rana cyanophlyctis Schneider is widely distributed over India. They are found in ponds, water reservoirs, ditches and rain water puddles. An excellent description of their habits has been given by Daniel (1975). This study was undertaken to record the breed- ing habits and development of the Skipper frog found in plenty in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, (Mohanty-Hejmadi 1977 a). MATERIALS AND METHODS. Observations on breeding behaviour was done in the Vani Vihar, Utkal University Campus area from January till December, 1976. Tadpoles at various stages were collect- ed from a permanent water reservoir of a depth of approximately 46 cm (14 feet), as early as 26th April, 1976 before the monsoons arrived. Egg masses, tadpoles and juveniles were collected from temporary and permanent pools of water during the monsoon — season 1 Accepted March 1978. ? Department of Zoology, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751 004 (Orissa). from June to August. Tadpoles were also col- lected in early September. Observations were made at periodic intervals. The larvae were raised in stock tanks (Group-A). Individual variation was seen in length and weight of full siblings at same stage of development. Ran- domly selected pre-metamorphic tadpoles at same stage of development were separated (Group-B) from stock tanks for study of me- tamorphosis. These tadpoles were raised in groups of eight in identical finger bowls under conditions standardized in Laboratory (Mo- hanty-Hejmadi 1977 b). They were fed daily with fish food and vegetable greens. The range of temperature in the laboratory during this period was from 32°C to 41°C. Tadpoles at pre-limb stage were designated as Stage I, with well developed hind limbs as stage-II, upon reaching four-limbed stage as stage-III and after completion of metamorphosis as Stage- IV juveniles. Stage-I, II and III are compar- able to the pre-metamorphic, pro-metamorphic and metamorphic climax stages respectively, described by Witschi (1956) for Rana pipiens. At stage-III, the tadpoles were transferred into amphibious environment set up as described earlier (Mohanty-Hejmadi 1977 c). The length 291 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 and weight of the tadpoles were taken at periodic intervals. For comparative purpose, tadpoles at Stage-I, II, III and Stage-IV juve- niles were also collected from nature. Eggs either from natural spawning in the laboratory or from artificial insemination, were raised through metamorphosis. OBSERVATIONS Skipper frogs were seen in both temporary and permanent water pools around Vani Vihar campus throughout the study period. During the winter from November through January, frogs were seen basking in the sun either by sitting on the edges of the pool or by perch- ing on the walls of cemented water tanks. To- wards the end of March and in April, a mass migration of frogs occurred during the night from the drying pools to more permanent bo- dies of water. In a few cases pairs in amplexus were seen. Since the monsoon did not start until May, tadpoles collected during April, 1976 repre- sented the progeny of frogs who were early breeders taking advantage of the sporadic rains in March, and April. Pre-metamorphic tad- poles were collected even in September indi- cating that the breeding period lasts from April to September. Since egg masses or embryos were not found in temporary puddles which resulted from sporadic rainfalls during pre- monsoon period, it was concluded that early breeders use permanent water tanks to breed. When the rainfall became more frequent to- wards the end of May, mature males and fe- males gathered in the evening in rain water puddles, ditches and ponds. They were the leaders of the “amphibian chorus” which was heard both during the day and night. The males and females went into amplexus mostly at night, the amplexus continued throughout the day. Frogs maintained in the laboratory 292 also called, went into amplexus when it rain- ed outside, and even laid eggs spontaneously. Most of the egg masses laid in the laboratory did not grow probably because of the fouling of water resulting from the high concentration of animals in the tanks. However, it was possi- ble to raise tadpoles from one such egg mass. It is interesting to note that, although pairs in amplexus were seen both during the day and night, in nature as well as laboratory, the ovulation took place only at night. The breed- ing period lasted from April to September, most of them spawning during the heavy mon- soons from middle of June to end of July. The egg masses with 300 to 500 per clutch, were laid in shallow water. The eggs had grayish brown animal pole and pale yellow or white vegetal pole. The diameter of the eggs was approximately 1.0 mm. A week after fertiliza- tion, the tadpoles reached a length of 9.25 mm. The characteristic black blotches of the tail (Annandale & Rao 1918; Daniel 1975) appeared when the tadpoles reached a length of about 13.00 mm. Pre-metamorphic tadpoles were occasionally seen eating away dead tad- poles. The Stage-II tadpoles had a mouth disc with one complete row of teeth in the upper lip, and two rows of teeth on the lower lip, and a heavy black serrated beak (Fig. 1). Teeth structure Fig. 1. BREEDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF RANA CYANOPHLYCTIS SCHNEIDER Fig. 2. Pre-metamorphic tadpole. Fig. 3. Pro-metamorphic tadpole. Fig. 4. Four limbed tadpole at metmorphic climax. 