Snakes, lizards, birds,
crocodiles newly hatched, and especially the eggs of crocodiles,
constitute its food. It is a fierce and daring animal, and glides with
sparkling eyes towards its prey, which it follows with snake-like
progression; often it watches patiently for hours together, in one spot,
waiting the appearance of a mouse, rat, or snake, from its
lurking-place. In a state of domestication it is gentle and
affectionate, and never wanders from the house or returns to an
independent existence; but it makes itself familiar with every part of
the premises, exploring every hole and corner, inquisitively peeping
into boxes and vessels of all kinds, and watching every movement or
operation.
[Illustration: THE MANGOUSTE.]
The Indian mangouste is much less than the Egyptian, and of a beautiful
freckled gray. It is not more remarkable for its graceful form and
action, than for the display of its singular instinct for hunting for
and stealing eggs, from which it takes the name of egg-breaker. Mr.
Bennett, in his account of one of the mangoustes kept in the Tower,
says, that on one occasion it killed no fewer than a dozen full-grown
rats, which were loosened to it in a room sixteen feet square, in less
than a minute and a half.
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