1835.] of the Himalayan range. 703 



as soon as it is introduced into a house, they are observed to hurry 

 away in all directions, being apprised, no doubt, of its presence by 

 the peculiar odour it emits. Its ferocity and courage are made sub- 

 servient to the amusement of the rich, who train it to attack large 

 fowls, geese, and even goats and sheep. The latter, equally with 

 the former, fall certain sacrifices to its agility and daringness. So soon 

 as it is loosed, it rushes up the fowl's tail, or goat's leg, and seizes 

 the great artery of the neck, nor ever quits its hold till the victim 

 sinks under exhaustion from loss of blood. 



The Kathiah has the true vermiform structure of the typical mus- 

 teline animals ; its head, neck and body forming a continuous equable 

 cylinder. Its action is purely digitigrade, and even the palms and 

 soles of its extremities are clad in hair beyond the limits of the 

 lines defining the digits, and the balls supporting them and the wrists. 

 The fore and hind legs are of equal and moderate thickness ; but the 

 hands are rather larger than the feet : both quinquidactylous, with 

 the thumbs or internal digits a little withdrawn, as in the human 

 hand. Of the rest of the digits, the two central are equal, and the two 

 lateral, sub-equal, especially in the hinder extremities. Four oblong 

 conjunct balls support the bases of the digits, and two the palms, an 

 outer large ball of an elliptic shape, and a tiny round one its inner 

 side. No metatarsal balls exist in the hind feet. The digits are 

 more than half involved in a dilatable membrane which spreads 

 freely to aid grasping. The talons or nails are all of sub-equal size, 

 compressed, curved, and acute, suited to scansion and tearing, but 

 not so well to digging. The fur is short, shining, and adpressed ; 

 that of the tail being a little larger, but not much so. The tail itself 

 ( i. e. exclusive of the hair which projects beyond its termination) is 

 just half the length of the animal, and is slender, round and tapering. 

 The head oval, with a short conical face ending in a clearly- defined 

 round muzzle, having the nostrils entirely to the sides. The eyes are 

 prominent, with round pupils, and they are seated much nearer the 

 snout than the ears. The hairs issuing from the lips, cheeks, chin, 

 and brows, are not rigid or thick ; and a slight tuft of a similar 

 character is set on above each carpus, as in some of the squirrels. The 

 ears are lateral, transversely developed, formed upon the general model 

 of the human ear, and more nearly of that of the mungooses. There is 

 helix and antihelix, tragus and antitragus ; but no lobe. Those who 

 are familiar with the structure of the ears in the common Indian 

 mungoose (Herpestes Griseus) will understand the exact form of the 

 same organs in our animal, when I tell them that the only differences 

 consist in the helix of the latter being more exserted, but not pro- 

 4x2 



