malabar trogon 10(1&2)

Vol. 10 (1&2) January-August 2012

Hume's Leaf Warbler

(Lagrestoemia parviflora)

Vol. 10 (1&2)January-August 2012

Executive Committee

PresidentDr. T.N. Vijayakumar

SecretaryDr. Muhamed Jafer Palot

Vice PresidentMr. Sathyan. N.K

Jt. SecretaryMr. C.J. Thomas

TreasurerDr. Muhamed Rafeek A.P.M.

MembersDr. Dinesan CheruvatDr. K. Kishorekumar

Mr. K.G.BimalnathMr. V. SyamMr. S. Arjun

Mr. T. AjithkumarDr. VijayanthiDr. K. Fousy

Mr. Muralikrishnan. V.PDr.Rajesh K.P

Mr. O. JayarajanDr. Alphonsa Xavier Mr. Abdul Riyaz. K.

Mr. V. RamakrishnanMr. Vijesh Vallikunnu

EditorMr. C. Sashikumar

Editorial BoardDr. Dinesan CheruvatDr. P.V. Karunakaran

Dr. K.P. RajeshDr.P. Pramod

Mr. Praveen. JProf. I.G. Bhaskara Panikker

Nature Education OfficerDr. K. Kishorekumar

Layout:Babu BalanPh: 9633390101

PrintingIK Printers, Calicut

Mr. Balakrishnan Valappil

Membership details:Ordinary - Rs.100/-,Life - Rs.2000/-,Institutional - Rs.250/-Student - Rs.50/-(upto 12th standard)

Contact Address:Malabar Natural History SocietySushila MandirB.G Road, Nadakkavu P.O.Calicut - 673 011, Ph: 09447470439Email: [email protected]

With this issue, Malabar Trogon is entering its tenth year of existence. From a four page, single sheet newsletter to the present issue, there is a healthy growth; we believe our readers too will agree with. We have to thank our contributors for this achievement. We have tried to be as punctual as possible in releasing the issues, working within our limitations.

Our only regret is that we were not able to publish anything substantial in Malayalam, as we would have wanted to. We urge the MNHS members to help us in this regard by contributing articles and papers in Malayalam too, in the coming years.

Our next aim is to raise the quality of Malabar Trogon to the status of a peer-reviewed journal and we hope to achieve this by the eleventh year of publication.

C Sashikumar Mr. Hameedali Vazhakkad

Vol. 10 (1&2) January-August 2012

Hume's Leaf Warbler

Cover: Hume's Leaf Warbler Photo by: Mohanram Kemparaju

Breeding of Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus at Chempallikundu, Kannur district, Kerala

1 2 3P C Rajeevan , K M Khaleel and Jayan Thomas

1 Pandan Chira, Pandanchira, Kizhutally, Thazhe Chovva.P.O, Kannur 670 018

2 Principal, Sir Syed College, Taliparamba, Kannur. [email protected]

3 Cannanore Eye Hospital, Kannur. [email protected]

2 Malabar Trogon -Vol. 10(1&2) Jan-Aug 2012

Introduction

B lack-winged Sti l t Himantopus himantopus is a fairly common wader occurring in the wetlands of Kerala. Though there were sight records since the1960s at Chempallikundu, this species became more regular all over Kerala from 1980 onwards. Occasional bree ding records of this bird has been reported from a few wetlands in south Kerala viz. Karali marshes (Kollam district) - 12 nests in 1997 and 2003; Kumarakom (Kottayam district) - 19 nests in 2004; Thripunithura and Kakkanad (Eranakulam district). The breeding season is June – July. The bird is a winter visitor to Kerala with a small breeding population (Sashi kumar et al., 2011).

Here, we place on record the first report of the breeding of Black-winged Stilt in north Kerala.

Study area

Chempallikundu (12°03’ N and 75°14’ E) is a wetland near Pazhayangadi in Kannur district. This wetland offers habitat for many species of waterbirds including sandpipers, plovers, snipes, lapwings, Green and Red shanks, godwits, stints, gulls and terns. One of the authors, PCR, has been regularly visiting this area for the past several years.

During a visit to Chempallikumdu on 21 April 2012, PCR found a nest of Black-winged Stilt located on the eastern side of the railway line

bisecting the wetland. Further observation showed that there were four nests within one hectare itself and search on the following visits revealed eight nests in all in this locality.

Jafer Palot who accompanied the authors on one of the visits suggested that it would be worthwhile to search the neighboring wetlands

of Kottakkeel and Ezhome also. Accordingly, we searched these two places also and found out four nests each.

Nests

All the 16 nests were made up of grass materials and algae; some were placed in shallow water

forming a raised platform 3-4 inches above the water surface, while the other nests were on the land near to the water body.

Eggs

There were 3 or 4 eggs in each nest. The eggs

Incubation

Eggs

Nestling

were buff in colour, speckled brownish.

Incubation

Both the male and the female birds incubated the eggs alternately. On many occasions, as one bird was incubating the eggs, its mate was seen feeding within 10m from the nest; the bird was seen collecting the nesting material from the shallow water in its beak and pushing it towards the nest; when it was close to the nest, the nest material was added to the nest. The incubating bird was found rolling the eggs frequently with its beak. The bird changed its sitting position frequently. When it was hot at noon the incubating bird moved to the water to wet its body and returned to the nest to cool the eggs. We found that the incubation period was 16-17 days.

Nestlings

As soon as the egg hatched the nestling started moving around and swimming in water. The chicks were light gray with white spots on upper part; legs were yellow and the beak was small and blackish. Most of the time they remained in water feeding on their own. When warned by the parents they quickly ran in to hide under wings of the parents. Chicks from a particular nest were

found feeding together as a group. The chicks grew fast. The nest was abandoned when all the chicks hatched.

Defence of the nest and nestlings

The adult birds raised alarm calls when any raptor approached the nest. On one occasion, a White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster was attacked by 22 adult Black-winged Stilts when the eagle approached the nesting area. We also observed the ‘broken-wing display’ of the parent birds when we were close to the chicks. Once, when PCR approached close to a group of three chicks, they suddenly lay still as if dead; as he moved a little away, the chicks immediately ran away. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus, Black Kite Milvus migrans, Shikra Accipiter badius etc. also were found in the nesting area and could be potential predators of the chicks.

Nest success

In all, 16 chicks hatched from 13 of the 16 nests.

References:

Sashikumar, C., Praveen, J., Palot, M.J., Nameer, P.O. 2011. Birds of Kerala: status and distribution. DC Books. 833pp.

Introductiono Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary (10

o o o 26’N and 10 26’N; 76 31’E and76 37’E) (Fig. 1) is situated in Mukundapuram Taluk within the administrative jurisdiction of Northern Wildlife Circle, Thrissur District of Kerala. The

Checklist of Odonates of Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary1 2 3 4Gnanakumar, M. , Ansil, B.R. , P.O. Nameer and Sandeep Das

1Malabar Natural History Society, Susheela Mandir, B. G. Road, Nadakavu Post, Calicut- 673011.

[email protected], Mudapuram.P.O, Chirayinkeezhu, Thiruvananthapuram.

[email protected] for Wildlife Studies, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, KAU (PO), 680 656. Thrissur.

Kerala. [email protected] 4Santhi Nivas, Chembukkavu, Thrissur - 680 020.

[email protected]

3Malabar Trogon -Vol. 10(1&2) Jan-Aug 2012

sanctuary with an area of about 85 sq. km., provides a mosaic habitat by the presence of moist deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests, riparian forests as well as evergreen forests which could be classified into West Coast Tropical Evergreen Forests, West Coast Semi-

Table 1 Checklist of Odonates of Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary

Scientific name English Name

Class: Insecta

Order: Odonata

A.Suborder: Anisoptera Dragonflies

1.Family: Aeshnidae Darners

1. Anaciaeschna jaspidea (Burmeister, 1839) Rusty Darner

2. Anax guttatus (Burmeister, 1839) Blue-Tailed Green Darner

3. Anax immaculifrons Rambur, 1842 Blue Darner

4. Gynacantha bayadera Selys,1891 Parakeet Darner

5. Gynacantha dravida Lieftinck,1960 Brown Darner

2.Family: Gomphidae Clubtails

6. Ictinogomphus rapax (Rambur, 1842) Common Clubtail

7. Paragomphus lineatus (Selys,1850) Common Hooktail

3.Family: Libellulidae Skimmers

8. Acisoma panorpoides Rambur, 1842 Trumpet-Tail

9. Aethriamanta brevipennis (Rambur, 1842) Scarlet Marsh Hawk

10. Brachydiplax chalybea Brauer, 1868 Rufous-Backed Marsh Hawk


Fig. 1 Map of Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary

evergreen Forests and Southern Indian moist deciduous forests. There are four softwood plantations in the sanctuary having an extent of 157.83 ha, raised as a mixture of teak (Tectona grandis) and elavu (Bombax ceiba). Though efforts have been made to monitor vertebrate taxa and little is known about the invertebrates of Chimmony WLS in general and odonates in particular; hence the present study.

