14 FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS OF THE SOUTH KONKAN. 



with Herons, Egrets, Rails, Kingfishers, and Mud Fish. A larger 

 area of land has, in these localities, been reclaimed by earth 

 and masonry embankments, and converted into valuable rice 

 fields and excellent Snipe grounds, although, owing to the soil 

 being always impregnated with salt in these Kharoat lands, 

 the coarser kinds of rice can alone be produced. 



The coast villages, which are situated either on beds of littoral 

 concrete in all the sheltered nooks and bays, or in more marshy 

 soil at the estuaries of the creeks, are very picturesque, if 

 we except the clusters of filthy overcrowded fishermen's huts, 

 which are crammed together at each available landing place, 

 with all the intermediate spaces blocked up by confused heaps 

 of boats, spars, fishing tackle and putrid fish. The houses are 

 built in one or two long lines following the contour of the 

 beach. The better sort are tiled and made of substantial late- 

 rite, while the poorer are content with thatched roofs and walls 

 of deep red mud. But rich or poor, each house stands in its 

 own little plot of garden, densely shaded by cocoa and betel 

 palms, and the white flowered Alexandriau laurel ( Calophyllum 

 inophyllum) which grows so luxuriantly on the coast, and is 

 so valuable for its oil, and the timber it yields for boat build- 

 ing. Such villages, although the air is steamy and close under 

 the dense shade, are a pleasing contrast to the dreary, treeless 

 villages of the Deccau, with their coloui'less mud huts, and the 

 hideous spectral walls which enclose them. 



Besides the above trees, there are found in more or less pro- 

 fusion in all the maritime villages, mangoes, tamarinds, jacks, 

 bhendis (T/iespesia popuhiea), banyans, pipals, silk-cotton 

 trees (Bombax malabaricum) , coral trees {Erythrina indica), 

 wild mangostins (Garcinia purpurea), cashews [Anacardium 

 occidentale) , and more rarely jujube trees [Zizyplius jujuba), 

 and feathery horse radish trees {Moringa pterygosperma) ; wild 

 date trees {Phoenix sylvestris), and the Palmyra palm 

 (Borassus flabelliformis) are almost unknown throughout the 

 tract, but the raimad (Caryota urens) is common in places. 

 The cashewnut again is more abundant and more highly 

 cultivated in the south of the tract than in the north ; about 

 Malvan and Vengorla it is indeed the commonest tree you see, 

 being reared in extensive orchards. These well-wooded coast 

 villages attract naturally a considerable variety of arboreal birds. 

 Minivets (P. perigrinus), Drongo Shrikes {B. atra and longi- 

 caudata), Babblers (M. somervillei), Bulbuls (0. fuscicaudata 

 and M. hcemorrhous), Orioles (0. melanocephalus) , Magpie, 

 Robins, Pipits (^4. trivialis), Mynas [A. fuscus), Weaver 

 Birds, Amandavads (A. striata), Coucals, Koels and Paroquets 

 perhaps the commonest species met with, not counting Crows, 



