I 



589 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



No. 1.— INDIAN MARTENS {MARTJES FLAVIGULA) FEEDING 



ON NECTAR. 



While making a march in February through Tehri-Garhwal I noticed a 

 pair of martens chmbing about a rhododendron tree. The tree, which 

 was in full flower, was only forty yards below the track along which a stream 

 of baggage coolies was passing. But the martens paid no notice and kept 

 climbing about the branches visiting one cluster of flowers after another. 

 At first I thought that they were eating the flowers (the corolla is 

 eaten by hungry coolies at a pinch), but on getting out my glasses I saw that 

 the flowers were left uninjured. The beasts were thrusting their noses into the 

 flower cups and from the motion of their head, it was clear that they were 

 licking up the nectar, a large drop of which is formed at the base of each 

 flower. I have seldom seen a prettier sight, for the deep red blossoms showed 

 up to perfection the martens' lovely fur. It was also amusing to find such 

 bloodthirsty little beasts enjoying such innocent fare. But this habit is prob- 

 ably not uncommon. I have since been told by a friend that he once saw 

 a pair of martens behaving in a similar fashion in a silk-cotton tree which 

 was in flower. 



G. B. F. MUIR, i.o.s. 

 Mayo College, Ajmere, 

 March 1916. 



No. II.— SEROW {CAPRICORNIS RUB IB US) ATTACKING CART- 

 BULLOCKS. 



I herewith have the pleasure of submitting to you the experience of one 

 of my cartmen which appears to me quite unique in the history of shikar 

 accidents. 



On the 27th of March 1916 at about 11 a.m., he was proceeding with a 

 cartload of goods from Thandaung to the Hotel Quisisana, along a P. W. D, 

 road when suddenly a " Mountain Goat " (Serow) dashed out from the jungle 

 and attempted to attack the bulls of the cart. The man immediately jumped 

 down and hit the goat with a big stick across the head which temporarily 

 stunned the animal. He then took up his dah and gave it another clout 

 across the ear, which broke the dah in two as well as giving the animal its 

 coup de (/race. He then lifted it into the cart and brought it to my house 

 which is about 1^ miles from the place where the attack took place. 



I was so surprised at the story that I would hardly credit the same for I 

 could not understand how a man could finish off a Serow with a stick when 

 huntsmen in these parts take days to see one. I got Mr. W. R. French of 

 the Burma Forests to come and inspect and see that there were no bullet 

 marks on the soat. 



Thandaung, Burma, 

 27th March 1916. 



A. T. WERNIGG. 



No. III.— ALBINO HOG DEER {CERVUS PORCINUS). 



Through the kindness of Mr. F. Field, Rutlam, we have received the 

 following cutting from the " Statesman " : — 



" While out shooting in Cooch Behar State with H. H. the Maharaja, an 

 albino female hog deer was shot. It was a fuU-grown specimen and white 



