THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE NIiMAR DISTRICT. 565 



The Niniar District is situated between 21° 5' and 22° 25' N. and 

 75° 57' and 77° 13' E. and occupies a strip of mixed hill and plain 

 country at the western extremity ot the Nerbudda valley and of the 

 Satpuni plateau, and abuts on Khandesh and the Central India States. 

 It is bounded on the North by the Indore State, on the West by Indore 

 and Khandesh ; on the South by Khandesh and Berar ; and on the 

 East by the Hoshangabad and Betul Districts of the G. P. 



Almost through the centre of the district from West to East runs a 

 branch of the Satpuras forming the water-shed between the Nerbudda 

 river on the North and the Taptee on the South. The whole of this 

 ridge is covered with dry deciduous forest. Mandwa, a station on the 

 G. I. P. Railway, as well as the hill fort of Asirgarh are situated within 

 this block of forest. Between this range of hills and the Nerbudda 

 lies the town of Khandwa in a broad and fertile valley. The drain- 

 age from the central ridge to the North is diverted from its direct 

 course by another low and irregular ridge also covered with forest. 

 North of this ridge and bordering the Nerbudda river is a strip of broken 

 and hilly ground from 3 to 6 inch wide forming the Government 

 Forest Reserve of Punasa. 



On the North bank of the river and to the East is situated the Chand- 

 gurh Forest Reserve on the continuation of the hills constituting the 

 Punasa Reserve. 



Along the Southern face of the main central branch of the Satpuras 

 runs the Taptee and on its banks at the extreme South- Western comer 

 of the district lies the town of Burhanpur, 



South of this river rises a higher ridge forming the Southern face of 

 rhe Satpuras, and separating Nimar from the Berar plain. A dee[) 

 fertile valley separates these two branches of the Satpuras. The aver- 

 age elevation of the plain portion of the District is 900 feet. Such are 

 the main physical features of the District. 



The climate is extremely dry, the average rainfall for the last 40 

 years being only 30 inches though it has varied from as much as 52 

 inches in 1^94-95 to as little as 10 inches in' 1899-J 900. The rains 

 usually cease at the end of September and as winter rains seldom occur 

 it is practically rainless from then until the middle of June. The 

 average maximum temperature of the hot weather months is .1 06°. The 

 days are hot but the nights are always cool. 



The coki weather which lasts from the begmning of November to tlie 