Methodology

The study was carried out during the course of several visits made to Chimmony WLS, between 2010-2012. Species were identified using Fraser (1933-36), Emiliyamma et.al. (2005) and Subramanian (2009).

Results

The state of Kerala has 148 species of odonates (Kiran and David, 2012), which accounts for 38% of odonates in India. During the present study we sighted 55 species of odonates in 10 families and two suborders from Chimmony WLS (Table 1). This includes one species, Saffron Reedtail (Platysticta deccanensis), which is endemic to the Western Ghats.

11. Brachydiplax sobrina (Rambur, 1842) Little Blue Marsh Hawk

12. Brachythemis contaminata (Fabricius,1793) Ditch Jewel

13. Bradinopyga geminata (Rambur, 1842) Granite Ghost

14. Cratilia lineata Foerster, 1903 Emerald-Banded Skimmer

15. Crocothemis servilia (Drury, 1770) Ruddy Marsh Skimmer

16. Diplacodes trivialis (Rambur,1842) Ground Skimmer

17. Lathrecista asiatica (Fabricius, 1798) Asiatic Blood Tail

18. Neurothemis fulvia (Drury, 1773) Fulvous Forest Skimmer

19. Neurothemis intermedia (Rambur, 1842) Ruddy Meadow Skimmer

20. Neurothemis tullia (Drury, 1773) Pied Paddy Skimmer

21. Orthetrum chrysis (Selys, 1891) Brown-Backed Red Marsh Hawk

22. Orthetrum glaucum (Brauer, 1865) Blue Marsh Hawk

23. Orthetrum pruinosum (Burmeister,1839) Crimson-Tailed Marsh Hawk

24. Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1770) Green Marsh Hawk

25. Palpopleura sexmaculata (Fabricius, 1787) Blue-Tailed Yellow Skimmer

26. Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798) Wandering Glider

27. Potamarcha congener (Rambur, 1842) Yellow-Tailed Ashy Skimmer

28. Rhodothemis rufa (Rambur, 1842) Rufous Marsh Glider

29. Rhyothemis variegata (Linnaeus, 1763) Common Picturewing

30. Tetrathemis platyptera Selys, 1878 Pigmy Skimmer

31. Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798) Coral-Tailed Cloud-Wing

32. Tramea basilaris (Palisot de Beauvois, 1805) Red Marsh Trotter

33. Trithemis aurora (Burmeister, 1839) Crimson Marsh Glider

34. Trithemis festiva (Rambur, 1842) Black Stream Glider

35. Trithemis pallidinervis (Kirby, 1889) Long-Legged Marsh Glider

36. Urothemis signata (Rambur, 1842) Greater Crimson Glider

37. Zyxomma petiolatum Rambur, 1842 Brown Dusk Hawk

B.Suborder: Zygoptera Damselflies

4.Family: Calopterygidae Glories

38. Neurobasis chinensis (Linnaeus, 1758) Stream Glory

39. Vestalis apicalis Selys, 1873 Black-Tipped Forest Glory

5.Family: Chlorocyphidae Stream Jewels

40. Libellago lineata (Burmeister, 1839) River Heliodor

41. Rhinocypha bisignata Hagen in Selys,1853 Stream Ruby

6.Family: Coenagrionidae Marsh Darts

42. Agriocnemis pygmaea (Rambur, 1842) White Dartlet

43. Ceriagrion cerinorubellum (Brauer, 1865) Orange-Tailed Marsh Dart

44. Ceriagrion coromandelianum (Fabricius, 1798) Coromandel Marsh Dart

45. Ceriagrion olivaceum Laidlaw, 1914 Rusty Marsh Dart

46. Ischnura aurora (Brauer, 1865) Golden Dartlet

47. Pseudagrion microcephalum (Rambur, 1842) Blue Grass Dart



48. Pseudagrion rubriceps Selys, 1876 Saffron-Faced Grass Dart

7.Family: Lestidae Spreadwings

49. Lestes elatus Hagen in Selys,1862 Emerald Spreadwing

50. Lestes malabarica Fraser,1929 Malabar Spreadwing

51. Lestes praemorsus Hagen in Selys, 1862 Sapphire-Eyed Spreadwing

8.Family: Platycnemididae Bush Darts

52. Copera marginipes (Rambur, 1842) Yellow Bush Dart

53. Copera vittata Selys,1863 Blue Bush Dart

9.Family: Platystictidae Reedtails

54. *Platysticta deccanensis Laidlaw,1915 Saffron Reedtail

10.Family: Protoneuridae Bamboo Tails

55. Prodasineura verticalis (Selys,1860) Black Bambootail

*Endemic to Western Ghats

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Kiran CG, David V Raju, Bijoy C and Kalesh S for their inputs and encouragement. We also thank the Wildlife Warden and Asst. Wildlife Warden, Chi mmony WLS for per mission to carry out the study.

References

Emiliyamma, K.G., Radh akrishnan, C., & Muhamed Jafer Palot (2005): Pictorial handbook on common Dragonflies and Damselflies of Kerala.67pp.

Fraser, F.C. (1933-36): The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Odonata. Vol. I-III. Taylor and Francis Ltd., London.

Kiran, C.G., and Raju, D.V. (2011). Checklist of Odonata of Kerala with their Malayalam names, Malabar Trogon. 9(3): 31-35

Subramanian, K.A. (2009): Dragonflies and Damselflies of Peninsular India - A Field Guide, Vigyan Prasar, Noida, India. 168pp.

Breeding of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse at Malamel Rock, Kollam District, Kerala

Nizam Ammas, Ammas Art Gallery, Near Panchayath Office, Edamulackal P.O., Kollam. Email: [email protected]

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Ptero clesexustus is a widespread open land species inhabiting semi-arid plains and cultivated lands of Peninsular India. However, the bird has not recorded from the high rainfall regions in the western coast. From Kerala, the only known occurrence of this species is from Aralvaimozhi (=Aramboli) and Kanyakumari region which was a part of erstwhile Travancore but now part of Tamil Nadu (Ali, 1969). Hence, Sashikumaret. al.(2011) included it in the secondary list as there were no confirmed reports of this species from the political boundaries of the state.

I often visit Malamel (8°57′30″N, 76°51′50″E), an isolated rock close to Anchal in Kollam district. Though the adjoining areas are po pulated, this rock is barren except for a Shiva temple at the summit and


is a good locality for nature pho tography. Most of the habitat is dry rocky boulders strewn with grassy patches, scrub jungle and isolated pools of water collected during the monsoons. The total area of the hill is about 10 ha of which the largest patch of grass meadow will be close to 1 ha.

During one such visit on 8July 2012, 1100 hrs – I spotted a family of Sandgrouse–a pair of adults with a few weeks old chick in a grassy area. I was

able to take several good photographs of the same and from the images, Dr. Sainuddin Pattazhy, Department of Zoology,SN College, Kollam identified them as Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouses (Figs 1, 2, 3). It is interesting to note this species, which is not found in elsewhere Kerala, has chosen this isolated rock to breed while its nearest ideal habitat is about 60 km east in Tamil Nadu. I visited this area again

on 4 August 2012 and could see one bird. There was no sign of the chick.Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr. Sainuddin Pattazhy for identifying the species from the photographs. References

Ali, S (1969) Birds of Kerala.Oxford University Press.Pp: 144.

