DISEASES AND ENEMIES 287 



introduction of the mungoose are in this respect very 

 instructive. 



The mungoose (Herpes tes mungo) was imported 

 into Trinidad, Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Mauritius, 

 and Porto Rico. It was clear from the first that the 

 number of rats diminished ; but it soon turned out that 

 many birds and other animals were also killed. The 

 killing of fowls caused much loss to the inhabitants ; 

 but it was much worse when the mungoose began to 

 devour large quantities of insectivorous birds and small 

 animals, with the result that there was a noticeable 

 increase in all sorts of injurious insects. So much so, 

 that the Government in Trinidad and Barbados had 

 to offer a premium for every mungoose killed, and since 

 that time a large sum is spent every year in this way. 

 The same happened in Mauritius, while in Jamaica it 

 has been attempted to destroy the mungooses by means 

 of a virus. 



In Java a rodent larger than the rat, the " badjing " 

 (Sciurus notatus), does considerable damage by eating 

 all sorts of fruit, especially coconuts, and also the seeds 

 of cocoa fruits. 



In Kamerun damage is done by a kind of hamster 

 (Cricetomys gambianus). 



Of the larger mammals, species of deer and pigs 

 may be mentioned as troublesome in young cocoa 

 fields. The deer damage the trees by rubbing the 

 bark off the stem. With older trees the damage 

 is seldom serious, but young plants may be badly 

 damaged, and a large number may be killed in this 

 way by a few deer. Different species of deer are to be 

 found in the cocoa-growing countries. In Java it is 

 the "muntjak" or "kidang" (Cervulus muntjak) and 

 also the " mendjangan " (Cervus russa), which are now 

 and then troublesome in cocoa plantations. Deer are 

 very common in Surinam, and do more damage than in 

 Java. 



Though pigs are in a sense useful, as they dig up 

 and devour grubs, the damage done in this way to the 



