New mammal

- Salanoia durrelli -

Oyez Oyez!

New species of carnivorous mammal discovered in Madagascar.

Friendly looking cove, the Sredni Vashtar lookalike has been called Durrell's vontsira (Salanoia durrelli) in honour of conservationist Gerald Durrell.

I shall be on the next paddle steamer out, courtesy of Sally Travel ('Tears and a voyage to the gentry', plug plug), and smuggling back contraband salanoiae: a bevy to join Sam and Koutsi as guardians along the watchtower, the rest to let loose in the verdant pastures of the Bosketto Durrell - check out my soggy update as of Oct 17 2010.

The gods are not mocked - not Maman, at least.

Hoots, Mon - a goose loose aboot this hoose: My dad was meticulous about using the right word. He told me a good joke about Mesgoosae:

Chap walks into a pet shop to buy two ... er, whatever the plural of those cobra killers is.

Didn't want to show his ignorance so he asked for a mongoose, thought better of it and thumped the counter:

"Dammit, give me a brace."