770 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIl 



about to feed, at a very tiny member of his own species which had climbed a 

 little way up a yate-post and was resting there. Expecting some interesting 

 development, I waited, and ere long saw another minute toadling, which I 

 had not noticed before, inuke one hop close by the bigger toad, and then 

 disappear completely. Suspecting foul play in. this sudden evanishment, I 

 incontinently captured, killed, and dissected the presumed swallower, and 

 extracted the tiny one from his interior, somewhat faint indeed, but quite 

 alive and active enough after a wash. Of course, he had only been swallowed 

 a very few minutes. Whether he would have been digested is another matter, 

 for a toad is insufferable food to many animals, and has been seen to be 

 ejected by a frog. But very likely a toad's stomach is more tolerant of its 

 own kin, and, if that be so, the decrease in the number of youthful specimens 

 of Bufo melanostictus, as the season wears on, is largely accounted for. 

 House-lizards also are known to devour the young of their species, and 

 probably cannibalism is far more common than is usually suspected. The 

 proverbs " Dog won't eat dog" and "Hawks don't pick out each other's eyes" 

 mply a popular belief to the contrary ; but if we allow that the devouring 

 by one species of a near ally is cannibalism they are totally unfounded; for 

 the peregrine falcon frequently preys on the Kestrel, and the wolf on dogs 

 and foxes, while, here in Calcutta, the late Edward Blyth established the 

 reputation of the India Vampire {Megaderma lyra) as a blood-sucker by 

 finding one in the act of extracting the vital fluid from a 8n,aller bat which 

 it was carrying as it flew, and afteiwards devoured when placed in a cage with 

 it. Indeed, cases of cannibalism more or less flagrant are quite common 

 among wild animals, and not unnaturally occur still oftener in captivity. 



F. FINN. 



Calcutta, July, 1899. 



(The above appeared in the Asian on 18th July, 1899). 



No. XII.— FOOD OF THE INDIAN WILD BOAR. 



Much has been written on the subject of the food of the Indian Wild 



Boar, but I have recently come across a fact, which may be worth recording, 



showing what extraordinary activity these heavy animals are capable of 



when in search of highly appreciated food. I recently visited some friends 



at Jelwaree (?), and found that all the apple trees on the estate, including 



those close to the house, had the lower branches broken off to a height of 



about 5' 6" from the ground, and it was ev^ident from the foot-prints that 



the mischief had been done by pigs and not bears. 



R. M. NASH. 

 Garhwal, July, 1899. 



No. XIII.— TAPEWORMS FOFND IN A FISH. 

 Some time ago Major R. H. Rattray forwarded to this Society a species 

 of Tapeworm which he had found in a small fish {Aspiaoparia morax) which 

 is known in the Punjab as the Chilwa. The paraeite appears to be Ligula 



