- Ichneumon
- Ichneumon Ich*neu"mon, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, lit., the tracker;
so called because it hunts out the eggs of the crocodile, fr.
? to track or hunt after, fr. 'i`chnos track, footstep.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any carnivorous mammal of the genus
{Herpestes}, and family {Viverrid[ae]}. Numerous species
are found in Asia and Africa. The Egyptian species
({Herpestes ichneumon}), which ranges to Spain and
Palestine, is noted for destroying the eggs and young of
the crocodile as well as various snakes and lizards, and
hence was considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians. The
common species of India ({Herpestes griseus}), known as
the {mongoose}, has similar habits and is often
domesticated. It is noted for killing the cobra.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any hymenopterous insect of the family {Ichneumonid[ae]}, of which several thousand species are known, belonging to numerous genera. [1913 Webster]
Note: The female deposits her eggs upon, or in, the bodies of other insects, such as caterpillars, plant lice, etc. The larva lives upon the internal tissues of the insect in which it is parasitic, and finally kills it. Hence, many of the species are beneficial to agriculture by destroying noxious insects. [1913 Webster]
{Ichneumon fly}. See {Ichneumon}, 2. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