293 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Same teeth structure has been reported by Da- niel (1975), which differs from McCann’s (1932) observations. According to the diagram given by McCann, there are three rows of teeth in the upper lip and four rows of teeth in the lower lip. The time period for complie- tion of life cycle depended on the conditions under which they were raised. The Group-A tadpoles raised in “‘Stock tanks”? under crowd- ed conditions metamorphosed 15 to 60 days post fertilization. It is interesting to note that four of the stock remained at Stage-II for a considerable period of time. Only one of these four reached. stage III in 90 days and com- pleted metamorphosis in 94 days after fertili- zation. The other three died without reaching Stage-III. In group B tadpoles, the life cycle was much shorter, and there was 100% meta- morphosis. Observations on Group-B Tadpoles: Towards the end of third week post-fertili- zation, pre-metamorphic tadpoles (Fig. 2) reached pro-metamorphic (Fig. 3) stage and TABLE 1 The other forelimb emerged within three hours of the emergence of the first. This stage marks the beginning of “metamorphic climax” when several drastic changes occur within a very short period. Stage-III tadpoles took approxi- mately six days to metamorphose completely. Thus the average period of development from egg through metamorphosis was approximately 46 days or six and half weeks in the laboratory. Between stage-I and stage-il, the larvae de- veloped more pigmented blotches. During the stage-III, the head region became demarcated from the rest of the body. Most of the adult features such as characteristic pigmented spots on the dorsal surface and the webbing of feet developed between stage-HII and stage-[V. The mouth shifted from ventral side to the snout and extended upto the sides of the eye. The tadpoles as expected, stopped eating during metamorphosis. Growth of Gfoup-B Tadpoles during metamorphesis: Larvae randomly selected at pre-metamor- (Fig. 5) CHANGE IN LENGTH AND WEIGHT DURING METAMORPHOSIS % Change in Average Stage length in length from mm previous stg. I 35. == 0.42* II 53 = 0.46* 51 Il 52, 2=:0125 Spd Wee (*) Sindee error. developed hind limbs. It took fourteen days to complete development of hind limbs. To- wards the end of this period the tadpoles reached stage-III (Fig. 4) with the emergence of fore limbs, the right fore limb emerging first in more than 50% of the tadpole observed. 294 Average %Change in weight weight from in mg prev. stg 500 1,300 + 160 1,100 aA 750 a By phic stage (Stage-I) ranged from 26 mm to 45 mm with an average of 35 mm in length, and 330 mg to 550 mg with an average of 500 mg in weight (Table-1, Fig. 5). Pro-metamor- phic or stage-II larvae ranged from 43 mm to 62 mm with an average of 53 mm in length BREEDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF RANA CYANOPHLYCTIS SCHNEIDER gor 1500 50] Lae ‘ 11250 | i *R \ : 40} fod \\ 11000 En | (eae, \ ) = 40 | \ 750 = a | z | / ini 20] d \ 500 F- at / \. a Rea ul bata = ior | / WEIGHT 150 ai a7 LENGTH H/ , ie yee a 9. With an invested yellow arc across face in- cludine ocellly 4540 46 oe es ee: B. tricolor Without the yellow arc across face including OCMC tee eee ices ae Ae aL ce am al ae tenor 10. 10. A very small brown spot present at the base of the appendix of fore wing....... B. pallida No brown spot present at the base of the ap- pendix, of fore Wine (4540050 oe a 11. 11. Abdominal apodemes short and rounded (Fig. 11); paramere chelate in cephalic portion (Fig. De ens Gedie Rie ere ea ts B. maldanadoi sp. nov. Abdominal apodemes subrectangular (Fig. 18) paramere (Fig. 19) nonchelate in the cephalic portion B. anufrievi sp. nov. 1. Balocha maldanadoi sp. nov. (Figs. 1-12) This species resembles B. pallida but can be differentiated by the absence of a brown spot at the base of the appendix. Internally the paramere is bifid at the cephalic end of this species and this distinguishes it from B. pallida. Fore wing (Fig. 3): Fore wing hyaline and narrow extending beyond the abdomen; ap- pendix very broad, extending to the third apical cell, four apical cells, third apical cell eee e¢ © © © © © © © © © 8 8 344 petiolate, the peduncle shorter than the cell itself. Hind wing (Fig. 4): Wings hyaline with well developed veins; submarginal vein complete joining the costal margin; apical cells four in number. External male genitalia: Sub-genital plate (Fig. 10) long, slender, spatulate and upcurv- ed with long hair in the apical half. Pygofer (Fig. 12) convex, broad in the middle and narrowed dorsally and ventrally. Anal tube appendages (Fig. 8) pointed at the end. Internal male genitalia: Paramere (Fig. 5) elongated with its cephalic portion short and broad, bifid at its apex, the caudal portion with two arms. Connective (Fig. 7) Y-shaped. Aedeagus (Figs. 6 and 9) with its shaft cylin- drical, very thin and long, gonopore apical. Form: Postclypeus and anteclypeus slightly swollen (Fig. 1). Abdominal apodemes (Fig. 11) short and rounded. Coloration: Fresh specimens greenish and preserved specimens orange yellow to orange red in colour. Castaneous band on the inner margins of eye. Interocular area above ocelli, lateral areas on postclypeus stramineus, scu- tellum and abdomen dorsally bright orange. Round piceous spot present on the eye (Fig. 2) and in the petiolate ceil. Measurements in millimetres of male: Length: total—4.18; head 1.59; vertex—0.28; pronotum 0.38; fore wing 3.50; scutellum 0.67; Breadth: Vertex 0.96; Pronotum 1.25. Holotype 3&, INDIA, Pusa-Bihar, 16-xi-1933, H. N. Batra (Wings and genitalia on slides and rest on tag). Paratypes 2 3o, ‘Jamon’, P.K.R. 2. Balocha anufrievi sp. nov. (Figs. 13-23) This species comes nearer to B. maldanadoi sp. nov. but can be differentiated by the shape INDIA, Delhi 10-i-1975, NEW DESCRIPTIONS of the abdominal apodemes and in the cep- halic portion of the paramere being fan-like. Fore wings (fig. 15) and hind wings (fig. 16) as in B. maldanadoi sp. nov. | External male genitalia: Sub-genital plate (fig. 17) and Pygofer (fig. 23) as in B. mal- danadoi sp. nov. Anal tube appendages (fig. 21) hooked at the distal end. Internal male genitalia: Paramere (fig. 19) elongated with its cephalic portion involuted and ending in a fan-like portion. Connective Y-shaped. Aedeagus (figs. 20 and 22) having its shaft narrowed at apex, gonopore apical. Form: Anteclypeus longer than wide (fig. 13), convex lengthwise showing slight ridging. Abdominal apodemes (fig. 18) subrectangu- lar. Coloration: As in B. maldanadoi sp. nov. Piceous round spot, present in the peduncu- late ceil and on the eye. Measurements in millimetres of male: Length: total—4.70; head—1.54; vertex— 0.19; Pronotum—0.58; forewing—3.94; scutel- lum—0.96. Breadth: vertex—1.10; pronotum —1.40. Holotype 3, INDIA: Delhi: 10-1-1975; ‘Jamon’, P.K.R. (Wings and genitalia on slides and rest on tag). Paratypes 5 3 3& (same data as for holo- type). All the figures were drawn with camera lucida except wings which were drawn with a microprojector. Lines were drawn to 0.2 mm. for all the parts except in case of wings which were drawn to 1.0 mm. All the type specimens were deposited in the National Pusa Collections, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are graieful to Dr. N. C. Pant, formerly Head of the Division of Entomology, I.A.R.L, New Delthi for the facilities and encouragement given. REFERENCES BAKER, C. F. (1915): Studies of philippine jas- soidea, iv: The Idiocerini of the philippines. Phi- lipp. J. Sci. 10 (6): 317-342. DISTANT, W. L. (1908): The fauna of British India. Rhynchota, iv: 184-190. MALDANADO, C. J. (1961): Studies on Idiocerine leaf hoppers. 1. Idiocerinus Baker, 1915, Synonym of Balocha Distant, 1908, and notes on the species of Balocha. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 63 (4): 300- 308. ———— (1964): Studies on Idiocerinae leaf hoppers: If The Indian and Philippine species of Idiocerus and the genus Idioscopus. ibid. 66 (2): 89-100. (1968): Studies on Idiocerinae leaf hoppers. iv a new species of Balocha and one of Pedioscopus, mimics. ibid. 70 (2): 97-100. (1970): Studies on Idiocerinae leaf hoppers. vi, New species of Balocha from papuan subregion (Homoptera: cicadeilidae). Pacific Insects ID” (2y =" 297-302. MELICHAR, L. Ceylon, pp. 148. (1903): Homopteran-Fauna of 345 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 A NEW SPECIES OF MOONIA (HOMOPTERA: ULOPIDAE)',? P. KAMESWARA RAo? AND USHA RAMAKRISHNAN‘ (With ten text-figures) Distant (1908 and 1916) described seven species of Moonia, M. sancita Distant (type- species) from Mussoorie Hills, U.P., and albi- maculata, capitata, brunnea, variabilis, diversa and albivitta from Chikkaballapura, Nilgiri hills and Kodaikanal in South India. Kames- wara Rao and Ramakrishnan (1978) added two more species, M. immaculata and M. ixora and one subspecies M. sancita pome- granata from Delhi. One more new species of Moonia is described in this paper from Dethi. The type specimens have been deposited in the National Pusa collections, New Delhi. Moonia carimata sp. nov. (Figs. 1-10) This species comes near to Moonia varia- bilis Distant and in the key given by Kameswara Rao and Ramakrishnan (1978) for the species of Moonia but can be differentiated from variabilis by the presence of a distinct carina on the postclypeus and well expanded gena. Internally the pygofer process of variabilis is more serrated at the apex than that of carinata. The head, pronotum and surface of the fore wings of these hoppers show numerous pits. Form: Face (Fig. 1) shows the posiclypeus with a distinct longitudinal ridge; anteclypeus oval and distinctly separate from the postcly- peus by a transverse depression; lora oval, 1 Accepted November 1978. 2Part of the Ph.D. thesis of the author submit- ted to Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012 during 1975. 346 distinctly marked off from adjoining sclerites; gena broad. Pronotum (Fig. 2) broader than long, convex and carinate medially. Fore wing (Fig. 8): Fore wing broad, nar- rowed at apical portion; coriaceous _ thickly pitted, pits absent in the apical portion; veins prominently raised. Hind wing (Fig. 9): Wings with well deve- loped veins and three apical cells. External male genitalia: Ninth sternum more or less triangular. Subgenital plate (Fig. 4) slender and long. Pygofer (Fig. 5) long and broad, posterior portion membranous bearing a spine like projection, mesially each lobe of the pygofer bears a flattened process (Fig. 7) which is irregularly toothed at the apex. Internal male genitalia: Paramere (Fig. 6) elongated and arcuate with its cephalic por- tion short, narrow and rounded at apex, cau- dal portion long, broad and ending inio a clubbed rounded apex. Aedeagus (Fig. 10) articulated to the connective (Fig. 3) by a short preatrium, atrial apodeme well develop- ed, broader at the base than at apex, pointed, aedeagal shaft equal in length to atrial apo- deme; gonopore subapical, almost at the mid- length of the shaft. Coloration: Ochraceous specimens. The de- pression behind the anterior margin of frons, 3 Department of Entomology, A.P. Agricultural University, Hyderabad-500 030. 4Division of Entomology, Indian Research Institute, New Delhi-110012. Agricultural NEW DESCRIPTIONS ‘ ‘snseapoe uinjyjeinos pue wmnyjouoid 8 ¢ ‘OL ‘3 XO}IOA UIM PUI °6 ‘SUIMOIOJ *g ‘ssaooid Joyoshd ‘1 ‘orouiered “9 ‘SulI [eue YyIM JajosAd -¢ ‘ayeld [ewusesqns ‘p faatoeuUod ‘¢ = ¢ 6 se} *[ :*AoU ‘ds vJpUIIDD DIUOOP;h OI-[ ‘ssi 347 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 antennal pits, central portion of pronotum on either side of median dorsal carina, central portion of scutellum, piceous. Measurements of male in_ millimetres: Length 4.32; Fore wing 3.17; Scutellum 0.72. All the drawings were drawn with a camera lucida except wings which were drawn with a microprojector. All the magnification lines were drawn to 0.2 mm except in case of wings which were drawn to 1.0 mm. Holotype 8, INDIA: Pusa-Bihar, “‘Duranta’’, 19-vii-1913, H. N. Batra (Wings and genitalia on slides and the rest on tag). Paratype ¢@, INDIA, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, ex light, 27-vii-1974, P.K.R. The type specimens have been deposited in the National Pusa Collections, New Delhi. ACK NOWLEDGEMENT Thanks are due to Dr. N. C. Pant, former Head of the Division of Entomology. LA.R_I., New Delhi for the facilities and encouragement given in these studies. REFERENCES DisTANT, W. L. (1908): Rhynchota-Homoptera. