140 On an Ichneumon Irought from Egypt. 



it leaps upon with great agility, and conceals its head be- 



.'tVeen its thighs to keep itfelf warm. 



\ This 'individual is a female: it has below its parts of fex 

 a larse bag, which has been defcribed by all naturalifts : it is 

 aflerred that during the great heats it opens this bag in order 

 to coal itfelf. • JonUon gives a very good defcription of this 

 conduit, which is as follows : — " Mealum denique extra 

 foramen excrementi peramplum, undique pilis cinftus, pu- 

 dendo muliebri non diflimileni, quem magno urgent! caetu 

 operiri folet. Hinc fcriplores onines indifcriminatim ich- 

 ncumones et mares et foeminas arbilrati funt*." From this 

 conduit an odoriferous liquor dirtills : the individual in quef- 

 tion, on the approach of a dog, opens this bag, and the dog 

 immediately retires : no odour however is perceived at the 

 time. The nieafurement of the ditierent parts, which 1 took 

 from the animal itfelf, is as follows : 



-Whole length from the muzzle to the extre- Foot In. L!n. 

 inity of the tail - - - "^ 5 3 



It wanted, however, a fmall bit at the extremity of the 

 tail, which feemed to have been cut off, and which maybe 

 ellimated at an inch or an inch and a half t. 



^leafures in Detail. 



Length of the head 

 Length of the body 

 Length of the tail 



Total 



Circumference taken at the thickefl; part of 

 the body _ _ _ 



*Circun)f('rence of the muzzle below the eye 

 Height of the fore- legs 



The figure given by BufTon is very good, and has a perfect 

 .rcfemblance to the individual here defcribed. The figure of 

 Aldrovandi is alfo very correft. The cafe, however, is not 

 the fame with thofe of Jonftonand Profper Alpinus. 



In regard to the defcription which Bufibn has given of the 

 mantioulie, it is traced out with the fame pencil which has 

 fo well delineated the other animals : he has feparated fable 



• Jonfton Hift. Animal, quad. p. 105. ^ 



t K^KHipfcr, in the defcription which he gives of the ichneumon or 

 mnniCiii'rc in hii Amar.iUites Exolitve, p. H74. liiys that it was two ftct 

 a.iU ahalf in length huip the hcail.to. the extremity «f. the tail. 



from 



