ACROSS CAMDEBOO TO NAROEKAS POORT. 55 



saxicola, and one of the most charming songsters of 

 the Colony, was often seen and heard. Meercats 

 were abundant, and a jackal once or twice might be 

 seen prowling in the distance. 



The little grey meercat (literally moorcat), 

 commonly found on the Karroo, is, nowadays 

 occasionally seen about farmhouses, quite as tame 

 as an ordinary cat. The picture accompanying will 

 best demonstrate the peculiarities of shape of this 

 singular little animal. One of the Viverridae, and 

 known to naturalists as the Pencilled Ichneumon, 

 this meercat, as I have previously mentioned, lives 

 in colonies in burrows on the karroo. Its singular 

 forearms are evidently designed for burrowing, and 

 are really two sinewy little spades of flesh and blood. 

 I first saw one tame at Riet Fontein, where we 

 afterwards stayed. The little animal was made 

 a great pet of, and amongst the members of 

 the household it displayed the greatest affection. 

 Towards strangers it was not so friendly, and with 

 them it would sometimes display, and even use its 

 sharp little teeth. I remember a very ludicrous 

 instance of this hostility occurring. Vrouw Stols, 

 wife of a neighbouring Boer, came up to the house 

 for something ; while she stood talking at the door, 

 Kitty, the meercat, who had silently approached her 

 from behind, bit her sharply on the heel just below 

 the ankle. The good Vrouw, like all Boer ladies, 

 wore low veldt-schoons and no stockings, and the 

 sharpness and suddenness of the attack made her 

 leap into the air screaming vigorously. Then she 

 fled incontinently homewards, only to be brought 

 back again. When an explanation took place, Kitty 

 was scolded, and the stout Boer lady at length 



