356* AVIFAUNA OF CHOTA NAGPUR. 



physical features, natural productions, and general characteris- 

 tics of the area in which the birds enumerated in the following 

 list have been found. 



The Chutia, or as it is more commonly called the Clwta Nag- 

 pur Division, notwithstanding its size and its proximity to 

 Calcutta, is singularly little known out of the circle composed of 

 the resident officials and those whose business it is to pay it 

 visits during their annual tours of inspection. Hazaribagh 

 as a military station forms the sole exception to the rule that the 

 principal towns, including Ranchi the capital, as they lead 

 nowhere, are seldom visited by outsiders. I might quote the 

 remarks of many who, on hearing the name of this portion of the 

 country, have shown that their ideas of its position were of the 

 most hazy character. 



In short it would seem that nothing less than a war or famine 

 would teach some people the geography of the country in which 

 they live. How many in India could have given a clear 

 account of the position of Tirhut before the recent events which 

 have directed such special attention to it ? 



So much for the geographical knowledge possessed by the 

 public in general, that of the physical features is even still 

 less. Even in that most excellent work on the Highlands of 

 Central India by the late Captain Forsyth, the hills and plateaus 

 of Chota Nagpiir are spoken of in almost slighting terms and 

 as if they were quite subordinate to his favorite Satpuras. 

 But there are in Chota Nagpur plateaus before which even 

 the beautiful Pa<jhmari should hide her diminished head. Little 

 blame can attach to any one, however, for not having any idea 

 of the physical features, as no map on a reduced scale, containing 

 the hill shading of the excellent topographical maps of tli3 

 western portion of the area, has as yet been issued. 



My acquaintance with Chota Nagpur commenced in 1864, 

 since which time I have spent seven working seasons, and a 

 part of an eighth exploring its geology. My early work was 

 in the eastern frontier districts of Manbhum and Singhbhum ; 

 that of the last few seasons in the extreme west, to reach and 

 return from which I have had to make long traverses across 

 the intervening country. Thus I have had opportunities of 

 seeing the greater part of the division, with the exception 

 of that central-southern portion which includes the wild 

 and sparingly-inhabited district of Sarunda. 



In the first few years such of my time and attention 

 as could be spared from my regular professional duty as a 

 geologist was devoted principally to examining the flora; 



