Edward S. Ross field notes

C. A. S. Expedition 1961-1962

India, Pakistan, Nepal, Malaya, Thailand

E. S. Ross & D. Cavagnaro Collectors

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the trees on a steep knoll overlooking the surrounding forest. The jungle in this reserve is nearly undisturbed; some small villages with their tiny fields and gardens may be found here and there, but most of the hills around the rest house have been disturbed only by trails, the railroad, and a minimum of logging. Unfortunately this beautiful spot - as good as one could find in E. Pak. for biological work - is scheduled to be cut over and planted with teak within a few years.

The black light was placed against the almost luminous white walls of the rest house and drew from the surrounding forest; the result was fantastic. Moth colledting was especially good.

There are no major ponds or streams in this area, though small creeks are quite frequent along forest trails. The trails themselves serve as creeks during the momentary "flash floods" from frequent cloudbursts.

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The weather was more changeable terrential rainsone hour, but sun the next. rain fell at lease 2 or 3 times each day. The absence of moonlight and proximity of the jungle resulted in good collection at night. Wind absent, humidity high.

---------------------------------------------------------STOP 9-E.PAKISTAN CHICKNAGUL, 10 MI.N.SYLHET 10M., IX-30-61 100 specimens.

A night and morning stop on a knoll rising a little above the surrounding flat rice land. Many trees and much tangled growth covered parts of the area, though buildings and roads cut into the wooded areas. [Bark?] collecting in a pile of cut logs and stumps was good. Weather cool, humidity high. Rain interrupted black light work. No moonlight.

[LEFT PAGE] STOP 10-E.PAKISTAN JAINTIAPUR, 5M, IX-30-61 40 specimens.

Short stop in the heart of this small village not far from the sudden escarpment of the Khasi Hills. Hot, humid midday. Butterflies and more were collected on hybiscus flowers in gardens: carpenter bees were taken around the wood of village roofs. The little farm is situated in a very flat area which becomes quite boggy during the heaviest part of the monsoon. The monsoon is on its way out by early October, however, and the rice is thriving at this time. [THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES WRITTEN THEN CROSSED OUT: around the wood of the village houses. 40 specimens.]

--------------------------------------------------------STOP II - TAMABIL, E. PAKISTAN IX-30-61

Short afternoon stop at this border village at the foot of the KhasiJaintia Hills. Elevation 5 meters. Countryside very wet and swampy with many fields of rice or swampy, grassy bogs. Many small knolls, fairly tree covered, rose out of the flatland, and the hills rose steeply from the collecting sight. Most insects collected at hybiscus flowers and other flowering plants or in the grass. Spiders collected along roadbank covered extensively with plants.

150 specimens

Hot, humid afternoon,no wind, partially cloudy.

Blossoming [BER?] tree excellent for hymenoptera - loves

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Pines nearby. Weather cool, partially cloudy, and rainy (part of the time).

100 specimens 4,900 ft. ___________________________

STOP 16 - 12 MI. S. SHILLONG, ASSAM. X-3-61

A one-hour stop in a small stream valley of grass and granite rock. Slopes covered primarily with pine trees and, where cut over, with vegetables of various sorts.

Elevation 1660 M. Weather warm and sunny. 500 specimens.

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STOP 17 - CHERRAPUNJI, ASSAM X-3-61

Afternoon stop at the rainiest spot in the world on a rare, clear, sunny day. Breezy on the hills, still and hot in the creek ravines. Collected in the rolling

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grassy fields overlooking an immense forested gorge. Grassy slopes of the plateau dropped suddenly toward a steep cliff where the vegetaion changed to dense bushes and cloud forest. Some exposed granite rock.

Elevation 1310 meters.

Some collecting late in the afternoon in the cloud forest itself. Forest temperature cooler than field temperature.

700 specimens.

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STOP 18 - 4 MI. N. CHERRAPUNJI ASSAM X-3-61

A night and morning stop in a grassy field bordered by a dense cloud forest. Weather remained clear all night; morning warm and sunny. Moonless evening excellent for moths at the black light. Countryside similar to that of Cherrapunji itself.

