556 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



red or rufous fawn, paler beneath ; tail moderately brushed, 

 reaching to the heels, usually tipped with blackish ; limbs 

 strong; body lengthened; head and body 32in. to 33in., tail 

 about 16in. ; height, 17in. to 20in. They generally hunt in 

 packs of from five to twenty, and appear to run by scent as 

 well as sight, and are nearly mute, except an occasional low 

 whimper. Such are their speed, strength, and persevering en- 

 durance, that they are formidable enemies to all the deer tribe, 

 and they will run down and kill even such large animals as 

 the_ sambur {liusa aristotelis) and nilghau (Portax pictus), 

 their usual mode of attack being snapping and tearing at their 

 victims' belly and flanks till they tear tliem open and the en- 

 trails protrude. They exhibit but little fear of man, and many' 

 are die instances recorded of their calmly sitting down and 

 staring at the sportsman who has met them. I have person- 

 ally several times come across these jungle poachers, but never 

 bagged one, as with one exception I did not fire at them for 

 fear of disturbing the jungle. I need not have had such 

 scruples, however, for I invariably found the jungle that har- 

 boured them was deserted by all nobler game. I was once a 

 spectator of their mode of hunting. I was out one time on a 

 sporting trip during very hot weather in Berar, and during a 

 morning stroll my attention was attracted by a low whimper. 

 Looking in the direction from which the sound emanated, I 

 saw a little four-horned antelope {Tetraceros quadricornis) 

 defending itself against two wild dogs. The little antelope 

 would make a short run and then pull up facing its assail- 

 ants, one of whom would make a snapping feint at its front 

 whilst the other made snatches at the antelope's flanks and 

 quarters from the rear. The little antelope displayed w^on- 

 derful agility, bounding round and round and evading its 

 tormentors. This went on for some Httle time, till I put an 

 end to the entertainment by firing at one of the dogs — 

 which, alas! I missed. The two dogs looked towards me and 

 then trotted sulkily off, whilst the antelope disappeared in 

 the opposite direction. A friend of mine wdio was with me 

 shot two of these wild dogs a few days later, and so I had 

 an opportunity of examining them closely; and very hand- 

 some brutes they were. We had reliable news of tigers 

 in this bit of jungle, but never came across them, which 

 strengthened me in my belief that Cuon rutilans had some- 

 thing to say to their absence." 



A writer in the South of India Observer a few years ago 

 gave a graphic description of a sight witnessed by a friend of 

 his in the Wynaad jungle. He says, " My friend was passing 

 through the jungle in the Wynaad when he heard close to him 

 a curious snapping noise. He fancied it was parrakeets or 

 some such birds having a row amongst themselves, but, on 



