niRDS FROM THE NORTH CHIN HILLS. 73 



Upper Chindwiu forest division. The Northern boundary is Mani- 

 pur, the Western the main chain of the Chin Hills, the Southern the 

 main watershed of the Nankatlut Chaung, and the Eastern, the upper 

 Chindwin Civil District, in all an area some 30 miles square. The 

 country consists of steep hills rising up to nearly 7,000' with deep 

 valleys (down to 2,000' or 1,500') between. The hills are covered 

 with jungle, mostly of a scrubby nature (oaks, chestnuts, 

 rhododendrons, and tree heather with an undergrowth of bracken, 

 raspberry, etc.) mixed with patches, occasionally big, of dense 

 evergreen jungle which are especially noticeable along the main 

 Western ridge. There are also a few areas covered with an open 

 growth of pine. Close to villages, "Ponzos" of all ages occur ; these 

 are patches cleared for shifting cultivation and abandoned after one 

 or more years. They are dense thickets of small trees of varjdng 

 ages, elephant grass, grass, and weeds. The streams are all perennial, 

 rocky, swift, and liable to sudden floods, and the valleys near them are 

 generally covered with dense evergreen or semi-evergi-een jungle, re- 

 placed higher up by bamboos and undergrowth with a few big trees, 

 the higher parts being oak scrub. One area deserving special notice 

 is a wind trap, through which the main road to Tiddim and Fallam 

 passes. It is said by the Chins never to be without a wind ; when 

 an ordinarj" breeze is blowing in other places, a gale is blowing here 

 and when there is a gale elsewhere, it is impossible to stand. Con- 

 sequently there are no trees, nothing in fact but short grass, and one 

 or two juniper-like shrubs, although the jungle round is rather fine. 

 I was unable to get to it in 1915, owing to fever, and so could not 

 verifv the previous year's identifications which had been made in a 

 huriy, without shooting birds. The area is about 2 miles long, and 

 from a quarter to half a mile aci'oss. 



The measurements given are in inches and decimals. 



\^Note. — As Mr. Hopwood is on leave, I am writing these notes out here. 

 He has seen a rough copy, and made additions and corrections ; but in 

 re-writing I have occasionally used the first person, which is however 

 intended to always include both of us unless the context shows the 

 contrary.— D. M.] ^ 



1. The .Jungle Crow — Corvus macrorhynchus. (4) 



Not common. 



2. Indian House-Crow — Corvus splendent. (8) 



3. Red-billed Blue Magpie — Urocissa occijntalis. (12) 



Foothills only as a rule. Obtained one nest in 1914, on the 

 Manipur boundary at 3,500'. 



4. Green Magpie — Cissa chinensis. (14) 



Nest and eggs of the usual type found at 3,000' on 7th May 

 1918, 12th May 1913 and 2l8t April 1914. Shot a bird only in 

 1915. 



10 



