THE RACOON 



235 



are slightly webbed, a long head, with a broad, flattened 

 muzzle, very long whiskers, and short ears and a short 

 tail. It is also an inhabitant of the Malay Archi- 

 pelago, and lives on fish, crabs, small beasts, and birds, 

 and also, it is said, on fruit. 



Of the mongooses there are some twenty-one different 

 species, the majority of which are Asiatic, and they have 

 all relatively longer and more slender bodies, shorter 

 limbs, and more pointed muzzles than the civets. The 

 mongoose lives principally upon rats, mice, snakes, 

 lizards, eggs, insects, and any small birds it can catch. 

 It is an excellent ratter, and is said to be able to kill a 

 dozen full-grown rats in a minute and a half. Its intro- 

 duction into Jamaica is said to have resulted in a savins 



o 



of more than ^100,000 a year in protecting the sugar 

 canes from rats. Much has been written about the 

 combats between this animal and venomous snakes, 

 and the immunity it is said to enjoy from the 

 effects of the serpent's bite. Mr. Blanford, whose 

 experience is so great, observes : " The prevalent belief 

 throughout Oriental countries is, that the mongoose, 

 when bitten, seeks for an antidote, a herb or root known 

 in India as mangusn-ail . It is scarcely necessary to say 

 that the story is destitute of foundation. There is, how- 

 ever, another view, supported by some evidence, that the 

 mongoose is less susceptible to snake poison than other 

 animals. I have not seen many combats, but so far as I 

 can judge the mongoose usually escapes being bitten by 

 his wonderful activity. He appears to wait until the 

 snake makes a dart at him, and then suddenly pounces 

 on the reptile's head and crunches it to pieces. I have 

 seen a mongoose eat up the head and poison glands of a 

 large cobra, so the poison must be harmless to the 

 mucous membrane of the former animal. When excited. 



