Capt. 11. C. Tytler on the Fauna of Dacca. 173 



brought it in persisted in believing it to be a variety of the 

 common leopard, so large was this magnificent specimen in its 

 dimensions. i * « i * i n 



'Amongst the smallMammana, the comm'on House nat requires 

 further comparison ; it is decidedly closely allied to Mus indicus, 

 but of a considerably darker colour. This dark colour has also 

 been remarked in specimens of Mus indicus received from south- 

 ern India; but as the species found at Dacca seems to differ 

 from both, to which, however, it is closely allied, I would suggest 

 for it the name of Mus daccaemis, provided it is, as I have 

 every reason to believe it to be, an undescribed species. The 

 Sorex murinus, or common Musk Rat of Europeans, is very 

 abundant, frequenting houses and other suitable localities. 



When I arrived at Dacca, the number of Meyalaima lineata 

 about cantonments surprised me not a little ; the call of this 

 bird, which is a very abundant species, might be expressed thus : 

 kootur^r kootur'r kootur^i-, heard incessantly at intervals during 

 the day. The Megalaima asiatica is not to be found, at least 

 during the mouths I remained at Dacca. Several young of the 

 former species were brought to me alive in the month of June; 

 they live and thrive well in confinement, feeding freely on 

 fruit, milk and bread, &c. ; howevei-, they are disagreeable 

 pets, from the incessant noise they make. The Ceniropus 

 lathami is also a common bird, found in bush jungle ; the calls 

 of this species vary, and are curious; one resembling the bark 

 of the Bengal Fox ( Vulpes hengalensis), whilst the other might 

 be imitated thus : clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, gouk, gouk, 

 gouk^ gouk, kurr, kurr, kurr, kurr, kurr, clack, clack, &c. I was 

 fortunate in obtaining the nest and egg of this bird during the 

 month of June; the eggs are pure white, and very round in 

 formation. The nest, which was composed of straw and grass, 

 resembled a large ball supported on sticks, with a hole in the 

 side for the bird to enter; the nest was well concealed, and with 

 great difficulty discovered. 



The Leptoptilos argala and L. javanica occasionally visit this 

 neighbourhood. I was much interested in seeing in the pos- 

 esssion of Major Graham, the executive officer, a specimen of a 

 living Leptoptilos, — I should S3.y javanica, but the bird was so 

 young that 1 felt rather uncertain as to the exact species ; 

 from the scaly nature of the back feathers, it much resembled the 

 latter species. I am aware that the young of Leptoptilos argala 

 vary much in colour, judging from the young birds which visit 

 Bengal ; it is this, therefore, which causes me to hesitate about 

 the young specimen alluded to. Major Graham found two 

 young in the same nest, and not very far from Dacca ; the nest 

 was on a high tree. 



