126 VIVERRIN^. 



hermaphrodita, Pallas. — Menuri, H., in the south. — LaMti, H., in some 

 parts ; occasionally Khatds. — Vulgo, in Southern India, Jhdr ka kdtd, or 

 Tree-dog. — Ud, Mahr. — Bhondar,'Beng-A\. — Kera bek, Can. — 31dm(-pilli, 

 Tel. ; and Marrapilli, Malayl., both signifying tree-cat. — Toddy-cat of 

 Europeans in Madras. 



The Common Tree-cat. 



Descr. — General colour brownish-black, with some dingy yellowish 

 stripes on each side, more or less distinct, and sometimes not noticeable ; 

 a white spot above and below each eye, and the forehead with a whitish 

 band in some ; a black line from the top of the head down the centre of 

 the nose is generally observable. In many individuals the ground colour 

 appears to be fulvous with black pencilling, or mixed fulvous and black ; 

 the longitudinal stripes then show dark ; limbs always dark-brown. 

 Some appear almost black throughout, and the young are said to be 

 nearly all black. Some appear fulvous- gray washed with black, the face 

 black, and the tail very dark ; and others appear to have the sides 

 spotted. Many of these variations are owing to the state of abrasion of 

 the fur, which is yellowish at the base and blackish at the tip. One is 

 described as " pale grayish-brown with longer black hairs intermixed, 

 and most prevalent on the back of head, neck, and along the back ; three 

 black bands on the loins ; head brownish, with a gray mark above and 

 below the eyes ; tail with the terminal fifth yellowish-white." I have 

 had several skins with the terminal portion of the tail yellowish-white, 

 and one or two with the whole posterior parts of the same hue. Some 

 have the abdomen marked with elongated white spots, and individuals 

 occur with the tail spirally twisted, so that the extremity has the lower 

 surface uppermost ; and, according to Blyth, it was an individual similar 

 to this on which the genus was founded, and the name Paradowwus 

 bestowed, which has been translated into Screw-tail. 



Length, head and body, 22 to 25 inches; tail 19| to 21 ; hind foot 

 S^L ; weight 81 lb. 



This tree-cat is a common and abundant animal throughout the greater 

 part of India and Ceylon, extending through Burmah and the Malayan 

 peninsula to the islands. It is most abundant in the better wooded 

 regions, and is rarely met with in the bare portions of the Deccan, Central 

 India, and the North-west Provinces. It is veryabundant in the Carnatic, 



