ENG-1978 — Page 307

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NATURAL HISTORY

trees to be fed by visitors. There are now small breeding groups of both Long-tailed Macaques and Rhesus monkeys. Smaller mammals are common, with the Grey Shrew and the House Shrew being numerous in some rural areas. The Chinese Porcupine, with its strikingly-coloured black and white quills, is still present in parts of the New Territories and on Hong Kong Island.

Over the past decade, wild pigs were sufficiently scarce to warrant their being protected under law. But the numbers increased to such an extent that crop damage caused by wild pigs provoked bitter complaints from farmers. Accordingly, this species was removed from the Seventh Schedule of the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance and is no longer protected. During the year, hunting operations by the police, assisted by the Army, have been carried out in the Plover Cove and Sha Tau Kok areas where most damage to crops occurred.

Indigenous mammals that can no longer be found are the Large Indian Civet, the Crab-eating Mongoose, the Wild Red Dog or Dhole, tigers and leopards. Chinese Leopard Cats have occasionally been seen, but the South China Red Fox and the Eastern Chinese Otter have not been reported for many years. The once plentiful Barking Deer is now rare in the New Territories and those remaining on Hong Kong Island are confined to densely-wooded areas.

Snakes, lizards and frogs are plentiful in Hong Kong. There also are various species of terrapins and turtles, although none is common. Most of the snakes are non-poisonous and death from snake bite is extremely rare. Apart from back-fanged snakes - the local species are not dangerous to man the venomous land snakes are: the Banded Krait, with black and yellow bands; the Many-banded Krait, with black and white bands; Macclelland's Coral Snake, which is coral red with narrow, black transverse bars; the Chinese Cobra and the Hamadryad or King Cobra, both of which are hooded; the rare Mountain Pit Viper; and the White-lipped Pit Viper or Bamboo Snake. The Bamboo Snake is bright green and less venomous than others but it is not easily seen and strikes readily if closely approached. The Hamadryad, Kraits and Corals prey almost exclusively on other snakes. Several species of sea snakes - all venomous - are found in Hong Kong waters, but have never been known to attack bathers. An amphibian of special interest is the Hong Kong Newt, which has not been recorded elsewhere in the region. The Pacific Ridley Turtle was recorded for the first time in local waters during the year.

Of more than 200 recorded species and forms of colourful butterflies, several in their larval forms cause considerable damage to farmers' crops. These include the two commonly-found species of Cabbage Whites, the Swallowtails, and the beautiful but less common Small Blue. Among the many local moths are the giant silk worm moths. These include the Cynthia, the Fawn, Golden Emperor, the Atlas and Moon moths. The Atlas has an average wing span of 23 centimetres and the Moon 18 centimetres. Two local plant bugs are noted for their colour and shape. They are the rare and beautifully-spotted Tea Bug, which has only been recorded on hill-tops, and the Lantern Fly, which has delicately-coloured wings and a remarkably long forehead. Dragon and damsel flies are common, as are wasps and metallic-coloured beetles. Of particular interest is the Large Spotted Batocera Long-horn Beetle, which feeds on mountain tallow trees.