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White throated thrush is inhabited in evergreen and deciduous forest singly or in 2-3 individual groups on damp, shady forest floor and, on lower branches of small trees/shrubs (Ali, 2002; Grimmett et al., 2011). It is a rare, resident, shy and locally migratory bird migrating during monsoon in India from south eastern Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and south Orissa to Tamil Nadu and Kerala (Ali, 2002; Grimmett et al., 1998). The bird is reported from Rajasthan (Bhardwaj & Sangha, 2008), Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra (Grewal et al., 2002; Pande et al., 2003; references in Bhardwaj & Sangha, 2008). In Maharashtra bird is reported from evergreen jungles of Mahabaleshwar in Satara district (Pandy, 1979). Mahabal & Lamba (1987) also sighted the bird from Maharashtra (reference in Prasad, 2003). Thereafter, there are no reports of its sighting in Maharashtra. In this note we report new sighting records of the white throated thrush from different parts of Chandgad taluk in Kolhapur district of southern Maharashtra and for the first time from Kolhapur. Zoothera citrina is evaluated as a least concerned bird and its population declining in recent years due to loss or fragmentation of woodland poses a threat to forest birds (IUCN, 2013; Wikipedia, 2013). REFERENCES Ali, S. 2002. The book of Indian birds, 13th edition, Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay. Bhardwaj, G. S. and Sangha, H. S. 2008. Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina cyanotus a first record for Rajasthan. Indian Birds. 4 (1): 19. Grewal,B., Harvey, B. and Pfister O. 2002. A Photohraphic guide to the Birds of India and Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Princeton University Press, New Jersey. Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. 1998. Birds of the Indian subcontinent. Christopher Helm, Oxford University Press, New Delhi. Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. 2011. Birds of the Indian subcontinent IInd edn. Christopher Helm, Oxford University Press, India.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange-headed_Thrush downloded on 20 September 2013 IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. . Downloaded on 20 September 2013. Panday, D. J. 1979. Courtship song and display of the Whitethroated ground Thrush Zoothera citrina cyanotus (Jardine and Selby). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 76: 365-366. Pande, S. A., Tambe, S., Francis, M. C. and Sant, N. 2003. Birds of Western Ghats, Kokan and Malabar (Including Birds of Goa). Ist edn. Mumbai: Bombay Natural History Society, Oxford University Press Prasad, A. 2003. Annotated checklist of the Birds of Western Maharashtra. Buceros. 8 (2 and 3): 3-174. &nbsp

All individual living beings on the earth are exposed continuously to the radiations coming from terrestrial and extraterrestrial sources and also from their own bodies. The indoor and outdoor ambient gamma radiations are measured in and around Nuggihalli- Holenarasipura schist belts of Hassan district in Karnataka state. The measurements are carried out using the environment radiation dosimeter UR 705 which is a portable detector. Absorbed dose rate and annual effective dose rate are estimated by measuring the exposure rate. The total annual effective dose calculated from both indoor and outdoor varies from 0.68 to1.62 mSv.y-1 with an average value of 1.16 mSv.y-1. The calculated indoor and outdoor annual effective doses are found to be higher than the world average.

Nanocrystalline copper oxide (CuO) powder was synthesized through solid-state co-precipitation technique using copper sulfate pentahydrate and sodium hydroxide pellets as a source materials. Crystalline nature and surface morphology of the sample are studied through x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Optical properties of synthesized CuO nanopowder were investigated by UV–Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction study reveals that CuO nanoparticles are in monoclinic structure and crystalline size is found to be around 15 nm as estimated from Debye-Scherrer formula. FESEM measurement confirms that the particles are in almost irregular shape, and some nanorod-like structures are noticed. FTIR spectrum confirms the formation of high-quality and pure CuO nanoparticles. The effect of various solvents on optical properties of CuO nanoparticles is studied. From UV–Vis absorption measurement, a strong quantization along with varying band edges in different solvents was observed. It is seen from photoluminescence spectra that the intensity of emission as well as emission peak wavelength changes with solvents.

