EAST AFKICAN MAMMALS. 711 



Otocyon virgatus Miller. 



Bee iu Iviiiyatuni, Bele in Kiramba. 



Five males (two being cubs) collected at jMdjengo's, Mtali's, 

 and Sagayo. A score were seen at Izikisia in the moonlight. 



The largest male measured 556. 275. 120. 95 mm. One cub 

 died a month after I got it, perhaps it would be six weeks old 

 when it measured 290. 115. 90. 70 mm. Its twin brother wius 

 measured whilst alive as accurately as possible at live-and-a-half 

 months old: 470? 250? 120? 94?; he then weighed G.^bs. 



The two lively little cubs, with eyes open and just able to walk, 

 were brought me at Mtali's on 20.x. 21, their father having been 

 killed by a native dog. At this stage their fur was very woolly 

 jind an almost uniform smoky-grey. 



At five and a half months the colour was as follows : — Grizzled 

 bufl*. a thick woolly underfur of buft", almost concealed by long 

 Avhitisli hairs tipped Avith black. Feet as far up as the knees, 

 black ; the whole leg is darker than the body. Tip of tail black, 

 extending in a weilge-shape on dorsal aspect almost to root of 

 tail. Muzzle black, extending on the forehead to between the 

 eyes, on the cheeks to beyond the eyes. Tip of the ears and for 

 some distance downwards, black. I'he ears are fringed with long- 

 all-white hairs, a good deal of buff about the base of tljie ears. 



When young I gave them a great deal of meat ; one of them 

 ate a. green locustid at three weeks old. Another time Kip, as 

 the survivor was called, pounced upon a Striped Hawk-Moth, 

 chewed it well, dropped it, and then ate it up. He is jmssionately 

 fond of butter and honey, will eat porridge, bi-ead, eggs, and 

 drink milk or tea with i^elish. Bananas and paupau are also 

 eaten readilj^ but he will not touch mangoes or pineapple. 



He spends a good deal of his time turning over stones in 

 search of millipedes, wlu'ch are gobbled up greedily. I od'cred 

 l)iin a black-and-yellow polydesmid which he pawed over for 

 some three minutes, but would not eat it. In strange contrast 

 Avas his attitude to a Lesser Stink Ant {Paltothyreus iarsatus), 

 Avhich came out of its hole and Avaved its antennae right under 

 Kip's nose. He looked at it, then seized and crunched it up 

 despite the smell, which was noticeable to me standing a couple 

 of feet aAvay. 



A very big baboon came up to the kitchen one afternoon, and 

 aroused Kip's curiosity, the fox then being five months old. He 

 followed the baboon with his head doAvn, and Avhen the baboon, 

 catching sight of me, cantered away, Kip flew after it for two 

 hundred j'^ards with only about six feet betAveen. A month later 

 baboons Avore in the vicinity of the house daily, and on several 

 occasions I saw him playing with them. He Avill lie crouched 

 upon the ground, and a big dog-baboon Avill come Avalking sloAvly 

 towards him till Avithin two yards, Avhen Kip Avill spring up and 

 fly straight at it, the baboon cantering easily aAvay, looking over 

 its shoulder at the small animal Avhicli it could so easily kill. 

 Many other baboons will be close by during this play. 



47* 



