438 NOTES ON THE AVIFAUNA OF MOUNT ABOO 



fever prevails, but the heat is almost intolerable in the hot 

 weather, when the thermometer often rises in Deesa in 

 the day-time to over 110°, and is seldom lower at night 

 than 96°. In the cold weather the temperature varies in the 

 day-time from 75° to 80°, and the nights are quite chilly, 

 the thermometer occasionally going down as low as freezing 

 point (32°), but the average temperature throughout the year 

 is about 81°. 



The monsoon sets in about the middle of July and lasts 

 until about the middle or end of September. The rainfall 

 averages about 30 inches ; however this year about 37 inches 

 have fallen in this neighbourhood. 



Mount Aboo is a large hill about 50 miles in circumfer- 

 ence detached from the Aravalli range. The plateau upon 

 which the station is built is about 4,500 feet above the level of 

 the sea, but at Oriar, the highest peak, the elevation is about 

 5,650 feet. The ascent* from Anadra,f a small village at the 

 foot of the hill on the western side, is very steep and the road 

 narrow and zio- zag. Most of the hill is composed of l'ock over- 

 grown from the base to summit with impenetrable jungles, princi- 

 pally of bamboo, in which of course many birds occur that are not 

 found in the plains, though I must confess I was much surprised 

 and disappointed when I came to explore them in not finding 

 more species. The climate of Aboo is very healthy, and the 

 average daily temperature throughout the year about 69°. In 

 the hot weather the thermometer seldom rises over 90°, and in 

 the cold weather the nights are often frosty. The monsoon general- 

 ly sets in about the first week in July and lasts until about the 

 middle or end of September, dates varying according to season. 

 The average rainfall is about 65 inches, however this season 

 over 100 inches have fallen, causing immense floods all over 

 the plains below. 



Mount Aboo and the neighbourhood of Deesa both contri- 

 bute largely to my list, as well as the marshes between Ahme- 

 dabad and Sidpoor, in which most of the " Grallatores " and 

 " Natatores " were obtained. 



I propose now to point out the different families in which I 

 know that my list is specially wanting ; having met with other 

 representatives of those families besides those which I have 

 included, which, either from not having been fortunate enough 

 to secure specimens, or from not having been able to identify 

 birds that I have seen in the field at long distances, I have been 

 obliged to omit. 



* Distance about four miles. 

 t Originally Ana-adra, the gate of honor. The magnificent marble Temples on 

 Mount Aboo, have for centuries attracted innumerable Pilgrims. Hence the name 

 of the hamlet that guarded the ascent in olden times, — Ed. 



