526 Letter's, Announcements, ^c. 



fauna of the Nicobar Islands, by Mr. V. Ball, of the Geological 

 Survey of India, who paid a short visit of eight days to the 

 new settlement at the Nancowry harbour, situated between 

 the northern coast of that island and the southern coast of 

 of Camorta, and to Trinkutt, all three belonging to the middle 

 group of the Nicobars. The author had but little time for 

 collecting birds ; and among the twenty-one s])ecies observed 

 by him, only two (a Turnix and an JEc/ialiiis) had not been 

 before recorded from Camorta ; unfortunately, of neither were 

 specimens preserved for determination. We have only room for 

 one remark, which is that Eulabes andamanensis (Ibis, 1867, 

 p. 331) was found on that island, thus justifying Lord Walden's 

 belief in its ransre extending from the Andamans to the Nicobars. 



XLII. — Letters, Announcements, 8^c. 



The following letters, addressed " To the Editor of the ' Ibis,' " 



have been received by us : — 



Calcutta, April 2, 1870. 



Sir, — I send you a few notes on the Ornithology of the 

 Cardamura Hills of Ti'avancore, taken during a six weeks' tour 

 I lately made there ; but, as Elephant-hunting was my chief 

 object, I was unable to form a large collection. Many of the 

 species, however, are interesting, and show a strong resemblance 

 to the Cingalese birds. The Cardamum Hills extend from 

 latitude 9° N. to latitude 10° 20', where they approach the 

 Pulney and Annamallay ranges, and are from 3000 to 8000 

 feet in height. They rise very abruptly from the plains on the 

 east, and slope gradually to the west coast, in which direction 

 the Perryaur, the only important stream, also flows. In many 

 parts they are covered with magnificent virgin forest up to the 

 height of 6000 feet ; but a great deal of the country is open, 

 covered with tall lemon-grass or scattered trees, and the valleys 

 are filled with dense bamboo- or reed-jungle. Rhododendrons 

 flourish above 6000 feet ; and at that elevation most of the birds 

 of the Neilgherries are found. One remarkable feature in the 

 ornithology of the district is the absence of Birds-of-prey ; for, 