Sashikumar, C., Praveen, J., Palot, M.J. and Nameer, P.O. (2011) Birds of Kerala: Status and Distribution. DC Books, Kottayam.Pp: 724

C. Sashikumar, C. K. Vishnudas, S. Raju, P. A. Vinayan & V.A. Shebin

C. Sashikumar, Sree Nilayam, Pattanur P O, Kannur 670595. [email protected] C. K. Vishnudas, Vishnu Nivas, Karimkutty P O, Kalpetta 673121, Wayanad. [email protected]

S. Raju, Kavil Variam, Kodakara, Thrissur. [email protected] P. A. Vinayan, Pandancheri House, Vemom P O, Mananthavady, Wayanad 670645. [email protected]

V.A. Shebin, Valiyaparambil House, Chiramanangad P.O, Thrissur, Pin-680604. [email protected]

As part of the Malabar Ornithological Survey 2010 – 2011 – a bird survey project sponsored by the Forests and Wildlife Department, Kerala , Palakkad Forest Division was surveyed from 18 to 25 March 2011; Walayar and the neighbouring areas were visited from 20 to 23 March. Walayar reservoir is situated at the Kerala border adjacent to Tamil Nadu. There was extensive open meadow around the reservoir, as the water level was low; bordering it on the north-eastern side, close to the Tamil Nadu side there was a patch of dry thorny scrub, dominated by Acacia nilotica trees of about 5 m height, interspersed with Prosopis juliflora and some other species of trees.

On 22 March, we spent about four hrs in this patch and

Sykes's Warbler

Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi and Sykes's Warbler Iduna rama in Walayar: first photographic record from Kerala


around, from 9.00 AM to 1.00 PM, observing the birds. We noticed a group of medium-sized birds moving around in the foliage of the trees, and when we approached closer, they moved on to another tree on the far side. They were making harsh nasal call occasionally, which was familiar to one of us (CSK) elsewhere in India, as belonging to Large Grey Babbler Turdoides mal colmi. The birds were extremely wary and never allowed a close look. After following the group for quite a long time, PAV was able to procure a photograph of one of the birds, which clearly showed black lores, pale yellow eyes and pale grey head, confirming the identity of the species. The shape of the birds was typical of Turdoides babblers, they were larger than Jungle Babbler Turdoided striata; as they flew from one tree to another, the pale outer feathers of the long tail – another diagnostic feature of the species - were visible. Sashikumar et. al.(2011) have included the

species in the Secondary List of the book, quoting an unconfirmed record from Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary and some other sightings from Tamil Nadu close to the Kerala border at Periyar and Parambikkulam Tiger Reserves.

In the same scrub, we found several warblers also. PAV took several photographs of one particular individual which was later identified as Sykes's Warbler Iduna rama with the help of J Praveen. In the field, the bird was almost the same size and shape of the familiar Blyth's Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum, many of which were present in the scrub, but distinct from that species with pale grey upperparts, a supercilium that extended behind the eyes and longer tail. Flatter forehead and absence of dark tip on the lower mandible of the longer bill differentiated it from Booted Warbler Iduna caligata. According to Sashikumar et. al. (2011), this species has not been recorded in Kerala.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first photographic record of these species from Kerala.

References:

Sashikumar, C., Praveen, J., Palot, M.J. and Nameer, P.O. (2011) Birds of Kerala: Status and Distribution. DC Books, Kottayam.

Acknowledgements

We express our since gratitude for the Forests and Wildlife Department, Government of Kerala for initiating the Malabar Ornithological Survey.

Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi is an open land species which is widespread in the whole of Peninsular India except the high rainfall area in the western coast. Until recently, the bird has not been positively recorded from Kerala though Ali (1969) included it in the state list tentatively based on statement byT.F.Bourdillon from Travancore. Sashikumaret. al.(2011a) included it in the secondary list as there were no confirmed reports from the state. However, the bird is present extremely close to the state border at Lower Periyar Ghats which about eight km from Thekkady in Periyar Tiger Reserve, Sethumadai which is about 12 km from Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Amaravathi checkpost which is

Large Grey Babbler

A Report of Large Grey Babbler from Attappady Hills, KeralaPraveen J and P.O. Nameer , KeralaBirder, B303, Shriram Spurthi, ITPL Main Road,

Brookefields, Bangalore – 560037 [email protected] Centre for Wildlife Studies, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, KAU

(PO), 680 656. Thrissur. Kerala. [email protected]

1 2

2


about 15 km from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (KV Eldhose in Sashikumaret. al. 2011a) and quite commonly between Dindugal and Pollachi (Sathasivam 2007). Hence the unconfirmed report from Chinnar WLS during a bird survey in 1998 (Sashikumar et. al. 2011a) could well be true. Recently, members of Malabar Ornithological Survey team photographed a bird from Walayar, Palakkad district right at the state border in March. 2011 (Sashikumaret. al. 2012, also see elsewhere this issue) and this was by far the first confirmed presence within the state.

While bird-watching in the dry meadows between Kottathara and Anaikatty on 22.11.2011 in NW parts of Palakkad district very close to the state border, I flushed two birds of this species from the ground and the birds crossed the dry fallow land to the scrub adjoining it; the grey-brown upper parts and wide white outer-tail feathers were quite evident in flight. Though none of the co-birders were particularly interested in seeing this bird, we still trashed around hoping to flush them again so that all of us could see it. Except for Pramod Padmanabhan who got to see two more in the vicinity, other birders viz.Dipu Karuthedathu, CK Vishnudas and Pamela Rasmussen were a little behind and did not see these birds. It is not surprising that this species is found here as the same occur around the campus of Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Nature History (SACON), five km across the border (Pramod P pers. comm.) on the leeward side of the Ghats.

Birders who visit Attappady hills should specifically look out for this species and find out how far its range extends into the Kerala side.References

Sashikumar, C., Praveen, J., Palot, M.J. and Nameer, P.O. (2011a) Birds of Kerala: Status and Distribution. DC Books, Kottayam. pp. 835

Sashikumar, C., Vishnudas, C.K., Raju, S., Vinayan, P.A. and Shebin, V.A. (2012) Malabar Ornithological Survey -

A Report. Kerala Forest Department.

Sathasivam, K(2007) Large Grey Babblers.TamilBirds. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Tamilbirds/message/481.

Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus feeding on the seeds of Strobilanthes heynenus

N.R Anoop and Mathews .T . Joseph

Ferns, P.B. No. 28, Wayanad, Kerala.

[email protected]

On 18 March 2011 at Thirunelly, (11°99' N 75°99' E) Wayanad district, Kerala we saw a flock of Common Rosefinch Corpodacus erythrinus comprising of more than 125 individuals, over Strobilanthes plants (Strobilanthes heynenus) feeding on the seeds. Strobilanthes is endemic to southern Western Ghats and is one of the dominant undergrowth plants of the evergreen forest of Thirunelly. These plants produce seeds once in their life time and die. This same plant species flowered six years before in this same area (P. A Vinayan, Peronal Communication). Common Rosefinches are winter visitors to the Western Ghat. They are gregarious in the non-breeding season (Grimmet., et al., 1998). According to Ai & Ripley (1987) the food of this species is mostly seeds (of weeds, millet, wheat, linseed, vetch, polygonum, bamboo etc), flower buds, fruits and berries (mulberry, raspberries, wild cherries, banyan and pipal figs, Lantanam, Masea, Trema); nectar of Erythrina, Salmalia, Butea, Woodfordia and other blossoms is taken. The birds are opportunistic and obviously were utilising the abundant supply of the seeds of Strobilanthus available on their wintering grounds.

Referencesnd

Ali, Salim and S Dhillon Ripley, (1987). Compact Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. 2 Edition, Oxford University Press.

Grimmet Richad, Carol Inskipp &Tim Inskipp, (1999). Pocket Guide to the birds of the Indian sub-continent. Oxford University Press.

A report on some rare Neuroptera from Kerala, mimicking wasps and mantids *Bijoy. C and Rajmohana. K

Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, Calicut-673006, Kerala, India.*Email: [email protected]

Neuroptera are a group of delicate and soft bodied insects, well known for their extreme levels of biological and behavioural diversity. Among them, mantispids belonging to the family Mantispidae are known for their mantid mimicking appearance. A generalist may confuse this insect for a praying mantis (Fig. 1), the common predatory insect seen around us. The most striking similarity between the two is the possession of raptorial forelegs, a special adaptation for prey-capture. But on a closer observation, one can easily differentiate the two groups. In mantispids, the forewings are transparent and have nerve like reticulations, with cells spreading throughout, while in mantids the forewings are leathery and partially opaque, with normal veins and limited number of cells. Some of them by their warning body colour resembling to that of wasp genera Polistes and Vespa, often capture the attention of Hymenopteran workers too. An elongated neck region (prothorax) and a much complex wing venation of the mantispids will serve to distinguish them from wasps.

