THE ICHNEUMON. 
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bread soaked in milk, and minced fish, and 
after death its body was embalmed with 
great ceremony. It lives upon eggs, fowls, 
birds and other small animals, but has a 
peculiar propensity for destroying reptiles, 
to which, probably, it owed its distinction. 
Some species will readily enter into conflict 
with the most venomous snakes; and, though 
it may receive many severe bites in the 
battle, it is never seriously injured. It has 
been observed that when the animal is 
bitten it retreats with great quickness for 
a moment, and then returns to the charge; 
and it is believed that during this absence 
it finds and eats some herb which acts as 
an antidote to the poison ; but its motions 
are so exceedingly rapid that the plant—if 
plant it is—has never been discovered. 
“ Many marvellous stories were formerly 
told about the Egyptian ichneumon,—as that 
it watched the crocodile, and, seizing the 
opportunity when the reptile opened its 
jaws, it sprung down its mouth, slid down 
its throat and destroyed the reptile by 
eating through its side. It is needless to 
say that this is a mere fable: nevertheless, 
the ichneumon is very destructive to the 
