'Midst thy palms
And strange bright birds my fancy joy'd to dwell,
And watch the southern Cross through midnight calms,
And track the spicy woods. Yet more I bless'd
Thy vision of sweet love--kind, trustful, true--
Lighting the citron-groves--a heavenly guest--
With such pure smiles as Paradise once knew.
Even then my young heart wept o'er this world's power,
To reach and blight that holiest Eden flower.
MRS. HEMANS.
* * * * *
THE MANGOUSTE.
The Mangoustes, or Ichneumons, are natives of the hotter parts of the
Old World, the species being respectively African and Indian. In their
general form and habits they bear a great resemblance to the ferrets,
being bold, active, and sanguinary, and unrelenting destroyers of birds,
reptiles, and small animals, which they take by surprise, darting
rapidly upon them. Beautiful, cleanly, and easily domesticated, they are
often kept tame in the countries they naturally inhabit, for the purpose
of clearing the houses of vermin, though the poultry-yard is not safe
from their incursions.
The Egyptian mangouste is a native of North Africa, and was deified for
its services by the ancient Egyptians.
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