THE ICHNEUMON 



prey are killed and left without any of their flesh being 

 eaten. In places infested by rats or other noxious 

 creatures the value of these wholesale slaughterers must 

 be inestimable ; for instance, on board ship, these animals 

 would, but for the fear of their destroying the poultry 

 stock, be invaluable. 



The species of Serpestes are very numerous both in 

 Africa and India. Some are of large size, and are extremely 

 active and quick-sighted, the eyes being remarkable, and 

 resembling those of the cat and the fox in having the 

 pupils vertical, and doubtless this structure of the eyes 

 enables the animal to see well with the least possible 

 quantity of light ; its nose, for it follows the scent like a 

 dbg, greatly helps it to iind its food. It can discover the 

 eggs of snakes and of other reptiles as well as those of 

 birds, upon all of which it feeds voraciously. Should it 

 find an egg too large and too hard for the teeth to break 

 through, the animal will raise the egg with its front feet, 

 and dash it upon the ground to break the shell. They 

 are easily kept and fed upon bread-and-milk, raw or 

 cooked meat, small birds, eggs, rats, mice, frogs, and, in 

 fact, almost anything that usually comes to the table 

 either of the Englishman or of the foreigner, and if allowed 

 sufficient room and kept clean have no unpleasant odour. 



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