THE HEMIGALE. 249 
often scratches against objects, growling at the same time, as if practising for future 
defence. It eats fowl readily, but not other kinds of meat so well; it ate some pine- 
apple with much avidity. It will carry away a bone given to it to a dark corner, 
growling and snapping at any one that may attempt to take it away. 
Sometimes, when left to itself, it utters such loud, squeaking cries as to be heard all 
over the ship. One day, at dinner-time, when the animal was first on board, a noise was 
heard, but from whence it proceeded, or what it was, we could not tell, until the mystery 
was explained by the steward, who said that it was the foreign cat. 
Like all animals, whether of the genus Homo, or lower in the creation, the Java Cat 
does not like to be disturbed at meals, This little, i1-humoured quadruped is particularly 
savage at that time, but, like the human race in all its numerous varieties, when feeding 
time is over, and it has had a sufficiency of provende r, it will remain quiet, and be usually 
in a tolerably good humour; but when it is hungry, there is nothing but screeching, 
grumbling, and ¢ crying, until the appetite is satisfied. 
I gave the animal one morming a dead cockroach, but after turing and twisting it 
about and licking it for some time, it would not eat it—perhaps it was not hunery. 
When the creature is excessively annoyed, it retires into some dark hole or coiner, 
making a spitting noise, and is very furious against any one that may attempt to dislodge 
it from that place thus formed into a refuge for the ill-tempered. 
When first set at liberty, it was missing for one or two days, having gone on a tour, 
by way of change of scene; he soon, however, returned to his old quarters, ran about 
the cabins, and, when sleeping during the day, would take the warmest and most comfort- 
able situations which the cabins afforded ; it was as fully domesticated as a cat. 
The Musang runs about quite domesticated, and climbs well, occasionally aiding itself 
by the tail having a prehensile power. He also runs about, particularly at night, and in 
the morning is usually found quietly asleep upon the softest bundle of clothes he can 
meet with in the cabin into which he has introduced himself. He dislikes much to be 
handled, or petted, or crammed, unless he crams himself, which he very often does. 
At last I let the creature ramble about where it pleased in the after part of the ship ; 
it reposed in the cabins or in other places it liked. It used to wander about and come 
at meal-times for food, until the 14th of June, when it was missing, and search being 
made about its usual haunts, the animal was discovered dead among some oakum in one 
of the cabins. 
When at Pedir, on the south-east coast of Sumatra, I procured another young, but 
larger, specimen than the preceding ; 1t was purchased for half-a-rupee. Although wild 
with strangers, with the native from whom the animal was purchased it was exceedingly 
domesticated. I have seen it follow him like a cat along the pathway for some distance, 
when he placed it out of his arms upon the ground. The natives gave it the same name 
here as at Java. 
When I placed this animal in my cabin, it remained very quiet, not making so much 
noise as the last, but a few days afterwards it became so very vicious, not suffering 
any one to approach or touch it, without spitting, growling, and fighting so furiously, that 
I at last was obliged to destroy it.” 
The Musang, when in its native woods, constructs a nest not unlike that of the 
squirrel’s, composed of leaves, diy erass, slender twigs, and other analogous substances. 
This habitation is usually fixed in the fork of a branch, and sometimes is placed in the 
hollow of a tree. Making this “nest” its head quarters, and sleeping there by day, it 
issues forth at night in search of food, making sad havoc with the hen-roosts when it 
can gain admission, and devouring every kind of ripe fruit which it can find. Pine- 
apples seem to be favourite articles of diet with this epicurean creature. 
THE ANIMAL which is shown in the following engraving is remarkable for the 
singularity of its colouring, and the mode in which the fur is diversified with lighter and 
darker tints. 
The colour of this animal's fur is a greyish-brown, on which are placed six or seven 
large and bold stripes, arranged saddle-wise upon the back, being very broad above, and 
