NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Birds, their young, and eggs are a favourite diet 

 of the muishond. However, it is only those species 

 which Hve and breed upon the ground which are 

 levied toll upon. 



The chief diet of this bloodthirsty little animal 

 consists of rats and mice. There are a large 

 number of species or kinds of these destructive 

 rodents native to South Africa, in addition to those 

 which have been introduced into the country. 

 Rats and mice, as everybody knows, breed with great 

 rapidity, and if it were not for the smaller carni- 

 vorous animals and birds of prey of this country 

 these destructive creatures would become a scourge 

 and cause immense damage, and probably dissemi- 

 nate many virulent diseases among men and 

 domestic animals. 



The muishond hunts these rats and mice above 

 ground and underground, and will spend hours 

 patiently digging them out of their subterranean 

 retreats. 



Another rodent animal which is a curse to the 

 agriculturalist is the Springhare or Springhaas {Pe- 

 detes caffer). This animal is about the size of an 

 ordinary hare, and is kangaroo-like in shape. It 

 lives in burrows excavated by itself, and the muis- 

 hond is one of its most dreaded enemies, for it 

 penetrates to the innermost recesses of its burrow 

 and destroys both adults and young. The muis- 

 hond in this way confers an immense service upon 

 man, for the Springhare is an unmitigated pest 



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