152 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIEI DISTEICT. 



Zoology. 



—Cats. 



CHAP. VIII, is only one skin of the Hill-otter in the Museum, and as the 

 PART I. animal was not full grown, it is impossible to determine its species. 

 It is by no means uncommon, but very sliy and therefore rarely 

 seen. Its dispersion over the range seems to indicate that fish 

 are more plentiful in hill-streams than is generally supposed. 



Cats, 8j'C. — Of the cat family four species are found on the hills, 

 but all of these are more common on, and rather belong to the 

 fauna of, the plains. Chief of these is the tiger, which has been 

 found at all elevations, although, of course, more common in 

 jungles on the lower slopes than on the higher plateau. At times 

 the tiger takes up its abode in some thicket quite close to one of 

 the principal stations, a temerity which generally leads to its 

 destruction, as it is soon marked down and pursued by ardent 

 sportsmen. The tiger not unfrequently tries to carry off the 

 buffaloes of the hill-men, but is often defeated in these attacks as 

 the animals close up for mutual defence, and attempt to gore or 

 trample their assailant to death. The cattle-herd on these occa- 

 sions is said to take shelter within the irregular ring formed by his 

 charge when on the defence. The leopard {Felis parcJus) is also 

 not uncommon on the hills, and does not lose in the cooler climate 

 any of the predatory habits for which it is remarkable on the 

 plains of India. Indeed, it might rather be said that it is even 

 bolder in its depredations on the hills than elsewhere. Some 

 years ago there appeared, in one of the Madras papers, an account 

 of a leopard having ascended a tree on the Nilagiris to escape 

 from its tormentors when hotly pursued by dogs and men, in 

 which retreat it was potted like a rook. The other members of 

 the feline family found on the Nilagiris are the leopard-cat {Felis 

 Bengalensis), and the common jungle-cat {Felis chaus). 



-Tree-cata. Tree-cafs. — The common tree-cat exists on the eastern side 

 of the hills, and skins of another Paradoxurus, of much larger 

 size, were recently got from the Anemalle range and Kotagiri. 

 This latter is called by the natives Tree-dog, and is, I believe, 

 the P. Zeylanieus, yslt. fuscus, of Kelaart. It is not noticed by 

 Jerdon, and has not hitherto been regarded as a native of Southern 

 India. 



-Mungoos. Mvngoos. — Three species of this animal are found on the hills, 



viz., {Herpestes vitHcolIis) the stripe-necked mungoos, {H.fusciis) 

 the Nilagiri brown mungoos, and {H. Smithii) the ruddy mungoos. 

 The first of these is found throughout the Western Gh4ts and 

 elsewhere, but the H. fuscus would appear to be peculiar to the 

 Nilagiris. It is almost unnecessary to refer to the use of the 

 mungoos in the economy of nature as an enemy of snakes, 

 poisonous and non-poisonous. At one time it was believed that the 

 animal, when wounded by a snake, resorted to some special plant as 





