THE GENET 



crept was so absurdly narrow that it seemed an 

 utter impossibility for the genet to have pushed 

 through it. When we killed the creature we failed 

 utterly to push even a small portion of its body into 

 this crevice. The head we managed to force in 

 sideways, but the body wedged the aperture most 

 effectually ; yet this genet had passed through the 

 crevice several times, for traces of its presence were 

 seen nightly on the museum floor, and the ration 

 of meat left each evening had disappeared. 



Genets inhabit the whole of Africa, and although 

 one species which is found in Northern Africa ex- 

 tends into Spain, the South of France, and South- 

 western Asia, the real home of the Genets is in 

 Africa. In South Africa we have four kinds. They 

 are as follows : 



The Large-spotted Genet 

 {Genetta tigrina) 



This species of Genet is found throughout South 

 Africa in all situations which afford cover. It 

 ranges beyond the Zambesi to Somaliland and 

 Abyssinia. In fact, it is common all over Africa 

 in the bush-veld, forests, and kloofs. 



Several specimens of this species have been ob- 

 tained in the neighbourhood of Port Elizabeth. 

 It, however, is seldom seen, owing to its cunning, 

 secretive, and silent ways, and the fact that it lies 



9 