Out of the four extant subfamilies of mantispids, the most common and speciose is Mantispinae, the only subfamily recorded from India till date. It is interesting to note that their larvae are parasitoids of spider eggs. Females usually lay short-stalked eggs in large numbers in the vicinity of a spider egg mass. The larvae on emergence are seen to employ two strategies for finding the host egg mass- a phoretic behaviour, by detecting the female spider and boarding it to penetrate the freshly laid egg-sac, or directly

accessing the egg masses for penetration. The entire food supply for the development of the mantispid larva is from a single egg sac. The larvae will consume the developing embryo

completely. Pupation occurs in egg sac itself and finally the pharate adult emerges. The size of the adult varies considerably even within species (20-30mm), depending on the amount of food eaten by the larva (Redborg and Macleod 1985).

Mantispidae is represented by on ly 410 ex tan t spec i e s worldwide, of which only 17 species are known so far from

India (Chandra & Sharma, 2011). A proper documentation of mantispid diversity from Kerala has not been attempted so far. The authors happened to observe a mantispid when the egg sac of a spider collected from Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala was kept in a glass jar for rearing hymenopteran egg parasitoids, in June 2011. Instead of the hymenopteran parasitoids, mantispids (Mantispa sp.) emerged out of the spider egg sac. Again in early 2012, we were able to collect a specimen of Mantispa sp. from our

office campus. It was caught at midnight under a fluorescent lamp. Two more species of Mantispa (Fig. 2) were collected from Pudunagaram, Palakkad in Feb 2012, from herbage during day time. In April 2012, one of our friends, a Nature enthusiast, collected from Wayanad a wasp mimicking mantispid, which we could identify as Tuberonotha sp. In the same month, four more

specimens of mantispids, belonging to a genus yet to be reported from India (possibly Necyla sp.) were caught in a sweep net from Chinnar


Fig.1. Praying mantis

Fig. 2. Mantispa sp.

Wildlife sanctuary (Idukki, Kerala) during a faunistic survey by the team of Zoological Survey of India, Calicut. This forms the first record of two genera, Tuberonotha Handschin and Mantispa Illiger from Kerala. These sightings apart from the sole representation of this family through Euclimacia nodosa (Westwood) (Bhattacharjee et.al, 2010) consolidates the list of mantispids so far reported from Kerala.

The problem with mantispid taxonomy is mainly the rarity of samples. This can be due to their extraordinarily low population density or may be due to the very short lifespan of the adults compared to their immature stages (Ohl, 2007). Most specimens were collected opportunistically by non specialists, since standard collection techniques like light trapping and sweeping of vegetation usually yield very few individuals (New, 1998). Further, distributional limits of most genera are unclear (Ohl, 2007). Despite of all these cons, the group still remains as an

interesting entity inviting further work.

ReferencesBhattacharjee, S., Ohl, M., Saha, S., Sarkar, S. and Raychaudhari, D. 2010. Euclimacia nodosa (Westwood, 1847), a rare and poorly known species of Mantispidae (Neuroptera), recorded for the first time from West Bengal, India. Zoosyst. evol. 86(2): 221-224.

Chandra, K. and Sharma, R. M. 2011. Checklist of Indian Neuropterids (Insecta:Megaloptera;Raphidioptera;Neuroptera).

zsi.gov.in/checklist/Neuroptera.

New, T. R. 1998. Preliminary survey of the Mantispidae of south east Asia. Acta Zool. Fennica. 209:175-181.

Ohl, M. 2007. Towards a global inventory of Mantispidae-The state-of-the-art in Mantispid taxonomy. Annali del Masco civi co di storia Naturale di Ferrara. 8:79-86.

Redborg, K. E. and Macleod, E.G. 1985. The developmental ecology of Mantispa ulheri Banks (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). Illinois. Boil. Monogr. 53: 130 pp.

Conservation for Extraction Part-II

The Beginnings of Scientific Forestry and Creation of a State Forest 1Territory

Amruth M, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Thrissur

[email protected]

In the first part of the paper the efforts were made for describing historical antecedents for formation of forest department in the state. Second part of the article shall provide details of the efforts

thmade from late 19 century to 1940s in creating a government ‘forest estate’ in Travancore. To quote from previous part “these efforts were made with the aid of conceptual armoury drawn from emergent science of Continental Forestry.” I will demonstrate how nature/forests began to be viewed as a resource and how it was utilised in an effort to govern nature to enhance production and productivity. We will proceed by examining key episodes in the introduction of Continental Forestry ideals under the Colonial Conditions. Thrust will be to demonstrate how forestry aimed to ‘conserve’ forests for future production and consumption and how these ideals were subjected to modification based on the field experiences.

Bourdillon’s Report on the Forests of TravancorethBy the last decades of the 19 century (1880s and 1890s), a definite shift in the forest management

had taken place. A series of fresh appointments were made in the upper cadres of the Forest Department in Travancore. In 1889, T F Bourdillon succeeded Vernede who was Conservator for nearly 27 years. Bourdillon’s Report on the forests of Travancore was significant in the wake of new Forest Regulation and complementary proposals made by him for reorganisation of the Department modelling it after the Forest Departments of the British- India. The Forest Regulation and Bourdillon’s Report can well be read

thtogether as representing the new forest policy of Travancore in late 19 century.


Bourdillon’s Report on the forests of Travancore was submitted in 1892 and was published in 1893. The proposals made in the Report, the Forest Regulation, and Bourdillon on the lead as Conservator, heralded an era of reforms in utilisation of forests in Travancore. The Report was a definite statement on the role of forests in the State’s economy as perceived and influenced by the emerging school of Tropical Forestry. This school was developing in tune with the rationalities of colonial governance and was informed by the notion that forest is a production space capable of catering imperial interests. Bourdillon’s Report is replete with terminologies, conceptual categories and rhetorical strategies which are unmistakable signatures of colonial discourse on ‘progress’ and ‘improvement’.

Following a detailed review of the existing system of management and description of the forest tracts, Bourdillon made elaborate proposals for the future course of management of forests in the State. Constitution of a state forest territory - the Forest Estate - by means of reservation of forests, and improvement of forests by regeneration and establishment of plantations, apart from achieving an informed administration, were the key proposals made by Bourdillon. Travancore Forest Regulation and its consecutive amendments were mainly for providing a legal backing for the envisaged plan of large-scale forest annexation by the State. The rationale of Reservation was in resonance with the established norms of ‘sustained yield forestry’. According to Bourdillon, objective of Reservation was:

“…not merely to prevent the destruction of the forests by hill-cultivators, though this is very necessary. The forests can never improve so long as the timber in them is felled at random and without any system, whether by Government or by holders of permits, and the objects of working plans is to arrange that timber should be felled over a certain area each year or couple of years, while the rest of the forests is left undisturbed till the time comes round for the trees in each portion of it to be cut down” (Bourdillon 1893:168).

Reservation formed the first step in the alterations in forest governance. These alterations meant adoption of a series of measures such as demarcation of boundaries, implementation of working plans, controlled extraction of timber and control of hill-cultivation etc.

Modalities of Governance for ‘improvement’

Bourdillon’s convictions were mediated by the ideas prevailed in the tropical forestry and he trusted in the ability of the science of forestry to recast forests. He maintained that ‘...forests have their

2uses and cannot be dispensed with’. His identification of uses of forests included its function in climatic regulation and economy of the country. These rationales of treating nature as potential and present resources, when harnessed scientifically, prompted him to make calculations as to how much forest is necessary for meeting the needs of an advancing civilisation. While deciding the extent of forests to be reserved, he observed that it was necessary to consider the needs of the population:

“If they are backward in the scale of civilisation, all that they need may be enough fuel to cook their food, and sufficient wood to make their bows and arrows and spear handles. On the other hand, they may require, as in America, a large quantity of timber per head per annum.… [We] have to consider …the possible needs of a constantly increasing population, accumulating wealth, and advancing in civilisation.” (Bourdillon 1893:202)

Having decided on the total extent to be reserved as 3885 sq. km. for meeting the present and future needs of the country, Bourdillon declared that “…no money should be spend on the area excluded. Not only would we object to the clearing of this land, but we would in every way approve of it, as this

3would tend to make the country more healthy and accessible.” These ideas of utilitarian instrumentality and improvement of forests through rationalised procedures have informed all his subsequent recommendations for the future organisation of the Forest Department and its activities in the State.

