54 



*j 



I fancy that, with almost all the other small beasts of prey, wild 

 dogs are often reduced to a vegetable diet.* " Evangel inc," the one 

 just noticed, although following her savage tastes she would not 

 notice cook'd meat, would literally graze upon green food, herbs 

 grass and leaves of various kinds, as greedily as one of the herbi- 

 vorous animals would not as dogs do when ill, but evidently with 

 a keen relish. She was once, when a few months old and confined 

 to her cage apparently on the point of death. In despair of any 

 other remedy, I had her set at partial liberty, i. e., fastened by 

 several long dog-chains linked together so as to allow her to move 

 about a small clump of rank Burmese herbage near my house. 

 The delight of the poor creature at being able to get at vegetable 

 diet was very striking, and the change appeared to cure her at once. 



The natives of the Deccan are very much afraid of these animals. 

 Once while stalking nilgai, I came on a small pack of wild dogs, 

 probably employed in the same pursuit, and was in the very act of 

 firing at their leader, when my arm was pulled down by my guide 

 who trembling with fear implored me not to shoot, as he said animals 

 which did not hesitate to attack tigers would certainly kill us if we 

 molested any of their party. The result was that his interference 

 caused me to lose my shot either at dog or nilgai. 



Since the above notes were written, poor " Evangeline" has been 

 transferred from a cage in the People's Park to a case in the Madras 

 Museum, where her well-embalmed remains are to be seen, under 

 these circumstances " nil nisi bonum" of her she had, like all of 

 us, many failings, but she certainly was a rare, valuable and interest- 

 ing specimen and one that should have been sent to the Regent's 

 Park. She must have been nearly four years old when she died, 

 and perfectly savage until the last. 



In some notes by " Curricle," at page 257, volume VI, of the 

 Indian Sporting Review, the writer mentions that he had attempted 

 without success to tame a couple of these dogs, which although very 

 young died in a month. He alludes also to their most offensive 

 odour, worse, he says, than either that of fox or jackal. 



* I find in the " Neilgherries and their inhabitants,'" by Mr. Metz of the German 

 Mission, the following Bodaga proverb, which, as these wild tribes are good 

 authority in such matters, may corroborate my remark, " TJ a tiger is hungry, 

 lie will at last eat grass." 11 VAGRANT. 