Predator–prey relationship was studied in three sympatric species of anuran tadpoles. The study design consisted of allowing predaceous Hoplobatrachus tigerinus tadpoles to devour prey tadpoles (Sphaerotheca breviceps and Bufo melanostictus) placed in a plastic tub (five tadpoles of each species, stage ~27) in 30 min. In trials without refugia, more tadpoles of Bufo fell prey compared to Sphaerotheca. In contrast, provision of refugia using hydrilla plant reversed predation risk of the two species. The swimming speed (V max = 64.55 ± 1.45 cm/s) of Hoplobatrachus tadpoles was much higher compared to the prey species (Bufo: 3.6 ± 0.4 cm/s; Sphaerotheca: 27.6 ± 1.6 cm/s). Poor swimming ability may account for the observed vulnerability of the Bufo tadpoles to predation especially in clear waters; refugia overcame predation to some extent. On the other hand, Sphaerotheca tadpoles that swim faster than the toad tadpoles were less vulnerable in open areas; refugia actually hindered swimming and increased predation. Experiments with association choice tests show that predaceous tadpoles detect prey based on both visual and chemical cues. On the other hand, the prey tadpoles detected predator based exclusively on chemical rather than visual cues. The antipredator defense strategy of the toad tadpoles is manifested in the form of reduced movements, remaining still for longer times and, increased burst speed. The present findings also suggest that in both prey species predator detection has a genetic basis since naive tadpoles with no prior exposure to predators exhibit fright response on first encounter with them.

The habitat choice of tadpoles of seven anuran species with respect to light and dark phases was studied using a choice tank with a simulated pond edge. In each trial, which lasted for 12 hrs, twenty freshly collected tadpoles (Gosner stage 32-38) of a given species were used. After introducing tadpoles into the choice tank, their number at the surface, up the water column, and on the substrate was recorded at half-hour intervals. Four trials each for day and night were conducted for each species. Tadpoles of Rana curtipes, Rana cyanophlyctis, and Rana temporalis, which possess a ventral mouth, predominantly occupied the substrate zone, whereas those of Bufo melanostictus, Polypedates maculatus, and Rana tigrina, which have an antero-ventral mouth, utilized both substrate and column zones but with a clear preference for the substrate zone. Within the substrate zone, the number of tadpoles of B. melanostictus, P. maculatus, R. temporalis, and R. tigrina was greater at night than in the daytime, whereas the opposite was true for R. curtipes. Of these five species response for day-night changes was prominent in P. maculatus. It is unclear whether variation in the number of tadpoles with respect to day and night is due to changes in the light intensity or temperature or oxygen levels. The tadpoles of R. cyanophlyctis did not show any response to day-night changes. On the other hand, the tadpoles of Microhyla ornata, which possess an antero-dorsally placed and highly simplified mouth (devoid of teeth) preferred the surface (64%) and column (28%) zones in both light and dark phases. The tadpoles of M. ornata are not easily spotted despite their surface occupancy due to their transparent appearance. The present study shows the existence of diversity in the microhabitat choice of the anuran tadpoles that correlates well with their morphological characteristics.

Anuran larvae exhibit diverse and ecologically correlated morphological variations (Duellman and Trueb, 1986; Jennings and Scott, 1993; Kaiser and Altig, 1994; de Sa et al., 1997; Lavilla et al., 1997; Santos et al., 1998). The mountain range called "Western Ghats" in Southern India harbors over 100 species of anurans representing 14 genera (Daniels, 1997a,b,c). However, descriptions of larval morphology of anurans from the Indian subcontinent are scanty (Hiragond and Saidapur, 1999). The larvae of Rana curtipes live in streams and are among the largest anuran tadpoles found in the Western Ghats (Daniels, 1997b) and are poorly described (Rao, 1914; Sekar, 1990). Here we