239 

 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 



No. I. — Note on the Malay Sambar (Cervus iinicolor equinus.) 



In Vol. I. page 117 of this Journal I described a fine head 

 from Lampang in Northern Siam. 



The following are ray measurements of a better head- in the 

 possession of Mr. W. G. Peiniger : — 



Length. Left 37 ; i, Right 37 ; Circumferences, above coronet 

 9 inches, above brow tine 7 inches. The greatest outside spread is 

 31 inches. Mr. Peiniger informs me that he picked up this head, 

 together with four others, in the Me Teun river, Me Ping, Western 

 Siam, some years ago, and that all had been recently killed by wild 

 dogs within a comparatively small area, a striking illustration of the 

 damage done by these red of hunting dogs. 



Kemp (Vol. I, p. 51 of this Journal) has alluded to the Sam- 

 bar's fondness for the fruit of the Makawk tree. One frequently sees 

 small heaps containing 10 to 20 well cleaned Makawk stones (which 

 are the size of a pigeon's egg) far removed from any Makawk tree, 

 and most frequently seen on ridges near, but removed from, Sambar's 

 excrement. The Sambar apparently swallows the fruits whole and 

 ejects the stones later on when ruminating; though at the moment I 

 cannot call to mind any other ruminant which swallows large indi- 

 gestible stones, though many jungle denizens, Civets for example, 

 pass fruit stones through the body. 



The bark of the Makawk tree (Spondias mangifera) is 

 astringent like the fruit, though no animals touch the bark. 



K. G. Gairdner. 

 Jan. 15 1922. 



No. II. — Jntelligence of Otters. 



While travelling down the Chumpon river some years ago 

 not many miles from the sea, I encountered a pack of otters. There 

 were ten or twelve of them, and they were moving along at the 

 Avater's edge, playing about and evidently in search of food. The 

 tide at the time was low, and there was a large expanse of mud be- 

 tween the river and the proper bank. I was loth to shoot one of 

 them for I have kept otters in captivity, and know what fascinating 

 pets they are ; but a specimen was badly wanted as very little is 

 known about the distribution of otters in Siam. To judge by their 

 size they were the larger form, Lutra species, and not the small 

 clawless one, Aonyx einerea. 



I fired at one of the biggest animals but only managed to 

 wound it, and it went up towards the bank evidently to get under 



VOL. IV, NO. 4, 1922. 



