Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon Part 30

NO. 177. MARTES FLAVIGULA.

_The White-cheeked Marten_ (_Jerdon's No. 96_).

NATIVE NAMES.--_Mal-sampra_, Nepalese; _Tuturala_ in k.u.maon; _Kusiah_ in Sirmoor; _Huniah_ or _Aniar_, Bhotia; _Sakku_, Lepcha.

HABITAT.--Nepal, Thibet, k.u.maon, Gurhwal, Sirmoor, a.s.sam, Burmah, Ceylon.

DESCRIPTION.--Glossy blackish brown, with the throat and breast yellow; the chin and lower parts white, from which I have preferred to call it after Pennant "the White-cheeked Marten" instead of the "yellow-throated," this characteristic belonging also to some other species. The fur seems to vary a good deal. Jerdon says of it: "The body is at times dirty brownish or chestnut brown, or brown mixed with grey, and the middle of the back is sometimes paler than the rest, or the same tint as the sides of the body. In some the top of the head is pale brown, but it is edged by a dark peripheral line, and in some there are one or more irregular dark spots between the fore-limbs."

Blyth writes of the Burmese specimens that they are "similar to the Himalayan, but differing from the Malayan race--found also in Formosa--by having much longer fur, and a wholly black cap instead of a brown cap with a black periphery." The soles are nude.

SIZE.--Head and body about 20 inches; tail, including fur, 12 inches.

This Indian Marten, according to Jerdon, is also found in Ceylon; it was, however, apparently unknown to Kellaart, nor does Sir Emerson Tennent allude to it. It is to be had in the Neilgherries, the Khasia hills, and the ranges in Arakan, as well as in the valleys of the great Himalayan chain up to 7000 or 8000 feet of elevation. It is found in pairs or in small families of five or six. If hunted it takes to trees at once, being a good climber. According to Captain the Hon.

C. Sh.o.r.e, who observed its habits in k.u.maon and Gurhwal, "its food is chiefly birds, rats, mice, hares and even young fawns of the kakur or barking-deer." He adds: "The specimen sent to the Zoological Society was brought to me in September 1828, when it was about four months old. It had been caught when not many days old, and was so tame that it was always kept loose about a well, sporting about the windla.s.ses, posts, &c., and playing tricks with the people who came to draw water." This is the one alluded to by Jerdon as having been described by Mr. Bennett in the 'Gardens and Menageries of the Zoological Society.' _Martes Gwatkinsi_ of Horsfield's Catalogue (page 99), is evidently, as Jerdon says, the same as _M. flavigula_, although the colouring is different, and is supposed to be the same animal in its summer fur, some specimens being darker than others.

It is just one hundred years since this little animal was first described, the earliest record of it being in Pennant's 'History of Quadrupeds' (first edition), published in 1781. It must, however, have been known before that, for Pennant first observed it in Brooks's Menagerie in 1774, and named it the "White-cheeked Weasel,"

which Boddart afterwards in 1785 introduced into his 'Elenchus Animalium' under the name of _Mustela flavigula_ (_Horsfield_).

NO. 178. MARTES ABIETUM.

_The Pine Marten_.

HABITAT.--Ladakh and the Upper Himalayas, Afghanistan (?)

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Martes abietum_.]

DESCRIPTION.--Brown; throat yellow or yellow spotted (_Gray_).

Light yellowish-grey, rather deeper in a line along the back; the hair brown; extremities blackish; chin, threat and breast white (according to Horsfield).

SIZE.--About 18 to 20 inches; tail 12 inches.

Horsfield remarks that the specimens received in the Indian Museum combine the peculiarities of the Pine and Beech Martens respectively, and lead to the conclusion that both are varieties of one species.

This idea was prevalent some time ago, and the Beech Marten (_M.

foina_) was supposed to be merely a variety of the Pine species, but there are certain differences in the skulls of the two animals. It is stated by the editor of my edition of Cuvier that, on examination of the crania of the two, he found that those of _M. abietum_ are constantly smaller, with the zygomatic arch fully twice as strong as in the other. There is also a slight difference in the teeth, the hinder upper tubercular grinder in _M. foina_ not being quite so large as in the other.

The Pine Marten has a wide distribution; the finest specimens are found in Sweden; in England it is becoming scarce, but in other parts of Europe and Asia it is common. Professor Parker and his brother write of it: "This animal is essentially arboreal in its habits, inhabiting chiefly thick coniferous woods, whence its name of Pine Marten is derived. In the branches the female makes a nest of leaves or moss, and sometimes spares herself this trouble by ejecting squirrels or woodp.e.c.k.e.rs, and occupying the vacant dwellings. For its size it is, like all the Mustelidae, extremely ferocious and strong. It attacks and kills fawns, notwithstanding their superior size; from these down to mice nothing comes amiss to it, and nothing is safe from its attacks." It seems almost incredible that such a small animal should venture on such large game, but the same is reported of _M. flavigula_; and a much smaller creature, the Yellow-bellied Weasel, _M. kathiah_, is reported by Hodgson to attack even goats and sheep.

