238 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS, 



young one. It became tamer than a Cat, was obedient 

 to the call of its mafter, and followed him wherever he 

 went. One day he brought a fmall water-ferpent alive, 

 being defirous to know how far its inftincl: would carry 

 it againfl a being with whom it was hitherto entirely un- 

 acquainted. Its firft emotion feemed to be aft'onifhment 

 mixed with anger : Its hair became erect : In an inftant, 

 it flipped behind the reptile ; and with remarkable fwift- 

 nefs and agility, leaped upon its head, feized it, and 

 crumed it with its teeth. This firft eflay feemed to have 

 awakened in it its natural appetite for blood, which till 

 then had given way to the gentlenefs of its education 2 

 It no longer fufFered the poultry, among which it was 

 brought up, to pafs unregarded ; but took the firft op- 

 portunity, when it was alone, to ftrangle them: It eat a 

 part of their flefh, and drank only the blood of others. 



Thefe animals are numerous in all the fouthern re* 

 gions of Alia, from Egypt to the ifland of Java: They 

 are alfo found in Africa, in the country about the Cape 

 of Good Hope. — They frequent the banks of rivers, are 

 fond of fifh, are faid to take the water like an Otter, and 

 will continue in it a considerable time without rifing to 

 take breath. 



The Ichneumon varies in fize. The domeftic kind is 

 generally larger than thofe that are wild, and its colours 

 more variegated. It is in general about the fize of a 

 common Cat ; fomewhat longer in the body, and (horter 

 in the legs. Its fur contains tints of white, brown, 

 fawn-colour, and a dirty filver-grey, which altogether 

 form a mixture very agreeable to the eye. Its form is 

 like that of a Polecat. Its eyes are fmall, but inflamed, 

 and fparkle with a fingular vivacity; its nofe is long and 

 flender ; its ears fmall, rounded, and almoft naked 5 its 



