488 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



and gigantic creepers which again support the more slender convol- 

 vuli, and other herbaceons vines stretch from tree to tree, while 

 the soil in many places highly favours the growth of moisture 

 loving plants such as the Indian arrowroot (Curcuma longa), Wild 

 ffinger (Zingiber casumunar^ and the Cardamom. Wherever on 

 their summits or windward sides the hills are denuded of forest 

 they are clothed with dense coarse grass. 



On the east is the drier bamboo zone. The character of this 

 district is indicated by the prevalence of large clumps of bamboos, 

 interspersed with ' Teak ' (Tectona grandis), Honne (Fterocarpus 

 marsuiyiuin), Biti (Balhergia latifolia), Nandi (Lagerstroewjia micro- 

 carpa?), Matti (Termincdia tomentosa), Sandal (Santcchtm album) and 

 other trees peculiar to the deciduous forests. 



Coorg is best known as a coffee growing country^ its other 

 products being chiefly rice, pepper and cardamoms. 



There are about 600 square miles of forest reserve ; but owing to 

 the fact that all Coorgs are allowed to carry firearms, and the want 

 of a restriction in the number of J^'early licences issued, the larger 

 game is rapidlj^ being shot out, more so perhaps than any other 

 part of Southern India I have visited. Bison, Chital and Bear onlj 

 exist in a few of the more remote parts of the province, most of 

 which districts are well known and very much overshot by shikar 

 parties ; while a good Sambur head from Coorg has for many years 

 been unknown. 



These remarks are made at the special request of several Coorg 

 residents who deplore the yearly increasing rarity of every kind of 

 large game here and remark on the uselessness of attempts at 

 protection on their part, when outside shikar parties, careless of the 

 ultimate extermination they will cause, come here every year in 

 numbers that are out of all proportion to the amount of game in 

 the district. 



In addition to the amount of help received, there was a great deal 

 of very keen interest taken in the object of the survey, and a general 

 desire that the Coorg collection should be a good and representative 

 one. On this account it is satisfactory that with the exception of 

 one or two stragglers and possibly a few bats, almost everything 

 likely to occur in Coorg is represented, which helps to show how 

 invaluable local assistance is to the work of the Survey. 



Mr. F. Hannyngton, I. C. S., the Commissioner of Coorg, a ver}^ 

 keen member of the Society, helped me in every possible way and 

 accompanied me on many of my camps. Owing to the thoroughness 

 of his assistance I was able to make a very wide tour through the 

 province. 



While such facilities as " permission to shoot in reserves," " free 

 game license," "free residence in travellers' bungalows," and 

 particularly " instructions to local native officials to assist while 



