NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



the process Jeannie expresses her satisfaction in a 

 multitude of sounds. The average total per week 

 is six shillings, and as we have had the rat el for a 

 period of four years this means we have acquired 

 the sum of about ^^60. With this money we have 

 been enabled not only to feed Jeannie but all the 

 other live creatures in the museum, and even to 

 have a small balance with which to buy sundry 

 live snakes, &c. Therefore Jeannie is not only self- 

 supporting, but actually finds the coin for the 

 purchase of food for a variety of animals. 



The ratel in captivity at first is inclined to sleep 

 during the daytime, but after a month or two it 

 changes its habits and becomes lively and ener- 

 getic throughout the day. In captivity ratels will 

 thrive on fresh meat supplemented by fruit, rats, 

 mice, and some honeycomb occasionally. Fresh 

 meat and bananas is the chief food of the two which 

 I have. On a diet of meat only they are apt to 

 have seizures similar to epileptic fits. Our old friend 

 Jeannie got fits nearly every day for a week, and 

 on inquiry I found that the caretaker had been 

 feeding her exclusively on raw meat. When fruit 

 was added to this diet she completely recovered. 



Several ratels placed in the same cage together 

 agree all right. At first the new arrival is some- 

 what teased, and is apt to resent it in a surly way, 

 but soon becomes friendly, and enters with the 

 greatest of zest into all the games and gambols, 

 for ratels are as playful as monkeys — in fact far 



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