The Zoologist — October, 1874, 4183 



right nor to the left. Then the raven, making a short circuit, again assailed 

 him from ahove, and, passing over his head, was ahout to alight deliberately 

 upon the wall, when the dog, making a mighty bound forward, seized his 

 enemy by the wing, and tore him literally to shreds." — P. 127. 



Edward Newman. 



(To be continued.) 



Notes on a Mongoose. 

 By Joseph Smith, Esq., M.R.C.S., F.L.S., &c. 



(Communicated by W. R. Hughes, Esq.) 



If you remember, I promised to send you a report of our much 

 admired little favourite Jenny ; and so, to begin in the orthodox 

 fashion, will say, Jenny, or rather our moongus, of the family 

 Viverridae, named, according to naturalists, Herpestes griseus (and 

 here, by the way of remark, if you will allow me to make an 

 abominably ungramraatical pun, I can safely say Her (a) pest is), 

 was born in India, carried to this island by a sailor, presented to a 

 barber, who, to speak candidly, I believe was much alarmed at our 

 little friend, and sold to me, with her cage, at the low price of one 

 pound. When she came into our possession, now upwards of two 

 years ago, I am free to confess she caused the household no small 

 degree of concern, lest she might at some inopportune moment 

 escape from her domicile, warily reach our beds at night, while we, 

 unconscious of our fate, rocked in balmy sleep, should be quietly 

 bled to death, as per the vampyre of old. By degrees, however, 

 we became more familiar with our new acquisition, commencing at 

 first, by dint of great care, to place a small collar round her neck, 

 and lead her about with a string attached ; but finding many 

 symptoms of docility manifested, one or another would pick her up, 

 stroke her head, and at last she was allowed to roam wherever she 

 pleased. 



Her colour, as you saw, is grayish brown, the hairs on the back 

 very harsh, not sleek, as you would from appearance have judged; 

 the head is smooth, nose pointed, — in fact, not at all unlike the 

 ferret, save the tail, which is long and bushy (when excited), giving 

 you an idea of the hen pheasant's tail ; the feet are small, armed 

 with powerful claws, and covered with small dark brown hairs; the 

 ears short and rounded ; the hairs have alternate bands, not alto- 

 gether unlike the badger. Her length from end of nose to tip of tail 



