MUNGO OSES. 
47 i 
of all the sailors on board ship, for his accomplishments were varied. . . . From 
watching him, I observed many little habits belonging to these animals. He was 
excessively clean, and, after eating, would pick his teeth with his claws in a most 
absurd manner. I do not know whether a mungoose in a wild state will eat carrion, 
but he would not touch anything tainted, and, though very fond of freshly-cooked 
game, would turn up his nose at ‘ high ’ partridge or grouse. He was very fond 
of eggs, and, holding them in his fore-paws, would crack a little hole at the small 
end, through which he would suck the contents. He was a very good ratter, and 
also killed many snakes against which I pitted him. His way seemed to be to 
tease the snake into darting at him, when, with inconceivable rapidity, he would 
pounce on the reptile’s head. He seemed to know instinctively which were the 
poisonous ones, and acted with corresponding caution. I tried him once with some 
sea-snakes, which are poisonous, but he could get no fight out of them, and crunched 
their heads off, one after the other.” 
Much has been written as to the combats of both the Egyptian and the Indian 
mungoose with venomous snakes, and also as to the alleged immunity of these 
animals from snake-poison. On these points Mr. Blanford writes as follows :—“ The 
prevalent belief throughout oriental countries is, that the mungoose, when bitten, 
seeks for an antidote, a herb or root known in India as manguswail. It is scarcely 
necessary to say that the story is destitute of foundation. There is, however, 
another view, supported by some evidence, that the mungoose is less susceptible to 
snake-poison than other animals. The mungoose is not always willing to attack, 
though at other times he is ready enough to fight. I have not seen many combats, 
but, so far as I can judge from the few I have witnessed, Jerdon and Sterndale 
are correct in their view that the mungoose usually escapes being bitten by his 
wonderful activity. He appears to wait till the snake makes a dart at him, and 
then suddenly pounces upon the reptile’s head, and crunches it to pieces. I have 
seen a mungoose eat up the head and poison glands of a large cobra, so the poison 
must be harmless to the mucous membrane of the former animal. When excited, 
the mungoose erects its long stiff hair, and it must be very difficult for a snake to 
drive its fangs through this and through the thick skin which all kinds of Herpestes 
possess. In all probability a mungoose is very rarely scratched by the fangs, and, 
if he is, very little poison can be injected. It has been repeatedly proved by 
experiments that a mungoose can be killed, like any other animal, if properly 
bitten by a venomous snake, though even in this case the effects appear to be 
produced after a longer period than with other mammals of the same size.” 
In addition to being a benefactor to the human race as a destroyer of poisonous 
snakes, the Indian mungoose (like its Egyptian cousin) is equally valuable as an 
exterminator of rats; ships having more than once been cleared of those pests in a 
comparatively short period by the introduction of a mungoose. Rather more than 
twenty years ago (1871) the sugar-planting industry in Jamaica was threatened 
with annihilation from the damage inflicted on the canes by a particular species of 
rat, which absolutely swarmed in the island. After ferrets, toads, and ants had 
been tried with more or less ill-success to stay the plague, Mr. W. B. Espeut 
bethought himself of introducing the Indian mungoose. Accordingly, in the spring 
of 1872, nine of these animals were imported and let loose in the island. “Within 