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, 5 (4): 197-198. —— (1916): Rhynchota-Homoptera. Appen- dix. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma 6: 233-236. KAMESWARA RAO, P. AND RAMAKRISHNAN, USHA (1978): Studies on Indian Cicadelloidea (Homop- tera: The genus Moonia. Oriental Insects. 12 (2): 211-214. A NEW SPECIES OF FERN FROM SOUTH INDIA? N. Ravi? AND J. JOSEPH? (With five text-figures) Illustrated description of a new species of fern-Grammitis pilifera (Grammitidaceae) from Ponmudi Hills, Trivandrum District, Kerala State is dealt with. Grammitis medialis (Bak.) Sledge affinis, tamer differt praesertim fronde, facie dorsali, hirsuto quam glabro; paleis rhizomatis peltatis quam basifixis; et sporangiis unisetosis. Holotypus: Ponmudi Hills Ravi 5711 A (CAL); Isotypus Ravi 5711 B-E (MH) et Isotypus 5711 F (RH). 1 Accepted November 1977. 2Sree Narayana College, Sivagiri, Vaskala, S. India. 3 Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Circle, Shillong. 348 Grammitis pilifera sp. nov. is allied to G. medialis (Bak.) Sledge, but differs main- ly in the frond being hirsute on the dorsal side instead of glabrous; scales on the rhizome peltate instead of basifixed and sporangia uni- setose. Ravi 5711 A collected from Ponmudi Hills, Trivandrum District, Kerala State, on 13th November, 1975 at 750 m. has been designat- ed as Holotype and deposited in the Central National Herbarium, Calcutta (CAL), Ravi 5711 B-E (Isotypes) are deposited in the Re- gional Herbarium, Coimbatore (MH) and NEW DESCRIPTIONS 263; Fig. 171 a. Cells 5.75-6.25 » B and 15.0-15.75 yw in L. (col. H-1).. S. armatus (Chodat) G. M. Smith var. bicau- DEPT. OF BOTANY, KARNATAK UNIVERSITY, DHARWAR 580 003, November 8, 1977. datus (Guglielmetti) Chodat, (PI: II, Fig. 12) Philipose 1967; p. 163, Fig. 171 d. Cells 2.5 u ‘in B. and 10.0-11.25 » in L, spines 5-6 p in L. (col. H-1). S. denticulatus Lagerh. var. linearis Hansgirg., (Pl. III Fig. 13) Philipose 1967; p. 269, Fig. Mote) °°? Cells 2.5 » —3.0 ti in B and 8.75-9.0 » in: ila (col. H-1). S. denticulatus Legern. (Pl. Ill, Fig. 14) ‘G. W. Prescott 1951; p. 276, Pl. 61, Fig. 10, 11. Cells 4.25-5.0 p in B. and 13.75- 14.25 p in . (col. H-5). S. quadricauda (Turp) Breb. (PI. IL, Fig. - Philipose 1967; p. 283, Fig. 187 a. Cells 3.75-4.0 » in B and 12.5-13. 25 p. long. Spines 9.0- 9.5 p in (col, HE5). Ack NOWLEDGEMENTS | Cur sincere thanks are due to the CS.LR. for the financial assistance to one of us. (G. R. Hegde). Thanks are also due to Prof. 'M. S. Channaveeraiah, Head of the Department of Botany, Karnatak ,University, for the faci- ities afiordeds S. G. BHARATI G. R. HEGDE! _, REFERENCES © PHILIPOSE, M. T. (1967): New Delhi, Publication. Prescotr, G. W. (1951): Chlorococcales. ICAR. Algae of the Western Great Lakes Area Exclusive of Desmids and [ia- toms. 1C. S. I. R. Research Scholar. 547 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 29. RECORD OF ERIA BRACTESCENS LINDL. FROM NAGALAND (With a text-figure) During a botanical exploration trip to the state of Nagaland in 1973, an interesting spe- cies of Eria Lindl. (Orchidaceae) was collect- ed, which is identified as Eria bractescens Lindl., a species hitherto reported from Sik- kim (Hooker 1890, King & Pantling 1898, Mitra 1958) and Andaman islands (Seidn. & Smitnd. 1960). This note reports the occur- rence of this taxon in Nagaland. Since the characters of the plant are represented by illus- trations (Fig. 1, A-G), a brief description only is given here. Epiphytic on Quercus sp., pseudobulbs yellowish brown, wrinkled, base with purplish sheaths; leaves pale green, subcoriaceous; peduncle pale yellow, suberect; raceme lax, slender; flowers pale pinkish yellow; floral bract pale yellow, reflexed; dorsal sepal nar- rowly elliptic, apex curved backwards; lateral BOTANICAL SURVAY OF INDIA, EASTERN CIRCLE, SHILLONG-793 003, May 20, 1978. sepals ovate, falcate with yellowish, conical mentum; petals linear oblong, apex revolute; labellum ovate, 3-lobed; side lobes deep pink, round, erect; mid lobe creamy, quadrate with 3 red lamellae; column pinkish yellow; anther 2-celled; pollinia 8, in fours, pale yellow. Specimens examined: Pulebadze, c. 2375 m. Hynniewta 56298. Flowering: April. Distribution: Sikkim & Andaman _ islands (India), Bangladesh, Burma, Sumatra and Malaya to the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Java. But for its inflorescence, the plant resembles the glabrous herb Evia confusa Hook. f., but the differently coloured smaller flowers, reflex- ed floral bract and erect side lobes of labellum separate it from the later. T. M. HYNNIEWTA REFERENCES Hooker, J. D. (1890): Fl. Brit. India 5: 796. Kinc, G. & PANTLING, R. (1898): Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 8 (1): 120, t. 166. 548 Mitra, J. N. (1958): Fl. Pl. East. India 1: 320. SEIDENFADEN, G. & SMITINAND, T. (1960): Orch. Thailand 2 (2): 305. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Fig. 1. Eria bractescens Lindl.: A-habit. B-flower. C-floral bract. D-perianths with labellum spread out. E-column. F-pollinia, G-anther. 549 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 30: DATURA FEROX LINN., A NEW RECORD FOR INDIA (With five text-figures) The genus Datura Linn. (Solanaceae) with nearly 10 annual species is represented in India by only 3 species. Recently a species of Datura was collected which could neither be matched with any known species in India and nor could it be matched with any of the col- lections found in Indian Herbaria. It has, however, been identified to be Datura ferox Linn,, which is a native of the warmer regions of China, but is believed to have been intro- duced at an early date in Spain and Sicily (Safford 1921). Very recently, however, it is reported to have spread widely throughout the warm regions of the world. It is now be- ing recorded for the first time from India where it seems to be a recent migrant. To facilitate the identification and study of the plant, a detailed description with drawings, is provided. Datura ferox Linn. Amoen. 