RANGOON DISTRICT OF THE IRRAWADDY DELTA. 297 
Elephant Point, the jungle in these swamps consists almost exclu- 
sively of a tall willow-like tree, Sonneratia apetala, which appear- 
ed to be a favorite resort for several species of King-fishers and 
Wood peckers. With the exception, however, of this solitary patch 
of Sonneratia, the tidal jungles were mainly composed of such 
plants as Ceriops Roxburghiana, Acanthus ilicifulius, and various 
species of mangroves. 
Beyond the sandy beach in the neighbourhood of Elephant 
Point, the country 1s under cultivation, and, with the exception 
of a few isolated clumps of trees, hedges, and small patches of 
thin tree jungle and scrub, it is quite open. At a little distance 
to the westward, however, cultivation ceases, and for several 
miles along the shore, a dense low jungle comes down quite close 
to the beach. Sometimes at very high spring tides this jungle 
is completely flooded for several miles inland. It is composed 
mainly of low-growing trees and shrubs, such as Hibiscus 
tiliaceus, Clerodendron inerme, Derris scandens, Grewia microcos, 
Glycosmis pentaphylla, Jasminum scandens, Hlagellaria indica, 
and others, amongst which very few birds indeed are to be found. 
About midway between Elephant Point and China-Ba-keer, 
this low jungle is found to pass abruptly into an open grass co- 
vered country, which continues almost up to China-Ba-keer, and 
is in a few places irregularly dotted with hedges and scrub. 
Inside this open grass land, there are broad belts of evergreen 
forest, running more ot less parallel to the shore, and in many 
places rendered quite impenetrable by the Lliana-like creepers and 
thick thorny underwood beneath. 
In addition to all these varieties of country, numerous 
swamps and jheels of varying extent are to be met with at inter- 
vals. Some of these are quite open and clear, or at the most ouly 
fringed with weeds, but the greater number are completely co- 
vered with aquatic plaats, and are the favored haunts of num- 
berless Herons and other water birds, 
In conclusion I have to convey my warmest thanks to the 
editor® of “Stray FEATHERS,” to whom I am indebted for the 
identification of all the specimens collected, and without whose 
kind assistance the present paper could not have been written. 
34.—Spizaetus caligatus, Raffles, 
This appears to be a rare species. I only saw a single speci- 
men which I shot near China-Ba-keer in December. It was 
* I have added a few notes at Dr, Armstrong’s request, as also references to previous 
passages in 8. F., in which birds mentioned and not included in Dr, Jerdon’s work, 
will be found described—A, O. H., Ed. ' 
