282 ROUGH LIST OF THE BIRDS OF WESTERN KHANDESH; 
They form the boundary between Khandesh and the high 
tableland of the Deccan. There are a few villages of the 
Chalisgaum taluka above the ghats on the Deecan plain, 
and-entirely surrounded by the Nizam’s territory ; but, asa 
rule, Khandesh only reaches the edge of the hills. In the 
west of Pimpalnir the Sahyadra range reaches into Khan- 
desh, separating Nowapur from the rest of Pimpalnir. 
Ranges of hills pass from them along the south of the Pim- 
palnir and Dhulia talukas, separating them from Nasik, and 
spreading out all over the Dhulia taluka. These are exten- 
sively clothed in places with “ Anjan’ trees, but they are not 
good, and have been much cut as food for cattle—a practice 
which, however, is now strictly prohibited. Other ranges 
from the ghats spread through Nizampur, separating Nan- 
durbar from it, and passing through the north of the Dhulia 
taluka. Nizampur is consequently entirely enclosed among 
these ranges ard forms a barren tableland. The soil through- 
out tIns part of the sub-division, except along the small’ rivers, 
is very poor, and will not bear a crop more than two years 
consecutively. There are large areas uncultivated ; much of this 
is, nominally, Government forest, but the barren hills and stunted 
shrubs do not deserve the name. Along all the Pimpalnir and 
Dhulia rivers there are old “ bandharas’” opposite nearly every 
village, forming a small tank at which the village cattle drink, 
and irrigating some village lands below. These are kept up 
by Government, and dependent on the water are extensive 
gardens growing wheat, sugarcane, rice, and other crops, 
though the amount of rice is very small. There are also 
large mango groves around almost all the large villages along 
the Panjra, forming a grand breeding ground for Syrnium 
ocellatum, Ketupa ceylonensis, and Ocyceros birostris, all of 
which are common throughout this part of the district. 
The rainfall is scanty in the central and southern parts of 
Khandesh, though none of the districts have ever suffered from 
want of rain so much as the neighbouring Deccan districts. 
The rainfall from 1861 to 1871 averaged from 20 to 30 inches, 
the heaviest rainfall being at Pachora, and the least at Virdeil. 
Khandesh is a very hot district, (not only in the black soil 
plains but throughout the Satpuras,) the thermometer in March, 
April and May frequently rising to from 105° to 111° in 
the shade ; the nights, however, are generally fairly cool, except 
in the early part of the rains. In spite of all that is said to 
the contrary, except in the western parts of Pimpalnir and 
Nandurbar, the climate is fairly healthy, both to Huropeans 
and Natives, if moderate care be taken; a visit, however, to 
West Nandurbar or Pimpalnir, except in the hot weather or early 
rains, is almost certain to be followed by bad malarious fever. 
