672 MR. H. J. ELWES ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL [June 17, 



Deccan. 



The Deccan, or tableland of Hiodostan, which, in Mr. Blanford's 

 division, forms a subprovince of the Indian province proper, is the 

 next to which I shall direct attention, though I am not well acquainted 

 with its northern aud eastern boundaries. 



The list of Deccan birds is founded on Sykes's list in this Society's 

 ' Proceedings ' for 1 832, with such additions and corrections as I have 

 been able to gather from other sources. Some of the birds he includes 

 (which are only found in the forests of the Malabar coast and Maha- 

 bleshwar hills) I have omitted. The country usually called the Deccan 

 is a tableland of moderate elevation broken in many places by rocky 

 hills, which rise a few hundred feet above the plain, and are covered 

 with a low thorny scrub or jungle and stunted trees. I am not 

 aware that forests of any size or importance occur in any part of 

 this region ; and in consequence the avifauna is poor and wanting in 

 variety. The number of common and resident birds is small, not 

 more than about 150 land-birds being included in Sykes's list. 



The proportion of Indo-Malay genera is far smaller than in 

 Malabar ; and a good many birds typical of the dry and barren part 

 of India, S.W. Asia, and N.E. Africa here make their appearance, 

 though, as I have previously said, their number is not sufficient to 

 outweigh the others. 



An analysis of the list gives the following result : — 



Birds common or belonging to genera common to the per cent. 



Himalayan and Malayan subregions 105 55 



Birds belonging to genera found in the Himalayan, but 



not in the Malayan subregion 27 14 



Birds belonging to wide-ranging genera, but only found 

 in India, or belonging to genera peculiar to the In- 

 dian subregion 28 15 



Birds belonging to genera of African or Palsearctic 



affinity 30 16 



Eive or six species which cannot be placed under either of these 

 heads are omitted. 



As compared with many parts of India, the scarcity of Wood- 

 peckers in the Deccan is most remarkable, only one species (Picus 

 mahrattensis) being at all common — whilst in the Bhotan Terai and 

 hills of Sikim they are so numerous that I obtained no less than 18 

 species, 7 of which I shot one evening in about an hour's walk round 

 my tent. Curiously enough no Saxicola is recorded by Col. Sykes, 

 though Jerdon observed 3 species at Mhow. 



Larks are abundant in this region, some peculiar forms (such as 

 Ammomanes phoenicura) having their headquarters here. Game- 

 birds are also numerous. No less than 3 species of Perdicula, a 

 genus only found in India, occur ; and both species of Galloperdix 

 are included by Col. Sykes, as well as Eupodotis edwardsi and 

 Sypheotides auritus. 



