20 WANDEEINGS OF A 



plant called moonguswail, like most Indian tales of that de- 

 scription,* is perfectly mythical. 



The bandy-coot or hog-rat (Mus giganteus) was frequently 

 seen in our houses. This animal is very destructive, and 

 creates much disturbance at night. Sometimes it coursed 

 across the canvas covering of our ceiling — a signal always 

 for "drawn swords," and &prod through the " dungaree," t to- 

 gether with the pleasing uncertainty as to whether you are 

 transfixing a ghous (as the Mahrattas call it) or a mangur 

 (Felis hengalensis), a species of wild-cat which prowls about 

 at night, and hides during the day in hedges, or under the 

 thatch of bungalows. 



Several species of chameleon are abundant : they frequent 

 bushy places, and are seen basking on the stems of trees ; 

 whUe geckoes are common on the walls of houses. Tigers 

 are found on the mountains and in the jungles. Not far from 

 Kirkee is the village of Maun, where, during midsummer, both 

 the common and jack-snipe are abundant in the rice-fields. 

 They arrive about the beginning of November, when also a few 

 painted snipe may be obtained. 



Maun is situate close to a range of mountains covered 

 with low dense jungle, extending some distance into the plain, 

 which is studded with villages, rice- fields and gardens, sepa- 

 rated by ravines and large tracts of waste and barren country. 

 A dense jungle to the north of the village was said to have 

 been the haunt of a man-eating tiger for some time previous 

 to our visit, and we found the carcase of a bullock lying in a 

 chilli field, not a stone's throw from the village. On both 



* See an interesting account of a fight between a cobra and moongiis in 

 the Times of India for the 9th of August 1863, signed by three officers who 

 witnessed the encounter. 



+ A coarse white linen used for lining the interior of rooms. 



