238 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



height and is situated on the borders of Mysore in the Madanapalle takik of 

 the new Chittoor District of the Madras Presidency. The peak is well 

 forested and there was nothing peculiar in finding the Ruddy Mungoose 

 (H. Hmithij there as it has a very wide range in the Peninsular. The speci- 

 men I saw was a peculiarly fine one. It is however not a little remarkable 

 that the small Indian Mungoose (H. auropunctatus ) should occur there as 

 according to Blanford it is only found in Northern India, not further 

 South, in the Eastern portion than Miduapur. I saw it in the verandah of 

 the bungalow in which I was residing running along the bottom of a palmy- 

 ra bressumer. It seemed quite accustomed to this inverted position about 

 which, perhaps, there is nothing remarkable in a member of the mongoose 

 family, but which immediately rivetted my attention. It stopped just in 

 front of the door of the room I was in and gave me an excellent view. It 

 was altogether unmistakable and I am quite satisfied as to the species, but 

 I regret to say I was unable to secure it. I saw the striped neck Mongoose 

 (_£?. vitticollis) during a morning walk in the jungle and did not happen to 

 have a gan in my hand at the time. I happen to know the species having 

 seen it before on the Western Ghats. 



I am aware that this evidence will be found insuflicient to be acceptable 

 to the Society without the accompaniment of skulls and skins, but it struck 

 me that were the matter brought to the notice of readers of the Journal it 

 mio'ht induce some few to make closer observations. I think it very likely 

 that the small mungoose may be found on the hills of the Gan jam, Vizaga- 

 patam and Salem Districts as well as in Mysore, whereas the striped neck 

 mongoose may be found in Mysore and Salem, and I would suggest these 

 as fields for closer observation. 



Bellary, 27th May 1911. P. ROSCOE ALLEN. 



[We have certainly never heard of H. cmro2mnc{atus so far south before. 

 These notes of Mr. Roscoe Allen's emphasize the great necessity for the 

 Survey of Mammals which the Society has undertaken — Eds.] 



j^o. VI.— DISTRIBUTION OF THE SLOTH-BEAR {MELURSUS 

 URSINUS), AND THE INDIAN LION {FELLS LEO). 



In reference to the note by Col. Fenton in Vol. XX, No. 1, at page 213, 

 of the Society's Journal, it is perhaps worth recording that there are at 

 present no bears in Kutch, nor have I heard of any having ever existed 

 here before. 



As to the Gir Country being suitable for bears, I was told by Hebat, the 

 Junao-adh Shikari, who must be well known to aU sportsmen who have shot 

 in that State, that a couple of bears were some time ago let loose in the 

 Gir forest, but that they did not long survive, having died from the ejffects 

 of swallowing certain wild fruits. 



