MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 737 



with their coverts, anH several of the secondaries, white ; shoulders white 

 with a few black feathers ; upper back as usual, a few white feathers 

 intermingled ; rump and three central pairs of tail feathers white, wi'h 

 a few black feathers ; the rufous breast band and pale smoke-grey lower 

 parts mingled with white, and most of the lower tail coverts white. 



At first glance the bird looked very unswallow-like ; for a few seconds as 

 it was flitting over a rather rough sea, I took it for some sort of small stint ! 

 It provided me with a good deal of shooting as a strong wind was whirling 

 it hither and thither in a most erratic way, and shooting from a rocking boat 

 and avoiding firing at too close a range, it was not until the sixth shot that 

 I hit it. 



A. L. BUTLER. 



Port Blair, January, 1898. 



No. IX— POLECATS A3 PETS. 

 {With a Plate.) 



Having had three mottled polecats (Putorious sarmaticus) in my possession 

 during the last few months, I have noted down a few observatiors made on 

 their ways and habits when domesticated, They may be of interest to sorr.e 

 of the readers of the Society's Journal. 



The first polecat was given to me by a sepoy of the regiment (who had 

 bought it from a fakir) shortly after we arrived at Chaman last Spring, and 

 a strange little creature she looked with her curious markings of black 

 yellow and white. In shape she resembled a weasel, having a long narrow 

 body and arched back. The fur on the legs and underneath the body was 

 jet-black and very glossy, and the back and tail were spotted with patches 

 of bright canary-yellow. The large bat-like ears were black, fringed with 

 pure white, and a broad white band ran across the head just above the eyes: 

 the chin also was white. The fur was very soft and silky, and the bushy 

 tail could be fluffed out till every hair stood on end. 



When I first had this polecat she showed no sign of timidity, but allowed 

 me to handle her freely, and would follow closely at heel when I took her 

 out. When tired she would attempt to clamber up my dress, and when I put 

 down my hand she would climb on to it and let me carry her in" my arms. 

 Later on, she gained a companion, another female who was much less tame 

 and tractable. Evil communications had their usual effect on good manners 

 and No. 1 lost much of her trustfulness*. No. 2 much resented being handled 

 and was very ready to use her sharp little teeth in self defence. She was a 

 dainty little vixen however, and one forgot one's bleeding fingers and could 

 only admire her as she danced to and fro, every hair erect, the bushy tail 

 curved bristling over her back, her tiny head flung back, and the white te?th 

 gleaming as she gave sharp little growls of defiance. The two polecats had 



