153 



^T)TES ON THE BIRDS OF SEHORE, CENTRAL INDIA, 

 WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MIGRATION. 



HY 



Captain (\ H. T. Whitehead. 



Sehore is a small cantonment in Bhopal State on the plateau of 

 Central India. It is situated in a slight hollow surrounded by 

 mango groves and gardens on the bank of the Siwan Nullah and 

 three miles west of a low ridge (about 100 feet high) which divides 

 tlie waters of Bengal and Bombay. 



The surrounding country is gentty undulating, broken by occa- 

 sional rocky outcrops (the highest of which only rises about 450 

 feet above the plain), and covered for the most part with thin 

 scrub and grass, except to the south, where, 6 miles out, jungle 

 averaging some 15 to 20 feet in height commences, stretching 

 thence to the Vindhyas. In this tract Her Highness the Begum 

 of Bhopal has generously set apart a tiger preserve, known as Lotia, 

 for the Europeans of Sehore, the Kolar River drains it, and this is 

 a paradise for many interesting forest birds. 



The soil is a stiff black cotton one and cultivation is not very 

 extensive, except in the more favoured parts, e.g., around Sehore 

 and Ashta. Several small streams run through the District, 

 but there are few tanks except the Big Lake at Bhopal, 20 

 miles east, the series of small ones around Akodia 40 miles west, 

 and Ashta 27 miles south-west; fortunately the two former a,re 

 easily accessible by railway, and the first with its gently shelving 

 shore and excellent feeding appears to be specially attractive to 

 waterfowl, judging by their very late stay there. 



Augvist is the only month in which I did not visit the Bhopal 

 Lake. From 20th of February till the 81st of July I visited it 

 practically every week. 



The annual rainfall averages roughly 50 inches, and mostly 

 occurs between the 20th of June and the 30th of September. The 

 climate, owing to the altitude — some 1,700 feet — and the absence 

 of rock near the surface, is comparatively cool and in winter there 

 are usually slight frosts. 

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