MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 151 



reddish-brown hair. The beauty of this unfortunate animal^s CHAP. Vlil, 

 coat is likely to lead to its extermination, as on account of the PART I. 

 high price given for good skins the shikarees are indefatigable in zoology. 



shooting it down at all seasons. When caught young it becomes 



quite docile in captivity. 



The Lion Moiihcij. — This animal {Tmius silenus) is much more — The Lion 

 rarely seen than the previous one, as it is shy and inhabits dense °° ^^' 

 and remote forests on the Malabar side of the hills. It was long 

 designated the " Wanderoo/^ and believed to be a native of 

 Ceylon, but does not exist in that island, being confined to the 

 Western Ghdts of the Indian peninsula. It is sometimes tamed, 

 but is a sorry pet in captivity, being morose and bad tempered. 

 The hair on its body is black, and there is a tuft at the tip of its 

 tail ; but the most remarkable feature in its appearance is the 

 reddish white ring of hair surrounding the face, which gives it a 

 very antiquated and venerable expression. 



Bats. — There is very little known regarding the Nilagiri — Bata. 

 members of this family, only two, viz., NycHcejus Temminchii and 

 Bipposideros murinus, having reached the Museum. As seen on 

 the Nilagiris the " Little Horse-shoe Bat'^ is, according to 

 Jerdon, of a light rufous colour, and found at Kaity and Eallia. 



Hedge-hog. — There are several specimens of the South Indian — Hedge-hog. 

 hedge-hog [Erinaceus micropus) in the Museum, and we lately 

 got a live animal, but it refused to eat and soon died. It is found 

 chiefly on the eastern and lower slopes of the hills, and is smaller 

 than the English hedge-hog. Its head and ears are nude and of 

 a dark colour, and the spines are ringed with brown and tipped 

 with white. 



Blach Bear. — This animal [Ursus I ahiatus), ^Ithowgh. a good —Black Bear, 

 deal hunted by English sportsmen, is still not uncommon on 

 the hills. Its long, black, shaggy covering of hair is too well 

 known to need any description. Its distinguishing marks are the 

 light-coloured muzzle and feet, and the curved white band on the 

 chest. Its particular vanities in the way of food are ants and 

 beetles, but it has a sweet tooth for honey, and, by way of dessert, 

 sometimes resorts to the fruit of the little date-palm found on 

 various parts of the hills. One of its favourite relaxations is to 

 scratch the bark of trees with its powerful claws. This, the 

 Natives say, is done with the object of whetting the claws, but it is 

 more probable that, as in the case of cats, it is done out of pure 

 exuberance of animal life and spirits, or perhaps it may be intended 

 to dislodge ants or other insects concealed in the crevices of the 

 bark. 



Martens, 8fc. — Tv/o members of this family are found on the —Martens. 

 hills, viz., the Indian marten{Martes fia.vigula) and the Hill-otter, a 

 species of Lutra much smaller than L. nair or L. vulgaris. There 



