1919-] from South Annam and Cochin China, 395 



These are inhabited by enormous numbers of the beautiful 

 lizard Liolepis beiliana, which the Annamites trap for food ; 

 towards Nhatrang the country improves. 



Birds were not numerous in species, of which 29 were 

 obtained, though souie were numerous in individuals ; such 

 were : — 



Turnix pu[/na<r rostrata, Pycnonotus blanfardi. Mixornis 

 rubricapilla coiinectens, Copsychus saidaris lausicus, Cri/psi- 

 7'hina varians, BucJuinija atra cacoetha, Sturnia nialabarica 

 nemoricold, /Ethiopsar cristatellus brevipennis, GracaUpica 

 nigricoUis, Passer fluveolus, and Mirafra assainicu marionce. 



The little yiiinvct, Pericrocutus pen'f/rinus, had been quite 

 common in March, but in May we only succeeded in 

 obtaining two examples. 



From Tour Cham the route to Dalat lay in a general 

 north-westeily direction all the way. We left at daybreak on 

 12 March and travelled by a little brancb railway running 

 towards the mountains and terminating after twenty-five 

 miles at Xomgom. I had been rather perturbed by the 

 appearance of Tour Cham, but as we proceeded the vegeta- 

 tion improved until at Xomgom we were in forest : though 

 tropical, it was not equatorial, and it appeared quite open and 

 penetrable after the dense Malayan jungle from which T had 

 just come, as there was no crowded undergrowth. 



After some hours' delay and a good deal of walking about 

 under the midday sun, we obtained some bullock-wagons and 

 hand-carts for the baggage and continued onwards for four 

 miles to the Annamite village of Daban, situated within the 

 foot of the mountain-range at a height of 650 ft. Here we 

 pitched our camp on the bank of the Kronfa River, which 

 rises on the plateau of Dran above and enters the sea at 

 Phanrang, and remained there for a fortnight. The early 

 morning temperature was about 65° F., and though in the 

 afternoon it sometimes rose to 90'^ in the shade this was not 

 unpleasant owing to the dryness of the air. 



Birds were fairly numerous, but some of them, like Wood- 

 peckers, were hard to get, as the forest was so open and so 

 carpeted with dead dry leaves, which cracked beneath the 



sKK. XI. — vo;.. I. 2 F 



