V ivER RiD^E. MAMM ALIA. Viverrid^. 97 
interruptions at the transverse bands, to the thighs, 
when they are continued by numerous large spots 
which cover these parts. From the shoulders and 
thighs, several obscure stripes pass to the feet, which 
have a dusky-gre}'' colour. Between the origin of the 
longitudinal stripes of the body, and the transverse 
bands of the back, two smaller stripes are placed, which 
unite on the lower part of the neck from the opposite 
sides.” Little or nothing is known of the habits of the 
Delungdung beyond such as may be legitimately 
inferred from its carnivorous structure, and from the 
circumstance of its being usually found in extensive 
forests. 
THE WE'ER'Kli^ {Cynictis Sieedmannii). — Mr. Ogilby 
first accurately described this species in the Zoological 
Society’s Transactions. It is an inhabitant of the 
district of Uytenhaye on the borders of Kaffraria. 
The term meerkat is applied by the South African 
colonists to signify almost any kind of small quad- 
ruped having burrowing habits. The body of the 
meerkat is about a foot and a half in length, exclusive 
of the tail which would give another twelve inches. 
The jaws are furnished with thirty-eight teeth, of 
which twenty-two are molars, twelve above and ten 
below ; the last two on either side of the upper series, 
as well as one correspondingly opposed on each side 
below, being tuberculated. The limbs are slender and 
comparatively long. The feet are completely digiti- 
grade, and provided with claws adapted to grubbing up 
the soil. The fore-feet are five-toed ; but the hind- 
feet are tetradactylous. The fur has a bright reddish 
or chestnut tinge generally, being deeper coloured on 
the back. The tail is bushy like that of a fox, and 
shaded with dark-brown hairs, except at the tip, where 
it is of a uniform dull white. The texture of the fiir 
is smooth, close, and fine. This animal appears to be 
tolerably abundant in the locality above mentioned, as 
several travellers have been careful to notice its occur- 
rence. At a time when the meerkats were perhaps 
totally unknown to Europeans, the African traveller, 
Barrow, records the following little incident : — “ An 
eagle,” he says, “ making a stoop at one of these, close 
to where we were passing, missed his pre}", and both 
fell a sacrifice, one to the gun, the other to the dogs.” 
THE EGYPTIAN ICHNEUMON {Herpestes Ichneu- 
mon ) — Plate 9, fig. 32. The various members of 
the genus Plerpestes, are, amongst other things, char- 
acterized by the possession of forty teeth, of which 
twenty-four belong to the molar series, the last two on 
either side above, and the ultimate tooth of each corre- 
sponding group below, being tuberculated. The head 
is furnished with short and rounded ears, and the 
circumferential osseous ring of the orbital space is in 
most cases complete. The limbs are short, the feet 
being pentadactylous and armed with huge, com- 
pressed, incurved, and slightly retractile claws. The 
oval glandular pouch is remarkably capacious. The 
fur consists of long, rigid hairs, more or less annulated 
with alternating shades of dark and light tints. The 
Egyptian ichneumon is the best known of all the 
species, and is celebrated by Herodotus, Aristotle, and 
many other ancient writers. All sorts of fabulous 
stories, mixed with a certain degree of truth, have 
VoL. I. 13 
been told respecting it ; but the sober science of 
modern times very properly rejects such silly records 
as totally unworthy of belief. By European residents 
in Egypt the ichneumon is known by the name of 
Pharaoh’s rat ; but the native Arabs call it nems or 
nims. The traveller Sonnini, whose observations on 
this animal were made towards the close of the eigh- 
teenth century, was one of the first to give an accurate 
account of these creatures. Speaking of their habits 
he says that “ they feed- upon rats, birds, and reptiles. 
They ramble about the habitations of men ; they even 
steal into them in order to surprise the poultry and 
devour their eggs. It is this natural fondness for eggs 
that prompts them frequently to scratch up the sand 
with the intention of discovering those that the croco- 
diles deposit there, and it is in this manner that they 
prevent, in reality, the excessive propagation of these 
detestable animals.” The Egyptian ichneumon is 
readily domesticated, and specimens of it are always 
to be seen in living collections in this country. The 
fur has a peculiar dark tawny-grey aspect, resulting 
from the circumstance that the individual hairs are 
coloured with alternating rings of chestnut-brown and 
yellow. The muzzle and feet have a deep, reddish- 
brown tinge. The tail is long, thick, and bushy at the 
root. A full-grown ichneumon is about the size of an 
ordinary cat. When much excited it is said to growl 
and even bark. 
THE MOONGUS {Herpestes griseus ). — This animal 
is also known as the Indian ichneumon in contradis- 
tinction to the above- described species; but as there 
are several other allied forms inhabiting the great 
Asiatic peninsula and the adjacent islands, it is better 
to retain the more distinctive appellation here given. 
The moongus is celebrated for attacking venomous 
serpents, and it is said to have recourse to the plant 
called Hampadder-tanah or Mungo-root {Ophorhiza 
mungos) as an antidote to their venom. The plant is 
still employed as an antidote by the natives ; but we 
do not place much faith in the above-mentioned state- 
ment, which was originally recorded and concocted 
by Eumphius. This animal’s astonishing power of 
destroying vermin, however, has been satisfactorily 
demonstrated in our own country. Mr. Bennett, in his 
account of a specimen kept in the tower of London, 
relates that the beast actually destroyed, on one occa- 
sion, no fewer than a dozen full-grown rats which were 
loosed to it in a room sixteen feet square, accomplish- 
ing the slaughter in a minute and a half! The 
moongus may be readily tamed and taught to accom- 
pany its master anywhere, both in and out of doors. 
THE GAKANGAN {Herpestes Javanicus) is a native 
of Java, and is especially abundant in the large teak 
forests of that island. Like the last-described species, 
it is exceedingly destructive to serpents, which it 
attacks with great fury. Eats appear to be- its favour- 
ite food ; but it is also terribly destructive to chickens. 
In pursuing its prey it exercises much cunning and 
ingenuity. It is very easily domesticated; but its 
propensities for poultry deter the Javanese from show- 
ing it much regard. Moreover, it is said to be of a 
capricious disposition, occasionally indulging in fits of 
anger and violence. The fur of the garangan or 