Elevation

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Sanctuary. Forest untouched except for a pipeline area cleared of trees and bushes. Forest dense and tangled, wet from a recent rain, but fairly cool. Sky cloudy. Elevation 97 meters. 50 specimens

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STOP 24 - ASSAM: KOHARA, KAZIRANGA X-7-61 A two-day stop in the Sanctuary at Kasiranga. Camp, and therefore the black light, overlooking a stream and rolling hills covered with tangled jungle and hardwood plantations, was itself situated on a knoll 110 meters elevation and most collecting was done at about that elevation, either in the forest, along the stream, or in nearby grassy fields. Weather warm, partially cloudy, with some occasional showers. 1,000 specimens.

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STOP 25 - DIMAPUR, ASSAM X-8-61 A short stop near town - vegetation disturbed and planted. Collected on flowering hybiscus and other flowering plants. Hot afternoon. 160 meters. 25 specimens.

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STOP 26 - ASSAM: GARAMPANI WILDLIFE [underlined] RESERVE, 10 MI. S GOLAGHAT X-9-61 A two-day stop in the forest reserve - wildlife sanctuary at Garampani. Planted trees and some garden around camp with undesturbed forest ("jungle") surrounding at 100-300 yards distance. Diurnal collecting along trails through the jungle and along streams. Small amout of rain fell in one shower; weather sunny, hot, and humid for the most part. Forest condition wet rather than fairly dry - many vines and trees in bloom. Elevation 110 meters. Countryside slightly rolling hills; no major

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hills near. 4,000 specimens.

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STOP 27 - ASSAM: MELENG FOREST RESERVE [crossed through], MARIANI X-10-61 Camped one night along a cleared track in a 35-year-old hardwood plantation. Many large trees and much tangled under-growth. Weather cool early in the evening; rainy after a few hours of darkness. 200 specimens 110 meters. (tiger camp)

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STOP 28 - ASSAM: ABHOYPUR FOREST, NAPHUK X-12-61 A two-day stop along a rough jeep track in fairly virgin jungle. Countryside very hilly, jungle nearly inpenetrable. Diurnal collecting along rugged road itself; nocturnal collecting with exposure up and

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down the road. Forest primarily Dipterocarpus. Weather hot, still, and humid during the day. Torrential rain the first night, slight drizzle the second. 3,000 specimens Sweeping in grassy spots.

EL. 360 METERS

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STOP 29 - ASSAM: 8 MI. E. LEDO X-13-61 A night and day stop in the forestry colony compound of Tirap, 8 miles above Ledo on the Stillwell Road. Camped in flat coutryside, 135 meters in elevation; hills rose steeply some distance away. Lawn and planted shrubs near camp. Most diurnal collecting at flowering hybiscus and other blossoming shrubs - some along a trail into the forest. 700 specimens. CAUTION [underlined in black and red] - labels in layers say NW [underlined] LEDO - It should be East of LEDO, as indicated above.

Hot days, cool nights. [written vertical at left side, bottom of page from bottom to top]

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STOP 30 - 5 Mi. W DIGBOI, ASSAM X-15-61 Stopped one night in a relatively undesturbed Dipterocarpus forest in the flat valley of Brahmaputra. Cool night, no rain. 110 meters el. 1,000 specimens

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STOP 31 - ASSAM: KOHARA, KAZIRANGA X-16-61 Stopped for one night in the same spot which constituted stop 24 (see description). Weather fairly clear while the black light was on, though it rained very hard later in the night. Great quantities of beetles and small insects came to the light shortly after dark, moths came later. 110 M. 3,000 specimens.

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STOP 32 - ASSAM: 12 MI. S. GOALPARA X-16-61 One-night stop in an extensive

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well established Sal plantation forest. Forest floor thickly covered with bushes and vines. Conditions were very dry in the forest itself, though there were rice paddies in the low spots some distance from camp. No clearing; black light situated in the midst of the forest along the overgrown jeep track. Elevation 25 meters - 500 specimens.

STOP 33 - ASSAM: 13 MI. SW. KOCHUGAON X-17-61 Stopped one night in the grounds of the Mornai Tea Estate, still in the Brahmaputra Valley 50 meters in elevation. Large trees scattered through the acres of tea constituted the principle flora. Lawn and planted shrubs grew close by. Night cool; much dew, no rain. 200 specimens

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NOTE: [in red ink] Correct spelling is KOCHUGAON; layer labels are misspelled KUCHUGAON.

