164 Catalogue of the [April, 



Museum, and formerly in the Menagerie of the Society ; the ground colour being 

 much grayer, and the lines more distinctly broken into spots. The other variety 

 resembles in its ferruginous tint the specimens of the Rasse presented to the Socie- 

 ty by Major-General Hardwicke, but has the four hlack longitudinal lines or 

 stripes on the sides of the neck more marked, and is considerably larger : two of 

 my specimens from the Dakhan being 27| and 28£ inches long. 



The Dakhan variety exhales a very powerful odour of musk, and the organs for 

 the secretion of this drug are of considerable size. 



The specimen presented by me to the Society died on board ship ; and some 

 hundreds of capillary worms were found all over the body lying between the skin 

 and the flesh. 



Herpestes griseus, Desm. Mangus of the Mahrattas. — The Mangus of Dakhan 

 is no doubt the Herp. griseus of M. Desmarest, but very considerably exceeds in 

 size the published measurements of that species ; my specimens measuring from 

 19£ to 20f inches from the tip of the nose to the insertion of the tail, and the tail 

 15 to 16J inches. This animal is decidedly plantigrade. In movement it ap- 

 pears to slide along the ground, rather than trot or canter. It is believed by the 

 Mahratta people to have a natural antipathy to serpents, and in its contests with 

 them to be able to neutralize the poison from the bite of the serpent, by eating the 

 root of a plant called Mangus-wail; but no one has ever seen the plant. Proba- 

 bly they allude to the 0/jhiorhiza f Mungos. 



Paradoxurus Typus, F. Cuv. Ud of the Mahrattas — This animal, which is by no 

 means rare in the Dakhan, is always lively, and a specimen in my possession was 

 remarkable for the energy with which during the night time it chased round its 

 cage. Its carnivorous propensities were so strong that it snapped off and devour- 

 ed the heads of all fowls that incautiously approached its cage ; but on board 

 ship it was fed entirely on rice and clarified butter. In the stomachs of some in- 

 dividuals examined at Poona, I found fruit, vegetables, and Blattee. 



Hycena vulgaris, Cuv. Tarras of the Mahrattas. — Hi/anas are numerous in 

 Dakhan. They are susceptible of the same domestication as a dog. The animal 

 given by me to the Society was allowed to run about my house at Poona ; and on 

 board ship it was in the habit of gamboling like a dog. It allowed persons to put 

 their hands into its mouth without attempting to bite ill-naturedly. It was fed on 

 rice and clarified butter. 



Felis Tigris, L. Pattite Wagh or Striped Tiger of the Mahrattas. — Royal tigers 

 are so numerous in the province of Khandesh, thatl032were killed from the years 

 1825 to 1829 inclusive, as appears by the official returns handed to me. They 

 are much less numerous in the collectorates of Poona, Ahmednagar, and 

 Dharwar. 



Fel. Leopardus. Chita of the Mahrattas. — This would appear to be the Leo- 

 pard of Mr. Temminck's monograph of the genus Felis. It is a taller, longer, 

 and slighter built animal than the succeeding, which I consider the Panther. It dif- 

 fers also in more of the ground colour being seen, and in the rose spots being much 

 more broken : there are also other specific diffierences which the nature of this ca- 

 talogue does not admit of my entering into. The natives of Dakhan consider the 

 Chita and succeeding Cat as distinct animals. The Chita is rare. The Panther 

 very abundant. I do not possess a specimen of the Leopard ; the only one I was 

 enabled to obtain having been given by me to the East India Company. 



FeL Pardus. Bibia Bagh of the Mahrattas. — This species is so abundant that 

 472 were killed from 1825 to 1829 inclusive, in the four collectorates of Dukhun. 

 It exactly resembles the animal figured as the Panther of the ancienti in Mr. Grif- 

 fith's 'Translation of the Re^gne Animal.' It differs from the preceding in its 

 smaller size, stouter make, darker ground colour, and in its crowded rose rings. 

 The Society is in possession of several of these Cats ; amongst others a half- 

 grown animal from the Dakhan, which I presented to it in December last. 



Fel. Jubata, L., and Fel. venatica, H. Smith. Chita of the Mahrattas. — These 

 presumed species appear to me to be identical, the specific differences deduced from 

 the hair originating in domestication. I have a skin of the wild animal with a 

 rough coat, in which the mane is marked, while domesticated animals from the 

 same part of the country are destitute of a mane and have a smooth coat. They 

 are led about like greyhounds ; but when carried out to hunt are placed upon a 

 cart. 



