183 



them just at dusk, but quite distinctly and close enough to feel 

 nearly sure that they had white throats. I might easily have shot 

 one, but did not like to disturb some deer which I had been trying 

 to stalk in the valley the same evening. I have never come across 

 them since : they struck me as being considerably larger than the 

 small hill otters of the mountain streams of Upper Burmah, but 

 I may be mistaken on this point for I have never seen the Burmah 

 hill otter out of the water and seated on a stone, as was one of those 

 I saw of the Avalanche river. These Neilgherry animals, like their 

 Highland relations of Burmah, appeared to swim silently, not with 

 the constant sharp, short squeaks of the common Indian otter. 

 They were feeding busily ; probably on water insects, crabs and 

 small frogs : I do not think that there were any fish, except some 

 very tiny minnows, near the pool in which they were. 



Page 22, No. 18, Lutra Leptonyx. 



I see that the Reverend F, Mason, in his work on the people and 

 natural productions of Burmah, says that otters (Lutra leptonyx) 

 abound in some of the streams, and that in the upper part of the 

 Tenasserim, a dozen at a time may occasionally be seen on the 

 rocks in the river. I think therefore I am right in supposing that 

 the otters I have attempted to describe at page 22, were of this 

 species. 



Jerdon thus describes it : 



" The claws very minute, not projecting, but imbedded in the 

 phalanx, the foremost upper praemolars often naturally wanting. 

 The third and fourth toes exceed the others in length, and are more 

 closely united. It was founded on a Cape species, " Lutra inun- 

 guisr One is found in India extending into Malayana. 



Description. Above, earthy brown or chesnut brown ; lips, 

 sides of head, chin, throat, and upper part of breast white, tinged 

 with yellowish-grey. In young individuals the white of the lower 

 parts is less distinct, sometimes very pale-brownish. 



Length, head and body, 24 inches ; tail 13 ; palm 2| ; plantaSj. 



This otter has been found throughout the Himalayas from the 



north-west to Sikim : also in Lower Bengal, in Arrakan, down to 



