620 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



No. III.— NOTES ON THE HABITS OF THE SMALL INDIAN 

 MUNGOOSE (MUNGOS AUROPUNCTATUS). 



I am sending you a few notes on the breeding of the small Indian 

 mungoose {Mungos auropunctatus) . 



I have a tame female of this species, which was given me in August 

 1911, when about three weeks to a month old. On the evening of the 

 4th July 1912, she was observed pairing with a wild male, and gave 

 birth to three young ones, 1 male and 2 females, on the night of the 22nd- 

 23rd August — a period of 7 weeks. 



On the 14th April of the current year, she again gave birth to two young 

 ones, both females, and again on the 9th July she has given birth to two 

 more, both females. 



Unfortunately the dates of pairing on these last two occasions were not 

 observed. 



This mungoose makes a charming pet, and a most affectionate one, except 

 when about to pair, when she becomes quite savage, and her temper is also 

 most uncertain for a week before the birth of her young, and a month 

 after. The extraordinary thing is, though she has absolute trust in my 

 wife and self, yet she occasionally turns on us without rhyme or reason 

 during these times. As for the servants and strangers, she will not allow 

 them anywhere near her young, but allows us to handle them. She is 

 a most restless mother for the first two or three weeks, constantly moving 

 her offspring from place to place, carrying them as a cat carries her 

 kittens. 



The young when born are remarkably ugly, being practically hairless, 

 and of a dark mouse colour. The eyes open on the 16th to 17th day. 

 While sucking they purr like a cat and to this day when the mother drinks 

 milk she purrs. We have never heard her do this at any other time, 

 or over any other food. When angry they growl and spit. 



The mungoose, when attacked, only thinks of itself, never combining for 

 mutual protection. But while the young are helpless, the mother is savage 

 in their defence. There is no doubt that the sexes separate after pairing. 

 I have an idea that the male would make a meal of the young, if he got a 

 chance to do so. Two or three years ago, I witnessed a strange thing. A 

 cat of mine had just had her kittens, when a mungoose, owned by a neigh- 

 bour, came into the room, and in a moment he had one of these kittens and 

 made off with it. He was so quick that I had no time to rescue the poor 

 little mite. 



This mungoose is certainly a most useful pet, as all creeping things, such 

 as snakes, centipedes, etc., are eaten by her, as well as scorpions, beetles, 

 wasps, hornets, lizards, rats and mice, and insects of all descriptions. The 

 only thing she does not eat are ants, but white ants are eaten with 

 relish. 



Our present house had a bad reputation for harbouring snakes and 

 scorpions, and now there is not one to be seen. There is no doubt that the 

 mungoose is immune to scorpion sting. 



If there are any other particulars you would like as to the habits of the 

 mungoose, I shall keep a look-out for them, as we have now five of them in 

 the house. 



J. E. POWELL. 



Ghazipur, U. p., 31si July 1913. 



No. lY.— HEDGEHOGS IN GUJARAT. 



Referring to the note re distribution of hedgehogs (page 46, Vol. XXII, 

 No. 1), they are to be found in some parts of Gujarat. 