Creation of a Legible Forest Territory

Intention to reserve forest tracts in the State, in the wake of allotting forestlands for commercial 4cultivation, was expressed as early as 1874 in a government notification. However, reservation of forests

as part of “improvement” was for creating a depopulated government “Forest Estate”. This estate was to be carefully demarcated into blocks, and the trees in it enumerated for the available standing timber for


phased extraction. Bourdillon observed that, “It is not sufficient to exclude the hillmen and those who live by shifting cultivation….but we want some thing more than this… that all portions of the forests should be equally worked…the forest must be divided into blocks each of which must be made to yield its produce in

5turn while the others closed to all work”. The extraction was to be followed by adopting measures for regeneration of valuable timber species. Operations in the reserved forests had to be supplemented by raising monocrop plantations of valuable species on more productive lands in the lower altitudes. This was a regular programme with fixed annual targets for plantation extension. The whole process was to be carried out under strict supervision of a cadre of able and trained forest staff. Such supervision and surveillance necessitated a radical reorganisation of the Departmental structure. This involved the creation of a trained cadre, development of new communication networks, camping facilities, survey, mapping and planning the timber extraction and setting up of a system of timber marketing. These measures were to achieve a concentration of activities of the Department and increase the surveillance with optimal number of staff. Let us examine in detail how these broad recommendations were translated on ground and what were the impacts on the peasants and tribals. To Bourdillon forest was reducible to trees on which axe can be applied to gain timber. That is how the forest began to be imagined as waiting to be used by Man in the present and future. Forest reduced as timber was seen through the lenses of both the use and exchange values.

Bourdillon’s strategies for effecting “improvement” of forests can be understood as falling under two categories of forestry activities: raising plantations of timber species and controlled felling of natural forests. To him both these activities were to be preceded by creation of a well demarcated Forest Estate

6through declaration of reserved forests. Reserved Forests were thus to serve two different functions: economic and protective. ‘Protection forests’ were those which are on the steeper slopes or on the headwaters of the streams where the forest growth is necessary for ensuring stability of slope and regulation of flow of water. Economic function included, mainly, supplying timber for meeting internal as well as external demands, thus earning revenue to the exchequer. Apart from timber, there was need for meeting the demand for fuel wood; so recommendations for beginning fuel wood plantations were also made.

Deciding on the modalities of improving the production of timber from mixed forest was a major challenge. After reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of “French natural system” of forestry and “system of phased clear-felling” of forest blocks, a rationalised system of selective felling or Jardinage was recommend for the forests of Travancore. The system of Jardinage was aimed at producing a regularised forest enriched with the stock of valuable timber species, by selectively removing the mature ones in a phased manner across the blocks identified and demarcated in advance. The process was based on the sustained yield principle by “restricting the annual fellings to what the forests can yield without deterioration” and also by “distributing the fellings equally over forests”. The planning of the forestry operations for the “sustained yield” necessitated, preparation of Working Plans on the basis of a careful enumeration of the standing timber, estimation of growth rates based on actual ground survey and

7extrapolation using allometric functions.

Working Plan thus became the new management diagram for implementing concepts of “maximum 8

sustained yield”, which reached in India through German foresters. The treatise of DÁrcy on the form and 9

formalities of preparing Working Plans published in 1898 provided a standardized model for it. Working Plans were considered as professional and objective judgments of the “scientifically” trained foresters.

10They were considered as inviolable prescriptions for forest governance.

Even during the heydays of Sustained Yield Forestry, the Forest Department of Travancore did not have complete control over the forested tracts within the State territory. A large area comprising Cardamom Hill reserve and the Kannan Devan Concession lands were under the direct supervision of the Cardamom

11 thSuperintendent until its final dissolution in 1910. By the turn of the 20 century, a number of Working Schemes on rotation of six years were already being used as guidelines for localized felling in compact areas. The official historian noted that these schemes “…did not visualize a regulated system or take into


12account the demands of scientific sylviculture”.

Marking a Forest Territory

Survey and demarcation of the forest tracts were integral to the planned forest management or 13

normalisation of forests; besides they were prerequisite for creation of Forest Estate and Working Plans. While penning the plan of action for Travancore forests, Bourdillon foresaw that a ‘considerable amount of work in the way of surveying will have to be done.’ Survey and demarcation of precise boundaries were

thnot customary in the initial phase. Towards the 20 century, when the survey and settlement work had sufficiently progressed and institutionalised, it became customary to conduct survey before the land is allocated or put to use. Later, it was necessary to attach a copy of the surveyed plot while applying for such

14lands.

In the mid 1880s, when the reservation of the forests and improvement of forest administration were being contemplated, it was felt that “[p]reliminary to carrying out the schemes of forest conservancy …it was found necessary in the first place to acquire a full and accurate knowledge of their extent,

15condition, resources and value and to mark off the reserves.” Survey was an instrument to enhance the legibility of terrain in which the state was intending to indulge. A Survey Department of the State was

16formed for this purpose in 1883. Demarcation of boundaries of reserve forests and concession lands

thbecame a major preoccupation of the Forest Department by the early decades of 20 century. Maps and sketches were made annually and the progress of the work was promptly reported to the paramount

17power. By 1920s, the Survey Department of Travancore was working in collaboration with a team of experts from Survey of India. Owing to these activities there accumulated a considerable amount of numerical and geometrical data for the use of the forester. In short, statistics as a state craft penetrated into forestlands for governance.

Apart from mapping and surveying it was also important to demarcate boundaries of the blocks of 18

forests recognisable on the ground. The plan was to “cut up into blocks [the reserved forests] the area of which must be accurately ascertained …and these blocks must again be cut up into compartments for more

19detailed working”. Then the utility of such map was expected to be much more than simple display of the geographical features of the forested territory. It also enabled planning for future developmental activities. Valuation survey involving enumeration, classing and measurement of the standing timber and their spatial distribution was to follow the geographical survey, so that this information could be incorporated into maps to aid planning of phased extraction of timber. In a way, as James Scott observed, this enabled the forester to read the regularised forests in the area he is commanding, by sitting in an office remotely

20placed from his territory.

The actual process of estimating the timber yield and distributing the extraction across the space and time in the mixed stands of forests were becoming increasingly complex, as the sylvicultural standards for most tropical trees were not yet known. By 1902, preparation of preliminary working plans was initiated in all

21the Divisions excepting the Southern Division. In some cases, initial plans were later found not practicable on ground. Therefore, these working plans had to be reworked. For instance, ‘the working plan scheme which was in operation from 1076 to 1081 [year 1901 to 1906], each reserve was divided into 6 blocks. The blocks were found to be too large to work with in a year. A scheme was drawn up and a new

22rotation to run on for 20 years was started … subject to revision at the end of five years.’ The enumeration work was also taking up time of survey staff and it was reported that they were mostly engaged in the valuation survey at the Cheduruney Valley and therefore no other major surveys could be taken up. In the valley, about 130 sq. km. of forestlands ‘were explored and the distribution of species and the composition

23and density of the forests were examined and recorded.’ The Valley was one of the first forest tracts to be enumerated, surveyed, yield calculated and predicted as per the established protocols of continental forestry. Therefore, the results of the felling from the Cheduruney Valley were anxiously awaited to judge if these protocols had universal applicability to the forests in the State. As a result the working plans prepared for the other tracts were temporarily suspended while waiting for the results of Cheduruny


24Felling Series. However, no credulous results came forth due to a number of hindrances such as scarcity of labour, difficulty to access the depot from coupe and inefficiency of the felling contractor.

thThe first two decades of the 20 century witnessed regular demarcation of forest boundaries, enumeration of timber trees and enthusiastic pursuits of preparing working plans for more and more forest blocks. Plans for harvesting special resources such as sandalwood were also under preparation during this period. It was reported that, in 1910, Conservator’s office prepared 311 maps. Such information was frequently made in the Reports of Administration to show the progress of the work. Despite all these, even at the end of 1910, the planned forestry was yet to be born in the State. The Report by the Conservator testifies this:

“With the exception of the Shendurni Working Circle, all other reserves of the Northern, Kottayam, Central and Quilon Divisions were worked more or less under the provisions of the old preliminary Working Plans, with such deviations and modifications as were necessitated by the very defective and imperfect nature of those plans. No working plan of even preliminary nature has yet been drawn up in respect of the Reserves in the Southern and the High Range Divisions. “ (RAT 1909-10: paragraph 28)

A score of factors such as accumulation of large quantity of timber in the depots, delays in developing timber transportation and storage facilities etc. were also hindering normalisation of the forests. In an effort to conceal the growing apprehensions pertaining to the practicability of the “working plan system”, government asserted that “the Working Plan system is very important and it will be

25prominently kept in view.”

