MAMMAL SURVEF OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 759 



This most interesting and valuable Collection, contributed to the 

 Indian Mammal Survey by Mr. J. M. D. Mackenzie, i.f.s., maj^ 

 be treated as a continuation of the Chindwin Collection, in my 

 Report on which a certain number of these specimens were included. 



A part of it was obtained in the Chindwin Valley, near Kindat, 

 but more to the west than the country covered by Mr. Shortridge, 

 and includes specimens from the Kabaw Valley, while the balance 

 represents the Fauna of the Chin Hills. 



The following is a note on the areas over which he collected, by 

 Mr. Mackenzie: — " From 10m. south to 20m. north of Kindat the 

 country west of the river consists of (1) flat paddy land up to 4 or 

 5 miles, (2) a mile or two of open and scrub jungle, (3) a belt, 

 about 20 miles wide, of forest containing teak and other large trees; 

 it is mostly "drj^ and very hilly, though the highest point is only 

 about 3,200 feet, and most of the hills are considerably less, about 

 1,500 to 2,000 feet. The jmagle is mostly fairly thick, but patches 

 of ' indaing ' and evergreen jungle occur. (4) the Kabaw Valley, 

 which is some 10 miles across and consists mostly of flat country 

 covered with scrub jungle ; a few villages, with cultivated land 

 round them, mixed with 'pongoes' (i.e., old ciiltivation) occur, 

 and scattered through the whole are patches of bigger jungle and 

 ' kaing ' ( elephant grass ). Finally on the western boundarj^ of the 

 Kabaw Valley lie the Chin Hills in the south, and Manipur in the 

 north. 



The part of the Chin Hills in which collections were made lies be- 

 tween the southern boundary of Manipur and the southern water- 

 shed of the Nankathit Chaug, an area of some 500 square miles, 

 more or less triangular in shape, with the Kabaw Vallej^ for the 

 base. It is about 20 miles from north to south, in the centre, and 

 30 from east to west. The country consists of steep hills, ranging 

 from 3,000 to 7,000 feet, with rockj'-, swift- flowing streams in the 

 valleys. The hills are very steep and stonj'-, and usually covered 

 with jungle, both scrub (tree heather, hornbeam, oak, &c.), and high 

 forest containing large trees. In the latter especially the under- 

 growth is very thick. The Chins live in villages usually placed 

 on the tops of high ridges, and practise shifting cultivation 

 ('taungya') in the course of which all tree growth on the selected 

 area is cut down and burnt ; the area after a year or two is 

 abandoned. 



The Collection contains 346 specimens, belonging to 52 species 

 and subspecies, in 36 genera. No less than 4 forms have had to be 

 provided with names, and it is much to be regretted that owing to 

 Mr. Mackenzie's illness many skulls were lost as otherwise this list 

 might have been still longer. These iiew names are as follows : — 

 Petat'/rista sybilla, Tomeutes mearsi virgo, liattus mackenziei, and 

 Ratius maniimlus. In addition to these, 7 forms are new to the 

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