28 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDL4. 



the fourth side of the Sell patch in the Denwa valley 

 lies the great open plain of the Narbada, into which the 

 sandstone formation extends, and passes on along with 

 primitive rocks, and with little interruption from the 

 trap, right up to the main body of the Sal forest at the 

 head of the Narbada valley. The S;il, it is true, ceases 

 in the open Narbada valley, but so does all forest, the 

 country haviug been completely cleared and cultivated 

 for many generations. It is not then a very violent 

 assumption to suppose that the Sal forest at one time 

 extended down the Narbada valley as far as the Denwa, 

 and that, when the country was cleared, this little patch 

 alone was left securely nestled under the clitfs of the 

 Mahadeo range, in the secluded valley of the Denwa, 

 into which there was no road until within the last few 

 years. 



These are strange facts. But it would be still more 

 strange if a corresponding distribution of animal life 

 could also be demonstrated. Somethinu: of the kind 

 is really almost possible. Equally with the Sdl tree, 

 several prominent members of the Central Indian fauna 

 belong peculiarly to the north-eastern parts of India. 

 These are the wild buffalo (Buhcthis Ami), the twelve- 

 tined " swamp " deer {Rucervus Duvaucellii), and the 

 red junglc-fowi [Gall as fevrufjineus). All these are 

 plentiful within the area of the great Sal belt, but 

 do not occur to the west of it, excepting in tJie Sal 

 patch of the Denwa valley, where the two latter, though 

 not the buffalo, again recur. In the Denwd valley 

 there is but a solitary herd of the swamp deer, I 

 believe ; the red jungle-fowl are not so numerous as 

 the rival species, 6'. Sonneratii, which replaces it in 

 the west and south of India ; and it is not surprising 



