21 
Yxveera, Ichneumon. 
(" The tail thick at the base , taper-* 
J ing to the apex , which is tuft - 
1 ed ; the inner toes somewhat 
L distant from the rest . 
This animal is domestic in Egypt, like our cat; and like 
it, is serviceable in destroying rats and mice ; but its in* 
clination for prey, and its instinct is much stronger, and 
more extensive than that of the cat, for it hunts alike, 
birds, quadrupeds, serpents, lizards, and insects. It 
attacks every living creature in general, and feeds entirely 
on animal 2esh. Its courage is equal to the sharpness of 
its appetite : it is neither frightened at the anger of the 
dog, nor the malice of the cat, nor even dreads the bite 
of the serpent. It pursues them with eagerness, seizes on, 
and kills even the most venomous of them. As soon as it 
begins to feel the impression of their venom, it immediately 
searches for antidotes, and particularly a root that the 
Indians call by its name, and which, they say, is one of 
the most powerful remedies in nature against the bite 
of the viper. It sucks the eggs of the crocodile, as well 
as those of fowls and birds. It also kills and feeds on very 
young crocodiles, and as fable sometimes accompanies 
truth, it has been currently reported that, by virtue of 
