660 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI. 



No. v.— MONGOOSE (MUNGOS MUNGO) KILLING A HEDGEHOG. 



Going along the road in my car this morning I saw a mongoose attack- 

 ing a hedgehog on the edge of the road. The car passed within a few 

 feet of them and the mongoose only drew back for a second. The car was 

 stopped thirty yards down the road and I watched events. The mongoose 

 was scratching at the hedgehog which was in a ball and was trying to 

 bite at the depression which he knew was the a ital spot. There was a wall 

 along the road so I got out of the car and went along behind it till I arrived 

 opposite the place where the struggle was taking place. I was about six 

 yards from the two animals and watched them for a quarter of an hour. 

 The mongoose kept on scratching at the hedgehog and biting it. Then it 

 seemed to spit out something probably bristles from its mouth. The 

 mongoose got rather blown after a few minutes. Its mouth was open and 

 it was panting hard. After another eflbrt it took a rest lying down by the 

 hedgehog with its hindlegs spread out. During this time it occasionally 

 sniS'ed the hedgehog and kept a sharp look-out. Then it made a prolonged 

 attack on the hedgehog scratching and biting at the vital spot and some- 

 times rolling over with it. At last it got a firm hold of something with its 

 mouth and 1 could see the hedgehog being gradually forced open, but could 

 not tell where the mongoose's grip was. The hedgehog began to squeal 

 loudly, a most unpleasant sound. The mongoose then dragged the 

 hedgehog across the road and along the wall to a bush at the corner, the 

 distance being about thirty yards. I moved along the wall and could just 

 see the mongoose moving about in the bush. Then a man came near and 

 the mongoose ran away. I got the hedgehog out and found it rolled up 

 and still alive. I could not wait any longer so put the hedgehog back in 

 the bush. On my return an hour later the hedgehog was lying dead just 

 outside the bush. On opening it I found that its head been bitten out. 

 The mongoose must have returned finished it off and again been frightened 

 away. Three hours later the hedgehog was not to be found. From an 

 inspection of the hedgehog it did not seem as if the mongoose had bitten 

 off a number of bristle and so got a hold on the flesh, but I should imagine 

 that the compressing muscles of the hedgehog must eventually become 

 weary and a very slight relaxation would allow the mongoose to get its 

 mouth into the aperture. Whatever the cause it is probable that there is 

 only one result when a mongoose sets to work on a hedgehog. 



E. O'BRIEN, Ll.-Col. 

 PoRBANDAK, 27/7i October 1918. 



No. VI.— NATURAL DEATH OF A ¥01i{VULPES BENGALENSIS). 



As notes appear occasionally in the Journal on the subject of the 

 natural death of wild animals, the following incident may be worth 

 recording. I was out riding early in the morning and noticed a fox 

 (Vulpes bengalensis) lying on the ground. As I passed by near it I was 

 muoh surprised to see it simply curl itself up in a ball as if it was going 

 to sleep till the sun rose and warmed it a bit. I thought its behaviour 

 seemed very tame as the spot it selected was an open bit of grass land 

 though in the neighbourhood of fields. 



As I was on my way home some three hours later, my attention was 

 attracted by some 3 or 4 white backed vultures {Psendogyps bengalensis) 

 sitting on the ground doing nothing in particular. On getting near 1 fouad 

 one was mauling the mangled remains of skin, etc., of the unfortunate little 

 fox. Presumably it was not caught asleep but chose this spot to die in. 



Ubtao, Ml March 1914. G. O. ALLEN, i.c.s. 



