34 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



when the weather has been so severe that these others have 

 been driven up into more or less mixed bands. I have read that 

 Tadorna has interbred with Anas ; this is, of course, quite 

 possible, but although I have seen many Sheldrake hybrids inter 

 se, or rather between birds which I have classed as " Shel- 

 drakes " above, I have never seen this one, and therefore 

 imagine it to be rare at any rate, and as, where a large variety 

 of Ducks are kept, it is not always possible to be sure of the 

 parentage, it would be well to be certain as to this before 

 accepting these crosses. 



The last uncongenial grouping, and one which seems by 

 some naturalists so to be held, is in the Viverridce, where we 

 see the inodorous Genets classed with the strong-smelling 

 Ichneumons. 



Ought not the Viverrina to come with the Felince under 

 Felidce, and the Herpestince to join Protelinee and Hycenince 

 under a family heading Herpestidce ? 



"While the Genets appear to be long-faced primitive Cats, the 

 Ichneumons, in their genital parts, much resemble the Hyaenas, 

 and the two groups appear dissimilar. Ichneumons, when 

 attacked by an opponent of superior mettle, have a curious 

 method of defence : they turn upon their backs and seem to 

 fold their hind quarters back over their bellies, protecting them- 

 selves with their powerful jaws. (An Ichneumon easily kills a 

 Ferret, which kills a Cat.) It is interesting to note that a 

 Hyaena, when overmatched, has somewhat the same method of 

 defence when tackled, for instance, by the Lion, except that it is 

 apt to wave its legs about in the air rather more. Perchance, if 

 related, as it may be, to the Ichneumon, it has more difficulty 

 in arranging a safe position for its long evoluted (?) legs. Far 

 be it from me to give advice to any Hyaena as to what it should 

 do in such embarrassing circumstances, but, judging from what 

 I have seen of the beast when so set upon, and from the fact 

 that Hyaenas have been found on the veldt with their legs bitten 

 off but otherwise uninjured, it is possible it might come off 

 better if it kept these tucked away after the fashion of its 

 smaller relative ; for it appears likely that the Lion has con- 

 siderable respect for its powerful jaws. 



To show how contradictory our classification is in indicating 



