THE ICHNEUMON. 
192 
squirrel, lifting its food to its mouth with i*® 
fore-feet, and catching any thing that is thro'"'’’ 
to it. Being fond of poultry, it will sometin^^® 
feign itself dead till they come within 
reach. But the most remarkahle of its i”' 
stincts, and the most serviceable to man, 
that which impels it to seek and dig out 
the sand the eggs of the crocodile, which ’ 
destroys, and to intercept and kill the youW^ 
of that formidable animal as soon as th®) 
have left the shell, and before they have he^’' 
able to reach the water. We are assured tb^l’ 
p's 
as the jaw's of the ichneumon do not op^ 
wide enough for him to grasp the crocodile 
eggs between them, he endeavours to bre*^^ 
them by throw'ing them up and letting the”’ 
fall, or by rolling them backward and 
on the ground. If he finds a stone, he 
place himself with his hack towards it, stvi^^ 
with his hind legs, and, holding the egg ’’’ 
his fore-paws, throw it under his belly agai”®^ 
