796 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVllI. 
very like it, while the smaller, whieh could not have weighed more than a third 
of its antagonist, was a weasel. I was able to observe it very closely. The 
body was about 11 or 12 inches long and its tail 4 or 5. The hairs of the tail 
were bristling out at right angles to the bone, and were shorter towards the tip. 
The general colour was a deep ruddy brown, with hint of something almost pur- 
phsh in it. The chest and throat appeared to be lighter and yellowish; there was 
no black tip to the tail ; from the neck right down the back, nearly to the root of 
the tail, ran a narrow white line, so clearly marked as to appear artificial, as 
though put on with paint. The head was that of a typical weasel, with the e5'es 
set very much on the surface and looking like protruding black beads. The 
weasel had the rat by the muzzle, holding on like a bull-terrier, and kept pull- 
ing him down, when the two would roll over until the rat managed to stagger 
to his feet again, when the process recommenced. The rat was obviously being 
worn out, as he was unable to run when the weasel let go (which he did not do 
till I was stooping over and almost touching him), while the weasel was able to 
run off exceedingly briskly. I have never seen this weasel before, and a Kuki who 
was with me said that it was unknown to him also, though he was a native of 
the district and an intelligent jungle man. 
Kohima, Naga Hills, 
J. H. HUTTOX. 
\^th January 1922. 
No. V— THE TENASSEREVI TREE-SHREW (TUPAIA BELANGERI). 
As this little beast is plentiful in the area I am working in and as hitherto 
tree-shrews have been looked upon by me, and I have no doubt the same applies 
to many of our members, as quaint rarities, I made it a point to try and learn 
something about it and I hope these notes may be of interest. 
The first thing I noticed about this little animal was the fact that it must 
have been named “ tree-shrew ” by some learned naturalist when feeling in a 
sarcastic mood, as, though an inhabitant of heavy and medium forests, up 
a tree is the last place I should advise a collector to search for it. Having 
learnt a good deal about this animal I should advise any one finding a tree- 
shrew up a tree to treat it exactly as recommended in the case of weasles caught 
asleep. So far as I have been able to observe, the tree-shrew is wholly diurnal in 
its habits but, being a confirmed skulker and an exceedingly timid one at that, 
it is not as commonly seen as one would expect from the numbers caught in 
traps. Its movements remind one forcibly of the days when, due to ground being 
under enemy observation or to points where snipers sniped from, one moved in 
the same way. Sitting perfectly quiet in the jungle after an absolute silence 
of perhaps a minute or two, one hears a slight rustling coming from a dense 
patch of tangled creepers messed up with a large fallen branch on one’s left. 
Very very gradually you turn your head towards the sound but, just as the 
spot comes into view, all sound ceases. You turned the least little bit too quick 
and have been spotted. You continue to stare hard at where you think the 
last sound came from but see no sign of animal life whatever and then a bril- 
liant idea strikes you. “ Confound it, it must have been one of those lizards 
that are always poking about under leaves” but just as you are thinking of tak- 
ing a look up at the trees a “tch tch” comes from the old spot. More eye strain 
and once again no soimd but, this time, you know that it is a bird, one of those 
wee ground babblers, and you are determined to spot it. Patiently you stare 
at the mass of creepers, working from right to left, from top to bottom and 
vice versa but no ! not a living thing can you see bar red ants on that tendril, 
and if you can see them your sight cannot be so bad. You decide to rest your 
eyes for a few seconds and then to have another look so you take a glance up at 
