NILGIRI IUILLS. 305 bungalow, the Paikára is about 40 yards wide during dry weather, and contains a succession of deep pools divided by shallows, in which are large boulders of rock. The bed, which is gravelly on the fords, is generally covered by a fine red sand, with which the water appears impregnated. The Beypur flows into the sea near Calicut town. "The head of this stream is formed by the drainage of the elevated tabular mass of hills, which occurs to the north-west at Neddiwattam; and though it descends the face of the hills at no great distance from the fall of the Mogár, the intervention of a sharp spur diverts its course into an exactly opposite direction, forcing it over the ridge called the Karkúr or Yerramalai Hills, to find its way to its embouchure on the western coast' (Ochtcrlony). Some of the main feeders of the Bhavani river, which joins the Moyár below Mettapolliem, take their rise in the Kundanánád. The only lake of note is that at Utakamand (7220 feet above the level of the sca), which is nearly 2 miles long. It is formed by an artificial embankment, thrown across the western outlet of the valley, by which the waters of the Dodabetta streams are dammed up. This lake is one of the distinctive features of the station, and round its banks is the favourite drive. Similar lakes might, no doubt, be formed in many other valleys. There are no indigenous fish on the plateau, except minnows. Tench, carp, and trout are, however, being acclimatized. In the Tainád, the málsir or Indian salmon is found in the upper waters of the Moyár and Beypur. The plateau is chiefly grass land studded with sholús or small woods. On the Kundas, these sholiis increase in extent; and on the lower slopes, the forests become dense with fine tinber-trees, such as sál (Shorea robusta), kino (Pterocarpus Marsupium), jack (Artocarpus integrifolia), blackwood (Dalbergia latifolia), teak (Tectona grandis). The forest area in the Wainád portion of the District is about 150 square miles; on the higher ground, Eucalypti and the Australian wattle have been largely planted. The forest revenue was formerly about £7500; in 1882-83 it was about £5000. The sholás on the plateau are evergreen ; and the tints of the young leaves which come out at different seasons, but chiefly in spring, are very remarkable and beautiful. Each species has its own shade of green and its particular season when the young foliage comes out. It is difficult to say which is the most common or most characteristic tree in these sholás; and, indeed, their composition varies greatly with elevation. It will be convenient to begin with one of the most widely diffused trees, Michelia nilagirica, the tila champa of the hills, locally known as 'shempangan, which gradually covers itself with large white flowers in July, and continues the chief ornainent of the sholás until October. At other times of the year, this tree is remarkable for the VOL. X.
