2 A FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS 



"The low jungle lands and rice fields are only about 70 feet 

 above sea-level, and the majority of the hills which are scattered 

 throughout these low lands and adjacent to the high ranges 

 vary in height from 100 to 350 feet. These again, as also the 

 low lands, are thickly studded with stagnant pestilential jheels 

 and old river courses, in which flourish a great variety of gross- 

 feeding animal and vegetable life. These jheels vary in breadth 

 from 30 yards to a mile. 



" 1 believe a good bird's-eye view of Cachar may be had from 

 Nemotha, the proposed sanitarium on the North Cachar hills, 

 which does not at all flatter the province, as the whole of Cachar 

 is said to resemble one vast swamp. 



11 The Jujongs range of hills are the water-shed between the 

 Jheeree and Cheeree, the highest peak is about 690 feet. The 

 North Cachar hills are about 4,000 feet. 



" These hills or teelahs are mostly very steep and in many 

 instances quite precipitous. 



" The soil is a very light, friable, yellow loam, with an average 

 depth of about eighteen inches, but where the hills are steep or 

 much exposed to the storms, the soil seems to be pretty well 

 all washed away, whereas on level plateau land, and on 

 sheltered teelahs, good soil exists in many places to the depth 

 of 4 feet. 



" In some places boulders, pieces of sand-stone, and con- 

 glomerate crop up, and often about 2 feet under the surface, 

 regular layers of water-worn stones and pebbles are found, much 

 resembling an old sea or river bed. Large masses of indurat- 

 ed clay are exposed along the river banks, but as yet, no true 

 rock in situ has been found in this immediate neighbourhood. 

 Signs of lignite, coal, lime, and iron have been seen on the 

 higher ranges of hills. 



" The soil on the low lands is a stiff alluvium, very rich and 

 productive, and where not cultivated is densely covered with 

 tall grasses, cane, and other jungle. 



"The annual rainfall is about 120 inches. Spring showers 

 be^in about the middle of February and continue at intervals 

 till about the 10th of June. These showers are generally accom- 

 panied by gales of wind, and always take the form of thunder 

 storms. About March we are sometimes visited by hail storms, 

 which, when severe, do infinite damage to tea gardens, and even 

 prove destructive to cattle. 



"The regular rains begin about the 10th of June, and begin 

 to break up towards the end of September. 



" The atmosphere during the summer months is very steamy, 

 and, although the temperature does not often exceed 90°, the 

 amount of moisture in the air makes even this heat very 



