78 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



the presence of a genet, and the best way to bolt it is by 

 smoking it out, when it emerges at the last with a grand 

 spring or rush. When angry this genet erects the crest 

 along its back, and spits, snarls, and growls very much 

 like a domestic cat. 



It is strictly carnivorous, preying on small birds, 

 guinea-fowls, francolins, and other winged game, besides 

 squirrels, rats, mice, hares, and such lesser mammals, 

 insects, lizards, and possibly snakes. It is also one of the 

 most dangerous foes of the poultry keeper, being both 

 daring and cunning. Its usual method is to take a single 

 fowl at a time, returning for another as soon as it has 

 finished the first, and so on until it has emptied the 

 roost ; but at times a murderous fit appears to seize it, and 

 it will then kill the whole number present, apparently 

 from sheer love of slaughter. In eating a bird, the throat 

 is first seized and the blood sucked ; the upper part of the 

 breast is next eaten, and afterwards the thighs and hinder 

 parts. It is also partial to carrion, will come readily to 

 baited traps, and sometimes is caught in the large gins 

 set at "kills" for hyaenas and leopards. This species 

 tames very readily when caught young, and even animals 

 full grown when captured tend to lose their fear of man 

 after a time if they are patiently and kindly treated. 



MUNGOOSES. These are long-tailed animals, with 

 elongated, slender bodies, short legs and very short wide 

 ears. They are plantigrade, that is, they walk on the soles 

 of their feet, but some species use more of the hind sole in 

 walking than others. The claws are non-retractile, and 

 none of the species is arboreal in habit. In size they vary 

 considerably, from the large grey mungoose, with a body 

 of over two feet in length, down to the little brown mun- 

 goose, with his measurement of about nine inches. Their 

 natural food consists of other animals or of insects. 



