56 THE MOONGUS. 
rous reptiles. Small and insignificant as this animal appears, it is a most 
danzerous foe to the huge crocodile, teeding largely upon its eggs. Snakcs, 
rats, lizards, mice, and various birds fall a prey to this Ichneumon, which 
will painfully track its prey to its hiding-place, and wait patiently for hours 
until it makes its appearance, or will quietly creep up to the unsuspecting 
animal, anu flinging itself boldly upon it destroy it by rapid bites with its 
long sharp teeth. 
Taking advantage of these admirable qualities, the ancient Egyptians 
were wont to tame the Ichneumon, and admit it to the free range of their 
houses. 
The colour of this animal is a brown, plentifully grizzled with grey, each 
hair being ringed alternately with grey and brown. The total length of the 
aninial is about three feet three inches, the tail measuring about eighteen 
ICHNEUMON.—( Herfestes Ichneumon.) 
inches, The scent-gland of the Ichneumon is very large in proportion to the 
size of its bearer, but the substance which it secretes has not as yet been 
held of any commercial value. The claws are partially retractile. 
The word Ichneumon is Greek, and literally signifies “ a tracker.” 
The Mooncus, sometimes called the INDIAN ICHNEUMON, is, in its 
Asiatic home, as useful an animal as the Egyptian Ichneumon in Africa. In 
that country it is an indefatigable destroyer of rats, mice, and the various 
reptiles, and is on that account highly valued and protected. Being, as 
are Ichneumons in general, extremely cleanly in manners, and very susceptible 
of domestication, it is kept tame in many families, and does good service in 
keeping the houses clear of the various animated pests that render an Indian 
town a disayreeable and sometimes a dangerous residence. 
In its customs it very much resembles the cat, and is gifted with all the 
inquisitive nature of that animal. When first introduced into a new locality 
it runs about the place, insinuating itself into every hole and corner, and 
sniffing curiously at every object with which it comes in contact. Even in its 
aes feck. 
