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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



No. I.— NOTES ON A YOUNG HOG-BADGER AltCrONYX SP. 



IN THE GARO HILLS. 



Wak-Sel-(Garo). Caught by the Garos near Tiira. 



He was about 15 days old when brought to me ; his little tushes were just 

 beginning to come through. Had been fed on rice and rice water by the 

 Garos. He was in very good condition. He clutches the bowl like a 

 bear, but eats like the pig, with much noise and dirtily. Otherwise his 

 habits are quite clean ; he has no smell at all. The fur is a mixture of 

 hair and bristles grey tipped with white, pure white on his ears and 

 round his throat, black legs and stomach. A white tail about 2 inches long 

 now. 12" from tip of nose to tail. 4" high. His habits up-to-date are not 

 nocturnal, as he sleeps from 6 to 6 without moving. He sleeps curled up 

 like a hedge hog. In the day time he sleeps with his head between his 

 paws (more like a bear). Most affectionate and cannot bear to be left 

 alone. "When startled, he comes towards one growling with his nose in the 

 air (he might try and jump up to rip one). Does not see very well. In 

 a wire cage he tries to dig himself out, or failing that climbs up like 

 a bear. He roots about, but so far I have not discovered anything 

 that he has eaten. Bringing him up on sweet pudding which he loves, gave 

 him a small mutton bone (rawmeat) without any meat on it which he was 

 very keen on. His back teeth are coming through. He has numerous 

 calls, but so far no grunts. When pleased he makes a plaintive little 

 sound, but when he is angry, his calls are discordant. His sense of smell 

 is very good. Colour black and white (no rufous colouring at all). 



V. A. JACKSON. 



TuRA, Garo Hills, Assam, June 1918. 



FURTHER NOTES ON THE HOG-BADGER. 



I have had the Hog-badger about 3 months now. It has grown longer 

 and rather a silvery white, only black hair showing on its head and legs. 

 He stands about 6" at the shoulder, but is quite 18" long. 



He is very tame, in fact I cannot induce him to leave the house though 

 he is always fed outside. He behaves very much like a puppy dog. 

 Worrying sHppers, rugs, hangings, etc., and also stands up by the chair at 

 meal times like a dog. 



We had occasion to go to Tura Top, Similes, with an ascent of 3,100 feet. 

 We rode up and I took the boy who usually feeds the badger with me 

 carrying a small basket for ferns. The little fellow walked all the way up 

 except about half a mile when ho was so tired that I had to have him., 

 carried. He also walked all the way down after the boy. He ate 2 large 

 tins of long earthworms daily and a little bread and milk and puddmg. 

 He found several earths and dug out these long earth works (18" long) and 

 their eggs, ate the contents of the eggs, but not the leathery shells, he also 

 ate some small centipedes and their young— but no roots, fruit or vegetables 

 His sense of smell is remarkable. He is very powerful for his size and 

 very playful— leaping into the air in extraordinary attitudes and pretending 

 to attack one. He can dig himself out of any wire cage with heavy 

 boulders round. He lies on his back and prises them up. He is frightened 

 of snakes, but of nothing else. When a dog comes near him his hair rises 



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