MfSCELT.ANEOUS NOTES. Oiii 



through the skin. So engrossed was the Img that it did not mos-e, though 

 I walked into the bungalow, and out again, before putting a tube over it. 



Mr. Lefroy, to whom I sent the insect, writes that it is a specimen of 

 " Nahis capsiformls one of the Reduviids, it normally feeds on caterpillars, " 

 The fact of it sucking blood is therefore perhaps worth recording. According 

 to Mr. R. M. Dixon "' The blood sucking propensities of some of the species 

 are, I believe, due to a habit acquired probably for the purpose of self- 

 defence." 



N. B. KINNEAR. 



BOMHAY. 



No. XXII.— NOTES FROM MANSI, NYU FOREST, 

 UPPER BURMA. 



An elephant having died from old age was buried as customary in a pit 

 with bamboos placed over it and earth over that. Passing that way about 

 10 days . afterwards I was attracted by a frightful smell and discovered 

 that the thigh of a hind leg had been disinterred and gnawed to the bone 

 by (presumably) bears, as there were bear tracks all round, and no signs 

 of another animal. This is, I venture to think, an unusual occurrence. 



There is a simple and effective method of catching fish up here which 

 deserves notice. A dam is made in the rocky creek (the water of which 

 at this time of year is only some 15 ft. wide as against 50-60 in the rains i 

 above a pool where fish are seen ; this is made with bamboo stakes and 

 bottomed with bamboo lattice work. Another is then made lower down, 

 with the same bottom, but above the surface of the water the poles are 

 long and sloped down stream at an angle of about G5 degrees. From 

 these poJes are then hung rugs, cloths, etc., the bottoms of which are fastened 

 to the lattice frame work at water level, so that thej' then bag like sails with 

 the water rushing in at the base. The men then go up to the top dam 

 above the pool and work down with spears, stones and torches (it is best done 

 at night) and little rafts of fire, making a terrific noise ; the frightened fish 

 rush down stream and seeing only the lattice frame jump into the bags 

 of cloths, whence they can be removed after the beat. The first night I saw- 

 it done, we got 48 £sh weighing from a few ounces to 2 lbs.— I believe 

 mahseer — but am very ignorant on the subject. Six men can put up the 

 dams and catch their fish in an hour ; it is called in Burmese " kone tsin." 



I was the spectator of a delightful scene yesterday which may interest 



some one ; going up a rocky creek, up which no European had been and 



no one had shot for over 2i years, and looking out for sambhur and other 



game, I came cautiouslj- rouud a corner to see what at first sight seemed 



to be a sow with little pigs playing round her, but after a minute or two 



I saw that it was a buffalo lying down on the pebbles with a crowd of otters 



(I counted fifteen) literally gambolling over and round him. They leapt over 



his back, crouched like dogs at Iiis nose, and generally baited him ; at last 

 '6 



