Edward S. Ross field notes

STOP 240 - S. INDIA: 4 MI. S. TOPPUR, 340 METERS, IV-3-62 100 specimens.

Vegetation like that of stop 200 at Toppur itself, consists of thorny bushes and small trees forming an open cover in sandy hill country. While stop 200 was located on the slopes of the ghat itself, stop 240 was made at the foot of the grade, where the last sandy washes and scrubby trees give way to plowed fields. Specimens were collected primarily under stones around and beneath large tamarind and big trees near the road. Soil - extremely dry and sandy.

STOP 241 - S. INDIA: 10 MI. S.W. GUDIYATTAM, 350 METERS IV-3-62 50 specimens

Same locality as stop 199: flat, dry valley, of plowed fields (not irrigated), scattered villages and scattered large trees, these specimens, largely butterflies, were collected in flower beds and a small alfalfa field in a private garden. 90° F.

STOP 242 - S. INDIA: MADRAS, 5M, IV-8-62 150 specimens

Some specimens were collected in the vicinity of the Ghandi [Gandhi] Memorial at the south edge of town. Some of the nature or secondary thorn-tree growth remains in a deer sanctuary there. The weather was very hot and the area dry. Most specimens, however, were collected in a garden in the city itself. Parts of the garden received regular watering while others remained dry. Temperature ranged from 90°-95° F diurnal

to 80° F nocturnal.

STOP 243 - S. INDIA: CHINGLEPUT, 2 METERS, IV-14-62, 150 specimens.

The countryside south of Madras, while largely dry open plain marked by a few irrigated areas, palm trees, and periodic towns and villages, is also characterized by many heavily eroded rocky hills of granite. The vegetation on these outcrops consists of small thorny bushes 1 or 2 feet high, euphorbias seldom larger than 4 feet., and other small xerophytes. Though the sky was clear and the temperature very high in the open slope of this ridge near Chingleput, a heavy rain had thoroughly soaked the ground the night before. Specimens were taken under stones.

STOP 244 - S. INDIA: VEDANTHANGAL, 2 METERS, IV-14-62 1000 specimens.

Vedanthargal wildlife sanctuary, situated not far southeast of Madras, centers at a large shallow lake surrounded by expansive, of barren, dry, slightly rolling countryside. The lake is surrounded by small, rather scrubby trees; many trees area scattered through the lake as well - in the water and on small islands. These trees serve as nesting and roosting sites for thousands of water birds. Because of the availability of water, vegetation all around the lake remains green even in the dry season, and some paddy is grown at the fringe. The shrubs and herbage beneath the shoreline trees is in some places heavily coated with fecal material from roostings birds;

sweeping the plants in these areas was particularly productive. A massive insect fauna supports also a terrific spider fauna. Generally speaking, the huge numbers of small insects and spiders hinges upon the presence of water (rare in the eastern Madras area) and of nesting birds, upon whose guano some of the first links in the food chain must thrive. The sun shone brightly from a cloudless sky during our short visit, and the humidity was extremely high. Temperature - 90°-95° F.

The shore of the lake, rich in leaf litter and guano, was also a good area for beetles, flies, etc.

STOP 245 - S. INDIA: TIRUPATTI, 132 METERS, IV-18-62 1000 specimens

Tirupatti is a fairly large town situated in a broad, flat valley at the base of a high hill range. The valley itself is extremely dry during the dry season; while some of the area must grow rice and other crops, the fields were bare in April, and much of the land is too dry the year around for crops. The valley is scattered with small trees and the roads, as usual, are lined with large tamarind and other trees.

These specimens were collected in the garden of the Lutheran Mission on the outskirts of town. The addition of many large trees - mangos, and others, many shrubs and hedges had been planted. Still much of the garden retained

a "weedlot look". Collecting under stones and on tree trunks as productive. A torrential thunder shower had just closed and the entire area was thoroughly soaked.

Black light collecting in the garden was rich in ants and beetles. Evening temperature - 80° F.

