File:Brehm's Life of animals - a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia (1896) (20225164060).jpg

Title: Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia
Identifier: brehmslifeofanim1896breh (find matches)
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Brehm, Alfred Edmund, 1829-1884; Pechuel-Loesche, Edward, 1840-1913; Haacke, Wilhelm, 1855-1912; Schmidtlein, Richard
Subjects: Mammals; Animal behavior
Publisher: Chicago : Marquis
Contributing Library: Internet Archive
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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THE CRAB MUNGOOS. This animal, sometimes called the Urva, derives its name from the fact that it feeds on Crabs, which, with Frogs, also a favorite food with it, are plentifully found in the wet valleys of Nepaul, where it lives. It has a stout body, a pointed snout, and a rather long and bushy tail. The picture shows it with a Crab it has captured. (Hcrpcstes urva.) adroitness with which he escapes the spring of the Snake, and the cunning he exhibits in his methods of attacking it. His thick, coarse hair, bristling with excitement, and his thick skin render it very diffi- cult for the Snake to bite him, but if he is bitten, the Mungo dies from the wound as well as any other animal, although the effects of the poison seem to be slower in his case. The Mungo was im- ported into Jamaica dur- ing the '70's, and is said to have exterminated so many of the Rats infest- ing the sugar-cane plan- tations on that island that his usefulness is es- timated at several mil- lion marks a year. The Mungo The Mun- as a go is the Domestic Pet. member of his family that is best adapted for domestica- tion, for he is a cheerful, rather good-natured ani- mal of cleanly habits. Stcrndale had a Mun- go, which was his steady companion in India for three years. "Pips" knew very well when his owner was going to shoot a bird for him; he danced around when he saw the gun adjusted, and hurried to procure the falling prey. lie was very clean, and after eating picked his teeth in the funniest way with his claws. He was an in- trepid fellow; once he successfully fought with a big Dog, and at another time killed a bird six times his size. He also killed many Snakes. When excited, his hair stood on end and he looked twice as large as usual, but his master only had to lift his finger to make the angry pet desist from his attack. He fol- lowed his master to Eng- land and was the favorite of all who knew him. He knew a great number oi tricks: jumping, turning somersaults, sitting on chairs with a cap on, play- ing soldier, etc. Pips died of grief. During a tempo- rary absence of his master he refused all nourishment and starved to death. Besides the Ichneumon there is only one Europe- an Mungoos that is worth mentioning, the Mcloncillo (Hcrpestcs widdri?igto/iii). This animal was well known to Spanish sports- men long before it fell into the hands of a naturalist. Its chase was profitable, for the hair of its tail is long and especially adapted for making painters' brushes, and therefore the tail, which brought a high price, was the only part that was used and the remainder of the fur was thrown away. The Meloncillo lives exactly like the Ichneumon,
Text Appearing After Image:
hBIIsk THE FOXY MUNGOOS.-—This animal, which is found in the southern part of Africa, is of a beautiful form, has a smooth, tan-colored fur and a bushy tail with a white tip. It resembles the Mungoos group in its nature and habits, and is generally classed with them, although differences in its skeleton have caused many naturalists to place it in a group by itself. (Cynictus pcnicillata) in valleys crossed by rivers, especially in Estrama- dura and Andalusia. It inhabits almost exclusively the reedy woods and plains grown with Esparto and is not found in mountains, as is generally stated. Its total length is forty-four inches, of which about twenty inches is taken by the tail. The fur is longer

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