238 MAMMALS. 



There is one mole {Talpa micrura) of much the same habits as 

 the European one, but does not throw up mole-hills as that species 

 does, although it makes its runs near the surface of the ground in the 

 same way. It is commonest about 4,000 feet, but is found as high as 

 8,000. The European mole is of doubtful occurrence in Sikhim. 

 There are at least half-a-dozen species of shrews, including the 

 " musk-rat," and eight sorts of rats and mice, two water-shrews, and 

 a vole. 



Two marmots are found at elevations exceeding 10,000 feet. 

 They burrow in the ground and live in small colonies. One, if not 

 both of them, barks like a dog, for which it was often mistaken by 

 the European sentries at Gnatong and considered a nuisance in con- 

 sequence, as they naturally thought it might be a dog along with 

 a hostile Tibetan party for whom they bad to keep a sharp look out. 

 One porcupine {Hystrix longicauda) is common about 5 — 6,000 feet, 

 where it is very destructive to the potato crop. Its ilesh is much 

 prized as an article of food. 



The black hill squirrel (Sciurus macrouroides) is a large handsome 

 animal of the lower forests, occasionally, but rarely, ascending as 

 high as 5,000 feet. It measures 2^ feet from the nose to end of 

 the tail, and is of a uniform dark brown on the back and sides, and 

 yellowish below. Two small brown squirrels are not uncommon 

 among the trees and bamboos of the lower and middle forests, and 

 a pretty, small-striped species {S. AJcClellandi) occurs in the upper 

 forests over 5,000 feet. A very handsome flying squirrel (Ptcromeys 

 magnificus) inhabits the forest between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. The 

 head and body measure about 15 inches in length, and the tail over 

 20 inches. It is dark chestnut above and orange-coloured below. 

 Even adults take not unkindly to confinement. 



The shon or Sikhim stag ( Cerviis affinis) does not, perhaps, occur 

 anywhere in Sikhim Proper, but inhabits the Chumbi Valley and 

 country beyond. The f^eroiv or samber stag [Husa aristotelis) is fre- 

 quent at all elevations up to 9 — 10,000 feet. The commonest of the 

 deer tribe in Sikhim is the barking-deer ( Cerviilus aureus), which is 

 found from the lowest valleys up to 9,000 feet, and is really excellent 

 eating when in good condition. Hodgson says: — "It has no powers of 

 sustained speed and extensive leap, but is unmatched for flexibility 

 and power of creeping through tangled underwood. They have 

 indeed a weasel-like flexibility of spine and limbs, enabling them to 

 wend on without kneeling, even when there is little perpendicular 

 passage room ; thus escaping their great enemy the wild dog." The 

 natives bunt it greatly with dogs and bows, and they put bells on 

 their dogs for the double purpose of frightening the deer out of their 

 hidden refuges and indicating the whereabouts of the dogs. The 



