146 



ZOOLOGY. 



[Part II. 



bushy fur, tliat tlie invalid soldiers in the sanatarium, 

 to whom it is familiar, caU it the " Ceylon Badger." 

 I have found universally that the natives of Ceylon 

 attach no credit to the European story of the Mongoos 

 {H. griseus) resorting to some plant, w^hich no one 

 has yet succeeded in identifying, as an antidote against 

 the bite of the venomous serpents on which it preys. 

 There is no doubt that in its conflicts with the cobra 

 de capello and other poisonous snakes, which it attacks 

 with as little hesitation as the harmless ones, it may be 

 seen occasionally to retreat, and even to retire into the 

 jungle, and, it is added, to eat some vegetable ; but a 

 gentleman who has been a frequent observer of its 

 exploits, assures me that most usually the herb it 

 resorted to was grass ; and if this were not at hand, 

 almost any other that grew near seemed ecjually 

 acceptable. Hence has probably arisen the long list 

 of plants ; such as tlie OpJiioxylon serpentinum and 

 Opldorhiza mungos, the Aristolochia Indica, the Mi- 

 mosa octandru^ and others, each of which has been 

 asserted to be the ichneumon's specific ; whilst their 

 multiphcity is demonstrative of the non-existence of 

 any one in particular to which the animal resorts for an 

 antidote. Were there any truth in the tale as regards 

 the mongoos, it would be difficult to understand, why 

 other creatures, such as the secretary bird and the 

 falcon, which equally destroy serpents, should be left 

 defenceless, and the ichneumon alone provided with 

 a j)rophylactic. Besides, were the ichneumon inspired 

 by that courage which would result from the conscious- 

 ness of security, it would be so indifferent to the bite 

 of the serpent, that we might conclude that, both in its 

 approaches and its assault, it would be utterly careless as 

 to the precise mode of its attack. Such, however, is far 



' One specimen of this Herpestes was 

 procured by accident in tlie Ghat 

 forests in 1829, and is now deposited 

 in the Britisli Museum ; it is very 



rare, inhabiting only the thickest 

 woods) and its habits are very little 

 known," p. 9. In Ceylon it is com- 

 paratively common. 