Note change of date; specimen labels read IV-19-62 - should be changed to IV-18-62

STOP 246 - S. INDIA: TIRUMALA GRAD, 280 METERS IV-19-62 75 specimens

Tirupatti is the hub city for several sacred places; the most famous is Tirumala (Tirumali, also spelled), located on the top of the range of hills just behind town. A wide stonepanel trail, trodden on for hundreds of years by Hindu pilgrims,

serves several temples on the route to Tirumala itself, at the top of the range. In recent years an excellent road has been constructed to the top, winding around a more devious route than the stop trail. Bisecting some distinctive floral zones, both the trail and the road offer excellent access to good collecting. Though the rocky hills had been thoroughly soaked in a heavy thunder storm the afternoon before (see STOP 245), April is still basically in the dry season, broken only occasionally by these sudden but brief "Mango showers." Therefore collecting was rather slow.

The vegetation is very interesting on this range. The trees rarely exceed 20 ft. in height and on the drier, exposed rocky slopes remain as large bushes. The slopes have a definite scrubly look, beautifully accented in April by colorful new leaves and blossoms

bursting fort on bare branches. Most of the species area decidious. Grass and small herbs form a ground cover among the rocks. Near the summit the forest becomes more dense, apparently due to slightly more rainfall, and evergreen fig trees are common among other larger species.

Geology - apprantely schists and shales. Hot, sunny morning.

STOP 247 - S. INDIA: TIRUMALA GRADE, 780 METERS, IV-19-62 150 species.

Located not far down-grade from Tirumala

STOP 248 - INDIA: CALCUTTA, 5 M. V-12-62 200 specimens

A few specimens were collected in the Botanic Garden on the banks of the Hooghly River and a hot, humid morning; a small number were taken in the Zoological Garden at Alipore.

All other specimens were

attracted to the lights of the ship tied to a Garden [Beach?] dock across the river from the Botanic Garden. The lights facing the garden drew in most of the specimens while those facing the warehouses and the dense part of the city attracted little.

STOP 299 - EAST PAKISTAN: CHALNA, 2 M. V-24-62

Chalna is a young Pakistan port, still in a very primitive state, recently [born?] out of the swampy Sunderban Country. At this time no town exists near the riverside moorings, though stevedore shacks are scattered about; cargo is shipped by barge farther up the delta stream to a small town with land communications. The ships tie up in mid river just at the upper fringe of the wild Sunderban jungle, where the rice paddys have at last penetrated the partially flooded delta.

Two nights were spent

moored in the river, and the ship lights drew in these specimens from the surrounding disturbed countryside, being a bit out of range for the true undisturbed Sunderban jungle. The diurnal temperature wandered between 90°-100° F, and never cooled quite to 80° F at night. Humidity remained very high.

100 specimens

SINGAPORE ISLAND, MALAYA, THAILAND, CAMBODIA

STOP 250 - SINGAPORE: SELETAR RES., 25 FT., VI-3-62 600 specimens.

Seletar Reservoir, located on north-central Singapore Island, is surrounded by a fairly large forested area. Low, rolling hills are densely covered by evergreen jungle. The trees are rather smaller in stature than the virgin timber in the Bukit Timah Reserve, and much Pandanus and other undergrowth makes much of the forest nearly impenetrable. The area was quite moist from periodic rains several days earlier. Weather - clear and hot - 90°F, humidity high.

Most specimens were collected in filtered shade in the forest understory, though some were taken along the lake shore and along a small road penetrating the thicket.

STOP 251 - SINGAPORE: BUKIT TIMAH, 100 FT., VI-4-62 1000 specimens

Bukit Timah Forest Reserve occupies one of the highest hill areas on Singapore Island. The forest, though not extremely large, covers very steep countryside. Many trails create excellent accessability for collecting in the understory, and some sunny border areas can also be reached. The trees are quite tall and the understory thick in most places. Most specimens were collected in filtered shade. The ground was still quite moist from recent rains. Weather - sunny - 90° F . Humidity high. All trees - evergreen.

100 ft. represents a sort of average altitude.

STOP 252 - MALAYA: 11 MI. S.E. SEREMBAN, 100 METERS, VI-6-62 50 specimens.

