THE CIVETS. 207 



Although they are approached to a certain degree in these 

 respects by the Eyra, the Civets and their allies differ from the 

 Cats in the more elongate form of the head and body, the 

 sharper muzzle, and the shorter limbs ; the skull being also 

 elongated and narrowed in conformity with the shape of the 

 head. The majority of them have scent-glands situated be- 

 neath the tail. In the predominance of spots and stripes on 

 the fur, these animals resemble the Cats ; a few of them, 

 however, have continuous longitudinal stripes on the whole of 

 the upper-parts — a feature unknown in the latter, — while the 

 peculiar "pepper-and-salt" coloration of the typical Mun- 

 gooses is likewise a peculiarity. A few forms, such as the 

 Fossa and Miller's Mungoose, have uniformly tawny or reddish 

 fur. Unlike the Weasel tribe (Mtistetidce), the ViverridcB are of 

 no commercial value on account of their pelts ; such furs as 

 are used at all selling at very low prices, and being employed 

 for common articles. 



The members of the Family do not present that striking 

 general similarity so conspicuous among the Cats, and they 

 are consequently divided into numerous genera, which may be 

 grouped in three Sub-families. Unknown both in Australasia 

 and America (so far as can be ascertained, not only at the pre- 

 sent day, but likewise in past epochs of the earth's history), the 

 Civets and their allies are confined to the warmer regions 

 of Africa, Madagascar, and South-eastern Asia ; one species 

 extending, however, into Spain, and a second into France. 

 Some of the most peculiar and aberrant forms are confined to 

 Madagascar; and it may be noticed that nearly all the species 

 from that island pertain to peculiar genera. During the Ter- 

 tiary epoch Civet-like animals were extremely abundant in 

 Europe in strata antecedent to the Pliocene age, their down- 

 ward range extending to the Oligocene period, at which date 

 their remains are met with in great numbers in the Quercy 

 Phosphorites of Central France. 



