648 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1892. 



Muscat, during which time its principal food has been teakwood shavings, which 

 it seems to prefer to any kind of green food. Potato peelings, rope-yarns, and 

 tobacco are amongst the other curious things which this animal appreciates. It 

 thrives wonderfully well on this diet, and hardly ever touches water. It is exceed- 

 ingly tame, and firing the guns does not disturb it. 



SEYMOUR D. VALE, 



Lieut., H. L M. 

 R. J. M. S. ''Lawrence," December, 1892. 



No. VL— A LYNX ATTACKING A MAN". 



The fallowing curious incident happened a few weeks ago in this district, while 

 I was out in Camp, and is interesting as showing how courageous such a small 

 animal may become when pressed for food. It appears that three coolies were 

 going along together in single file, through the jungle, in the south of this 

 district, on their way to Camp at night. When passing through some fairly high 

 grass, an animal sprang upon the last coolie from behind and fastened itself upon his 

 shoulders. He happened to be walking along at the time with a blanket over his 

 head, and had the presence of mind to quickly turn up the edges and envelop the 

 animal within its folds. The animal fell to the ground, and with the addition of 

 the blankets belonging to the other coolies it was effectually smotheied and 

 brought into Camp. It was a perfeot specimen of a Red Lynx [Felis caracal), so 

 accurately described by Jerdon in his Treatise, but it is a curious fact that not one 

 of the natives inhabiting this part of the country had ever seen such a creature 

 before. I do not recollect having heard of a previous instance of a Lynx attacking 

 a man. It was miserably thin, and evidently pressed for food, and perhaps had, 

 in its eagerness to catch some prey, mistaken the coolie for a buffalo, calf, or some 

 animal. I have the skeleton, and am sending it down to the Society's Museum. 



H. E. DRAKE-BROCKMAN, F.R.O.S, F.Z.S., 



Surgeon-Captain, I. M.S. 

 Mirzapore, N.-W. P., December, 1892. 



No. YIL— ON THE OOCURREXCE OF THE SPOTTED GREY TREE- 

 CREEPER AT AHMEDNAGAR, DBCCAN. 

 When out nesting this morning, in the vicinity of the European Cemetery, in 

 company with Messrs- Eccles and Tooth, we obtained a specimen of the Spotted 

 Grey Tree-Creeper {Salpor7iis spilonota, Frank). The bird, when first seen, was 

 creeping round the trunk of a rather large Acasia tree. I at first sight mistook 

 the bird for a Wryneck, and was nearly passing it over. On account of its active 

 movements, little or no chance was given for close observation, but having caught 

 a momentai-y glimpse of its long curved bill, I had it shot. It was very tenacious 

 of hfe, as, although the crown of its head was shot off, it continued clinging to the 