Stopped briefly in a large clearing bordering dense jungle. The forest had been cleared for rubber planting; in fact the small trees had already been set out. The ground was littered with standing and felled stumps & logs. Most specimens were collected under bark flakes. Weather - partially cloudy, late afternoon - 85°-90° F.

STOP 253 - MALAYA: K. LUMPUR, 90 METERS VI-7-62 1000 specimens

Because of periodic rainfall the year around Kuala Lumpur is always green. Even in well-trimmed, well-

mowed gardens there are many nitches for insects, and neglected corners and weedlots are excellent collecting spots. With the exception of one small forested hill in the city the area is highly disturbed either by building or planting. Natural forest, however, can be found, besides on the small hill, only a few miles out of town.

These specimens were collected in various gardens and weedlots around the city; most insects, however, including all the sweepings, were taken on the grounds of the Institute for Medical Research. Sweeping herbs and grass in the shade of large trees was especially productive.

Weather - hot - 90° - humidity high. Ground moist. All plants lush and green.

STOP 254 - MALAYA: 16 MI. N.E. K. LUMPUR, 1000 FT., VI-8-62 3000 specimens

NOTE - some of the layer labels read "13 MI. N.E. KUALA LUMPUR" and the elevation is 200 METERS. These should be changed to the above corrected label. "Kuala" does not need to be written out but may be abbreviated "K."

The Gombak Road, one of two main passes across the Western Hills, follows the Gombak drainage system ont the western slopes and is bordered by the Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve. Once above the lowlands, disturbed by rubber plantations, etc., one enters and extensive belt of mountain evergreen rain forest. The pass itself is scarcely higher than 2,000 ft, and the forest zonation does not change radically in that

altitude, though there are undoubtedly some differences. Two stops were made on the grade, one at 600 meters (STOP 255), and this in the vicinity of 1000 ft. Some specimens were collected in a clearing just on the 1000 ft. countour in which one house (one of the few buildings on the grade) had been constructed. The clearing had been made between the road and the Gombak River in the bottom of a V canyon a hundred yards below the house. Aside from the actual clearing and a few small trails, the forest is completely intact. At this altitude, on the slopes of steep, rounded hills marked by often rugged stream canyons; the forest canopy averages about 120-140 ft. above the slope; the trees are often vine-entwined and ferncovered. The understory consists of small herbs, thicker of couse in

sunny patches, club moss, ferns, moss, and small seedlings and shrubs 3 or 4 feet high. Sweeping the understory was productive. Collecting was also good along the road and stream, where the sunny exposure and rich plant growth attracted much of interest.

A second major collecting area included in this stop was located at a slightly lower elevation int the same life zone. A small logging road follows a Gombak tributary up a little valley ont eh north side of the river. With the exception of a small amount of selective logging the forest is almost untouched. Of course the very presence of the logging road clearing creates a somewhat unnatural situation and enables population explosion among certain weeds, but the result is ideal collecting conditions. Many high-flying

insects drop down along the clearing from the canopy and are more easily collected. The road and stream form a perfect butterfly flightway, and puddles and [springs?] are quite inviting as butterfly drinking spots. Some recently cut logs were attractive to beetles. Exposure of herbage and both shady and sunny road banks is excellent.

Three collecting days were spent at this place; the average date, VI-8, is used. Weather - sunny mornings, cloudy afternoons, rain periodically in the afternoon, evening, or pre-dawn. 90° F diurnal, 80° F nocturnal temp., cooling to 76° or 78° F after a rain. Ground always wet. Heavy dew in the mornings.

STOP 255 - MALAYA: 22 MI. N.E. K. LUMPUR, 600 meters, VI-9-62 1000 specimens

A second stop ont eh Gombak road was located just a couple of miles below the summit of the pass. In this area the forest is completely untouched. The canopy is 120-140 ft. above the steep slopes; many of the trees area extremely large, and epiphytic growth is extensive. At the 22nd mile a trail traverses virgin understory growth in a beautiful evergreen rainforest, from the Gombak Road directly down the steep slope to the River, perhaps three quarters of a mile. Trail distance. The trail serves one of Dr. Elliott McClure's forest study areas which includes an impressive platform constructed 140 feet above the forest floor in a large tree for the purpose