228 



" Of a giizzled gray color more or less tingedwith rusty reddish, 

 especially on the hinder part of the body and tail ; a dark stripe 

 from the ear to the shoulder : tail rufous black at the tip. 



Length of one killed on the Neilgherries, the head and body 21 

 inches ; tail with the hair 15 ; weight 6 Ibs. 10 oz." He says also 

 that this fine species of mungoos is found throughout all the forests 

 of the Western Ghats, from near Dharwar to Cape Comorin. It is 

 rare in the northern parts, and most abundant in Travancore ; that 

 he killed it on the Neilgherries, in Wynaad, and saw specimens 

 from various parts of Malabar, and, that, from its large size this 

 must be a very destructive animal to game and the smaller 

 quadrupeds. 



It is the large mungoos often seen on the Neilgherries and, as 

 far as my experience goes, is abroad at all hours of the day. 

 Lately when looking for deer on the Kondahs I was much interested 

 in watching, through my glass, a couple of these animals working 

 along an opposite hill side just as clever terriers would have done. 

 They were evidently drawing on a scent which they followed to 

 earth and then began to burrow most keenly. Suddenly without 

 any visible cause they set off at full speed coursing against each 

 other iu pursuit of something ; probably a hare which, disturbed by 

 the unwelcome intruders, had bolted from some other entrance to 

 the burrow, (vide pages 69 and 81) Indian hares often go to ground. 



No. 33, Page 45. Canis pallipes. 

 The Indian Wolf. 



I can only add to the following description by Jerdon my con- 

 viction that wolves vary much in color and apparent size with 

 season and locality. In their winter clothing of the cold season 

 they are rather fine-looking and heavy animals : at the end of the 

 hot months and at the commencement of the rains they become, from 

 the absence of the longer hair, mangy and miserable-looking. 

 The same may be said of jackals ; perhaps the females of both, 

 like some dogs, lose their hair after breeding. My impression is 

 that, I have generally found young jack,als at the end of the hot 

 season, or beginnirg of the rains. If this be correct, wolves probably 

 breed at the same time, as do many of the birds and beasts in India. 



