bear (U. tibetanus) is found along the north, from the Punjab to Assam. During the summer it remains high up in the mountains, near the limit of snow, but in the winter it descends to 5000 feet, and even lower. Its congener, the Malayan sunbear (Helarctos malayanus), is found in British Burma, where also there is a smaller species (H. euryspilus), and a very large animal reported to be as big as the American grizzly. The elephant (Elephas indicus) is found in many parts of The EleIndia, though not in the north-west. Contrary to what might phant. be anticipated from its size and from the habits of its African cousin, the Indian elephant is now, at any rate, an inhabitant, not of the plains, but of the hills; and even on the hills it is usually found among the higher ridges and plateaus, and not in the valleys. From the peninsula of India the elephant has been gradually exterminated, being only found now in the primæval forests of Coorg, Mysore, and Travancore, and in the Tributary States of Orissa. It still exists in considerable number along the tarái or submontane fringe of the Himálayas. The main source of supply at the present time is the confused mass of hills which forms the north-east boundary of British India, from Assam to Burma. Two varieties are there distinguished, the gunda or tusker, and the makna or hine, which has no tusks. The reports of the height of the elephant, like those of its intelligence, seem to be exaggerated. The maximum is probably 12 feet. If hunted, the elephant must be attacked on foot, and the sport is therefore dangerous, especially as the animal has but few parts vulnerable to a bullet. The regular Elephantmode of catching elephants is by means of a kheda or gigantic catching. stockade, into which a wild herd is driven, then starved into submission, and tamed by animals already domesticated. The practice of capturing them in pitfalls is discouraged as cruel and wasteful. Elephants now form a Government monopoly throughout India. The shooting of them is prohibited, except when they become dangerous to man or destructive to the crops; and the right of capturing them is only leased out upon conditions. A special law, under the title of The Elephants' Preservation Act' (No. VI. of 1879), regulates this Elephant licensing system. Whoever kills, captures, or injures an ele- Preservaphant, or attempts to do so, without a licence, is punishable by a fine of 500 rupees for the first offence; and by a similar fine, together with six months' imprisonment, for a second offence. In the year 1877-78, a total of 264 elephants were captured in the Province of Assam, yielding to Government a revenue tion Act The Rhinoceros. The wild Hog. The wild Ass. Sheep and of £3600. In the season of 1873-74 no less than 53 were captured at one time by Mr. Sanderson, the superintendent of the Kheda Department in Mysore, who has made a special study of the Indian elephant, as Sir S. Baker has of the same animal in Ceylon. Though the supply is decreasing, elephants continue to be in great demand. Their chief use is in the timber trade, and for Government transport. They are also bought up by native chiefs at high prices for ostentation. Of the rhinoceros, four distinct varieties are enumerated, two with a single, and two with a double horn. The most familiar is the Rhinoceros unicornis, commonly found in the Brahmaputra valley, and in the Sundarbans. It has but one horn, and is covered with massive folds of naked skin. It sometimes attains a height of 6 feet; its horn, which is much prized by the natives for medicinal purposes, seldom exceeds 14 inches in length. It frequents swampy, shady spots, and wallows in mud like a pig. The traditional antipathy of the rhinoceros to the elephant seems to be mythical. The Javan rhinoceros (R. sondaicus) is found in the same localities. It also has but one horn, and mainly differs from the foregoing in being smaller, and having less prominent 'shields.' The Sumatran rhinoceros (R. sumatrensis) is found from Chittagong southwards through Burma. It has two horns and a bristly coat. The hairy-eared rhinoceros (R. lasiotis) is only known from a specimen captured at Chittagong; and now (1881) in the Zoological Gardens, London. The wild hog (Sus scrofa, var. indica) is well known as affording the most exciting sport in the world-'pig-sticking.' It frequents cultivated localities, and is the most mischievous enemy which the husbandman has to guard against; doing more damage than tigers, leopards, deer, and antelope, all put together. A rare animal, called the pigmy hog (Porculia salviania), exists in the tarái of Nepál and Sikkim, and has been shot in Assam. Its height is only 10 inches, and its weight does not exceed 12 lbs. The wild ass (Asinus onager) is confined to the sandy deserts of Sind and Kachchh (Cutch), where, from its speed and timidity, it is almost unapproachable. Many wild species of the sheep and goat tribe are to be found in the Himálayan ranges. The Ovis ammon and 0. poli are Tibetan rather than Indian species. The urial and the shapu are kindred species of wild sheep, found respectively in Ladakh and the Suláimán range. The former comes down to 2000 feet above the sea, the latter is never seen at altitudes lower than 12,000 feet. The barhal, or blue wild sheep, and the markhur and tahr (both wild goats) also inhabit the Himálayas. A variety of the ibex is also found there, as well as in the highest ranges of Southern India. The sarau (Nemorhædus rubida), allied to the chamois, has a wide range in the mountains of the north, from the Himalayas to Assam and Burma. The antelope tribe is represented by comparatively few Antelopes. species, as compared with the great number peculiar to Africa. The antelope proper (Antilope bezoartica), the 'black buck' of sportsmen, is very generally distributed. Its special habitat is salt plains, as on the coast-line of Guzerat and Orissa, where herds of 50 does may be seen, accompanied by a single buck. The doe is of a light fawn colour, and has no horns. The colour of the buck is a deep brown-black above, sharply marked off from the white of the belly. His spiral horns, twisted for three or four turns like a corkscrew, often reach the length of 30 inches. The flesh is dry and unsavoury, but is permitted meat for Hindus, even of the Bráhman caste. The four-horned antelope (Tetraceros quadricornis) and the gazelle (Gazella benetti) are