410 



The Benturong or lctides Ater. De Blain. 



An interesting addition to the Catalogue of Mammalia of 

 Assam, published in our last number, p. 265, has been made 

 in the discovery of the Benturong, or lctides Ater of Blain- 

 ville, in that province, a living specimen of which, taken in 

 the vicinity of Goalpara, being now before us. This animal 

 has been brought to Calcutta by Mr. J. F. Delanougerede, a 

 gentleman to whom we are indebted for a small collection of 

 select specimens of Fishes for the Museum at the India 

 House. The Benturong was first discovered in Java, but 

 the first notice of its existence on the continent of India, will 

 be found in the second volume of this Journal, p. 457, in 

 noticing collections received from Captain McLeod, Special 

 Assistant to the Commissioner of the Tenasserim Provinces, 

 where the animal seems to be known as the Myouk-Kya, 

 or Monkey Tiger. 



The discovery now made of its existence in Assam, is 

 another proof of the Malayan character of the Fauna of that 

 country, and makes the number of the Mammalia already 

 known to belong to Assam, 68 ; of these 67 are enumerated 

 in Mr. Walker's Catalogue already alluded to. The speci- 

 men is a young male about 20 inches in length, exclu- 

 sive of the tail. It is perfectly docile and tame, passing in 

 and out of its cage and climbing up the arm, when extended 

 to it. Its movements are peculiarly gentle and graceful, 

 often standing erect on the hind feet, and generally using 

 the tail as a support, twining it round some adjoining ob- 

 ject. Its manners are playful, like those of the Bear, affect- 

 ing to bite and use its claws. Its food consists of plantains, 

 bread and milk, and raw meat. It has vertical pupils and 

 appears to sleep much during the day, becoming more lively 

 at night. 



