THE MUNGOOSE 



tured was kept confined in a large aviary. Into 

 this I threw a live Puff Adder. The mungoose, 

 with a succession of low growls and grunts, ran 

 swiftly into a corner and faced the snake. Presently 

 it began snapping at the reptile, taking care to keep 

 well beyond striking distance. Tiring of this 

 manoeuvre, it leaped over the snake, ran three or 

 four times round it, with its beady-black shiny 

 eyes all the time intently watching every move- 

 ment of the reptile. Eventually perceiving the 

 snake to be at a disadvantage, it sprang upon it, 

 and next instant, with a backward spring, it was 

 out of reach of the serpent's formidable fangs. 

 There was not much need for the precaution, for 

 it had so severely crushed the head of the snake 

 that it was physically incapable of biting. Care- 

 fully watching the reptile for about ten minutes, 

 the mungoose ran at it again, seized its head, and 

 this time, instead of nipping and letting go, it 

 deliberately chewed the head from the body and 

 swallowed it. Then it leisurely ate a portion of the 

 body, and the remainder the following day. This 

 mungoose eventually died of snake-venom poison- 

 ing in rather a curious way. After maiming a 

 Puff Adder it chewed up and swallowed the head, 

 as is usual with the various mungooses ; but an 

 hour or two after doing so it began to grow sluggish 

 in its movements, and its eyes lost their sheen and 

 grew increasingly dim and deep-set. It died in 

 about ten hours after having eaten the snake's head. 

 29 



