IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. 89 



captivity. A very dark example has been known to become whitish 

 grey after having been nearly four years in the garden : generally there 

 is more black on the back and part of the sides. The head is white, 

 a black band encircles the eyes and ears, and is formed by a stripe 

 which, commencing from the upper lip, passes over the eye and ear, 

 and by another from the chin which runs backwards across the chin 

 to the ear. These marks also vary. Throat, sides of the neck, and 

 the tail whitish, lower parts and limbs dusky, washed with pale yellow 

 or orange. The head and body of a full-grown animal measure about 

 30 inches, tail about 11 inches. 



Hab. — Nepal, Sikhim, Assam, Sylhet, Cachar, Arracan, Pegu, and 

 Tenasserim ; has been also obtained from Western Yunan. Specimens 

 have been received from Darjeeling, Assam, Julpigori, Tipperah, and 

 Chittagong. 



Length of life in captivity. 



The longest period during which a hog-badger has as yet lived has 

 been only about six years. 



Treatment in health. 



Housing, — Its proneness to escape has been found to be great, 

 unless secured in a strong cage. The accommodation that has answered 

 very well for this beast consists of an iron cage, some 12 feet long, 

 5 feet broad, and 4 feet high, resting on a brick-on-edge platform. 

 On one end of the platform is a small deep tank, filled with mud and 

 sand, into which the animal can burrow at pleasure ; besides, there is a 

 small box, inside which the animal remains during the greater part of 

 the day; during the winter a quantity of straw is given. A neat 

 little tiled shed shelters the cage and its inmate from sun and rain. 

 The floor of the cage for a hog-badger should be hard and well-built, 

 as the animal is much addicted to burrowing and clawing. Shower- 

 baths should be administered to it almost every day by a garden syringe 

 during the extreme hot weather. 



Food. — The ordinary diet of a hog-badger consists of a pound or 

 two of boiled meat in the evening ; a few plantains or other fruits 

 and some bread are also frequently given them in the morning. They 

 are said to be particularly fond of earthworms, but this has not been 

 observed to be the case with the animals living here. On the other 

 hand they have been known to eat fresh-water and land snails with 

 avidity. 



Transport. — The remarks which have been made with respect to 

 the transport of a ratel apply to these animals also — that is, the cage 

 in which it is intended to convey them should be strong. Care should 

 also be taken not to expose them much in the sun. An occasional bath 

 is beneficial. 



Treatment in sickness. 



Besides a tendency to fatness on their part — probably owing to 

 absolute want of exercise — nothing is known with regard to their 



