ARCTONYX. 179 



Mydaus collaris, Gray and Hardwicke, III. Ind. Zool. i, pi. vi. 

 Arctonyx isonyx, Hodgson, P. Z. S. 1856, p. 398, pi. 1. 

 Meles (Arctonyx) collaris, Anderson, An. Zool. lies, pt 196. 



Bnala-sur (bear-pig, or according to some Bdla-siir, sand-pig), H. ; 

 Chomhuvho, Thembakso, Naga ; Nuloang, Kuki ; No-ok, Manipuri ; 

 Quado- Waildu, Mug ; Ehwe-htu-wet-hti, Arakan ; Khwe-ta-ivek-wek-ta- 

 wek, Burmese. 



Tail about a third to a fourth the length of the head and body. 



Colour. Dirty grey above and below, slightly washed with blackish 

 above, the hairs being sullied white throughout, except the ends of 

 the longer hairs on the back and sides, which are black. Head 

 white, with the exception of a dark brown or black band from the 

 upper lip over the eye and ear, and of another from the chin, which 



Fig. 47. Arctonyx collaris. (From a drawing by Col. Tickell.) 



is dusky, backwards across the cheek, joinod by a broader and 

 lighter brown band to the eye and ear-stripe. These head-markings 

 appear variable, sometimes the sides of the head are dark except a 

 white space round the eye. Throat, sides of neck, and tail 

 whitish, lower parts and limbs dusky, the latter sometimes black. 



Dimensions. Head and body of a male 30 inches, tail 9, with 

 hair 11, hind foot 4f (a Moulmain animal measured by Tickell). 

 An old skull is 5'5 inches in basal length and 3-5 broad. 



Distribution. The base of the Eastern Himalayas in Nepal and 

 Sikhim, Assam, Sylhet, Cachar, Arakan, Pegu," and Tenasserira. 

 Anderson obtained this animal in Western Yunnan, but it is not 

 mentioned in Swinhoe's lists of Chinese mammals, nor has it been 

 observed south of Tenasserim. Sterndale says that he heard of it 

 in the forests of Seoni in the Central Provinces ; but as he never 

 saw a specimen, it is doubtful if this was the animal of which he 

 obtained information. 



Habits. According to Tickell, in his MS. notes, the hog-badger 

 frequents undulating stony ground or small hills amongst jungle, 

 and lives in fissures of the rocks or in holes dug by itself, 

 thoroughly nocturnal. In captivity it is dull and uninteresting, 

 feeding voraciously on meats, fish, reptiles, or fruit, and it is par- 

 ticularly fond of earthworms. One individual used to pass the 



N2 



