THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 77 



Sumatra and Borneo, it is very rare, but is known to feed on fish and Crustacea, and to be semi- 

 aquatic. The author of the chapter on the civets in the Naturalist's Library says, " It may be 

 likened to a climbing otter." 



THE MONGOOSE AND ICHNEUMON FAMILY 



THESE are a numerous and useful race of small mammals, feeding mainly on the creatures 

 most annoying to man within tropical countries. Snakes, the eggs of the crocodile, large lizard, 

 rats, mice, and other creatures known generally as " vermin," are their favourite food. It must 

 be added that, though they are most useful in destroying these, they also kill all kinds of birds, 

 and that their introduction into some of the West India Islands, for the purpose of killing rats, 

 has been fatal to the indigenous bird life. 



THE INDIAN MONGOOSE 

 This universal favourite is one of the largest, the head and body being from 15 to 18 inches 



Phot* hy A. S. Rutland &> Sons 



GENET 



The genets are smaller than some civets, but allied to them. One -was anciently domesticated like a cat 



long, and the tail 14 inches. The fur is loose and long, and capable of being erected. As in all 

 the tribe, the tint is a " pepper and salt," the " pepper " colour being sometimes blackish and 

 sometimes red, but a speckled appearance characterises the whole group. This is the animal 

 supposed to be immune from snake-bite. It is possibly so to some extent, for it kills and eats 

 the poisonous snakes, and it is now known that the eating of snake-poison tends to give the 

 same protection as inoculation does against certain diseases. But it is certain that in most cases 

 the mongoose, by its activity, and by setting up the hair on its body, which makes the snake 

 " strike short," saves itself from being bitten. 



Many descriptions of the encounters between these brave little animals and the cobra have 

 been written. Here is one of the less known : " One of our officers had a tame mongoose, a 

 charming little pet. Whenever we could procure a cobra and we had many opportunities 

 we used to turn it out in an empty storeroom, which had a window at some height from the 

 ground, so that it was perfectly safe to stand there and look on. The cobra, when dropped from 

 the bag or basket, would wriggle into one of the corners of the room and there coil himself up. 

 The mongoose showed the greatest excitement on being brought to the window, and the moment 



