124 VIVEBRIN^E. 



prickles. The female has four teats, two pectoral and two inguinal. 

 This genus was founded by Horsfield on a Malayan animal from Java. 

 It forms quite a link between the Cats and Civets. The fur is short and 

 close, resembling that of the Cats. 



122. Prionodon pardicolor. 



HODGSON. Calc. J. N. A. 2, 57, with figure.* Zik-chum, Bhot. 

 Suliyu, Lepch. 



THE TIGER-CIVET. 



Descr. Rich orange-buff or fulvous, spotted with black ; the neck 

 above with four irregular lines ; the body above and on the sides with 

 large entire elliptic or squarish marks, eight in transverse, and seven in 

 longitudinal series, diminishing in size from the dorsal ridge, which has 

 an interrupted dark line, and extending outside the limbs to the digits ; 

 below entirely unspotted ; tail with eight or nine nearly perfect and 

 equal rings. 



Length, head and body, about 16 inches ; tail 14 j height 6 or so. 



This very beautiful animal is said to have the manners of the Cats, to 

 spring and climb with great power, to prey on small mammals and birds, 

 and to frequent trees much in search of the former, as well as for shelter. 

 Hodgson says, " equally at home on trees or on the ground, it dwells 

 and breeds in the hollows of decayed trees." It has only been obtained 

 in the south-east Himalayas, in Nepal and Sikim, and does not appear 

 to be at all common, though Hodgson asserts it to be so. I only pro- 

 cured one specimen whilst at Darjeeling. Cantor thus refers to an in- 

 dividual of the Malayan species, to which ours is very closely allied, 

 kept in captivity for some time : " At first the animal was fierce and 

 impatient of confinement, but by degrees it became very gentle and 

 playful, and when subsequently suffered to leave the cage, it went in 

 search of sparrows and other small birds, displaying great dexterity and 

 unerring aim in stealthily leaping upon them." 



Hodgson had our species in confinement, and states that it was very 

 gentle and fond of being petted. It was fed with raw meat. It never 



* By an oversight in the recent edition of Hodgson's British Museum Collections, 

 this is twice enumerated as 38, Linsang pardicolor, and 39, Prionodon pwdochrous. 



