XXII. Letter from Ccunt MoROZZO io C. Lacepede, 



Senator and Mevibt:r of the French Nationfil Injlitutej om 

 an Ichneumon brought from Egj'pt *. 



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N the middle of April 1802, C. Almet, chef de batailion 

 in the corps of engineers, brought to Rome a young ichneu* 

 non which he had caught ia Egypt. I took the earheft 

 opportunity of examining it; and, as I made fo me very in* 

 tereftmg nbfervatioas in regard to the natural hiitory of this 

 animal, I communicate them to you with pleafuve. 



The Greeks and the Romans called it the ichneumon : \t' 

 is the ?na?igouJie of Buffon, and the mus Vbaraonis of Pro- 

 fper Alpinus. It is a pretty animal, about the fizc of a cat, 

 with a long tailj its hair is rough and of confiderable length} 

 it cannot be compared to any thing better than the briftles 

 of the wild boar. It is radiated tranfverfely with three co- 

 lours, viz orayifh while, fawn or ruffet colour, and black. 

 Each hairlins (ive or fix tranfverfe rings, like the quills of the 

 porcupine : the length of thtie hairs from the body is an incfci 

 or an inch and a half; they are (horter on the tail, and ia 

 particular at the head, which gives to the animal a neat ap- 

 pearance. 



The head, and particularly the muzzle, are very fmali| 

 jt has beautiful teeth like thofe of the dog; two canine, fijt 

 jncifive teeth, and eight grinders in each mandible, making 

 in the whole thiriy-lwo. It has fmall ears of a brown co- 

 lour without hair; they adhere to the head like thofe of apvs. 

 Its eyes arc fmall and lively. An obfervatiou which \ made 

 in regard to the eyes wjll be mentioned hereafter. 



Its colour varies a great deal according to the place ia 

 which it is viev.ed. VVhen obfcrved towards the fide of the 

 head it appears to be grayifli black; when looked at behind,- 

 it appears to be reddiih. The legs, and parlicidarly thofe • 

 before, arc (hort : it has five toes on each foot, four before and 

 one fmallcr behind. The two middle toes on each foot are 

 Jonger. The nails are black, like thofe of the dog. 



The young ichneumon is very familiar and domeftlc : k . 

 is fond of being cartfled ; it is much al'raid of cold; and 

 though the temperature of Rome is very mild, it wasgratilied 

 by having a covering now and then thrown over it; fome- 

 times even a chaffing didi was placed near it. Very often it 

 lies dljwn in a round form on a chair or on the bed, which 



• F.om the Journal (in Phvfi^Me, M0. er, au. ic. 



