359 
YELLOW WEASEL. 
It inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, where it Is 
called meer-rat. It feeds on flesh, preys on mice, 
and is a great enemy to bl atlas. Like the squirrel, 
it employs its fore paws to convey its victuals to 
its mouth, and laps water like a dog : it is much 
in motion, and always makes a grunting noise. 
It utters two kinds of sounds : when uneasy or 
disturbed, it barks like a young dog ; when pleased, 
it emits a sound like that of a small rattle in ra- 
pid motion. It may be tamed ; but it bites those 
whose smell it finds disagreeable. It sits quite 
erect, dropping its fore legs on its breast, and 
moving its head with great case, as if on a pivot, 
and appearing as if it listened, or had just spied 
something new. When pleased, it makes a 
rattling noise with its tail ; for which reason the 
Dutch at the Cape, call it klapper-maus. It is 
also found in Java, where the Javanese stile it 
jiipe ; the Dutch suracatje. 
$ Yellow or prehensile weasel. 
This species has a short dusky nose, and small 
eyes. Its ears are short, broad, and flapping, and 
placed at a great distance from each other; its 
head is fiat and broad, and its cheeks swell out ; 
its tongue is very long ; its legs and thighs are 
short, and very thick. It has five toes on each 
foot, separated, and standing all forward ; its 
claws are large, a little hooked, and of a flesh- 
colour ; its hair is short, close, soft, and glossy ; 
on the head, back, and sides, it consists of a mix- 
ture of yellow and black; its cheeks, belly, and 
flie inside of its legs, are yellow. Half way down 
the middle of its belly there is a dusky list, ending 
at the tail ; and another along the middle of the 
back to the tail ; the tail itself is of a bright 
tawny, mixed with black ; it is round,, and has the 
