Catalogue of Mammalia 



[July 



IV. — A Catalogue of the Species of Mammalia found in the Southern 

 Mahratta Country ; with their Synonimes in the native languages in use 

 there. — By Walter Elliot, Esq., Madras Civil Service. 



The district of India, in which the animals contained in the following 

 list were procured, is a part of the high table-land towards the south 

 of the Dekhan, commonly called the Southern Mahratta Country, and 

 constitutes the British zillah of Dharwar. It ought, likewise, geogra- 

 phically speaking, to include the small province of Sunda, which, accord- 

 ing to the political arrangement of the country, is placed under the 

 zillah of Canara, in the presidency of Madras. 



The general boundaries are the rivers Kistnah andBhima on the north 

 and N.E. ; the Tungabhadra river on the south ; the Nizam's territory on 

 the east, and the Syhadri range of mountains on the west. The latter are 

 generally called the Ghats ; a term which however properly applies only 

 to the passes leading through them. 



The general face of this tract is much diversified, and affords a great 

 variety of elevation and of geological structure, thereby materially affect- 

 ing the distribution and the habitat of the different species of animals 

 existing within its limits. 



The whole of the western portion is a thick forest, extending from the 

 outskirts of the mountainous region of the Ghats to their summits, and 

 clothing the valleys that extend between their different ridges. It 

 abounds with the teak and various other lofty forest trees, festooned by 

 enormous perennial creepers. The bamboo forms a thick and luxuriant 

 underwood in some places, while others are entirely open, and the banks 

 of many clear and rapid streams flowing through it, abound with the 

 black pepper plant, the wild cinnamon and other odoriferous shrubs. 

 Portions of this forest are often left entirely untouched by the axe or 

 knife, forming a thick impervious shade for the growth of the black 

 pepper, cardamom and Mari palm — {Caryota Urens). These are called 

 kans and are favourite resorts of wild animals. 



To the east of the regular forest lies a tract called the Mulnad, or 

 rain-country (though the natives of the plains often include the jhari 

 or for est, \mdie\- the same denomination), in which the trees degenerate into 

 large bushes, the bamboo almost entirely ceases, and cultivation, chiefly 

 of rice, becomes much more frequent. The bushes consist chiefly of 

 the karunda, the pallas, &c. It abounds in tanks and artificial reservoirs 

 for purposes of irrigation. % 



