384 



SURIKATE. 



Viverra Surikatta. V. grisea, nasoproducto mobili, pedibus tetra- 

 dactylis, caudaferruginea, apice nigro. 



Grey-brown W. with long moveable snout, four-toed feet, and 

 ferruginous tail, black at the tip. 



Viverra tetradactyla. V. pedibus tetradactylis, naso producto mo- 

 bili. Lin. Syst. Nat. GmeL p. 85. 



Suricate. Buff. 13. p. f2.pl. 8. 



Viverra tetradactyla. Miller, Cimel. Phys, t. ao. 



Four- toed Weesel. Pennant Quadr. ^. p. 57. 



THE Surikate is distinguished by a long sharp- 

 pointed nose, depressed head, and inflated cheeks : 

 the upper jaw is much longer than the lower, and 

 on its upper part is black : the eyes are also sur- 

 rounded by black : the ears are small and round- 

 ed: the tongue is oblong, blunt, and aculeated 

 backwards: the length of the animal, exclusive 

 of the tail, is about a foot ; and of the tail about 

 eight inches : the legs are short : the claws on the 

 fore feet mu^h exceed in length those of the 

 hind feet. The general colour of the Surikate is 

 a deep grey; the tail is subferruginous, tipped 

 with black. It is an inhabitant of the Cape of 

 Good Hope, where it is called Meer-rat. It feeds 

 on flesh, and preys on mice, and other small ani- 

 mals. It commonly sits erect in the manner of a 

 Squirrel, and, when pleased, makes a rattling 

 noise with its tail, for which reason the Dutch 

 inhabitants of the Cape call it Klapper-maus. It 

 is also found in the island of Java, where it is 

 named Surikatje by the Dutch, on account of a 



