70 



very pretty shooting and often gives a better course than the little 

 Indian fox, page 54 of these notes and 150 of Jerdon's book. The 

 flesh is generally dry, tasteless and as unlike that of the English 

 hare as can well be imagined.* 



No- 52. Bhinoceros. 



JERDON, PAGE 232 ; RHINOCEROS. 



I have twice while looking for elephants, come upon a rhinoceros, 

 perhaps the same animal in both cases, in a large swamp, in the 

 dense forest north of Shuay Gheen in Burmah, and not far from 

 the beautiful Bogatha stream, but although we must each time have 

 been within a few yards of him as he was wallowing in the mud, 

 and we pushed after him as fast as most men could go, for my gun- 

 carrier and I were in good training, and the three-hoofed track was 

 easy to follow, he out-paced us altogether, and I never got more 

 than a glimpse at a dusky hide, not sufficient to warrant a shot. 



No- 53. Asinus- 



JERDON, PAGE 236 ; WILD Ass. 



Although the animal there described is not an Indian one, I must 

 try to preserve the following account taken from a collection of 

 " Curious Voyages and Travels, by J. Bay, F.R.S, in 1738," and 

 from observations made apparently by " Sir Henry Middleton, of 

 " Ways and Roads between Egypt and Ethiopia." 



" In the month of October an Embassador of Ethiopia came to 

 ** Cairo, with several presents for the Grand Signer, and among 

 " others, an ass that had a most delicate skin, if it was natural, for 

 " I will not vouch for that, since I did not examine it. This ass 

 " had a black list down the back, and the rest of its body was all 

 " begirt with white and tawny streaks, a finger broad a-piece, the 

 " head of it was extraordinarily long, striped, and party colored as 

 " the rest of the body, its ears like a buffle's were very wide at the 

 " end, and black, yellow and white ; its legs streaked just like the 

 *' body, not long-ways, but round the leg, in fashion of a garter, 

 " down to the foot, and all in so good proportion and simetry, that 

 " no lynx could be more exactly spotted, nor any skin of a tyger so 

 * Vide Memoranda following page 79. VAGRANT, 



