1873.] distribution of asiatic biros. 673 



Central Provinces. 



The next division of the Indian province to which I must refer is 

 that called by Mr. Blanford the Gangetic subprovince, which comprises 

 that part of India politically known as the Central Provinces, as well 

 as Malwa, Bundelcund, and Chota Nagpore. 



This part of India is more difficult to divide in a zoological sense 

 than any other, its border-lands being not only very vague, but so 

 similar to the surrounding countries, that it is perhaps hardly worthy 

 of separation. 



Physically it differs from the Deccan in being a far more jungly 

 country, what is termed jungle in India being rather a low and open 

 forest of thorny trees than a real forest such as is found in Malabar 

 or the Himalayas. There is, however, a great deal of heavy timber 

 on its eastern half, especially on the Godavery river and in Chota 

 Nagpore. 



From Bengal it differs in heing for the most part an uncultivated 

 country, and, though nowhere what would be called in India moun- 

 tainous, is very different in its appearance from the flat and highly 

 cultivated plains of the Ganges valley. 



As, however, Mr. Blanford has a greater personal knowledge of 

 this part of India than of any other, it is most likely that he is correct 

 in considering it a subprovince of the Indian province, and I will now 

 endeavour to distinguish between the component parts of its avifauna. 



From papers published in the J. A. S. B. by Mr. Blanford and 

 Col. M 'Master, we get a sufficient number of birds to work upon; 

 but it must be understood that these lists only apply to the neigh- 

 bourhood of Chaudah and Nagpore, in the south-western part of the 

 district. They contain about 190 species of land-birds, which I 

 arrange as follows : — 



■&- 



Birds of very wide range in Europe, Asia, and Africa 38 

 Belonging to genera of very wide range, but either 



confined to India or very nearly so 57 



Birds belonging to genera common to tropical Africa 



and India 35 



Birds of African type 8 



Birds belonging to Indo-Malayan genera 53 



Or, taking them from another point of view : — per cent. 

 Birds belonging to very wide-ranging genera .98 51 

 Birds belonging to Iudo-African genera .... 40 21 

 Birds belonging to Indo-Malay genera .... 53 28 



Having myself but very little knowledge of this part of India, 

 I will say no more about it, but will refer my readers who may 

 wish to know more to Mr. Blanford's papers in J. A. S. B. 1869, 

 p. 165; 1870, p. 335; 1871, p. 268; also to a paper read at 

 the Meeting of the British Association in 1869, "On the Fauna 

 of British India," where an opinion is expressed which I think Mr. 

 Blanford has since changed, viz. that the fauna of the Himalayas is 

 purely Malay. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1873, No. XLIII. 43 



