234 Lloyd's natural history. 



Paradoxurus pennanii. Gray, loc. cit. 



Platyschista pallasi, Otto, Nova Acta Ac. Caes. Leop.-Car. vol. 



xvii. p. 1089 (1835). 

 Paradoxurus hirsufus, Hodgson, Asiat. Researches, vol. xix. 



p. 72 (1836). 

 Paradoxurus niger, Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 792; 



id., Mamm. Brit. India, p. 106 (1888). 

 {Plate XXX.) 

 Characters.— Bony palate extending less than a quarter of an 

 inch behind the line of the last upper molar teeth ; whiskers 

 black, with occasionally a few of the lowest bristles white at 

 the base. Tail nearly or quite as long as the head and body, 

 thickly haired, and only slightly tapering. Fur coarse and 

 frequently long, with some elongated and ragged patches, 

 especially on the back ; under-fur short or absent. General 

 colour fulvous, ashy, or black, marked either by streaks, streaks 

 and spots combined, or dusky patches. The slits on the 

 anterior extremity of the bony palate only extending as far 

 back as the canine teeth. Length of head and body varying 

 from 20 to 25 inches; of tail, from 16 to 20 inches. Males 

 are considerably larger than females, and there are also racial 

 variations in point of size. 



By Mr. Blanford the Indian Palm-Civet (P. niger) is regarded 

 as specifically distinct from the Malayan P. hermaphroditus. 

 Mr. W. L. Sclater remarks, however, that it seems " more in 

 accordance with the facts to recognise the two forms only as 

 geographical races ; since although the Toddy-Cat of Southern 

 India is fairly distinguishable from that of the Malay Peninsula, 

 the specimens met with in Lower Bengal are intermediate 

 between the two. The typical variety is distinguished by the 

 marked longitudinal stripes down the back ; the hill variety 

 (P. strictus) by its darker colour, more distinct spots, and smaller 

 size ; the Indian variety (P. niger) by the absence of definite 

 stripes and spots, which are replaced by dusky patches." 



