820 



the upper arc false grinders ; and there is one large 

 carnivorous tooth, and two tuberculated ones. In 

 the lower jaw there are four false grinders, one large 

 carnivorous tooth, and one large tuberculated one. 

 The head is long ; the muzzle pointed, the pupils of 

 the eye contract to a line ; the tongue is rough ; 

 there are five toes on each foot, and the animals are 

 furnished with an anal pouch of considerable size. 

 There are several species, all natives of Africa and 

 south-eastern Asia. They are animals of small size, 

 of prowling dispositions, but not remarkable for fero- 

 city. Figures of the two best known species are 

 given in the plate ICHNEUMON, and we shall first very 

 briefly notice them. 



EGYPTIAN ICHNEUMON (M. Ichneumon). This 

 species inhabits the banks of the Nile ; and it has 

 been scarcely less celebrated than the ibis itself. It 

 is too weak and too timid for being able to attack 

 adult crocodiles, serpents, and the larger lizards ; but 

 it is by feeding on their eggs and destroying the 

 young that the ichneumon decreases the number of 

 these obnoxious creatures. It is not an animal of a 

 decidedly carnivorous appetite, though it occasionally 

 lives on animal food. When urged by its natural 

 instinct of destruction, it is often met with after night- 

 fall cautiously prowling along the rough surface of 

 the soil in search of its prey, and at the same time 

 cunningly avoiding all appearances of danger. When 

 it is fortunate enough to succeed in these researches, 

 it does not stop with the gratification of its appetite, 

 but goes on destroying every animate creature it can 

 safely attack. It is particularly fond of eggs, which 

 it seeks after with great assiduity, and the gratification 

 of its palate in this way causes the destruction of a 

 great many crocodiles. It is a mere fable that it 

 enters the mouth of the crocodile when asleep ; but 

 such fables are very common in all countries in the 

 age of superstition. 



These animals possess a considerable degree of 

 sagacity, and have a strong disposition to explore and 

 scrutinise places which are new to them. The sense 

 of smell appears to be of great use in guiding them 



I C H N E U M N I D IE. 



the whole length of the body. It is very common 

 in many parts of India, and so far from shunning the 

 habitations of men, it often takes up its abode in 

 holes of the walls of houses, or in small burrows in the 

 ground, which it digs with great readiness. It is 

 easily tamed, and when fed it is playful ; but the sight 

 of those animals which form its natural prey exciter it 

 so much that it is apt to bite, if not released so as to 

 be suffered to pursue them. It partakes a little in 

 the habits of the cat ; and one might expect as much 

 from all the species, inasmuch as they have the claws 

 semi-retractile, and use them partially in capturing 

 their prey. It is exceedingly fond of birds, and very 

 dexterous in seizing them. It jumps upon them like 

 a cat, with far more rapidity than one would expect 

 from the general appearance of the animal. 



There are several other species, or at least varie- 

 ties, found in the eastern peninsula of Asia, and in 

 Java and the other islands situated around the ex- 

 tremity of that peninsula. The chief difference 

 among these is difference of colour, which renders it 

 not improbable that they are all originally of the same 

 stock. The one which inhabits Java is found most 

 abundantly in the forests of large trees. It is ac 

 active and energetic animal, not indisposed to asso- 

 ciate with man, but rather destructive of eggs and 

 young birds in the poultry-yard. From the accounts 

 that are given of it, it appears to be more sensitive to 

 kindness than the other species ; for it follows its 

 master like a clog, stands up on its hind legs to be 

 played with and caressed, and shows other evidences 

 of being pleased with attention. Some of the animals 

 which probably ought to belong to this group are 



placed in other genera ; so that we shall notice the 

 remainder of them, and also the general relations of 

 the family, in the article VIVEURID^E. 



ICHNEUMONID^E (Latreille). A very exten- 

 sive tribe or family of Hymenopteratu insects belong- 

 ing to the section Terebrantia, or those destitute of a 

 poisonous sting, and subsection Pupii'nra, Latreille, or 

 those which are parasitic upon other insects. In this 

 family the wings are furnished with various veins, the 



to their prey : but their other senses are not so acute, anterior pair having several complete and closed cells. 

 It waits and watches with great patience, and also The abdomen, which is narrowed at the base, is in- 

 shows much perseverance in search of prey. On serted between the posterior pair of legs ; the antennae 

 these accounts, and from its comparatively gentle j are long and filiform, or setaceous, composed, for the 

 disposition, it is pretty generally kept in a state of j most part, of a very great number of short, cylindrical 

 domestication, in which it answers nearly the same ; joints. They are constantly kept in a state of vibra- 

 tion. In the majority the jaws are not furnished with 

 a strong internal too'th, and they are generally slit at 

 the tips. The maxillary palpi do not generally con- 

 sist of more than five joints, which are long and slen- 



purpose as the domestic cat. In this" state they 

 readily know the houses of their keepers, and those 

 persons who feed or otherwise kindly use them, 

 though they do not show any sign of "the watchful- 

 ness and attachment of the doer. They are, however, 



der ; the ovipositor, which, as we shall subsequently 



not insensible, to caresses ; and though they are apt j see, is an organ of the greatest importance in the 

 to be sulky if disturbed when feeding, they never economy of these insects, is composed of two exter- 



attempt to regain the wild state after they have been 

 once domesticated. 



nal filaments enclosing a slender cylindric instrument 

 which, although apparently consisting of a single 



THE INDIAN ICHNEUMON (M. Mangos). A figure I piece, is, in reality, formed of a sheath inclosing two 

 of this species is given in the same plate with the very delicate and serrated threads, 

 former, from which some general notion of the aspect These insects were named by the old authors 

 of the animal may be formed. It is of a dull grey j MUSCCE tripiles, from the three setae which compose 

 colour, arising from the marking of the hairs, which j the ovipositor, or Mnscce mbrantes, from the constant 

 is an alternation of rings of black and white. The ! vibration of the antenna?, which are often curled at 

 I is of the same colour as the body, very thick at the tips with a band of white or yellow towards the 

 e ba~<al part, but tapering to the extremity, a small middle; the body is generally 'long, slender, and 

 portion of which is yellow. It is smaller than the narrow ; the ovipositor sometimes being protruded 

 Aincan species, being little more than a foot in to a very great length, far exceeding that of the eutiro 

 length, and five inches high in the most elevated part body, and sometimes being so short that it is not ex- 

 t the back ; but the tail is very long, nearly equal to ternally visible, in which case the both- is oointed at 