1756; Haegi, Aust. J. Bot. (Figs. 1-5). A 0.5—1 ‘m tall, annual herb; branches stout, hairy, green or purplish towards the base. Leaves 10-15 x 7—12 cm, broadly ovate to rounded—triangular, margins coarsely double lobed, irregular; base oblique, often shortly decurrent on the petiole, obtuse to truncate, apex acute or acuminate; petiole 2.5—8 cm long, sparsely hairy. Flowers white, Acad. 1337403) 24: 415-35. 1976. BOTANY DEPARTMENT, JopHpuR UNIVERSITY, JODHPUR, RAJASTHAN, | | November 8, 1977.“ | 550. solitary; peduncle 0.5—1.5 cm long. Calyx 2.5—3 cm long, angular, narrowed towards the summit with 5 prominent longitudinal ribs; lobes 5, 4-7 mm long, tomentose inside. Corolla 4.5—6 cm long, white, throat and limb often slightly plicate; lobes 5, very short, broadly triangular; acumens 0.1—0.2 cm long. Stamens 5, adnate to the corolla, 1.5 cm from the base; anthers 3-4 mm long, white. Style 3 cm long; stigma 1-2 mm across. Capsule erect, ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, rarely sub- globose, 2-4 cm long, 2-3 cm broad, beset with 40-60 stout, sharp, conical spines; spines longer near the capsule summit, 15-25 mm long, minutely tomentose; dehiscence through 4 entire valves when ripe; peduncle stout. Persistent calyx base 0.4-0.8 cm long, more or less cylindrical, margin crenate to dentate. Seeds D-shaped, 0.4-0.5 cm long, thickened and rounded towards the upper outer margin, black, finely reticulate—foveate; hilum trian- gular. | A weed of cultivation or waste places along roads. Fls. & Frs.: September-December. Herbarium specimens: Bhandari 2219; Jodh- pur, on way to Sardarsamand, October 1976. Distribution: A native of the warmer regions of China, now distributed widely throughout the warm regions of the world. M. M. BHANDARI M. R. MEHTA _ MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: Ds = : i ey 4 ed Z y a J NIA Nae ’ \ Pye res pS DY, cee | [EO UIE a. aga fs \ \ \ Pia Self oe eta) AANA A Z s % 2 abe Ne : ‘ Ne \ \ V A at Z ENON co: NF Y \ LA ( al ih A SP GSes SIN |. A \ tte y s. SS yay \ (Neal Z| ; Ve i a dy < ~N : of India, Deputy Director, Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey, of India, for facilities and also thankful to ‘Dr. R. B. Ghosh, Systematic Botanist, Central: National Herbarium, for valuable instructions ‘and encouragement. DALI CHANDRA MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 33. NOTES ON CLEOME RUTIDOSPERMA DC. IN INDIA This paper reports the occurrence of Cleome rutidosperma DC. (Capparaceae) an African weed, in Assam and West Bengal, with addi- tional notes on taxonomic characters and pos- sible modes of distribution. The species now grows wild in different parts of Lower Gangetic Plains and Brahma- putra valley. It is a decumbent diffuse annual having trifoliate leaves and pink flowers with bluish anthers, flowering at the beginning of the monsoon. The taxon has been identified as Cleome rutidosperma DC. (Capparidaceae). It has been described and illustrated by M. Jacobs in FLORA MALESIANA Ser. 1, 6(1): 104- 105, Dec. 1960 and P. K. Mukherjee in Ind. For. 95(4): 237, 1969. Some characters of taxonomic importance which have not been included in these descriptions are noted here to facilitate the identification of the plant in the field. The taxon has been reported already by . Mukherjee (1969) from the Lady Brabourne College Compound, Calcutta and on Waste- lands, Calcutta University Campus, Bally- gunge Circular Road, Calcutta, apparently as an escape from cultivation. The exsiccatae at CAL herbarium and also fresh collection from the vicinity of Calcutta, however, leaves no doubt that it is now naturalized in eastern India. The paucity of report of its occurrence may be due to difficulty in identification. Its report from Burma and Malaya possibly sug- gests its introduction there by human agency at an earlier date and subsequent migration through Assam into eastern India. It may also be looked for in Tamil Nadu area which is on the trade route from Africa to Malaysia. BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, HowraH-711 103, February 28, 1978. Cleome rutidesperma DC. Prodr. 1: 241, 1824; Jacobs in Fl. Males. Ser. 1, 6(1): 104- 105, figs. 30 et 33, Dec. 1960; Iltis in Brittonia 12: 290-294, 1960. Annuai diffuse herb pinkish on young nodes. Petioles up to 5 cm. long, grooved adaxially. Flowers in the axils of leaves of three leaflets (not in the axils of reduced leaves as reported in Malaysian and American plants). Sepals awl-shaped, fleshy (when fresh), green pinkish at tips. Petals pinkish (no yellow transverse band, in fresh specimens as recorded in Ame- rican plants). Anthers bluish, filaments faint blue. Fruits slightly flat, bilaterally ribbed, straight, long-beaked. Seeds many, arranged in 4-rows on 1-2 mm. green (fresh) placentae. Specimens examined: | INDIA: West Bengal: flowering and fruiting 10-7-75 on open amphibic waste lands of the district of 24-Parganas (South Barasat, Sonat- pur) and Kasba, at the outskirts of Calcutta, R. B. Majumdar 7502 (CAL); 24-Parganas, Bansdroni, near Tallygunge. 31-5-1965 rare in Waste places, flowers pinkish white R. L. Mitra 147 (CAL), Dakshmin Barasat, 10-7-1975, common in open waste land, flowers pinkish filaments faint blue. R. N. Banerjee & Barin Ghosh s.n. (CAL); Indian Botanic Gardens, 18th Aug. 1975, Procumbent annual herbs, flowers pinkish, not common, O. P. Misra sn. (CAL); Assam: Gauhati, a flower- ing and fruiting specimen, 1969, A. C. Datta 85 (CAL). Distribution: Trop. Africa, United States and S. America, Malaysia, Singapore and Burma, Eastern India-—Bengal and Assam. BARIN GHOSH R. N. BANERJEE DP) JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Voi. 76 34. CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS TO THE PTERIDOPHYTIC FLORA OF KODAIKANAL (SOUTH INDIA) Some years ago we (Bir & Vasudeva 1971) published a taxonomic account of ferns and fern-allies of Kodaikanal situated on the Paini Hills in Madurai district of the state of Tamil Nadu, South India. Further collections made in 1975 and re-examination of the material earlier collected, have revealed several new points about the specific determinations. Also information is given about the latest valid name or about the original publication of the specific names which were earlier given either incompletely or wrongly. The chief points as brought out in the the present studies are as follows: 1. Botrychium lanuginosum Wall. ex Hook. & Grev. (Ic tilly lt 79 1830. 