SMALL GAME HUNTING WITH DOGS 



white and the animal is spotted black all over, except 

 on the head and neck, which are marked with longitudinal 

 black stripes. I have heard of a few being killed in this 

 district, and they are known to be very savage. Blanford 

 quotes the weight as about 17 Ibs. 



In addition to the cats previously mentioned, we have the 

 Indian palm civet (Paradoxurus niger). This is, of course, 

 not a cat ; but we usually speak of all the genus Felis y 

 Herpestes, Paradoxurus, &c. as " cats " for convenience. 

 It is a dark grey little animal with the usual "ferret" 

 head, but not so sharply elongated as in some of the 

 other species, the body colour varying from dark grey 

 on the back to light grey on the under parts ; fur longish 

 and soft ; size, about 30 to 34 inches over all. They 

 are nocturnal animals and may be found in any bit of 

 jungle or jungly garden of the low country. I have 

 shot a few at dusk, catching them up in trees, especially 

 in " toddy " palms. 



There is another species of palm civet peculiar to 

 Ceylon, but which I have not seen, the Paradoxurus aureus, 

 or red palm civet. As its name implies, it is dull chestnut 

 red in colour, and the fur is soft and fairly thick, especially 

 on the tail, which is somewhat stumpy. I believe they 

 run to 36 inches in length over all. They are usually 

 found in hill forests at an elevation of 1500 to 3000 feet, 

 and are particularly fond of taking up their residence in 

 your bungalow roof, not disdaining the levying of toll 

 on your fowl-house in spite of their usual vegetarian 

 habits. 



Lastly, as a "specimen," there is another strictly 

 nocturnal animal, the flying squirrel (Pteromys orafy, brown 

 in colour, I believe, in India, but here distinctly dark grey, 

 with soft fur, thickish on the body but very thin on 



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