MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 229 



small fungi by the time it reaches you. The deposit is flat and generally 

 circular, some patches only the size of a rupee, others about four inches in 

 diameter. Those I saw this morning are on a well-frequented road, on the 

 road itself and a few patches on the bank at the side. I have only native 

 authority for it that the deposit is the work of white ants, corroborated by 

 my finding white ants under the patches and in one case by the deposits 

 occurring where I knew white ants to be. Here the white ants do not seem 

 to betray their presence by throwing up earth as in Northern India. 



C. F. SHARPS, General. 

 Coonooe, 28th October, 1894. 



No. XII.— THE MUSK-RAT AND ITS YOUNG. 



The following curious incident happened to some friends in Nagpur. 

 One evening after dinner the lady of the house was startled at seeing what 

 she supposed was a cobra which took refuge under the piano. On investiga- 

 tion, however, it was found that it was only a female musk-rat with six or 

 seven young ones. Apparently their method of progression was for them 

 to go in single file, the mother leading the way and the young ones following, 

 each holding on to the tail of the one in front, thus giving to the whole a 

 regular snake-like motion. As I cannot find this habit mentioned in Blanf ord 

 Sterndale, or any other books, I thought it might be worth while to mention 

 it, and perhaps some other members will be kind enough to -say if they have 

 noticed the same thing."* 



P. H. CLUTTERBCJCK, 

 Assistant Conservator of Forests. 



Nagpur, August, 1894. 



Note. — Since writing the above, another friend has informed me that he has 

 also noticed this habit of the musk-rat. 



P. H. C. 



No. XIII— A TIGER KILLING A BEAR. 



In the Chanda district last year I heard of a bear (Melursus ursinus) being 

 killed by a tiger and partly eaten, but had no chance of investigating the facts. 

 I was transferred in June, and in July the following incidents happened to my 

 successor, Mr. R. Thompson (junior), and thinking them interesting, I am 

 sending this account to you. 



On going along a nala, he came upon the fresh track of a large bear, and 

 on following it found the track of a tiger who had apparently followed the 

 bear. The bear, finding itself chased by the tiger, bolted along the nala a short 



[° An amusing account of this occurrence will be found in Mr. E. H. Aitkin's 

 book " The Tribes on my Frontier." — Ed.] 