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STOP 34 - ASSAM: 4 MI. W. KOCHUGAON X-17-61

A quick afternoon stop in an old hardwood plantation, primarily of Sal. Much tall grass and tangled vines and bushes under the trees. Small streams nearby. Collected along the small road and trails. Clear sky- hot afternoon. Elevation 50 meters. 200 specimens ------- On the road to Soraibil -------

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STOP 35 - ASSAM: 14 MI. W. KOCHUGAON X-18-61

Stopped one night on a road out of the village Raimana. Countryside flat, elevation 25 meters. Himalaya foothills rise sharply perhaps 25 miles to the north. Flora in the area entirely disturbed; patches of old plantation disrupted by sections of recently planted hardwoods, covered thickly with elephant grass and other large grasses.

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A small creek ran some 50 feet from camp. Night cool and still with heavy dew. A half moon shone during collecting hours. 2,000 specimens

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STOP 36 - ASSAM: 10 MI. SW. KOCHUGAON X-19-61

An afternoon stop along the "main" road in an old forest composed primarily of Sal. Undergrowth small and thin. Collected primariy under the bark of felled logs and along the edge of the road near small ponds. Elevation 50 meters. 200 specimens.

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WEST BENGAL [underlined]

STOP 37 - WEST BENGAL: LATAGURI X-21-61

A short early morning stop along the main trunk road to Siliguri. Plantation forest, mostly of Sal trees, with some undergrowth. Temperature warm, humidity low. 110 meters elevation. 100 specimens. Collected as well in some patches of virgin forest.

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STOP 38 - WEST BENGAL: CHUNBATI X-21-61

Driving up the mountains from Siliguri to Darjeeling there is a small hill village 12 miles from Siliguri. Stopped along the road just below Chunbati at el. 560 meters and collected in the grass and shrubs along the road. Very steep countryside covered with trees. Conditions fairly dry. Clear, sunny day, warm in the sun, cool in the shade- 100 specimens.

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STOP 39 - WEST BENGAL: DILARAM X-21-61

Just Beyond Kurseong on the Darjeeling road is the above village and a patch of reserve forest in the Kurseong District. Stopping for a few munutes late in the afternoon, we collected 150 specimens in the very cool, wet cloud forest at 1710 meters elevation.

STOP 40 - WEST BENGAL: DEBREPANI, 10 MI. W. GHUM X-22-61

A one day, 2 night stop at the Debrepani forest rest house at 2010 meters elevation. The place was reached by means of a main road from Ghum (also spelled Ghoom) to Sukhaipolshari and by a branch road from the latter town. The collecting area consisted of very steep hillsides covered by secondary forests primarily. Some patches of Cryptomeria forest had

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been planted as early as 1890. Collecting trails passed through some natural regeneration cloud forest of maples, alders, etc and in other areas through old hardwood plantations. The undergrowth in the cloud forest types consisted of grasses and small flowering sages and shrubs. Nothing grew under the stands of Cryptomeria and collecting was productive only at the fringes of such forests. Here and there small grassy clearings provided good collecting. The weather remained clear; the sun was quite warm, though the shaddows remained cool. Both nights were "chilly" (54*-56* F) and the black light attracted almost nothing. A full moon shone as well. 700 specimens.

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NOTE - ALL ALTITUDES PREVIOUS TO THAT OF STOP 41 SHOULD BE INCREASED BY ABOUT 8 METERS (ALTIMETER HAD [written in red; crossed out with an x]

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BEEN READING LOW) [written in red]

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STOP 41 - WEST BENGAL: BADAMTAM FOREST, DARJEELING DIST. X-24-61

At 1800 ft [underlined twice] elevation, an the Darjeeling side of the Rangit River canyon, a ridge of well-drained schists provides the right conditions to support an isolated population of Chir pines (PINUS ROXBURGHII). The ridge is quite dry and rocky and primarily a stunted type of Sal, some date palms (Phoenix), Vernonia (a tree Compositae), and grasses (primarily citronella grass) grow there, the pines being scattered here and there among the cover of Sal. Weather was clear and warm during our short afternoon stop. 150 specimens

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