THE EGYPTIAN MONGOOSE 95 



of destructive agencies. This being so, the Mongoose was found to 

 be destroying not only the Rats, but all the ground-birds, the local 

 harmless snakes, and the lizards, while it extended its depredations from 

 poultry even to kids and calves, and showed its vegetarian tastes by 

 devouring fruit and even the sugar-cane it had been introduced to 

 guard. The havoc wrought upon the birds and lizards resulted in a 

 great multiplication of the ticks, which had been kept down by these 

 creatures, and in the end the Mongoose was voted a worse evil than 

 the Rats had been. After this, however, the Mongoose itself began 

 to decline in numbers, one cause suggested for this being that it was 

 much worried by the ticks it had contributed to encourage, and its 

 great influence for good or ill is now considered to be over, the balance 

 of nature having become readjusted. The state of affairs in Hawaii 

 seems to have been somewhat similar. 



It is easy to see that the unfortunate result could have been avoided 

 if the Mongooses had been thinned down as soon as they were seen 

 to be exceeding their instructions, so to speak ; but the lesson has 

 produced a deep effect, and the neighbouring American Government 

 has taken it so much to heart that it does not allow living Mongooses 

 to be landed at any port under its control. The fact is that, if an 

 alien pest-exterminator is needed, birds are far better than beasts, as, 

 if they get too numerous, they are much more easily kept under control, 

 as every gamekeeper knows. 



THE EGYPTIAN MONGOOSE 



(Herpestes ichneumon) 



This is the celebrated Ichneumon of the ancients ; it is very similar to 

 the Indian species, but twice as large, and distinguished by having a 

 tassel or bunch of black hairs at the end of the tail. This animal is 

 the only Mongoose found in Europe, where it inhabits the south of 

 Spain ; it is spread over North Africa generally, and is replaced in 

 the south by a very similar species (H. coffer). In general habits it 



