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The Indian Ichneumon. 
FI 1 S Animal feemed to me to be of the Size of a Ferret , or 
Pole-Cat: It was about three Quarters of a Yard, or twenty-feven 
Inches long; the Tail from a thick Bafe ended in a Point like that of 
a Lizard* 
It had a pretty fiiarp Nofe, covered with fhort Hairs of a reddifh- 
brown Colour; the Eyes were bright and fparkling, like a Ferret’s, 
having fomething of a Flame-Colour in them ; the Ears were finall 
and round, thinly cover’d with Hair, fo as to fhevv the Colour of the 
Flefh ; the Top of the Head, Neck, Back, Sides and Tail, were cover’d 
with pretty long, ftiffifh Hairs, each Hair being partly Brown, and 
partly of a dusky Colour, fo that the whole Body feemed to be a mixed 
Colour. The Throat and Belly had the Hairs fomething fhorter and 
fofter, of a brownifh, or Clay-Colour, without any Mixture. The 
Legs were fhort, and of a dusky, or black Colour; it had five Toes on 
each Foot, with black Claws. 
I faw this curious Animal at Mr. Bradbury's, Apothecary, in Southampton Build¬ 
ings , Holborn , whither I was directed to go to draw it, by Dr. Wilmot , Phyfician in 
Ordinary to his Majefty. Mr. Bradbury was fo very obliging, as to order it to be 
catched, and brought into a fmall Room, where I might obferve all its Adtions. 
Sometimes it crept with its Belly to the Ground, and (Fetched itfelf out fo long that 
it feemed to relemble a Serpent moving without Feet; at other Times it raifed its 
Head, and appeared to walk on its Legs, Shortening its Body a little j it would alfo fit 
very upright on its hinder Legs, and look about it, and when anger’d would fet up 
its Briftles in a furprifing Manner. This was brought from the Eajl-Indies ; it was 
let run loofe about the Houfe, and I was told, had clear’d it of Rais and Mice. Some 
few Years ago 1 faw an Ichneumon , brought from JEgy.pt, which, I believe, exceeded this 
more than double in Its Bulk, for I meafured it, and found it to be forty-two Inches 
long, whereas the above defcribed was but twenty-feven Inches. In Shape and Co¬ 
lour they were pretty near alike: All the Difference I found was, that the AEgyptian 
had a fmall Tuft of Flairs at the End of the Tail; (See Letter A in the Plate) the Tail 
of the Indian ended in a Point. I cannot find a tolerable Figure of the Ichneumon 
given by any who have mention’d it, for which Reafon I have endeavoured to exhi¬ 
bit one more corredt. I (hall omit all the fidlitious Stories told of this Animal, and 
the Crocodile. I take the Indian to be a Species diftindt from the /Egyptian, for the 
above defcribed was full grown, though it was fo much fmaller than the /Egyptian, 
The 
