54 SOUTH AFRICAN MAMMALS 



mane-like crest ; tail tapering and ringed with black and 

 white, tip black. Total length of animal about 4 feet. 



This animal is found throughout the warmer parts of 

 Africa, extending as far south as the Central and Eastern 

 Transvaal. The Zoo has had examples from the Sabi 

 Game Keserves, the Rustenburg district, and from 

 Hectorspruit in the Eastern Transvaal. An individual 

 from the first-named locality, presented by Major J. 

 Stevenson Hamilton in May, 1908, is still alive. Its diet 

 consists of raw meat, bread and milk, and occasionally a 

 few raw eggs. Owing to its being largely a nocturnal 

 animal little was previously known of its habits, but 

 Major Hamilton, in his interesting book "Animal Life 

 in Africa," gives a fair account. He says : " It favours 

 thick bush and is solitary and nocturnal, lying hidden 

 during the daytime in the grass, under a bush or in a 

 hole in the earth. Its food consists of berries, ants, 

 locusts and other insects, lizards and frogs, as well as 

 rats and mice and other small rodents. Carrion is also 

 eaten. In addition to the foregoing varied bill of fare it 

 will devour the eggs and the young of game birds, and 

 will even steal poultry when opportunity offers." 



Genus GENETTA. 



Small animals with long slender bodies, short limbs 

 and long tails. The ears are long and prominent. The 

 metatarsus has a narrow line of bare skin running up to 

 the heel, which characteristic is sufficient to distinguish 

 the members of this genus from Viverra. There are five 

 toes to each foot. These animals have the power of 

 emittmg an evil-smelling fluid from the perineal glands. 

 South Africa possesses a number of species, ranging 

 pretty well over the whole country. They are nocturnal, 



