Wild Dog of the Western Ghats. 409 
the jungles and hills about Ciétér, calling it also by the same name of 
Colsun given to it by the people of Bhima Shancar. ‘The people to the 
southward have also marvellous tales of its prowess and address. 
A gentleman at the head of the Deccan Survey vouches for the exist- 
ence of the Wild Dog, similar to my specimen, in the Southern Mahratta 
States, as in the prosecution of his duties he once came upon a troop of them 
under a tree, grouped in various positions ; they were too vigilant however 
to let him get a shot at them. Wild Dogs exist also in the neighbourhood of 
the hill-fort of Astrgarh, some officers of the 23d Regiment Bombay Native 
Infantry having seen a pack in full pursuit of a wild buffalo. They are met 
with on the Nilagiris, and a gentleman recently from those mountains, 
to whom I showed my specimen, identified it with the Wild Dog of those 
elevated regions. 
Poona, August Ist, 1828. W. H. Syxes, 
Major. 
Since writing the above, I am enabled to state that Captian Oakes, of 
the Bombay Army, had a. Colsun in his possession alive for a considerable 
time, and was never able to subdue its natural savageness in the slightest 
degree. 
Bombay, January 21st, 1831. W.H.S. 
As corroborative of the preceding description, and as shewing that the 
same animal is to be met with in other parts of India, the following observa- 
tions by Tuomas H. Bazer, Esq., and Colonel Henry J. BowLer, may be 
found interesting. 
“The only account I have met with of the Wild Dog in India, is that given 
by Captain Witxramson in his “Oriental Field Sports,” which to the best of 
my recollection corresponds with this of Colonel Sykes. It is also quite the 
same, in all its features and characters, as those which I have frequently 
observed in the western coast, and in the Balaghdt district, where they are 
very numerous. As often as I have met with them, they have invariably been 
in packs of from thirty to perhaps sixty. ‘They must be very formidable, as 
all animals are very much afraid of them. Frequently, remains of hogs and 
deer have been brought to me, which had been taken the over night by 
these Wild Dogs. ‘The natives say they kill tigers and chitas, and there 
is no doubt of the fact. It is quite correct that they are found in the 
