THE ICHNEUMON 
prey are killed and left without any of their flesh being 
eaten. In places infested by rats or other noxious 
creatures the value of these wholesale slaughterers must 
be inestimable ; for instance, on board ship, these animals 
would, but for the fear of their destroying the poultry 
stock, be invaluable. 
The species of Herpcstes are very numerous both in 
Africa and India. Some are of large size, and are extremely 
active and quick-sighted, the eyes being remarkable, and 
resembling those of the cat and the fox in havihg the 
pupils vertical, and doubtless this structure of the eyes 
enables the animal to see well with the least possible 
quantity of light ; its nose, for it follows the scent like a 
dog, greatly helps it to find its food. It can discover the 
eggs of snakes and of other reptiles as well as those of 
birds, upon all of which it feeds voraciously. Should it 
find an egg too large and too hard for the teeth to break 
through, the animal will raise the egg with its front feet, 
and dash it upon the ground to break the shell. They 
are easily kept and fed upon bread-and-milk, raw or 
cooked meat, small birds, eggs, rats, mice, frogs, and, in 
fact, almost anything that usually comes to the table 
either of the Englishman or of the foreigner, and if allowed 
sufficient room and kept clean have no unpleasant odour. 
171 
