This animal was purchased in Holland by the name of the Surikat. It is a native of Surinam, and other provinces of South America. We kept one for some time; and afterwards delivered it to M. de Sevé, who has so carefully drawn the animals in this Work: during the time that gentleman kept him alive, he made some remarks of his natural habits, which he communicated to me. This animal is very handsome, lively, and subtle; he sometimes walks on his hind legs, and often sits upright on them, with his fore paws hanging down, his head erect, and moving on the neck as on a pivot. He always assumed that posture when he came near the fire for warmth. He is not so big as a rabbit, and nearly resembles the ichneumon in size and hair; his tail is somewhat shorter. His snout is prominent and raised; and by which character he is more like the coati than any other animal. He has also a character peculiar to him and the hyæna; as these two are the only animals who have four toes to every foot.
At first we fed this animal with milk, as he was very young; but his inclination for flesh soon shewed itself. He ate raw meat with eagerness, and was particularly fond of poultry. He also endeavoured to seize young animals. A small rabbit would have fallen a prey to him if he had not escaped. He was very fond of fish, and still more of eggs. He would take out eggs that were put in water to be boiled, and carry them off with his paws. He would eat neither fruit nor bread. He used his fore-feet, like a squirrel, to carry food to his mouth. He lapped his drink like a dog, but would not touch water unless it was luke-warm. His common drink was his own urine, although of a very strong smell. He played with cats with the greatest familiarity. He did no injury to children, and never bit any person in the house but its master, against whom he had taken an aversion. He never gnawed with his teeth, but often scratched plaister and furniture with his nails. He was so well tamed, that he answered to his name, when called, and went loose about the house. He had two kind of voices, one like the barking of a young dog, when it was left long alone, or heard an unusual noise; and when caressed, or desirous of expressing pleasure, he made a noise as strong as that of a rattle briskly turned. This was a female animal, and only lived one winter, notwithstanding all the care that was taken to feed and keep her warm.
SUPPLEMENT.
Besides the master of the house, which we formerly observed, we have since been informed that the Surikat bit a number of other persons and to which it seemed induced by some particular smell; for when laid hold of, it always curled up its nose to smell the person, and an observation was made that it never failed to bite those whom it had bit before, however often they came near it, and this experiment was made by several people; to some persons it seemed to have such an aversion that it would use various stratagems to get at them, and if it could not bite their legs, it would lay hold of their shoes or petticoats.
M. Vosmaër says, in his work, “it is probable M. de Buffon was deceived both in respect to the name and native country of the Surikat, which was last summer sent by M. Tulbagh to the Prince of Orange; for it belongs to Africa and not to America. This small animal is not mentioned by Kolbe, and possibly was not known to him, for with a male and female transmitted to me I received the following note from the governor: I send by the captain two small animals, a male and female of which I neither know their names nor the species to which they belong; they were brought from the remote desarts and stony mountains of this country, and were the first we had seen. They are very gentle and feed upon fresh meat either dressed or raw, eggs and ants.”
I certainly do not mean to contend against the evidence of M. Tulbagh, or deny the justness of M. de Vosmaër’s remark, for I had no other authority for the name and country of this animal, although I kept him a considerable time alive, than that of the man from whom I bought it, who said he purchased it in Holland by the name of Surikat, and that it came from Surinam. But we are now certain it does not belong to South America, but to the mountains of Africa above the Cape of Good Hope; as to its name we are still uninformed, but which can easily be changed whenever that in its native country can be procured.