128 Tin: INDIAN ri>x. 



its cry may be heard almost nightly in the cold season. Its cry is a 

 sharp ycip, quickly repeated three or four times, and constituting a sort 

 of little chattering bark. 



These animals pair from NovemWr to January, according to the 

 climate, which is, of course, different in different parts of the vast n-gion 

 over which the sjucies ranges. 



It breeds in burrows, when the young, of which there an." almost 

 always four in a litter, make their ap|>earance at some time during 

 Fcbruarj-, March, or April. 



Mr. Jer«lon describes the burrow as always hiiving several branches, 

 which radiate fn)m a centre and open sf|mnitely. With these are 

 other burrows, wiiich end blindly, not o|)ening into the central chamber 

 wherein the animal breeds. Tlie burrow is generally made in a «piite 

 open plain, but now and then in sonic thorny scrul». Advantage is 

 taken of any small rise in the ground to protect the nest from floods, 

 and on this account burrows arc often made in artificial mounds. 

 Sometimes, however, it will live for a long time in cavities of old 

 trees. 



It is Miiil to linl \n j)n It nine on lizards, rats, cr;il)», wliilt-aiits, and 

 various other insects, and HIanford cites an instance of iti» having been 

 watched in the Deccan springing up out of the grass again and again 

 to catch the moths which passed just before dusk. Nevertheless 

 Jerdon saw it hunting cpiails, and there can be no doubt but that it 

 cats young birds and eggs. IJut it also habitually takes vegetable 

 food, such as melons, ber fruit {Zizi/phun), and |)ods and shoots of 

 Ciccr arif'liniiiii. Thus altogether it is a much less carnivorous animal 

 than is C. leiicopm. 



It is much coursed in India, and Jerdon tells us that with Arab or 

 country dogs, or half-bred Lnglish dogs, it gives a most excellent 

 course. When hunted, it very soon begins to double in a most dex- 

 terous manner, and then racing the dogs if it is within a short distance 

 of its earth. It has been known to escape by running in amidst a herd 

 of cattle. If well-bred Enj^lish dojjs are used, the animal has but a 

 poor chance, not being so fleet as the kind last described [C. leucojjus). 



On account of its not having a strong odour, and because of its 



