1871.] W. T. Blanford— Wardha valley Birds. 2G9 



are larger and the undergrowth closer. Owing to the jungle be- 

 ing denser in this direction, a few forest birds are found which are 

 common in the great wooded region to the eastward, but which 

 do not appear to extend west of the Wardha. 



The character of a district's fauna as compared with that of 

 other parts of the country is determined quite as much by the 

 forms which are wanting as by those which are present. I will, 

 therefore, notice a few of the birds which are " conspicuous by their 

 absence" in the Chanda country. 



Amongst the Raptores, Falcons are decidedly scarce, but I have 

 no doubt that my list is far from complete. I can scarcely believe 

 that Aquila imperialis, A. ncevia, A. pennata and Eutolmaetus Bonellii 

 are all wanting, perhaps all may occur occasionally, but they are 

 certainly not common, and I could scarcely have overlooked Spizae- 

 tus cirrhatus or Circaetus G alliens, had either of them been of frequent 

 occurrence. I have never, so far as I know, seen a Buteo. Amongst 

 the Owls I have not observed Strix Indica, nor Athene radiata, both 

 however may very possibly occur ; and Ascalaphia eoromanda is either 

 absent, or it has escaped my notice. 



I have never seen Acanthylis sylvatica nor Cypselus melba, both of 

 which I have observed and shot further to the eastward. It is 

 singular that I should have met with only two kinds of nightjar, but 

 although I have often looked for others, it has been without success. 

 Several forest birds which are common on the Godavari below 

 Sironcha and also in the forests around Raipur do not appear to 

 be found near Chanda. Amongst these are Hydroeissa coronata, 

 Pericrocotus speciosus and Edolius paradiseus, and, so far as I have 



seen, Pitta Bengalensis. 



Malaeocircus griseus does not appear to extend so far to the north 



as the Chanda district, though it is common on the lower Godavari. 



Otocompsa fuscicaudata is also wanting, and I have never seen 



Cittacincla macroura. No species of Saxicola has been observed, 



nor has Sturnopastor contra. 



Amongst the pigeons neither Osmotreron, Carpophaga* nor 



Chalcophaps appear to be found. Amongst waders Charadrius Ion- 



* C. sylvatica is common 50 miles further to the south and throughout the 

 Godavari valley below Seroncha. 



