MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 193 



few inches long, just visible with the aid of field glasses at about two 

 hundred yards' distance. , 



LOUIS H. L. MACKENZIE, Capt., I.M.S. 



Dbka Ismail Khan, 14^A September 1912. 



No. IX.— NOTES ON THE DRINKING HABITS OF WILD ANIMALS 



AND BIRDS. 



These were all collected during 1910-1911 in the Central Provinces. 



Tiger, Felis tigris. I never saw one actually drinking, but on two occasions 

 from his tracks, he must have drunk between sunset and 7 p.m. 



Panther, Felis pardus. Once observed at about 7-30 p.m. at a water hole 

 at the bottom of a pit. 



Hysena, Hycena Jiycsna. ~| 



> Not observed. 



Wolf, Canis pallipes. ) 



Wild Dog, Cuon duhhunensU. Observed at a tank one evening about 5 p.m. 

 also 3 were seen drinking from a river at midday. The villagers said they 

 drank twice a day : in the middle of the day and in the late afternoon. 

 From all accounts they are very local and will drink regularly at one tank 

 for some days and then move off to a fresh piece of jungle. 



Jackal, Canis indicus. Usually fairly soon after dusk. 



Sloth Bear, Melursus ursinus. I once saw two drinking at 5 p.m. from 

 a tank half mile away from, a village ; and it was at that hour broad day 

 light. I have often seen them drinking, or rather I should say sucking up, 

 the water from a small pool at the bottom of a pit either just inside or at 

 the edge of the jungle. The usual hours for visiting these are either from 

 8 to 10 p.m. or from 3 to 4 a.m. 



Wild Boar, Sus cristatus. The Jungle Pig in the hot weather is usually 

 to be found by water at all hours of the day ; but this I fancy is more for 

 " Wallowing " purposes than for drinking. I have watched them wallow 

 at all hours of the day and night, and have often seen them come down in 

 droves to drink at tanks about midnight and once at about 6-30 in the 

 evening. 



Gaur, Bibos gaurus. I saw a herd drink at about 3 in the afternoon and 

 a solitary bull one day at midday . 



Sambhur, Rusa unicolor. Nearly always drink in the early morning 

 between midnight and 3-30. They are usually the last of all animals to 

 come and drink. 



Cheetal, Axis axis. Usually drink in the early morning between day 

 break and 7-30 : sometimes go down in immense herds to the water. I 

 once saw one of about 300 coming up from a brook at the bottom of a deep 

 ravine at about 7 in the morning. 



When shooting in the Chanda District, C. P., in May and June 1911, I 

 made rather a study of the drinking habits of various animals, and the 

 following extracts may prove interesting to Mr. Dewar, 



Black Buck, Antilope cervicapra. On the 24th December 1910, I saw a 

 herd of about 40 does drinking at a river in the Hinganghat District, C. P., 

 at about 8-30 in the morning. In 1911 on 9th, 10th, and 11th May I saw 

 small herds of Bucks and Does drinking in the river Wainganga, S. 

 Chanda, in the early morning, and also at about 4-30 in the afternoon. 

 The villagers all used to tell one of the favourite spots where they went to 

 drink ; as native shikaris used to sit in " hides " by the water in order to 

 shoot them. 

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