2. Two specimens (PAN* 4781, 4782) cited under Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 176) really belong to L. japonicum (Thunb.) Sw. and are possibly of cultivated origin. 3. Adiantum lunulatum Burm. (= A. philip- pense L.) Specimen PAN 4828 Coil. Bir (Motor road, 600 m. on shaded moist rocks) may be an escape from cultivation since it was not collected again from the area. 4. Cheilanthes bullosa Kunze, Linnaea 24: 274.1851; Bedd. Ferns S. India t. 192. 1864; Nayar, Bull. nat. Gdns. Lucknow 66: 271962: Specimens: PAN 4518, 4519 Coll. Bir and PAN 5765, 5766 Coll. Vasudeva 55. Earlier (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 177) re- corded as C. chrysophylla Hook. Omit refer- ence to Mehra & Bir (1964, p. 109). 5. Mecodium javanicum (Hymenophyllum javanicum Spreng). Specimen: PAN 4788 Coll. Bir (Shemba- 556 (Spreng) Copel. ganur, 1800 m. on shaded rock). May be an escape from cultivation because it was not found again in 1966 and 1975 ex- cursions. 6. Doryopteris concolor (Langsd. & Fish) Kuhn in V. Decken Reissen Ostafr. 3/3: OP LST9 Earlier recorded as Pellaea geraniaefolia (Raddi) Fée by Bir and Vasudeva (1971). 7. Lindsaya odorata Roxb., Calc. J. Nat. Hist. 4: 511.1846; Kramer, Blumea /5: 567. 1968; Gdns. Bull. Singapore 26: 40.1972. Specimens: PAN 4501, 4502 Coll. Bir and PAN 5782, 5783 Coll. Vasudeva 74. Earlier recorded as L. cultrata (Willd.) Swartz. in Bir & Vasudeva (1971). Omit re- ference to Mehra & Bir (1964, p. 118). The Kodaikanal specimens belong to var. odorata and are quite variable in size, from 10-50 cm depending upon the habitat. 8. South Indian (from Kodaikanal) speci- mens of Dicranopteris linearis (Burm.) Underwood belong to var. Panigrahi & Dixit (1971). 9. Pseudophegopteris pyrrhorhachis (Kunze) Ching, Acta Phytotax. Sinica 8: 315. 1963. Polypodium paludosum Bedd., Ferns S. India t. 168.1864 (non Blume). Earlier recorded as Thelypteris brunnea Ching (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 187). 10. Stegnogramma pozoi (Lagasca) Iwatsuki, Acta Phytotax Geobot. 19: 124.1963; Holtt., Jour. South Afr. Bot. 40: 149. 1974. Earlier recorded as Leptogramma totta J. sebastiana 1 Abbreviation for Herbarium, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Smith (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 188). 11. Christella parasitica (L.) Lév., Fl. Kouy- tchéou: 475.1915: Holtt., Kew Bull. 37: 309.1976. Nephrodium procurrens (Mett.) Bak.. Syn. Fil. 290.1867; Bedd., Handb. Supp!. 67.1892 (pro parte). Nephrodium molle var. didymosorum (Parish ex Bedd.) Bedd., Handb. 279.1883. Earlier recorded as Cyclosorus parasiticus (L.) Farwell (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 188). 12. Christella dentata (Forsk.) Brownsey & Veimay, (Brit. em ‘Gazi 102)/338.) 1973: Holtt., Jour. S. Afri. Bot. 40: 143.1974; Kew Bull. 37: 314.1976. Cyclosorus sub- pubescens sensu Holtt., Rev. Fl. Malaya 22713. t24 7 tantoy.1955) \(non: Blume): Earlier recorded as Cyclosorus dentatus (Forsk.) Ching (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 188). 13. Cyclosorus interruptus (Willd.) H.I. to, Bot. Mag. Tokyo 5/: 714.1937. Nephro- dium unitumi quod. Bedd., Handb. 268. 1883. Earlier recorded as C. gongilodes (Schkuhr) Link (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 188). 14. Sphaerostephanos — arbuscula (Willd. ) Holtt., Jour. S. Afr. Bot. 40: 164. 1974. Earlier recorded as Cyclosorus arbusculus (Willd.) Ching (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 188). 15. Pseudocyclosorus tylodes (Kunze) Ching, Acta Phytotax. Sinica 8: 324.1963 (xylo- des as an error). Nephrodium octhodes var. xylodes Bedd., Handb. 240.1883. Nephrodium xylodes (Kunze) Hope, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 1/4: 724.1903. Earlier recorded as Thelypteris xylodes (Kunze) Ching (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 187). 16. Pseudocyclosorus ochthodes (Kunze) Holttum in Nayar & Kaur Companion to Bedd. Handb, 204.1974. Thelypteris och- thodes (Kze.) Ching. Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. Bot. 6: 300.1936. Specimens: PAN 4491, 4494 Coll. Bir; PAN 5838, 5839 Coll. Vasudeva 108. Det. R. E. Holttum. Earlier recorded as Thelypteris repens (Hope) Ching and 7. erubescens (Wall. ex Hook.) Ching by Bir & Vasudeva (1971, p. 187). Omit reference to Mehra & Bir (1964). 16A. Thelypteris sp. Specimen: PAN 4709 (Observatory hill road, 2100 m.) is not T. beddomei (Bak.) Ching as reported earlier (Bir & Vasu- deva 1971, p. 187) and might be a hybrid. 17. Phanerophlebia caryotidea (Wall. ex. Hook. & Grev.) Copel. Gen. Fil. 111.1947. Cyrtomium falcatum var. caryotideum (Wall.) Bedd., Ferns S. India t. 119.1864. Earlier recorded as Cyrtomium caryotideum Pres] (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 183). 18. Dryopteris approximata Sledge, Bull. Brit. Mus. nat. Hist. Bot. 5: 11.1973. ; Specimens: PAN 5855, 5856 Coll. Vasu- deva, 96. Earlier recorded as Dryopteris ramosa (Hope), C. Chr. by Bir & Vasudeva (1971, p. 184). Exclude synonym Nephrodium ramo- sum Hope. 19. Arachniodes conifolia (Moore) Acta Bot. Sinica 50: 153. 1960. Specimens: PAN 5844, 5845 Coll. Vasu- deva 68. Not A. speciosa (Don) Ching as earlier re- corded by Bir & Vasudeva (1971, p. 183). Omit reference to Mehra & Bir (1964). 20. Elaphoglossum stelligerum (Wall. ex Bak.) Moore ex Alston & Bonner, Can- dollea 75: 216.1956; Sledge, Bull. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bot. 4: 92.1967. Specimens: PAN 4814, 4815 Coll. Bir; PAN 5842, 5843 Coll. Vasudeva 141. Earlier recorded as_ FE. petiolatum (Sw.) Ching, aT JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Urban and E. conforme (Sw.) Schott. (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 184). Omit FE. viscosum Schott as Synonym. 21. E. angulatum (BIl.) Moore Index Fil. 5.1857; Sledge, Bull. Brit. Mus. nat. Hist. Bot. 2: 83.1967. Specimens: PAN 5840, 5841 Coll. Vasu- deva 147. Earlier recorded as E. laurifolim (Thouars) Moore (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 183). Out reference to Mehra & Bir (1964). 22. Dryoathyrium boryanum (Willd.) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. Bot. //: 81. 1941; Sledge, Bull Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bot-’2: 282..Ph 30:t.11962, Grows in a shola below Palni ghat road, 1400 m. altitude. Few individuals were seen only in this locality. Based on collections made. in February, 1975 (PUN? 2073-2076 Coll. Vasudeva 1185). 23. Athyrium pectinatum (Wall.) Presl Specimen: PAN 4790 Coll. Bir (Lake, 2, 100 m.) is a North Indian (Himalayan) species and must be an escape from cul- tivation. 24. Asplenium formosum Willd. in Linn. DEPT. OF BOTANY, PUNJABI UNIVERSITY, PATIALA- 147 002, May 16, 1978. Spec. Plant ed. 4, 5: 329. 1810; Sledge, Bull. Brit. Mus. nat. Hist. Bot. 3: 243. 1965. Abundant on humus covered mountain slopes only in the forest near Bear Shola, 2150 m. Collected in January, 1975 (PUN 2130- 2133 Coll. Vasudeva 1149). 25. Pyrrosia stictica (Kunze) Holttum, Novit. Bot. Inst. Bot. Univ. Carol. Prague 31. 1968. Polypodium porosum Wall., Cat. no. 266.1828 (nom. nud.). Specimens: PAN 4820, 4821 Coll. Bir: PAN 5869, 5870 Coll. Vasudeva 75. Earlier reported as Pyrrosia mollis (Kze.) Ching (Bir & Vasudeva 1971, p. 192). In this species ventral hairs are with crisped arms unlike P. mollis in which hairs are uniform with straight arms. ACK NOWLEDGEMENTS We are extremely thankful to Dr. Frances M. Jarret and Prof. R. E. Holttum (Kew) for expert advice on identifications and taxo- nomic matters. S. S. BIR S. M. VASUDEVA REFERENCES Bir, S. S. & VasupEva, S. M. (1971): Pterido- phytic flora of Kodaikanal. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 68: 169-195. Meura, P. N. & Bir, S. S. (1964): Pteridophytic flora of Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas. Res. Bull. Panjab Univ. Sci. (H.S.) 15: 69-182. PANIGRAHI, G. & Dixit, R. D. (1971): Two new varieties of Dicranopteris linearis (Burm.) Underw. from India. Bull. Bot. Surv. India 13: 162-163. 2 Abbreviation for Herbarium, Punjabi University, Patiala-147 002, India as included “Index Herbario- rum”, 1974 ed. 558 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 35. PRIMULA GLABRA KLATT—A NEW RECORD FOR ASSAM (With a text-figure) During the study and critical scrutiny of the materials of Primula L. of the Eastern Himalaya with special reference to Assam Himalaya, we came across some specimens of an interesting taxon which have been iden- tified as Primula glabra Klatt, and confirmed by comparision with the type material depo- sited in Herb. (CAL). A perusal through earlier and recent literature (Hooker, 1882; Pax 1889; Pax and Kunth 1905; Smith and Fletcher 1944) reveals that the species in dis- tributed over Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and ad- joining parts of Tibet. The present finding appears to be a new record for Assam. As the Flora of Assam (Kanjilal et al. 1930)* lacks information, it has been felt necessary to give an illustrated account of the taxon. Primula glabra Klatt in Linnaea. 37: 500. 1872; Watt in Jour. Linn. Soc. Bot. 20: 7. t. 4B. 1882; Hook. f. in Fl. Brit. Ind. 3: 487. 1882; Pax in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 10: 193. 1889; Pax & Kunth in Engl. Pflangenr. Primulaceae 42: 92. 1905; Watt in Journ. Roy Hort. Soc. 29: 298, 302, 306, 1904; Craib, ibid. 39: 187. 19132 Watt.) ibid. 39; 199,204; 206, fig. 93. 1913; W.W. Sm. and Forrest, ibid. 54; 14, 31, 33. 1929 and in Notes Roy Bot. Gard. Edin. 16: 24. 1928; W. W. Sm. and Fletcher in Tran. Roy. Soc. Edin. 61: Pt. 1 (1): 47-48. 1944. Primula glabra Klatt (Fig. 1) A small plant of 7-12 cm long and with stout rhizome, leaves compact, rosette, 1-3 1KANJILAL, U. C. et al. (1930): Flora of Assam. Vol. III. Prabasi Press, Calcutta. cm. x 4-10 mm., spathulate to oblong spathu- late, rounded or obtuse apex, serrate to den- ticulate, glabrous, efarinose, base narrowed into a broad or slender petiole; scape 2-11 cm long, efarinose, apex carrying an umbel of usually 7-10 flowers; bracts 1-2 mm. long, glabrous; Pedices usually 2-3 mm. long, glabr- ous; Calyx 3-4 mm. long, campanulate, minu- tely glandular pubescent, 1/3 to 1/2 free. lobes oblong, rounded apex; corolla pinkish, tube slightly exceeds to calyx tube; limb 5-6 mm. diam., annulate, lobe obovate, deeply emarginate; stamens reaching almost the an- nulus, anthers 1 mm. long, oblong; style 2.5 long, stigma capitate; mm-3.5 mm. capsule sy PRimMuLA A. Habit of the Fig. 1. plant; B. Calyx split open; C. An open flower in part showing stamens and a pistil; D. Corolla split open showing lobes of petals; E. Stamen; F. A carpel. Primula glabra Klatt: 559 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 nearly as calyx oblong, included, seeds round- ed to oval-angular. Distribution: Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Tibet. Materials examined: SIKKIM. Reg. Alp. alt. 13-1400 ft Hooker 10 (ISOTYPE-CAL); Kapoor, alt. 13.000 ft. Dt. 12-7-1910. W. W. Sm 3405; Pey keiong La, June 1887. Dr. King’s Col- CENTRAL NATIONAL HERBARIUM, CALCUTTA. INDIAN BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. May 20, 1978. lector. sn. Acc. No. 272329 (CAL): Jongti, alt. 12-14,000 ft. dt. 1881. G. Watt 5414: NEFA. Kameng Dist. alt. 10,000. dt. 28-5-57. R. S. Rao 7894 (B.S.1. Shillong); Se La alt. 4300 dt. ist. September, 1964, J. Joseph 40201 (B.S.I. Shillong). R. B. GHOSH G. G. MAITY 36. FURTHER NOTES ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE GENUS TEPHROSIA PERS. (With