NAGPUR DL~TRIC.T
305
BALD! in Nagpur city, which is visible for a long distance from the
country round. The hills attain no great altitude, the highest peaks
not exceeding 2,ooo feet, but vary greatly in appearance, being in
places extremely picturesque and clothed with forest, while elsewhere
they are covered by loose stones and brushwood, or are wholly bare
and arid. The Wardha and Wainganga rivers flow along part of
the western and eastern borders respectively, and the drainage of the
District is divided between them. The waters of about a third of
its area on the west are carried to the Wardha by the Jam, the
Wunna, and other minor streams. The centre is drained by the
Pench and Kanhan, which, flowing south through the Satpura Hills,
unite just above Kamptee, where they are also joined by the Kolar ;
from here the Kanhan carries their joint waters along the northern
boundary of the Umrer tahsil to meet the Wainganga on the Bhan
dara border. T o the east a few small streams flow direct to the
Wainganga. The richest part of the District is the western half of
the Katol tahsil, cut off by the small ranges described above. It
possesses a soil profusely fertile, and teems with the richest garden
cultivation. Beyond the Pilkapar hills the plain country extends to
the eastern border. Its surface is scarcely ever level, but it is closely
cultivated, abounds in mango-groves and trees of all sorts, and to-
wards the east is studded with small tanks, which form a feature
in the landscape. The elevation of the plain country is from goo
to i,ooo feet above sea-level.
The primary formation of the rocks is sandstone, associated with
shale and limestone. The sandstone is now covered by trap on
the west, and broken up by granite on the east, leaving a small
diagonal strip running through the centre of the District and ex-
panding on the north-west and south-east. The juxtaposition of
trap, sandstone, and granite rocks in this neighbourhood invests the
geology of Nagpur with special interest.
The forests are mainly situated in a large block on the Satpura
Hills to the north-east, while isolated patches are dotted on the hills
extending along the south-western border. The forest growth varies
with the nature of the soil, sdj (Terminalia tomentosa), achdr (Bucha-
nania latifolia), and tendii (Diospyros tomentosa) being characteristic
on the heavy soils, teak on good well-drained slopes, salai (Bosivellia
serrata) on the steep hill-sides and ridges, and satin-wood on the
sandy levels. In the open country mango, mahud (Bassia ladfolaa),
tamarind, and bastard date-palms are common.
There is nothing noteworthy about the wild animals of the District,
and from the sportsman's point of view it is one of the poorest in
the Province. Wild hog abound all over the country, finding shelter
in the large grass reserves or groves of date-palm. Partridges, quail,
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