EAST AFRICAN MAMMALS. • 713 



The stomjicli of tin's individual contained fowl feet, beaks, eyes, 

 t^tc, and the wing of a bird. Tlie other sj-Mscinien had a little 

 grass, probably seized after capture. A screw-worm and a tape- 

 worm Avere found in the abdominal cavity. 



]>espite the nauseous stench of the creattire, Wazigoor and 

 Wabeni porters asked for the bodies of two r.atels and ate theju ! 



ICTONYX STRIATUS ALBESCENS Heller. 



A single female Zorilla (250. 152. 49. 23 mm.) was purchased 

 from a native, who had killed it in his fowl-house at Usshora, 

 30. X. 21. Though very young it had minute foetuses in utero. 



AoNYX cArENSis HELIOS Heller. 



Fisi maji, its Kiswahili name, is commonly used for the Otter 

 by both Wakanii and Wasagaia. 



A single female (762. 485, 132. 25 mm.) Otter av^is trap-shot 

 with a -22 rifle whilst nnder water at Tindiga, ], ix, 22. There 

 were fish in its stomach and a new Ascarid (Clreoascaris spinkMis 

 Baylis), and I was somewhat surprised to fin<l a flea (Cteno- 

 ■ce2)hahts felis) in the fur of snch an amphibious creature. Ticks 

 were also present but not preserved. 



YlVEUniDJE. 

 CiVETTICTIS CIVETTA ORIEXTALIS Matschie. 



The Civet is known as Fungo in Kiswahili, Kikami, and 

 Kisagara. 



Twelve specimens from Wami River, Mkata lliver, Kimamba, 

 Kilosa, and Sagayo. 



The largest male measured 900. 480. 140. GO mm. (Sagayo), and 

 female 940. 445. 140. 60 mm. (Wami R.). 



The only note on breeding is the record of two litters brought 

 me on 21.iii. 21 a.nd 29. xi. 21 from Kilosa. The first litter con- 

 tained three and the latter two. The young are almost black. 



T'he fir-st batch were very fierce, spitting and biting Avhen 

 appr-oached; after a month two of them sliOAved signs of taming, 

 fliid would come to me at meal times, sta,n<Hng up on their hir.d legs 

 or clambering to my knee. They never liked being liandled. Civets 

 are very dirty feeders, and these little beasts invariably put their 

 feet into their milk or lield jam down with their paws, getting 

 into a nice mess. They were very fond of mangoes. 



Stomachs of wild specimens held the folloAving: — (i.) Bodies of 

 birds and i-ats skinned by my collectors the previous day, chicken's 

 leg and mango skins from the kitchen. This animal Avas shot at 

 5 a.m. in bright moonlight from the verandah, (ii.) Flesh of a 

 baboon, Avhich I had put out as a bait, some other big pieces of 

 flesh, skin bearing fur of Avh at might be the gerbil {Taterona^-).), 

 ix locust, and a calculus of hair, (iii.) 2i. c. microdon, eggs and 

 chicks of a francolin, fruit of mkongo tree. 



