94? ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. 



most perfect fruits ; and the seeds are eagerly collected 

 by the natives, as the coffee is thus obtained without the 

 tedious process of removing its membranaceous arillus, 

 or covering." But this is not all. The injury which 

 these animals occasion to the coffee plantations are, 

 however, fully counterbalanced in another manner. The 

 berries pass through the stomach of the animal without 

 the least injury to their vegetating powers : they are 

 thus conveyed to spots far distant from where they 

 originally came ; and having been selected, by the pecu- 

 liar instinct of the animal^ from among the ripest and 

 best berries, they are more especially adapted for taking 

 root when deposited on the ground, which is at the 

 same time naturally manured for their reception : accord- 

 ingly. Dr. Horsfield found that this animal " has pro- 

 pagated the coffee plant in various parts of the forests, 

 particularly on the declivities of the fertile hills. These 

 spontaneous groves," he concludes, " of a valuable fruit, 

 afford to the natives no inconsiderable harvest, while the 

 accidental discovery of them surprises and delights the 

 traveller in the most sequestered parts of the island."* 



The Javanese Ichneumon. 



Hei-pestes Javanicus, Desmarest. Mangusta Javanica, Hors- 

 field. Manguste de Java, Fred.'^Cuvier. Garangan, Javanese. 



The habits of this species have been given at some 

 length by Dr. Horsfield, who, during his residence in 

 Java, had frequent opportunities of studying them. It 

 seems a common animal, and is more particularly found 

 in the large teak forests of that island. Like the Egyp- 

 tian ichneumon, it attacks and kills serpents with ex- 

 cessive boldness, and its agility is greatly admired even 

 by the natives ; it is no less expert in burrowing the 

 ground in pursuit of rats. 



When domesticated by being taken young, it is tame 

 and docile, possesses much natural sagacity, and evinces 

 great attachment to its mastery whom it will follow like 



* Zool. Researches. 



