PKIONODON. 



103 



49. Prionodon pardicolor. The spotted Tiger-Civet. 



Prionodon pardicolor, Hock/son, Cole. Jburn. N. If. ii, p. 57, pi. i, 

 figs. 3, (1842) ; viii, p. 40, pi. i ; Blyth, Cat. p. 46 ; Jerdon, Mam. 

 p. 124; Anderson, An. Zool Res. p. 166. 



Zik-chiiai, Bhot. ; Stiliyu, Lepcha. 



Fig. 25. Prionodon pardicolor. (From Hodgson's drawings.) 



Tail as long as the body and neck. Pupil round. 



Skull with the zygomatic arch slight. The constriction of the 

 bulla is very marked. 



Colour. Fulvous (very pale brown), with large black spots above, 

 whitish and unspotted below. Underfur slaty, tips of longer 

 hairs buff or black. Head brown ; frequently a black spot behind 

 each ear. Four bands down neck, two on each side, two broader 

 above from behind ears to between shoulders, the others lower 

 down and more broken into spots ; the two upper bands are con- 

 tinued as rows of large rounded spots down the back, a row of 

 smaller irregular spots intervening, and about three more rows of 

 spots, square or round, diminishing in size below, down each side. 

 The spots also form about six or seven transverse rows. Limbs 

 near the body spotted outside ; feet pale brown, unspotted. Tail 

 with about eight to ten dark rings separated from each other by 

 the same number of pale rings, all passing right round the tail 

 and subequal in breadth. 



Dimensions. Head and body 14 to 15 inches, tail 12 to 13, 

 height 5 to 5| ; weight about a pound. Skull 2-5 inches long, 

 1-25 broad. 



Distribution. The south-eastern Himalayas, extending thence 



