MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 739 



playthings. They can climb very little, and have a great objection to 

 jumping from a chair or across a gap. No. 2, however, was an expert climber, 

 and always scrambled to the top of a high wooden box, on which her 

 dinner was regularly placed for her. The male polecat weighs 22 ounces, and 

 is about 21 inches in length, 8 inches of which is tail. When very much 

 alarmed or exceedingly angry, these polecats, like others of their race, can 

 emit the most unpleasant smell, but this, I am thankful to say, occurs but 

 seldom. 



I hear that a family of mottled polecats (wild) inhabits a garden in Quetta. 



Natives of Northern Afghanistan state that they have never seen any of 

 these animals there. The name the natives give for them is "naulai"* 

 \_ cffi J, which Raverty translates " ferret, weasel, mongoose" — a some- 

 what comprehensive definition, 



M. T. YATE (Mrs.). 

 Chaman, October, 1897. 



No. X— PANTHERS AND THEIR WAYS. 



The record of an ordinary panther shoot over a goat, or any thing else, is 

 far too commonplace to receive publicity and take up the space of this valu- 

 able journal ; but the following account is, so far as my experience goes, not 

 only of some interest, but from the point of view of wild beasts and their 

 ways, possibly noteworthy and of general value to the sportsman. 



On the afternoon of the 6th instant, I took up a position with my brother 

 ona"machan" close to a small hill, of peculiar shape, composed of large 

 basaltic boulders. The " khubber " that two panthers were located here became 

 quickly apparent by the roaring and gurglings that periodically issued from 

 the hillock in question. In this connection it may be noted that I have never 

 known panthers roar in the day time, unless the procreative instinct out- 

 weighs all consideration of secrecy and silence. We sat on that "macban" 

 and listened until it became too cold to remain any longer, and then releasing 

 the goat repaired to camp. 



On returning to the spot on the morning of the 7th, my astonishment was 

 considerable to find that neither of the panthers had left the hilJ all ni°ht. 

 They could not — as a matter of fact — have well done so without the marks of 

 their pads being seen. Nor did they visit the tank close at hand. I ought 



to point out here that three days prior to my arrival, one of the panthers 



probably the female — made the Forest Reserve untenable for the Forest fire 

 patrols at night, by reason of the terrific row she made. My impression is 

 that she was calling for the male, and when they were mated, they took up 

 their abode in what was practically an unassailable position. Not having 

 drunk water for 48 hours, the presumption was strongly in favour of an early 

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