274 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. ' 



turned out to be the carcase of a fine specimen of the Burmese Civet {Viverra 

 megaspila). We could find no injuries about the animal. The remains were 

 lying well hidden among bushes near water. The cat may have been dead 

 some twelve hours or so. 



The day following we were working towards the source of a side 

 stream and came on the body of a bay squirrel (Sciums ferrugineits) 

 at the foot of a large tree. We concluded that he had probably died up the 

 tree and the body had then fallen into the gully. The squirrel had been dead 

 but a short time, being quite fresh. Some two or three days after while going 

 up a deep nullah (a succession of cane brakes with a small amount of water) 

 after a rhino, we came on the remains of a dead elephant (cow). We could 

 find no bullet holes about the head or side, and wild animals had not touched 

 it. The brake was a very thick one. I think it improbable that the animal 

 had been wounded, as we were some thirty miles from the nearest village, 

 though I am aware, that an elephant unless mortally wounded may travel a 

 long way. 



On one occasion I saw a dead monkey. About half a mile from camp, one 

 morning we came on a large troop of monkeys on the trees and bamboos by a 

 stream. They were, as usual, chattering and jumping about but nothing extra- 

 ox'dinary attracted our attention. We went on but having had no luck in the 

 way of fresh tracks we returned to camp quite early and when nearing it found 

 the camp followers, who had been out hunting for fish, crabs, tortoises, etc., 

 endeavouring to remove a monkey from the midst of a thick clump of bamboos. 

 The monkey was dead and the body in a sitting posture with hands clasped 

 and the head resting on them. After much trouble we got the body down and 

 found it to be that of a very old male {Semtiopithecus) not at all in what one 

 would describe as an emaciated condition, but nearly toothless. He had no 

 injuries about him, just seemed to have run the limit, and from the patriar- 

 chal look on his face it is to be hoped that, in his latter days he spent his time 

 in trying to inculcate some good in the monkey world, where there seems room 

 for improvement. The story given me by the followers was that the monkeys 

 were drinking when they saw them. As soon as the men were * spotted ' most of 

 them had urgent business but some few remained and did not hurry. They 

 noticed one that seemed very weak and could not go fast. These all wenL to a 

 clump of bamboos not far off, climbed up, but soon after came down and 

 ran off (I suppose after a tender but rather hurried farewell). Someone more 

 inquisitive than the others went up to the clump and saw a monkey still there 

 and alive, but he died shortly after. There was no doubt that the animal was 

 not long dead, as the body was still warm. No monkeys were to be seen any- 

 where when we got there, and the place where we found the camp folh-wers 

 was only a few hundred yards distant from where we saw the monkeys in the 

 morning. If monkeys are given to hiding their sick folk in dense bamboo 

 .clumps it is not surprising that we do not meet with many dead ones. Mon- 

 keys are plentiful enough in some localities. 



