of some districts in India. 321 



south-west frontier. They have to my knowledge been killed 

 in Ramghur, Palamow, and Chota Nagpore, and they are said 

 to exist also in Sumbhulpore. The natives regard them with 

 much greater indifference than they do the wild buffalo, since 

 the former are by no means so injurious to their corn-fields as 

 the latter are.'' P. 247—251. 



Besides the Gaour, the Urna or wild buffalo, the Samur, a 

 species of elk, two kinds of Neel-gao ; the spotted deer, the 

 antelope, the hog-deer, the kotaree, a deer with four horns, the 

 red deer, and the Mirgee, or mouse deer as it is called, are 

 found in these districts. This last is about the size of a fox, 

 without horns, of a greyish colour, but with its four legs from 

 the knee to the hoof black. 



The ravenous animals are the tiger, panther, leopard, ounce, 

 the black leopard, hyaena, bears, wolves, jackals, and foxes. 

 There is also an animal in these provinces called by the na- 

 tives Q«/o, conjectured, Mr Breton says, to be a kind of wild 

 dog. It is of a reddish brown colour, size larger than that of 

 a jackal, and has more the appearance of a dog than that of 

 any other animal, although it has a bushy tail similar to that 

 of a jackal. The other animals met with are common to 

 Hindostan, such as different species of monkeys, wild hogs, 

 hares, porcupines, the polecat, weasel, and racoon. The 

 pangolin is now and then seen. 



The poisonous serpents observed by Mr Breton were the 

 several varieties of the Cobra de capello ; the Amaiter, the Ka- 

 tuka rekula poda of Russel ; and the Sankunee ( Boa fasciata.) 

 The Boa constrictor is occasionally met with. The other 

 noxious reptiles in these provinces are the scorpion, the centi- 

 pede, and the tarantula ; but they possess no active -poison, 

 for they are incapable of destroying small animals, such as 

 kids or fowls. In general, Mr Breton says, the irritation 

 is not greater than that excited by the sting of a wasp. 



Several kinds of bees, varying in size and colour, and pro- 

 ducing honey of different qualities, are found. They usually 

 construct their combs on thick branches of large trees, and 

 when disturbed are very formidable. A detachment of the 

 Ramghur corps in Sumbhulpore, only avoided the annoyance 

 of a swarm by flight from the spot ; and several valuable 



