836 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVII. 



Cinnyris and sundry ' Flower-Peckers') that have been devoured during the 

 night. I have never observed the remains of insects or of any other animal 

 associated with those of the birds. This work is usually, in Ceylon, credited to 

 rats ; but, from the conditions under which the remains are four.d and from the 

 excreta associated with them, I am inclined to the belief that it should be 

 attributed to bats of some kind. The fragments are dropped from positions 

 that would be more convenient for bats than for the rodents, namely, beneath 

 bare rafters well away from the walls of the building. 



The excreta associated with the remains are very different from the compact 

 pellets usually voided by rats. They are small, irregular, narrow and tapering 

 at each end, of a soft moist consistency, and contain many fragments of bones. 



I ha\e not succeeded in surprising the animal (whatever it may be) at its 

 meal. It is evidently a late feeder. The remains are seldom — if ever — found 

 before midnight in my bungalow, though this may possibly be due to the 

 presence of lights up to that time^ 



The destruction of small birds by these nocturnal assassins is considerable. 

 I have gathered up the wings and feathers of three or four birds each morning 

 for several months in succession from a single room. The bat (if bat it is) 

 must systematically search the bushes in which the birds roost. 



Suspicion rests upon bats of the genus Megaclerma, the two species of which 

 {lyra and spasma) both occur in Ceylon. The dentition of Meyaderma is said 

 (Fauna of British India, Mammalia, p. 294) to differ from that of the insecti- 

 vorous bats ; and Megaderma lyra is known to prey upon smaller bats, frogs and 

 other small vertebrates, though no special mention is made of birds. Vespertilio 

 murinus, also, is reported to kill and devour smaller bats kept in confinement 

 with it ; but this bat does not occur in Ceylon. I should be glad to hear if any 

 observations on the possible bird-eating habits of bats have been made in India. 



Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, E. ERNEST GREEN. 



Ceylon, October 1906. 



No. XXIV.— A WHITE MUNTJAC. 



Whilst out shooting on August 25th in a South India jungle I came upon a 

 white muntjac or barking deer only about fifty yards from me. As I was not 

 far from a road I thought at first that it must be a tame goat which had stray- 

 ed, and whilst debating in my mind what the animal could be it gave two short 

 barks and disappeared in the jungle. We tracked it for some way and twice 

 put it up, but being in very thick jungle I was unable to get a shot at it. 

 Muttra, India. S. H. CHARRINGTON. 



{The above appeared in " The Field " of 29th September 1906.) 



No. XXV— CAUSE OF FEAR SHOWN BY TIGERS. 



Capt. Montresor's note on " Cannibalism amongst .... 



tigers" (Vol. XVII, No. 2, page 543) emboldens me to write on a subject that 

 has long interested me and that is as to the cause of fear in tigers. Everyone 

 who has spent any time in the jungle tracts of India must be familiar with the 



