138 MAMMALIA OF INDIA. 
No. 175. HELICTIS NIPALENSIS. 
The Nepal Wolverene ( Jerdon’s No. 95). 
Native Name.—Oker, Nepalese; Ayoung-pyan, Arakanese. 
Hasitat.—Nepal, Arakan, and Pegu. 
DEscrIPTION.—Hodgson, who first described this animal in the 
‘Journal of the Asiatic Society of Beng.’ (vol. v. pp. 237-38), says: 
“ Above earthy brown; below, with the edge of the ‘upper lip, the 
insides of the limbs, and terminal half of the tail, yellow; a white 
mesial stroke from the nape to the hips, and a white band across the 
forehead, spreading on the cheeks, and confluent with the pale colour 
of the animal’s lower surface ; head and body vermi-formed ; digits and 
nails of the anterior extremities stronger ; half way from the os calcis to 
the fingers hairy ; fur of two sorts and abundant, but not lengthened, 
nor harsh, nor annulated; tail cylindrico-tapered, pointed, half the 
length of the animal.” He goes on to add: ‘“ The anterior limbs are 
decidedly fossorial, and the hinder suited for walking in a sub-plantigrade 
manner ; both wholly unfitted for rapatory or scansorial purposes.” 
S1zE.—Head and body 16 inches ; tail 74 inches, 9 inches, including 
hair. 
The habits of this animal are nocturnal. Swinhoe mentions this in 
his account of the Formosan species, and Dr. Anderson relates that he 
is aware that the Nepal one is similar in its ways, and that it not 
unfrequently enters Bhotia huts at night; and on one occasion he killed 
one in a Bhotia hut, thinking it was a large rat, greatly to the chagrin 
of his host, who informed him that the animal was in the habit of 
visiting him nightly, and was most useful in destroying cockroaches and 
other insects. 
No. 176. HELICTIS MOSCHATA. 
The Chinese Wolverene. 
Hasitrat.—China, also Burmah (Pegu, Yunnan). 
DeEscriPTion.—Similar to the last, but differing in dentition and the 
formation of certain points in the skull. The teeth are smaller, and the 
infra-orbital foramen much larger. Both the above species are noted 
for long skulls and palate, whereas /. orientalis has a short skull and 
palate. The following are the chief characteristics :— 
Short head and palate, large teeth, sad infra-orbital foramen= 
fT, orientalis. 
Long head and palate, large teeth, s#a// infra-orbital foramen = 
H1. Nipalensis. 
Long head and palate, sai teeth, /arge infra-orbital foramen= 
HT. moschata. 
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