88 



MAMMALIA- MONGOOS. 

 THE MONGOOS.i 



The mongoos is less than the macauco ; but its hair is, like that, ol a 

 short and silken nature, but a little curled ; the nose is also thicker. Buffon 

 had a mongoos in his possession for several years ; its coat was of a brown 

 color, the eyes yellow, the nose black, and the ears short. It had a custom 

 of playing with and biting its tail, and had, by this method, lessened it by 

 four or five of the last vertebrae. Whenever it got loose, it visited the shops 

 in the neighborhood, and would make free with fruit, sugar, sweetmeats, &c; 

 to obtain which it would open the boxes. At such times, it was difficult to 

 retake it ; and it would bite those that attempted it, even its keeper. 



THE RED AND BLACK LEMUR. 9 





This is not only one of the most beautiful of the group to which it 



1 Lemur mongooz. 



,J Lemur rvhe 



