216 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 
Punjab and Sind, this spe@fes seems to range over the whole 
of India. It has the widest geographical distribution of any 
member of the Family; and is also the only one common to 
Asia and Madagascar ; the latter feature in its distribution 
being a very remarkable one. 
Habits.—So far as has been ascertained, while all the other 
Civets are non-arboreal animals, the Rasse is said to be an 
expert climber, although it is generally found inhabiting holes 
in the ground, and does not appear to have been observed in 
thick forest. Not unfrequently resorting to the neighbourhood 
of human dwellings, it has been met with hiding in drains and 
outbuildings; and it is frequently kept in captivity in the East, 
in which condition it becomes perfectly tame. In addition to 
preying on such birds and small Mammalsas it can contrive to 
capture, the Rasse, like its congeners, varies its diet with fruit 
and roots. Four or five young are produced in a litter. 
HI. THE MADAGASCAR CIVETS. GENUS FOSSA. 
fossa, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 518. 
Nearly allied to the Rasse, the single representative of this 
imperfectly-known genus is distinguished from all the members 
of the preceding group by the presence of two small bare spots 
on the under surface of the metatarsus in the hind-limb ; while 
it is believed that there is no scent-pouch. ‘The limbs are re- 
markable for their slenderness ; and the absence of a dark line 
down the back, and also of a dark gorget, form other distinc- 
tive features of the genus. The one species is confined to 
Madagascar. 
I, DAUBENTON’S CIVET. FOSSA DAUBENTONI. 
Viverra fossa, Schreber, Saéugethiere, vol. iii. pl. cxiv. (1778). 
fossa daubentonit, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 518 ; Mivart, 
Proc. Zool. Soc: 1882, \p.-150, 
Characters.—General colour of fur greyish, which may be 
