142 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



matter, having the odor of musk. The general color 

 of its fur is light gray, tinged at the surface with yel- 

 low and showing dark spots. The fur is commer- 

 cially valuable. 



This little animal, which, notwithstanding its dainty 

 appearance, is of a cruel, bloodthirsty and audacious 

 disposition, is found most plentifully in the Atlas 

 country, but it also inhabits southern Europe, espe- 

 cially Spain and southern France. It exists in large 

 numbers in the localities that are adapted for its 

 habits in Spain, although one seldom meets it. It 

 lives in forests as well as on plains, but it is most 

 frequently found in damp situations in the vicinity of 

 springs and rivers, woods rich in underbrush, moun- 

 tains abounding in crev- 

 ices and similar places. 

 A sportsman may some- 

 times come across it in 

 such a locality even in the 

 daytime, but usually he 

 has no time to shoot, for 

 its fur is so similar in 

 color to that of the rocks 

 and the ground that it is 

 difficult to keep it in 

 view, and its movements 

 are so wary, and at the 

 same time so agile, that 

 when detected it is 

 already escaping. It slips 

 through plants, grasses, 

 shrubs and stones like an 

 Eel or like a Fox. Its 

 movements are as grace- 

 ful as they are agile and 

 rapid. I do not know of 

 any other mammal which 

 so completely combines 

 the sinuosity of the Snake 

 with the quickness of the 

 Weasel. Its movements 

 are so perfect as to cause 

 involuntary admiration. 



An Account P e C h u e 1 - 

 of Tame Loesche 

 Genettes. writes from 

 Chinchocho, the former 

 station of the Gussfeldt 

 Loango exploring party: 

 "We kept several Civets 

 and Genettes. The for- 

 mer are not possessed of 

 an amiable disposition, 

 can never be trusted and 

 the odor they give forth 

 is insufferable. The Gen- 

 ettes, on the contrary, be- 

 came exceedingly tame, 

 knew the names we gave them, ran after their keeper 

 like Dogs in broad daylight and their whole demeanor 

 afforded us great pleasure. One half-grown Genette 

 had established itself in our main barrack, and 

 seemed to find abundant nourishment in the Rats 

 which infested the house. When we sat talking in 

 the large meeting room of an evening it would often 

 come out on one of the rafters of the roof, look down 

 with curious eyes and then jump down on the table 

 with one graceful bound. Then it would keep slid- 

 ing from one of our party to the other, uttering soft, 

 low sounds, submit to being stroked and teased, and 

 would soon disappear as quietly as it had come." 



THE ASIATIC CIVET. This animal is commercially valuable for 



the " civet,'' or animal-musk, which is procured from it, in which respect it 

 excels all musk-bearing animals. Its slender body bears distinct markings, 

 with a black stripe along the spine ; and the head has keen eyes and a 

 pointed snout. It is a night prowling animal and very destructive among 

 Chickens, Ducks and small mammals and birds. [Viverra zibeiha.) 



The Paradoxures The Civets lead us to the Paradoxures 

 01 or Palm Cats {Paradoxurus). These 



Palm Cats. animals are semi-plantigrade, that is, 

 they step on half of their soles in walking. The tail, 

 from which the animal derives its name, Paradox- 

 unis, meaning queer-tailed, can be curled by a few 

 species of the Palm Cats, but this peculiarity'is by no 

 means striking. The paws have claws that are more 

 or less retractile in different species and which are 

 used, Cat-fashion, to seize the prey and to defend 

 their owner. 



All species of this group inhabit southern Asia and 

 the adjoining islands. They set out in search of prey 

 after sunset and are agile enough to catch small 

 mammals and birds, al- 

 j£7 though they also eat fruit. 



Description of The Indian 

 the Indian Paradoxure 

 Paradoxus. {PamdoXU- 

 rus niger) resembles the 

 Genettes in shape as well 

 as coloring. His dimen- 

 sions approximate those 

 of our Domestic Cat, his 

 body being about twenty- 

 inches in length, and the 

 tail nearly as long. The 

 body is elongated, the 

 legs short and strong, 

 and the long tail can be 

 closely curled downward 

 as well as upward. The 

 eyes, which are very 

 prominent, have a brown 

 iris, and a large and ex- 

 ceedingly mobile pupil, 

 which may be retracted 

 until it presents only a 

 slit of a hair's breadth. 

 The general color of the 

 hair is black or brownish- 

 gray, marked with dark 

 bands and rows of spots. 

 The Indian Paradoxure 

 is common on the island 

 of Ceylon, and in India, 

 north to the Himalayas, 

 wherever there are trees, 

 in the jungles as well as 

 in settlements. Not infre- 

 quently he takes up his 

 abode in barns or sheds. 

 Like all other members 

 of his family he eagerly 

 hunts small mammals and 

 birds, eating the eggs or 

 young birds in their nests, 

 Lizards, Snakes, and in- 

 sects; and he is also fond of fruit. He is said to 

 cause great ravages in pineapple plantations, to be 

 an annoying visitor in coffee plantations, and to be 

 very fond of the juice of palms, or "palm-toddy." 

 He also makes frequent calls in the poultry-yards 

 of his vicinage. 

 The Common The Common Paradoxure or Musang 

 Paradoxure ( ParadoxutUS licnitaphroditus), repre- 

 or Musang. sents tne family in Burmah, Siam, the 

 Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and Borneo. His 

 body is about seventeen inches long, the tail a little 

 shorter than the body, and his coloring is subject to 

 great variations. 