There was a perceptible tension and widening gap between the idealistic forest management expectations and what was practical on the field. Some of the areas of tension were: planning and implementation of working plans, settlement and notification of reserves, timber extraction and timber marketing. The Sirkar expected the Department to hasten up planning and development, though the ground realities were proving to be different. By 1916, after nearly two decades of efforts, despite the enthusiasm shown by the Department and the state, the total area of forests with completed working plan was less than 11 per cent of the target. Moreover, the targets of felling provided in the working plans were proving to be unrealistic and the changes made were upsetting the original expectations. A forest conference held in 1917 considered these factors and decided to give-up preparation of additional plans on elaborate and detailed scale “in view of the incompleteness and unreliability of the data available.” It was also decided that preparation of simple preliminary working schemes by the Divisional Forest Officers in charge of the respective Forest

26Divisions were sufficient to meet immediate requirements. In the next year it was further decided that:

“In regard to the sanctioned working plans…a Committee consisting of the Conservator of Forests, the officer who prepared the plan, and the Divisional Forest Officer, should jointly go over the area covered by each of the sanctioned working plans and Submit to the Darbar their notes of inspection and recommendations for any revision that may be necessary in their working during the next five years.” (RAT 1917-18:18)

Even during this period of high forestry ideals, timber extraction was organised either through contract agency or by sale of marked trees standing in the coupes for lump sum money offers. It was contrary to the idea of direct working by the Department as envisioned by Bourdillon. In less than a quarter century, most of the ideals of the forestry were proved impractical.

By 1920s, the rules for the preparation of working plans were also considerably altered. It is evident from the statement given below:

“In the year 1917…Conservator of Forests, brought to the notice of Government that, in the light of the experience gained in actual working, several deviations were found necessary from the prescriptions of the sanctioned working plans and that, as the preparation of elaborate working plans was costly, it would suffice for the future to prepare simple preliminary working schemes for the remaining areas by the

officers in charge of the respective Divisions.”(RAT 1922-23 :26)

This proposal was agreed by Government. When the Conservator was asked to submit a set of draft rules to govern the preparation of such schemes, he reported that no hard and fast rules were necessary and


maintained that:

“…the details required for the compilation of a simple working scheme would depend upon the demands to be made on the forests, the nature and value of the produce to be removed there from and other factors which could not be fixed or regulated; and that it was enough if the headings given in the Code for preparation of working plans were selected and adopted at the discretion of the officers preparing the

simple schemes according to the requirements in each case.”(RAT 1922-23: 26)

This was accepted and order was brought out stating that there was no necessity for preparing working plans for forest areas “which were not likely to be taken up for working immediately for such reasons as inaccessibility, non-existence of timbers likely to pay, heavy transport charge etc.; and that such schemes be prepared only for areas the working of which was either profitable or necessary for other

27reasons.”

The shortfalls in timber extraction caused by the absence of working plans were brought to the attention of the Conservator by the Chief Secretary in a letter in 1929.

“It was felt that the functions of the Department in formulating working plans required looking into since no scheme to develop a forest can be satisfactorily undertaken until it is known what forests contains and until working plan for extraction of timber has been drawn up. With this object in view, Government called for a report showing the areas for which no working plans are immediately required and those for which working schemes have to be drawn up urgently. Government regret that no new working plans schemes were taken up and completed during the year. This important work should be received the early attention

28of the Conservator.” (FAR 1928: i )

Adding to this failure in working plan system was the diversion of land in reserved forests for non-forestry purposes. Especially for food crop cultivation following the scarcity of food grains in Travancore.

29Even forests covered under the working plans were “disafforested” in 1938. By this time the working schemes or plans were available to nearly 47 percent of the reserve areas as against 33 percent in the

30Madras presidency. These figures need not be indicative of high-level of success achieved by Travancore, as we have seen that the facts are contrary to it. By 1920s, a definite shift in the policy, regarding reservation, took place. Government had announced that “[t]he policy of the department has been to refrain from further reservation of extensive areas… It is also the declared policy of the

31Government to disafforest as much area as possible as is suitable for paddy cultivation.”

Towards 1940s, the ideals of Sustained Yield Forestry suffered more due to unanticipated huge demands for all kinds of timbers arising from the needs of the Second World War. Apart from this, increased demand of the wood-based industries which were supplying produce for the War resulted in the

32violation of forestry stipulations. The following figures of timber supplied by Forest Department will illustrate this point: By the last phase of the War, in 1943-44 alone, the timber supplied was to the tune of 156,000 cft. of jungle wood of superior quantity, 29,000 cft. of teak and 73,000 cft. of rosewood logs and scantlings. This is besides the bulk timber of 469 teak poles and 645 cft. of jungle wood piles supplied in

33the same year. Along with this, the demand for cultivable land and the inordinate demand for timber had severely upset the ideals of the sustained yield forestry in Travancore.

In the forthcoming section of the article I shall describe how the ideals of scientific forestry were sacrificed for local innovations and adaptations in forestry paving precedence for a new set of practices called ‘Tropical Forestry’.

References

Baden-Powell, B. (1893). Forest Law: A Course of Lectures on the Principles of Civil and Criminal and on the Law of the Forest. London: Bradbury, Agnew, & Co.

Bourdillon.T.F. (1893). Report on the Forests of Travancore. Trivandrum: Travancore Government Press.

Damodaran, A. (1992). Local Self-Governments and Geometry of Biodiversity Conservation: Roots of


Incompatibility. Economic and Political Weekly, 419-424.

D’Arcy, W. E. (1898). Preparation of Forest Working Plans in India. Calcutta: Government of India Press.

Pillai, T.K. Velu,. (1940). The Travancore State Manual,IV Volumes, Economic Affairs. Thiruvananthapuram: (Reprinted 1996) State Editor, Kerala Gazetteers.

RAT (Report on the Administration of Travancore) various years (from 1862 to 1947), Travancore Govt., Trivandrum.

Scott, J. C. (1998). Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve Human Condition Have Failed. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Sivaramakrishnan, K. (1999). Modern Forests: State Making and Environmental Change in Colonial Eastern India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. Bourdillon. 1993

TA-Travancore/ Trevandrum Almanac various years (from 1860 to 1947), Travancore Govt., Trivandrum.

TLRM (1915) Travancore Land Revenue Manuals-in V Vols, Travancore Govt., Trivandrum.

1. This is an extract from a forthcoming monograph titled “Governing ‘Man’ and ‘Nature’ in Colonial Travancore”.

2. Bourdillon (1893:197)3. Bourdillon (1893: 212), this was not an exceptional idea but an educated opinion that

could possibly be uttered by a statesmen under the Colonial Conditions. For instance, while commenting on the timber scarcity due to decline in oak forests, Dr. Thomas Preston stated that reduction of oak trees was not “to be regretted for it is a certain proof of national improvement’ (Sangwan 1999: 189).

4. See Notice dated 15 November 1874 appeared in the Travancore Almanac (TA1876:168). 5. Bourdillon (1893: 205)6. Baden-Powell (1893: 1-16)

The format of a Working Plan necessarily included an estimate of the number of trees that are expected to enter the exploitable girth class in each felling cycle. In a more sophisticated form, it included the volume of timber extractable calculated on the basis of growth increments and limits of extractions based on the Sustained Yield Principle. The felling cycles were also prescribed by deciding on the long-term rotational yield besides making short-term prescriptions for treatment of the forest stands. The Sustained Yield Principle is seen as a rational, combining the maximization of the conflicting objectives of forest management such as timber and non-timber services; i.e. maximization of the yield while maintaining the permanent usefulness of the forests.

8. Sivaramakrishnan (1995: 17) Bourdillon’s usage of the concepts no doubt is in the same sense. He was referring to the Articles appeared in the Indian Forester, a journal which was the bandwagon of Sustained Yield Forestry. Although the preparation of working plan was attempted as early as 1837 in Travancore, by the then Conservator U V Munro (Chundamannil 1993: 21), in the absence of surveys and enumeration of timber stock, it was not in compliance with the sustained yield concept. A more precise attempt to plan timber working took place much later. But legacy of preparation of working plans existed as early as 1860s in other parts of British-India, (Chundamannil, 1993: 22). See Sangwan (1999 :189-191) and Saldanha (1996: 195-219) for the import of the German legacy in forest management in India.

9. D’Arcy (1898)10. However the World Wars saw indiscriminate felling by violating these prescriptions due to

escalated timber demands.11. Government Order No.176/L.R., dated 15-1-1910. see TAR (1909-10: 9). TLRM Vol. II.

