62 



SODTH AFRICAN MAMMALS 



raw meat, hard-boiled eggs, and bread and milk. The 

 egg seems 'to be necessary, and takes the place of the 

 insects they feed upon in their wild state. A female 

 gave birth in the Zoo to two litters — the first of two, 

 and the second of four young ones. It was a pretty 

 sight to watch the little ones, no larger than a mouse, 

 playing about in the bright sunlight like kittens. 



Genus CROSSARCHUS. 



No naked line from nose to lip. Other characters as 

 in Helogale. 



C. faciatus. Banded Mongoose. Gestreepte Kommetje Eat. 



This is the common species of the Natal coastal belt, 

 ranging westwards into Bechuanaland and northwards 

 to Rhodesia. It is of a grizzled grey, banded on the 

 hinder portion of the body with dirty white, reddish and 

 black, the hinder portion of each white stripe shading 

 from white, through reddish, to black. The tail is black 

 towards the tip. Length of head and body, 16 inches; 

 tail, 8 inches. 



It lives in small communities, more resembling the 

 true Mierkat in habits than those of a Mongoose. It 

 feeds upon fruit, insects, &c. Mr. C. H. B. Grant says 

 it is not common, and it frequents the thornbush and 

 thickly wooded sluits and river banks, usually in parties 

 of six. I found it fairly plentiful between Palapye Eoad 

 and Serowe in Bechuanaland, and its skins very often 

 adorned the karosses of the local natives. It becomes 

 very tame in confinement, and like its relative the true 

 Mierkat, makes a lovable pet. It will eat meat and 

 the usual articles of diet mentioned in regard to the 

 other species. 