seven text-figures) In an earlier volume of the journal, Mukher- jee and Gupta (1970) have described an easy way of distinguishing species of Tephrosia from those of other genera, like Indigofera in the field, when not in flowering stage. By pull- ing apart the leaflets, after holding, them at their bases and tips, the leaflets of Tephrosia species always show a V-shaped cut (Fig. 6A), while Indigofera leaflets when similarly pulled show a more or less straight cut (Fig. 7A). With a view to find the reasons for such a differentiating feature, we studied the leaves of several species of Tephrosia and Indigofera. The leaflets of both species were decolour- ized by keeping in a weak solution of KOH for some days and later stained with alcoholic saffranin, dehydrated and mounted in D.P.X. All the slides thus prepared, showed the type of venation characteristic of leaflets of both the genera. Tephrosia leaflets have a strong mid-rib and from it secondary branches, almost in pairs, 560 are given out to the wings of the lamina at an acute angle (Figs. 1 to 5). In some cases, when they near the margin they show a fork. One of the arms of the fork when it reaches near the margin curves towards the apex, is thicker than the other which becomes slender and later disappears in the thin meso- phyll parenchyma (Figs. 2, 3 & 4). The suc- cessive pairs of these secondary veins enclose very little strips of thin walled tissue. When these leaflets were pulled apart as said in the beginning, the thin walled tissues in between he lateral veins give way, leaving these veins as they are. This results in the formation of a V-shaped cut (Fig. 6A). On the other hand, the leaflets of Indigofera have a uniform pat- tern of secondary veins, in that the secondary veins depart from the mid-rib more or less at right angles while entering the wings of the lamina. Moreover, these are comparatively thinner. This thinner pattern of venation might be the cause of the straight cut seen when the MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Figs. 1—5. Show cleared leaflets of Tephrosia. 1. Tephrosia pauciflora Wall.; 2. T. purpurea Pers.; 3. T. apollina Link.; 4. T. coccinea Wall.; 5. T. tenuis Wall. 561 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 76 Fig. 6 and 6A. Show leaflet of Tephrosia Pers. entire and torn respectively. Fig. 7 and 7A. Show leaflet of Indigofera Linn. entire and torn respectively. DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, BomBay 400 032, August 28, 1978. 562 leaflets were pulled apart (Fig. 7A). In this connection, it is interesting to men- tion what has been written in ancient Sans- krit Scriptures on Indian System of Medicine. (Ayurveda). Since Tephrosia has a great me- dicinal value in the Indian System of Medicine (Acharya & Kudatarkar Shastri) they describe a simple clue to separate Tephrosia leaves from other similar leaves in the fields. It states “‘When the leaves of Tephrosia are pulled apart, the torn region gives an appearance of a tail of an arrow” (Sharapunkhi). After carrying out this simple test on leaves to confirm Tephrosia, it should be collected and then processed and used against worms etc. (Antihelmin). A similar reference is also given by Acharya in his works. Both these mention the plants’ use against liver troubles and Kirtikar & Basu (1935) emphasise its cathartic properties. It is well known that both the plants can be used as cover crops and also as green manure. In conclusion, it may be stated, that the old Ayurvedic System knew the field identifica- tion of Tephrosia. The anatomical observa- tions stated above, clearly show that the vena- tion pattern itself is the cause for the peculiar tearing of the leaflets of the genus Tephrosia. We wish to thank the Director, Institute of Science, Bombay, for facilities, Shri A. M. Siddiqui for photographic work. We are also grateful to the Director, M.A.C.S. Poona and the Regional Botanist, Botanical Survey of India (Western Circle, Poona) for sparing some material for this work. S. S. KELKAR C. S. LATTOO MISCELLANEOUS NOTES REFERENCES ACHARYA, Y. T.: Dravyaguna Vidyanum. pp. 174, tra with Bhavaprakasha Nighantu, pp. 408, No. 242. No. 113. MUKHERJEE, P. K. AND GupTA, RITA (1970): KIRTIKAR AND Basu (1935): Indian Medicinal Field Identification of Tephrosia Pers. J. Bombay Plants. J: 723. nat. Hist. Soc. 67 (1): 135. KUDATARKAR SHASTRI, M. N.: Dravyaguna Shas- 563 , ADDENDA Vol. 75: Supplement Nectar-feeding adaptations of Flowerbirds Insert on p. 1047 at the end, REFERENCES AI, SALIM A. (1931): The role of the sunbirds and the flowerpeckers in the propagation and dis- tribution of the tree-parasite, Loranthus longiflorus Dest., in the Konkan. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 35: 144. (1932): Flower-birds and_ Bird- flowers in India. ibid. 35: 574. BEDDARD, F. E. (1891): Notes on the structure of the tongue in the family Zosteropidae. Ibis: 510- 2: BEECHER, WILLIAM J. (1953): Phylogeny of Os- cines. Auk 70: 270-333. Gapow, Hans (1883): On the Suctorial Appa- ratus of the Tenuirostres. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1883: 62-69. GARDNER, LEON L. (1927): On the Tongue in Birds. [bis (XII series), Vol. iii, pp. 185-196. Lucas, F. A. (1897): The tongue of Birds. Rept. of U.S. National Museum for 1895: 1003-1020. MoLLer, W. (1930): Uber die Schnabel and Zen- genmechanic blutenbesuchender Vogel I Ein Beitrag Zur Biologie des Blumen Vogels. Biol. Generalis Widen 6: 651-726. (1931): Uber die Schnabel and Zungenmechanic bluntenbesuchender Vogel II. ibid. 7: 99-154. SCHARNKE, H. (1930): Ueber den Bau der Koli- brizunge. Orn. Monatsb. Berlin 38: 150-151. (1931): Die Nectarauf nahme mit der Kolibrizunge. ibid. 39: 79. (1932): Ueber den Bau der Zunge der Nectariniidae, Promeropidae and Drepanididae nebst Bemerkunge zur systamatik der blutenbe- suchender Passers. J. Orn. Berlin 80: 114-123. THE SOCIETY'S PUBLICATIONS Mammals The Book of India Animals, by S. H. 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