2 11 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



Viverra r/ndafa, Gray, Spic. Zool. p. 9 (1830). 



Viverra mela?iurus, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. x. 

 p. 909 (1841). 



Viverra civetoides, Hodgson, loc. at. 



Viverra ashtoni, Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 379. 



Characters.— -Size approximately equal to that of the last 

 species, from which the present form may be readily dis- 

 tinguished by the tail being marked with complete dark and 

 light rings throughout its length \ general colour dark hoary- 

 grey, often with a brownish or reddish tinge ; crest black ; 

 sides of the body generally without markings, but sometimes 

 wavy, indistinct, transverse, cloudy stripes present ; front and 

 sides of neck and upper part of chest white, crossed by a 

 broad black gorget, with frequently another dark band in front 

 and a third behind, the latter (when present) meeting a hori- 

 zontal streak from behind the ear ; outer surface of limbs in- 

 distinctly barred superiorly, but the whole of the lower portions 

 of the legs and feet uniformly dark brown or black. Length 

 of head and body, about 32 inches; of tail, 8 inches. 



Distribution. — Bengal, Assam, Burma, Siam, the south of 

 China, and Hainan. In Sikhim and Nipal it ascends to a 

 considerable elevation in the Himalaya. According to Mr. 

 W. L. Sclater, it is not improbable that the alleged occurrence 

 of this Civet in the Malay Peninsula is due to its having been 

 confounded with an allied species. 



Habits. — Usually a solitary creature, this Civet, or Civet-Cat, 

 generally skulks in woods, bushes, or thick grass during the 

 daytime, and only issues out into the open in search of prey 

 after dark. It is unable to climb trees; and probably does not 

 burrow, although it not unfrcquently takes possession of holes 

 in the ground. It feeds largely on small Mammals and birds 

 (including domestic ducks and poultry) ; but it will also con- 

 sume snakes, frogs, insects, and eggs, as well as fruits and 



