88 
MEMOIR OP, ETC. 
been estimated at about fifty. The habits and 
manners of the larger animals, the tiger, leopard, 
black tiger, rbinoceros, stag, two species of deer, 
ten varieties of the wild hog, &c., are sufficiently 
known; but the banting, or Javan ox, the buffalo, 
the varieties of the wild dog, the weasel, and squirrel, 
and most of the smaller quadrupeds, still present 
curious subjects for the study of the Naturalist. 
Next to the rhinoceros, which sometimes injures 
plantations, the wild hogs are the most destructive 
animals. They are often poisoned (or intoxicated, 
according to the quantity they consume) by the 
kahlc kamhing, or by the refuse from the preparation 
of Irons. 
The birds include many species belonging to 
Europe. The domestic fowls are the same ; among 
the birds of prey the eagle is not found, but there 
are several varieties of the falcon. They have the 
carrion-crow and the owl ; but only two of the 
parrot kind ; and in large forests the peacock is 
very common. The number of distinct species of 
birds bas been estimated not greatly to exceed two 
hundred, of which upwards of one himdred and 
seventy have been described, and are already con- 
tained in the collections made on accoimt of the 
English East India Company. 
