THE SENEGAL GENET 2/ 



manatee (strange contrast to the alert otter) lazily 

 browses upon the aquatic plants, its rotund body 

 comfortably sheathed in a warm covering" of 

 blubber, and its short, though powerful paddles, 

 acting as perfect oars. Amongst the carnivora 

 the lion, the leopard, the serval, in fact all 

 the cat tribe, are furnished with pads on their feet 

 to enable them to steal noiselessly upon their prey, 

 while they are also provided with powerful talons 

 to hold it when captured, and with roughened 

 tongues to rasp the meat off the bones of their 

 victim. The viverridce (civets, genets, and mon- 

 gooses) are closely related to the cats in structure, 

 and by reason of their elongated bodies, also bear 

 considerable superficial likeness to the mustelidce or 

 weasels, which they resemble in habits. Many 

 viverrines indeed are as expert hunters as the true 

 cats or the true weasels. A good example of the 

 viverridce is seen in the Senegal genet (Genetta 

 senegalensisy of West Africa. 



Few of the carnivora are as elegant in propor- 

 tions or in markings as the Senegal genet. Its 

 pointed muzzle, short legs, and elongated body at 

 once indicate it to be an animal accustomed to prey 

 upon small victims (such as mice), which harbour 

 in holes and crannies, the suppleness of its 

 body well guaranteeing its capacity for such an 



1 The Senegal genet is also the Genetta imrdina of M. Isidore 

 Geoffrey St. Hilaire = the " pardine genet" of menageries. 



