^LURUS. 



191 



colour, and several pale rings on the tail, the tip of which is black. 

 Limbs inside and lower parts black, often bx-ownish on the abdo- 

 men ; soles of feet light brown or whitish. Underfur throug^hout 

 the body hair-brown. Face and lower lips white, with the excep- 

 tion of a vertical stripe of red from just above the eye to the gape ; 

 the ears too are white inside and near the edge outside, remainder 

 of outside surface of ears dark red or black ; the hair is red also 

 below the ears behind the white cheek-patches. Claws white. 



Fig. 51. — AChints fuhjens. (P. Z. S. \b<j'd, p. 408.) The dark nose-stripe here 

 represented is generally wanting, and the face is white throughout. 



Dimensions. A large male measured : head and body 24 inclies, 

 tail 17, or with hair at the end 19| ; other specimens measured : 

 head and body 20 to 22 inches, tail 16, or with hair 18, the hind 

 foot from the" heel 4|. Weight 7 to 9| lbs. A large skull is 3-65 

 inches in basal length, and 3*05 broad across the zygomatic 

 arches. 



Distribution. South-eastern Himalayas, from about 7000 to about 

 12,000 feet elevation. This animal has not been found west of 

 Nepal, but it ranges eastward throughout the mountains north of 

 Assam to Yunnan (Anderson, An. Zool. Res. Introduction, p. xx). 



Habits. Hodgson has given a very full account of these, and 

 some useful additions have been made by Dr. Simpson and Mr. 

 Bartlett. 



The present animal inhabits forests, and lives in holes of trees, 

 or perhaps amongst rocks. It, however, feeds much on the ground. 

 As a rule it is found in pairs or small families. Its food is almost 

 entirely vegetable, consisting of fruits, acorns, sprouts of bamboo 

 (whence the name Nigjilya-ponya), grass, roots, &c. It also cats 

 eggs, and, according to Jerdon, insects and larvie, though Hodgson 

 says that the individuals kept by hiui refused similar food (perhaps 

 he did not try the proper kinds). Hodgson also states that it is 