(1915:684-85)12. Pillai (1940: 260)13. The first ever survey of the Travancore was commissioned in the early decades of 19th

7.


century by Ward and Conner. The survey included enumeration of population, social groups and collation of the information on production process apart from determining the geographical layout of the state. The memoir of the survey published in two volumes became widely quoted documents relating to the various aspects of government. Survey and demarcation of the land based and taxable private properties and the state property were started in the wake of the elaborate revenue settlements from mid 19th century. Along with this, efforts to demarcate the boundaries of the Travancore, with the adjoining territories (Madras presidency and Cochin Princely State), also were initiated in 1870s (RAT 1875-76:98).

14. RAT (1878-79: 48), by recommending and implementing these programmatic steps Bourdillon was enunciating the three key concepts of the German Cameralistic Science of Forestry such as the principles of ‘Minimum Diversity’, ‘Balance Sheet’ and ‘Sustained Yield’ (Scott 1998: 15 and Rajan 1998: 332-333).

15. RAT (1885-86: 80). According to James Scott (Scott 1998: 25-33) this is a measure for increasing the ‘legibility’ of forests.

16. Minor triangulation of Travancore as part of the revenue survey began in the year 1883, when the revenue survey was organised in State. A Survey Department was organized even earlier. Expertise for the survey was obtained by training surveyors, demarcators and classifiers besides appointing experienced hands from cadres of British Indian service. It was said that ‘Demarcating of properties by means of stones was novelty to people. They did not like it also on the account of expense it entailed up on them and showed great lukewarmness in doing their part of the work.’ (RAT 1883-84: 47)

17. See detailed reports on the progress of survey and demarcation that regularly appeared in the Reports on the Administration of Travancore for various years.

18. Damodaran (1992: 419-424)19. Bourdillon (1893: 210) and the Travancore Forest Manual (TFM 1917: 183-194) provides

elaborate stipulations for survey and demarcation of the reserved forests.20. See Scott (1998:15)21. RAT (1902-03:20)22. RAT (1906-07:19)

23. RAT (1905-06: 22)

24. RAT (1908-09: 21)

25. RAT (1909-10: 15)

26. RAT (1916-17: 17)

27. RAT (1922-23: 26)

28. Chief Secretary to Government in an order dated 14th November, 1929, as response to the Reports on the Administration of Forests of Travancore and settlement Officer’s progress report.

29. RAT (1937-38: 59)

30. RAT (1925-26: 42-43)

31. RAT (1925-26: 41-42) and Proceedings of the Government of His Highness the Maharaja of Travancore. Viz S.R. 3142, Dewan, Dated 1-7-1097 (1922) in TFM (1917:1-7)

32. See the Report on the Administration of Travancore during the war period for details of the produces supplied by the wood based industries in the Travancore. For instance, in 1941, The Travancore Wood Works had to extend factory premises considerably and install new machineries to cope with these increased demands (RAT 1940-41: 114).

33. RAT (1943-44:11), further, huge escalation in timber revenue also suggests unusually heavy extraction of timber during the period. For instance, the receipts due to timber of all kinds in 1943-44 were Rs. 46.15 lakhs as against the Rs. 27.58 lakhs in 1942-43 (RAT 1943-44: 54). Similar escalation in receipts can also be seen in the sale of the ‘ascu’ treated wood (RAT 1943-44: 55).


Birds – predator and prey Bimalnath K G, Soil Testing Laboratory, Karimbam, Thaliparamba

[email protected]

1. Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda preying up on a rat

On 5 February 2012 at Punnassery, Kozhikode district, Kerala, I saw a Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda hunting a rat on top of a coconut tree. I could witness the final act of killing, after which, with a triumphant elegance the bird made the typical 'tu tui' call many times. It then took the kill to another tree and started eating. With a powerful sideways jerk of the head, the skin of the prey was torn open and in the same way, chunks of meat were swallowed and the prey was finished off within half an hour. The rat was black in colour and was of medium size; probably a House Rat.

2. Ruby-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus malanicterus gularis in the diet of False Vampire Bat Megaderma sp.

I had noticed that the two rooms of the soil testing laboratory building, Karimbam, Thaliparamba, Kannur, where I work, in the night were frequented by False Vampire bats Megaderma sp. On many a days, when the rooms were opened in the morning, we saw evidence of the visit of the bats: scattered over the floor usually were the large leaf like wings and hook-like limb parts of grasshopers, obviously the leftovers of their night's meal. The main hall and the research room had no other entrance except for some small ventilators close to the roof and no other predator can enter the rooms once the doors are

closed. On 4 April 2012, I saw scattered feathers, which could be identified as those of Ruby-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus malanicterus gularis, inside the research room and identifiable remains of an immature bird of the same species in the main hall. These two rooms were separated with doors which are safely closed in night. In all probability, it appeared that the bats had consumed two Ruby-throated Bulbuls in the previous night.

Hume's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei is a scarce but widespread winter visitor to peninsular India. However, the bird has not been recorded so far within the political limits of Kerala, though it has been regularly observed from areas very close to the Kerala border in the eastern slopes like Bodi Ghat and the access road to Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (Sashikumar et al. 2011). I observed and photo graphed one individual from Tranquil resorts (11°38'45.91"N, 76°13'2.36"E) near Sultan Batheri, Wayanad district on March 2010 – it showed an all dark beak, darkish legs,

stMohanram Kemparaju, 190/1, 1 Floor, 14th Cross, HAL Main Road, Domlur, Bangalore.

Email: [email protected]

A photographic record of Hume's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei

from Wayanad District, Kerala

greyish cast upper parts, greenish cast to primaries and secondaries, long white

supercelium, dark-grey eye-stripe, two whitish wing-bars with dark borders, second wing-bar small and faint, broad white edges to teritial feathers and a short tail (Fig. 1). The image has been contributed to Oriental Bird I m a g e s ( w w w. o r i e n t a l birdimages.org). This appears to be the first photo graphic record from Kerala.

ReferenceSashikumar, C., Praveen, J., Palot, M.J. and Nameer, P.O. (2011) Birds of Kerala: Status and Distribution. DC Books, Kottayam. Pp: 724

Malabar Trogon -Vol. 10(1&2) Jan-Aug 2012 19

PROGRAMMES CONDUCTED:

Bird Watching Trip to Mavoor Wetlands:A bird watching trip to Mavoor wetlands was organized on 12th February 2012. More than 70

birdwatchers participated in the programme. Shri. Hameedali Vazhakkad, Sathyan Mepayur and Bimalnath led the programme.

Bird Survey at Aralam WLS:The 13th annual bird survey at Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary was conducted on 9, 10 and 11 March

2012. 60 birdwatchers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu participated in the survey. 158 species of birds were recorded during the survey. This included one species new to the sanctuary, the Common Stonechat, a migratory bird. Thus, the total number of species recorded in the sanctuary has come up to 233 after 13 annual surveys since 2000.

10th AGM of MNHS:The 10th Annual General Body Meeting of the Society was held on 4th April 2012 at Malabar

Christian College, Kozhikode. Report for the year 2011-12 and the future programmes of the Society were presented by the secretary, Dr. Jafer Palot. Nominated Dr. Alphonsa Xavier, former Principal, Govt. Brennen College, Thalasserry, Shri. Ramakrishnan, Chartered Accountant, Kozhikode and Hameedali Vazhakkad, Teacher, Mavoor in to the new executive committee of the Society. Also inducted Dr. P. Karunakaran, Principal Scientist, SACON and Dr. P. Pramod, Senior Scientist, SACON, Coimbatore into the Editorial Board of the News letter. Screened documentaries entitled 'Five Kingdom of Life' prepared by Shri. Sakeer Hussain of Nilambur and 'Fall of a Jatayu' by Shri. Sidharth on the occasion

Environmental day Celebration:

This year we observed Environmental Day with Kozhikottukar Facebook Group at Sarovaram Biopark, Calicut on 5th June 2012. As part of the launching of Kozhikottukar Bicycle Club (KBC) a bicycle rally was conducted from Calicut beach to Sarovarm Biopark holding placards with written messages against environmental pollution, and for nature conservation, healthy living & waste free Kozhikode. Abdul Riyas Konkath welcomed the gathering. Dr.T.N. Vijayakumar, President of MNHS delivered the environmental day message. Mr. Shivaprasad, Rage Forest Officer, Kozhikode has been the chief guest and he has inaugurated the distribution of tree saplings to the participants. Dr Jafer Palot and Krishnakumar Sreekandath also spoke on the occasion.


