222 Lloyd's natural history. 



Having the under surface of the tarsus and metatarsus com- 

 pletely clothed with hair, as in Viverra, the Oriental Linsangs 

 differ from all the genera mentioned above by having only one 

 (instead of two) pair of molar teeth in the upper jaw. The 

 Linsangs are long-bodied and short-limbed animals, with the 

 claws of the five-toed feet almost as completely retractile as in 

 the Cats, and the fur short, soft, close, and erect. There are 

 no scent-glands corresponding to those which produce civet 

 in Viverra. The ground-colour of the fur is white or greyish- 

 white, upon which are dark brown or black markings, taking 

 the form either of a small number of large patches extending 

 transversely across the body, or of such patches broken up into 

 quadrangular spots ; there are dark longitudinal streaks (some- 

 times broken into spots) on the neck and shoulders, as well as 

 smaller ones on the head ; and the tail is ringed with dark and 

 light. The pupil of the eye is circular when contracted ; and 

 the skull is very similar to that of Genetta; but the lower car- 

 nassial tooth has its posterior heel smaller than in the latter. 



The genus is exclusively Oriental, ranging from North-eastern 

 India to Borneo and Java, although unknown in the Malay 

 Peninsula. It is represented by an allied type in Western 

 Africa. 



I. THE BORNEAN LINSANG. LINSANGA GRACILIS. 

 Viverra gracilis, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 539 (1820). 

 Felis gracilis, Horsfield, Zool. Researches, plate (1824). 

 Paradoxurus linsangs Fischer, Synops. Mamm. p. 159 (1829). 

 Linsang gracilis, Miiller, Verh. Nat. Gesch. p. 28 (1839); 



Gray, Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 53 (1869). 

 Prionodon gracilis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 519. 



Characters. — Size small ; general coloration very similar to 

 that of the next species, but the skull of a different type, 

 being relatively shorter, and with a wider brain-case. Mr. 



