BUTTERFLIES OF TRAVANCORE. 433 



few exceptions, the boundary. Its greatest breadth is 75 miles. 

 Zoologically it belongs to the Ceylonese sub-division of the oriental 

 region. 



The chain of hills for the first half of its length, that is from Cape 

 Comorin to the Achankovil gap, rises rather abruptly from the level 

 of the low country, and consists merely of a single ridge with out- 

 lying spurs, so that, standing upon the boundary, you can, in many 

 places, look down on the one hand into the flat land on the British 

 side, and on the other into the low country of Travancore, thus afford- 

 ing a great contrast, for the latter is not flat but consists of a succession 

 of low hills divided by narrow valleys, which are usually filled with 

 paddy, the hills being covered with trees and undergrowth, so that 

 the eye is carried down over a succession of dark green ridges^ 

 interrupted only by the bright green of the paddy lands, and the 

 gleam of water in the large lakes, to the light green of the belt of 

 cocoa-nut palms that fringes the white sand beyond, and so down to 

 the sea. These lakes, or " back-waters," as they are called, are close to 

 the sea, and, being united by canals parallel to the coast, form a water- 

 way throughout the whole length of the country. 



This first half of the range has an average height of 4,500 feet ; 

 only two of the peaks reach 5,000 feet, Agasthiar being 6,800 feet 

 high, while Mahindragerry is 5,500. The first forty miles of the 

 range from Cape Comorin are known as the Ashambu hills, and 

 include the second of the two peaks mentioned. The next part is 

 not known by any general name, but includes Agasthiar (6,200 feet), 

 Chimmunji (4,800 feet), and Ponmudi, a grass hill, 3,500 feet high. It 

 ends at the Ariankavu pass, 1,210 feet high. About 8 miles further 

 is the Achankovil pass, about 1,470 feet high; a strong ridge 2,000 

 to 3,000 feet separates the two valleys. 



From base to summit the hills of this part of the range are covered 

 with a dense growth of evergreen forest, and there is very little 

 grass, in fact it only grows in some of the outlying spurs and on the 

 more exposed ridges. From the Achank5vil pass the ridge gradually 

 rises and broadens, till it forms, at an elevation of 3,500 feet, a 

 table-land of unexplored forest, impassable by reason of its deep 

 ravines and heavy undergrowth ; this part stretches for about 1 5 miles, 

 and is known as the Panthalam hills. Its character then changes, 



