AND SPECIALLY THOSE OF THE THOUNGYEEN VALLEY. 141 



tigers are said b} r the Karens to abound. Personally I have 

 never come across them. But for birds an evergreen forest 

 is the best collecting ground I know of. 



Hornbills, Green Pigeons, Barbets, Bulbuls, and all fruit- 

 eating birds abound, while the undergrowth thickets are 

 alive with the calls and flitting forms, twining in and out restless- 

 ly, of Trichastoma, Alcippe, etc. By the streams, especially 

 in the higher hills, one is sure to meet Myiophoneus eugenii 

 and Henicurus schistaceus, while it is very likely that Alcedo 

 nigricans and Ceyon tridactyla may dash across your path like 

 living gems lost to sight ere you can raise } 7 our gnu. 



Passing out into the moist forests you find the great slaty 

 Woodpecker (Muelleripicus pulverulentus) flying from tree to 

 tree in parties uttering their queer querulous notes. But 

 the real "happy hunting ground" of all Woodpeckers seema 

 to be the dry teak forests open, and mixed with clumps 

 of bamboo. In these places they go simply in great mobs, 

 all species mixed up together, and having not a few strangers 

 of other genera among their number, such as Garrulax mom* 

 lige.r and belangeri, Cissa chinensis, Hoopoes and Jays. 



In the open barren-looking Eng jungles bird-life is scarce. 

 A few Nut Hatches {Sitta neglecta), Hume's Green Woodpecker 

 ( Gecinus nigrigenis), an occasional Minivet (Pericrocotus) or 

 Fantail {Leucocerca), and above all the little Burmese Piculefc 

 ( Yungipicas canicapillus) are the chief birds seen. 



In the long grass, which frequently covers the bare ridgea 

 of these forests, a species of Hare (Lepus peguana) is 

 sparsely scattered, while in the rains, when the new grass has 

 sprung, bison, saing (wild cow), sambur, and daray (hog- 

 deer) are found in secluded places. 



When referring to the four kinds of forests, I must be clearly 

 understood not to speak of them as succeeding in zones 

 to each other. The nature of the Thoungyeen valley, cut up 

 by numerous ridges and spurs of hills, gives a vast diversity 

 of flora. Wherever laterite soil collects along the banks of the 

 various streams there teak may be expected. Let it be a little 

 more moist and the forest is changed into evergreeu, while 

 on the bare laterite ridges eng and pine occupy the ground, 

 the soil beiug too poor to allow of the growth of auythiug 

 else. 



The heavy rainfall on the Dawna range brings out a 

 marvellous vegetation, and is, I fancy, the cause of many 

 Bpecies, such as Baza lophotes, Eurylamus javanicus, Nyctior- 

 nis amicta, Rhyticeros undulatus, Cymbor/iynchus macrorItynchu3 y 

 and dozens of other southern forms extending their range 

 so fur north. 



