PARADOXURUS BONDAR. 129 



— Chinghdr, H. — Bondar and Baum, Beng. — Machabha and Malwa, 

 in the Nepal Terai, and neighbouring districts. 



The Terai Tree-cat. 



Descr. — Colour a clear yellow, largely tipped with black, and entirely 

 devoid of marks or lines npon the body ; the bridge of the nose, the 

 upper lip, whiskers, broad cheek-band, ears, chin, lower jaw, forelegs and 

 hind feet, and terminal third of the tail, black or blackish-brown ; region 

 of the genitals and a zone encircling the eyes, pure pale-yellow ; snout 

 and soles of feet brownish fleshy-gray ; nude parts of lips, palate, and 

 tongue, pure fleshy-white. The hair is straight, long, erect, yellow at 

 the base, black-tipped ; the under wool soft, curly, yellow. Its nails 

 are very sharp and curved, sheathed and mobile. Total length 45 inches, 

 of which the tail is about half; weight 6 lb. The female is somewhat 

 smaller and paler, and has four ventral teats. 



This tree-cat is said to be found throughout the Terai of the hills, 

 extending into the neighbouring districts of Bengal and Behar, but of its 

 distribution elsewhere I can find no record. In* its habits it is said to be 

 found in inhabited and cultivated tracts, its favourite resort being old 

 abandoned mango-groves, seeking refuge in holes of decayed trees, where 

 it also breeds. It seeks its food as well among the branches of trees as 

 on the ground, and is highly carnivorous, living upon birds, small mam- 

 mals, mice, rats, and even young hares ; also on snakes, but it will not 

 touch frogs or cockroaches. Occasionally it is very destructive to poultry. 

 It will eat ripe mangoes and other fruit. It sleeps rolled up like a ball, 

 and when angered spits like a cat. It is naturally very ferocious and 

 unruly, but capable of domestication if taken young. It has a keen sense 

 of smell, but less acute hearing and vision by day than the mungooses. 



Another species allied to these two last, is Paguma laniger, Gray, Maries 

 laniger, Hodgson, from Tibet and adjoining snowy Himalayas. Parado- 

 xuTus quinque-lineatus, Gray, appears to be described from the same speci- 

 mens as P. strictus, formerly alluded to ; and there are other species de- 

 scribed, some of which also appear to be varieties of P. Musanga. 



Ceylon possesses a peculiar species, P. zeylanicus, Pallas ; P. trlvir- 

 gatus, Temminck, and P. leucomystax, Gray, are found in the Malayan 

 peninsula and islands, in addition to P. Musanga and P. Derhyanus, 

 already alluded to. 



K 



