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The Indian Ichneumon. 
T HIS Animal feemed to me to be of the Size of a Ferret , or 
Pole-Cat: It was about three Quarters of a Yard, or twenty- feven 
Inches long ; the Tail from a thick Bafe ended in a Point like that of 
a Lizard, 
It had a pretty flharp Nofe, covered with fhort Hairs of a reddifh- 
brown Colour ; the Eyes were bright and fparkling, like a Ferret s, 
having fomething of a Flame-Colour in them ; the Ears were fmall 
and round, thinly cover’d with Hair, fo as to fhew the Colour of the 
Flefh ; the Top of the Head, Neck, Back, Sides and Tail, were cover’d 
with pretty long, ftiffifh Hairs, each Hair being partly Brown, and 
partly of a dusky Colour, fo that the whole Body feemed to be a mixed 
Colour. The Throat and Belly had the Hairs fomething fhorter and 
fofter, of a brownifh, or Clay-Colour, without any Mixture. The 
Legs were fhort, and of a dusky, or black Colour; it had five Toes on 
each Foot, with black Claws. 
I faw this curious Animal at Mr. Bradbury's, Apothecary, in Southampton Build- 
ings, Holborn, whither I was directed to go to draw it, by Dr. Wilmot , Phyfician in 
Ordinary to his Majefty. Mr. Bradbury was fo very obliging,, as to order it to be 
catched, and brought into a fmall Room, where I might obferve all its- Actions. 
Sometimes it crept with its Belly to the Ground, and flretched itfelf out fo long that 
it feemed to refemble a Serpent moving without Feet} at other Times it raifed its 
Head, and appeared to walk on its Legs, fhortening its Body a little 5 it would alfo lit 
very upright on its hinder Legs, and look about it, and when anger’d would fet up 
its Bridles in a furpriling Manner. This was brought from the Eajl- Indies ; it was 
let run loofe about the Houfe, and I was told, had clear’d it of Rats and Mice. Some 
few Years ago I faw an Ichneumon, brought from Mgypt, which, I believe, exceeded this 
more than double in its Bulk, for I meafured it,, and found it to be forty-two Inches 
long, whereas the above defcribed was but twenty-feven Inches. In Shape and Co- 
lour they were pretty near alike : All the Difference I found was, that the /Egyptian 
had a fmall Tuft of Hairs at the End of the Tail; (See Letter A in the Plate) the Tail 
of the Indian ended in a Point. I cannot find a tolerable Figure of the Ichneumon 
given by any who have mention’d it, for which Reafon I have endeavoured to exhi- 
bit one more correct. I (hall omit all the fiditious Stories told of this Animal, and 
the Crocodile. I take the Indian to be a Species diftind from the A Egyptian , for the 
above defcribed was full grown, though it was fo much fmaller than. the. /Egyptian, 
The 
