268 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISr. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



is no doubt, therefore, that some individual remain in the auburn 

 stage throughout the whole season. 



Secondly, individuals which hardl}^ assume any bright phase at 

 all. — In the British Museum is a skin from January ( J ad., Sirsi, 

 North Kanara, Jan. 11, 1900, No. O. 4.1.7, about one year and 

 nine months eld) which has not even entered the auburn stage. 

 And in the large April series there are nine of which the same may 

 be said* If these ten skins are placed along with the freshly 

 moulted, " mouse-coloured "' October individuals, it is easy to see • 

 that the colour has certainly altered to some extent. The upper- 

 side has in six specimens turned from the original rather dull 

 mouse-brown (finely powdered with greyish) into a warmer 

 brown tone, somewhat approaching to sepia and bister, and the 

 originally greyish bases of the hairs have acquired a slight ecru 

 tinge ; further , the under parts are no longer mouse-grey, but 

 rather drab-grey (XLVI). In the four remaining specimens the 

 brown of the back is distinctly ''diluted" or "washed" with a 

 pale yellowish tinge, but not sufficiently so to alter the general 

 lirown total impression of the colour ; and the tinge of the undex'- 

 parts is a decidedly warmer drab (not quite as bright as " avel- 

 laneous ", XL). None of these could trul}^ be desciibed as belong- 

 ing to the first, auburn phase, while on the other hand the colour is 

 decidedly altered slightly in the direction of that phase. 



That some specimens retain this colour right up to the spring 

 moult is proved by two of the three May specimens before me. 

 These two are the only individuals showing the spring moult. 

 One is rouohlv bister, the other of a warmer brown above, but not 

 auburn. The new fur is exactly like the fresh October fur in 

 colour. 



Not a single specimen is available from the whole period June- 

 September. But that the " summer" coat passes through a series 

 of colour phases similar to those described lor the '' winter " coat, 

 is hardly open to doubt, if we remember the fact that the October 

 material contains numerous individuals moulting from the orange 

 phase into the dull mouse-brown. 



One very curious fact remains to be mentioned. It is not only 

 the fur that changes its colour, eve')L the claws, those oj the feet as loell 

 as that of the jiollex, partake in these chanr/es. The details are as 

 follows :■ — 



In all the specimens moulting . from the orange to the mouse- 

 brown phase (October) the claws are of the usual transparent horn- 



• The April material C^4 skins; 81 of which beloiiyr to tlie Indian Survey 

 collection) therefore sho^vs the followinfi' colour stages :— 9 brown (aj>es, one to 

 three years), S auburn or a little beyond (one to three years), 17 oranjj^e (one to 

 three years). 



