ects to specialize on the killing of rats, and
cobras, and other snakes.

In his own sphere of influence,--India and the orient,--the mongoose is
a fairly decent citizen, and he fits into the time-worn economy of that
region. As a destroyer of the thrice-anathema domestic rat, he has no
equal in the domain of flesh and blood. His temper is so fierce that one
"pet" mongoose has been known to kill a full grown male giant bustard,
and put a greyhound to flight.

In an evil moment (1872) Mr. W.B. Espeut conceived the idea that it
would be a good thing to introduce mongooses to the rats of Barbadoes
and Jamaica that were pestering the cane-fields to an annoying extent.
It was done. The mongooses attacked the rats, cleaned them out,
multiplied, and then looked about for more worlds to conquer. Snakes and
lizards were few; but they cheerfully killed and devoured all there
were. Then, being continuously hungry, they attacked the wild birds and
poultry, indiscriminately, and with their usual vigor. I have been told
that in Barbadoes "they cleaned out every living thing that they could
catch and kill, and then they attacked the sugar-cane." The last count
in the indictment may seem hard to believe; but it is a fact that the
Indian mongoose often resorts to fruit and vegetable food.

In Jamaica, at the end of the rat-killing period, the planters joyfully
estimated that the labors of Herpestes had saved between 500,000 pounds
and 750,000 pounds to the industries of that island. That was before the
slaughter of wild birds and poultry began. I am told that up to date the
damage done by the mongoose far exceeds the value of the benefit it once
conferred, but the total has not been computed.

Up to this date, the mongoose has invaded and become a destructive pest
in Barbadoes, Jamaica, Cuba, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Nevis,
Fiji and all the larger islands of the Hawaiian group. It would require
many pages to contain a full account of each introduction, awakening,
reckoning of damages and payment of bounties for destruction that the
fiendish mongoose has wrought out wherever it has been introduced. The
progress of the pest is everywhere the same,--sweeping destruction of
rats, snakes, wild birds, small mammals, and finally poultry and
vegetables.

Every country that now is without the mongoose will do well to shut and
guard diligently all the doors by which it might be introduced.

Throughout its range in the western hemis