also found in India. The chiru (Pantholops hodgsoni) is confined to the Himálayan plateaux. The nílgái or blue cow (Portax picta) is also widely dis- Nílgái. tributed, but specially abounds in Hindustán Proper and Guzerat. As with the antelope, the male alone has the dark blue colour. The nílgái is held peculiarly sacred by Hindus, from its fancied kinship to the cow, and on this account its destructive inroads upon the crops are tolerated. The king of the deer tribe is the sámbhar or gerau (Rusa Deer. aristotelis), erroneously called 'elk' by sportsmen. It is found on the forest-clad hills in all parts of the country. It is of a deep-brown colour, with hair on its neck almost like a mane; and it stands nearly 5 feet high, with spreading antlers nearly 3 feet in length. Next in size is the swamp deer or bara-singha, signifying 'twelve points' (Rucervus duvaucelli), which is common in Lower Bengal and Assam. The chitál or spotted deer (Axis maculata) is generally admitted to be the most beautiful inhabitant of the Indian jungles. Other species include the hog deer (Cervus porcinus), the barking deer or muntjac (Cervulus vaginalis), and the mouse deer (Meminna indica). The musk deer (Moschus moschiferus) is confined to Tibet. The ox tribe is represented in India by some of its noblest The Bison. species. The gaur (Bos gaurus), the 'bison' of sportsmen, The Rat tribe. Birds. is found in all the hill jungles of the country, in the Western Gháts, in Central India, in Assam, and in British Burma This animal sometimes attains the height of 20 hands (close on 7 feet), measuring from the hump above the shoulder. Its short curved horns and skull are enormously massive. Its colour is dark chestnut, or coffee-brown. From the difficult nature of its habitat, and from the ferocity with which it charges an enemy, the pursuit of the bison is no less dangerous and no less exciting than that of the tiger or the elephant. Akin to the gaur, though not identical, are the gayál or mithun (B. frontalis), confined to the hills of the north-east frontier, where it is domesticated for sacrificial purposes by the aboriginal tribes; and the tsine or banting (B. sondaicus), found in Burma. The wild buffalo (Bubalus arni) differs from the tame buffalo only in being larger and more fierce. The finest specimens come from Assam and Burma. The horns of the bull are thicker than those of the cow, but the horns of the cow are larger. A head has been known to measure 13 feet 6 inches in circumference, and 6 feet 6 inches between the tips. The greatest height is 6 feet. The colour is a slaty black; the hide is immensely thick, with scanty hairs. Alone perhaps of all wild animals in India, the buffalo will charge unprovoked. Even tame buffaloes seem to have an inveterate dislike to Europeans. The rat and mouse family is only too numerous. Conspicuous in it is the loathsome bandicoot (Mus bandicota), which sometimes measures 2 feet in length, including its tail, and weighs 3 lbs. It burrows under houses, and is very destructive to plants, fruit, and even poultry. More interesting is the tree rat (M. arboreus), a native of Bengal, about 7 inches long, which makes its nest in cocoa-nut palms and bamboos. The voles or field mice (genus Arvicola) occasionally multiply so exceedingly as to seriously diminish the out-turn of the local harvest, and to require special measures for their de struction. The ornithology of India, although it is not considered so rich in specimens of gorgeous and variegated plumage as that of other tropical regions, contains many splendid and curious varieties. Some are clothed in nature's gay attire, others distinguished by strength, size, and fierceness. The parrot tribe is the most remarkable for beauty. So various are the species, that I do not attempt even to enumerate them, but refer for details to the scientific works on the subject.1 Among birds of prey, four vultures are found, including the common Birds of scavengers (Gyps indicus and G. bengalensis). The eagles prey. comprise many species, but none to surpass the golden eagle of Europe. Of falcons, there are the peregrine (F. peregrinus), the shain (F. peregrinator), and the lagar (F. jugger), which are all trained by the natives for hawking; of hawks, the shikara (Astur badius), the sparrow hawk (Accipiter nisus), and the crested goshawk (Astur trivirgatus). Kingfishers of various kinds, and herons are sought for their plumage. No bird is more popular with natives than the maina (Acridotheres tristis), a member of the starling family, which lives contentedly in a cage, and can be taught to pronounce words, especially the name of the god Krishna. birds. Waterfowl are especially numerous. Of game-birds, the Game floriken (Sypheotides auritus) is valued as much for its rarity. as for the delicacy of its flesh. Snipe (Gallinago scolopacina) abound at certain seasons, in such numbers that one gun has been known to make a bag of 100 brace in a day. Pigeons, partridges, quail, plover, duck, teal, sheldrake, widgeon-all of many varieties-complete the list of small game. The red jungle fowl (Gallus ferruginesis), supposed to be the ancestor of our own poultry, is not good eating; and the same may be said of the peacock (Pavo cristatus), except when young. The pheasant does not occur in India Proper; but a white variety is found in Burma, and several beautiful species (conspicuously the minaul) abound in the Himalayas. The serpent tribe in India is numerous; they swarm in Reptiles. the gardens, and intrude into the dwellings of the inhabitants, especially during the rainy season. Most are comparatively harmless, but the bite of others is speedily fatal.2 The cobra The di capello-the name given to it by the Portuguese, from the 'cobra.' appearance of a hood which it produces by the expanded skin. about the neck-is the most dreaded (Naga tripudians). It seldom exceeds 3 or 4 feet in length, and is about an inch and a quarter thick, with a small head, covered on the forepart with large smooth scales; it is of a pale brown colour above, and the belly is of a bluish-white tinged with pale. brown or yellow. The Russelian snake (Daboia russellii), about 4 feet in length, is of a pale yellowish-brown, beautifully variegated with large oval spots of deep brown, with a white 1 Especially those of Jerdon and Gould. 2 Sir Joseph Fayrer's Thanatophidia is the standard work on Indian snakes. |