Annual Monsoon Camp:

Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS) in association with SEEK (Society for Environmental Education in Kerala), Payyanur has organised Annual Monsoon camp at Madayipara from 14-15th July 2012. More than 75 nature lovers from various part of Kerala participated in the Camp. The camp site was situated near Ezhimala on the famous laterite hillock, Madayipara. The camp was inaugurated by Shri. T.P. Padmanabhan Master, Director, SEEK. A class on Ecological importance of Madayipara was delivered By Dr. Jafer Palot and that on Floral diversity of Madayipara was given by Shri. V.C. Balakrishnan. Shri. Anandan Peckadam, Kunikrishnan, P. Abdul Kader Master, Dr. Dinesan Cheruvat, Dr Jayan Thomas and P. Unnikrishnan also spoke on the occasion. The participants also undertook a night survey for frogs at the midnight hours from 12 to 2pm in the Parackulam and temporary pools in and around Madayipara. Eight species of frogs were observed during the survey, which included Fungoid Frog, Bull Frog, Skipper Frog, Rufescent Frog, Narrow mouthed Frog, Painted Frog, etc. Also observed rare and endangered plants like Drosera indica, Euphorbia katragensis, Justicia ekakusuma, Lepidagathes keralaenis, Rotala malabarica, etc. As many as 32 species of butterflies were also observed, including species such as Great Orange Tip, Red Flash, Monkey Puzzle, Southern Birdwing, Crimson Rose etc. Breeding of two species of Lapwing and Wire-tailed Swallow was also noted during the camp.

Breakfast with Flowers & Butterflies:

MNHS in association with SEEK, Payyanur organized a one day programme entitled 'Breakfast with flowers and Butterflies' at Madayipara, Kannur district on 28th August 2012. As many as 87 nature lovers from various part of Kerala participated in the programme. The programme was inaugurated by Shri. Chandrangadan, Convenor, Madayipara Samrakshana Samithi. Shri. T.P. Padmanabhan, Shri. C. Sunil Kumar, V.C. Balakrishnan, Dr Jafer Palot also addressed the participants.


Wildlife Week Celebration:As part of the Wildlife Week Celebration MNHS organized a nature walk at Janakikkadu

Conservation Park, Peruvannamuzhi, Kozhikode distinct on 7th October 2013. Birds such as Grey headed Bulbul, Malabar Parakeet, Small Sunbird, White-bellied Tree-pie, Malabar Grey Hornbill were observed during the programme. Butterflies like Malabar Banded Swallowtail, Buddha Peacock, Paris Peacock, Clipper, Red Flash, etc were also noted during the walk. Large congregation of Global Skimmer dragonflies (Pantala flavescent) was also seen in the area. Shri. Sathyan Mepayur, Ramakrishnan and V. Shyam led the team in the field.

Bird Race 2012:In connection with the birthday celebration of Dr. Salim Ali, MNHS conducted a bird watching

programme at various wetlands and bird forested tracts of north Kerala. Teams have covered major wetlands like Kattampally, Chemballikundu, Ezhome wetlands, Kuniyan wetlands, Mavvor wetlands, Muzhappilangad beach, Kolavipalam, Kottooli wetlands, Mavoor wetlands, Cherandathur, Kadalundy Community Reserve, Vellimuckuchali, etc. Also covered forested areas off Thamarasserry ghats, kackavayal, foothills of Waynad, Malabar WLS, Nilambur forests, Aralam WLS, Kottiyur WLS, Kannavam RF, Peruvannamuzhi, Janakikadu forests, etc during the survey. A total of 165 species of birds were observed during the morning to evening bird race event. Sasidharan Manekara, Vijesh Vallikunnu, Mujeeb, Bimalnath, Shyam, Arjun, Arun, Vinod, Vijayan , Dr Dinesan Chehruvat, Rahim Munderikadavu, Jishnu, K. , Dr Jafer Palot, etc led various teams in the field. Shri. Sasidharan Manekara and team from Thalasserry won the first prize with a total number of 148 species. Sri. P.M. Mujeeb of Thamarasserry won the second prize with 72 species.

John C Smrithi Sangamam:

Fourth death anniversary of Prof. John C Jacob was held at “Neeliyarkottam” a famous sacred grove near Kannur University campus at Morazah on 14/10/2012. It was jointly organized by Prathishtanam fraternity, John C Sneha Koottayma and Malabar Natural History Society. The function was inaugurated by Dr. Michael Tharakan, Vice Chancellor, Kannur University, presided by Sri. T.P. Padmanabhan Master. Sri. Civic Chandran, Prof. Shobheendran Master, Sri. A Mohan Kuman, Prof. T. Pavithran, Sri. C. Sunil Kumar, Dr. Dinesan Cheruvat. Sri. Bhaskaran Vellur, Ms. Sreeja Mottammal spoke on the occasion. The function was attended by about 100 participants.

Malabar Trogon -Vol. 10(1&2) Jan-Aug 201222

Song of the MountainsC K Vishnudas, Kalpetta, Wayanad

[email protected] .uk

Night was cold, star studdedBeneath the old roof, we sat around the fire,

sharing old hunting stories,of those who'd ridden all the way from far off places

who remained in an unknown countrywho enjoyed the warmth of this heaven

who made the bridle pathDid I hear a hoof-beat? I came out

To the expanse of sheer silence.There were no mocking owls,

no howling wild-dogs Silence loves its eternal soul

***Morning was serene, woke up to the

Notes of Nilgiri's bluebird,Singing restlessly inviting the fleeing dear.

But she moves from petals to petalsOften troubled by black colonists

Colonization never ends in this mesmerizing valleys!Listening to the enchanting songs of Blackbirds

I stood on the wet grass.Amidst the high mountains

Lies the great meadowsOf vast valleys, unknown depths

Mist wrapped mosaics and emergent peaks,With the rising sun, starts a laugh, spreads over the valley

Searching the bushes, found a pair thrushesHopping from twig to twig,

sometimes raising his brows curiouslyAsking who the intruder is?

Black chin, long white brows, brown gownsCamouflaged well in thickets, she prefers hedgerows,

close canopies and worms underneath..A little movement around the bushes

Turns out to be a pipitWith elegant steps, he gently looks at every one

Wearing a heavily streaked coatSometimes elevating to the sky,With a “sweech, sweech” call

Dashed from near and landed on a distant brown rockIn the off white mosaic we gently moved ahead

Along a winding path decorated with Red rhododendron,leading to unknown valleys, serene heights

Away from the plains, away from all turbulence of lifeLife here is calm, delicate and is a celebration

Nature with her caring eye , smiling Enjoying the endless flow of genes.

A mountain river originates here, gently flowing west,


Hugging her beloved hills, she disappears somewhereMurmurs in silence, rejoices with dancing leaves.

Overhanging white clouds sheltered us from the scorching sunand the enormous siblings too

Oh March, here are your kids, some playing in wet grassesOf blue, brown and maroon, with little tail and no tail

With pink “moustache”, some with streaked and unstreaked coats.

With little screech, with thirsty mouthsSome jump, some leap, some fall, some flee

A pair of Bushchats calling their chickWith a colorful feast on their beak

But with a sweet “tweet” he turn backThey surprise the valley with their endless plays

Mothers and fathers busy in the skyand on the ground

Searching the best for their belovedsNuts, flys and lizards, flows the bestUntiring efforts, painful struggles

of existence, of eternity.Everything stops all in a sudden,

mothers flying to safeguard their young,singers stop and disappear to the dark woods

No songs, no laugh, some unusual calls.Under the shady black clouds,

on a pair of broad and pointed wingssometimes swooping to the open grassland

quickly disappearing to the hill folds nearbyAnd a feeble squeal, broke the silence of the hills

Saw a takeoff, targeting a mountain cliff.The Cycle continues, no gain or bargain

Further west the determinant sun retrieving himselfGolden slanting rays search the hill tops

With a divine instinct? AQ search for the eternal soul ?Amidst the Dark Mountains , I stood up alone

Motionless and still,Vanishing into My own silhouette

Listening to a song which never ends!!!

ONCOMING PROGRAMMES:

1. 11-13th January 2013: Butterfly Survey at Aralam WLS

2. 2nd February 2013: World Wetland Day Celebration- Field visit to Mavoor Wetlands, Kozhikode district.

3. 9th February 2013: Bird watching Trip to Munderi Wetlands, Kannur district.

4. 15-17th February 2013: Bird Survey at Malabar WLS, Kozhikode district

5. 8-10th March 2013: Bird Survey at Aralam WLS

6. April-May: Vacation Programmes for school students.


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