MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 293 



is rather noisy at night and frequently barks when approaching Carrion" 

 — C.A.O. 



Vernacular name — (Hindi). Pan c?, Panli $. 



(37). MUSTELA KATHIAH, HodgS. 



The Yelloiv-bellied Weasel. 



1835. Mustela (Putorius) hathiaJi, Hodgson, J.A.S.B. IV., p. 702. 

 1841. Mustela auriventer, Hodgson, J.A.S.B. X., p. 909. 



1841. Mustela cathia, Hodgson, \oc. cit. 



1888. Putorius cathia, Blanford, Mammalia No. 85. 



1 d" , 1 $ , Bhowali, Naini Tal 7,000'. 



About the size of the Common European Weasel or ' Ermine '. It is darker 

 though brighter coloured than that animal, and lacks the busky black tail 

 tip ; moreover the underside is yellow, often almost orange instead of white, 

 winter coat like the Ermine.' 



" I obtained two specimens from Bhowali where this Weasel appears to 

 be well-known and from information obtained from natives it has a fairly 

 wide range." — C.A.C. 



Vernacular name — (Hindi) Musk-neula. 



(38) Martes elavigula, Bodd. 



The Northern Indian Marten. 



1785. Mustela flavigula, Boddaert, Elench. Anim. p. 88. 



1792. Mustela melina, Kerr, An. Kingd. p. 183. 



1800. Viverra quadricolor, Shsiw, Gen. Zool., Mamm. 1.2., p. 429. 



1800. Mustela leucotis, Bechstein, JJ eh. nerf. Thiers. II. p. 375. 



1834. Mustela hardioichei, Horsfield, Zool. Journ . IV., p. 239. 



1842. Gallidictis chrysogaster, Ham. Smith, Jard . Nat. Lib. XV., p. 



167. 

 1881. Mustela Jlavigula, Blanford, Mammalia No. 77. 



1 S, Khati, 7,600'; 2 $ $, Dhakuri, 9,000'; 1 ?, Takula, 5,300'; 

 1 d', 1 skin only, Naini Tal, 7,000'; 1 S , Sitabani, 

 2,000' ; 2 c? d, 1 9, Lohaghat, Almora, 5,600'. 



This animal in size and shape closely resembles the European " Pine 

 Marten" from which however it is distinguishable at a glance by its black 

 head, hind-quarters and tail. 



Mr. Bonhote examined very closely this group of Martens, and the above 

 synonymy is taken almost verbatim from his paper (A.M.N.H., VII., p. 432, 

 1901). He recognised no less than 6 races. The trans-himalayan one 

 {borealis, Radde) is a larger paler animal. The other races are from beyond 

 the limits of this Survey except perhaps peninsularis, Bonh., from the Malay 

 Peninsula, which may occur in our Tenasserim Collections. M. gioatkinsi 

 included by Blanford in his synonymy is now recognised as a distinct 

 species, its habitat is South India. 



" Common from the base of the hills to 9,000 feet alt. and probably found 

 much higher up. It is even reported from the Plains through rare low down. 

 Hunts usually in pairs, but 3 or 4 together are met with. It is an agile 

 climber but ungainly in its movements when on the ground, the mode of 

 progression then being a cumbersome gallop with the back highly arched. 



At Dhakuri I found four living in a hollow tree, after two had been shot, 

 the others forsook this haunt. 



I have heard and have found how tenacious of life the Indian Marten is. 

 On one occasion I shot one of a pair at short range, it dropped flat and 