NO. 179. MARTES TOUFOEUS.

NATIVE NAME.--_Toufee_.

HABITAT.--Thibet.

DESCRIPTION (from skins only).--General colour smoky brown, darker along the spine and on the limbs, but without marks, and paler to sordid yellowish h.o.a.ry on the neck and head; head palest, except the mystaceal region and chin, which are embrowned; moustache moderate and dark brown.

SIZE.--Head and body about 20 to 22 inches.

The above description is taken from Hodgson, who had only received imperfect skins. Jerdon just alludes to it by name, but I cannot find it mentioned by any other author. As much stress cannot be laid on colouring in these animals, I feel inclined to think that it is a variety of _Martes abietum_, probably in its dark summer coat.

_GENUS MUSTELA--THE WEASELS_.

These are smaller animals of the true vermiform shape; the legs are very short in comparison with the body, and the neck is very thick and very long, and the head is small, so that head, neck, and body are almost equally cylindrical, and the length of the neck gives a far, set-back appearance to the forelegs, so much so that they seem to start from behind the chest instead of in front of it. The teeth are 34 in number, or four less than in the preceding genus; upper tubercular grinder transverse or broader than long; the feet are slightly webbed, covered with hair, and the s.p.a.ce between the pads is hairy; the tail is short; fur dark above, white or yellowish beneath.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Mustela_.]

Some authors contend that the weasel, though commonly referred to the genus _Mustela_, should be _Putorius_, which is an instance of the disagreement which exists among naturalists. I have however followed Gray in his cla.s.sification, although perhaps Cuvier, who cla.s.ses the weasels and pole-cats under the genus _Putorius_, has the claim of priority. Ray applied the name of _Mustela_ to the restricted weasels, and _Martes_ to the martens, but Cuvier gives _Mustela_ to the martens, and brings the weasels and pole-cats together under _Putorius_.

NO. 180. MUSTELA (VISON: _Gray_) SUB-HEMACHALANA.

_The Sub-Hemachal Weasel_ (_Jerdon's No. 97_).

NATIVE NAMES.--_Zimiong_, Bhotia; _Sang-king_, Lepcha; _Kran_ or _Gran_, Kashmiri.

DESCRIPTION.--"Uniform bright brown, darker along the dorsal line; nose, upper lip, and forehead, with two inches of the end of the tail black-brown; mere edge of upper lip and whole of lower jaw h.o.a.ry; a short longitudinal white stripe occasionally on the front of the neck, and some vague spots of the same laterally, the signs, I suspect, of immaturity; feet frequently darker than the body or dusky brown; whiskers dark; fur close, glossy and soft, of two sorts, or fine hair and soft wool, the latter and the hair basally of dusky hue, but the hair externally bright brown; head, ears, and limbs more closely clad than the body, tail more laxly, tapering to the point."--_Hodgson_.

SIZE.--Head and body about 12 inches; tail, 6 inches.

Jerdon calls this the Himalayan Weasel, but I have preferred to translate Hodgson's' name, which, I confess, puzzled me for some time till I found out there was a Hemachal range in Thibet.

NO. 181. MUSTELA (GYMNOPUS: _Gray_) KATHIAH.

_The Yellow-bellied Weasel_ (_Jerdon's No. 98_).

NATIVE NAME.--_Kathia-nyal_, Nepalese.

HABITAT.--Nepal, Bhotan.

DESCRIPTION.--Dark brown; upper lip, chin, throat, chest, underside of body and front of thighs, bright yellow; tail dark brown, shorter than the body and head, tapering, and of the same colour to the tip; the soles of the hind feet bald; pads well developed, exposed.

SIZE.--Head and body, 10 inches; tail, 5 inches.

Hodgson states that a horribly offensive yellowish-grey fluid exudes from two subcaudal glands. He says that the Nepalese highly prize this little animal for its services in ridding houses of rats. It is easily tamed; and such is the dread of it common to all murine animals that not one will approach a house wherein it is domiciled.

Rats and mice seem to have an instinctive sense of its hostility to them, so much so that when it is introduced into a house they are observed to hurry away in all directions, being apprised, no doubt, of its presence by the peculiar odour it emits. Its ferocity and courage are made subservient to the amus.e.m.e.nt of the rich, who train it to attack large fowls, geese, and even goats and sheep. It seizes these by the great artery of the neck, and does not quit its hold till the victim sinks exhausted from the loss of blood--a cruel pastime which one could only expect of a barbarous people.

NO. 182. MUSTELA (GYMNOPUS: _Gray_) STRIGIDORSA.

_The Striped Weasel_ (_Jerdon's No. 99_).

HABITAT.--Sikim.

DESCRIPTION.--Dark chestnut-brown, with a narrow streak of long yellow hairs down the back; edge of upper lip, chin, throat, chest, and a narrow stripe down the centre of the belly, yellow, or yellowish-white.

SIZE.--Head and body, 12 inches; tail, 5-1/2 inches without the hair, 6-1/2 inches with it.

This is similar to the last, but is slightly larger, and distinguishable by the dorsal stripe.