90 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



from his repeated allusions, in Shakespeare's time. It is, indeed, too 

 strong and rank for our modern tastes ; but it is still of some use in 

 compounding other perfumes, though even for this, musk has largely 

 taken its place. In the East, however, where taste is still in many 

 matters remarkably like what it was among us three centuries ago, Civet 

 is still much esteemed. To obtain it, the pouch is everted with the 

 fingers, or the secretion scooped out with a wooden spatula. The opera- 

 tion can be performed twice a week, but as the Civet does not, at first at 

 any rate, at all approve of it, and is not the sweetest-tempered of animals 

 at the best of times, it is put into a cage in which it cannot turn round. 



In addition to the African Civet, several Asiatic species closely 

 related to it contribute their perfume in captivity, and have very similar 

 wild habits. The Large Indian Civet (Viverra zibetha) is well known 

 in Bengal as Bagdas, and often hunted by " bobbery packs." This has 

 plain grey sides instead of the black-spotted flanks of the African 

 animal, and ranges east to China and the Malay Peninsula. The 

 Tangalung (I/, tangahinga) inhabits the East Indies from Java to the 

 Philippines, and, like the Burmese Civet (V. megaspila), is more spotted 

 than the Indian kind, but not so large. 



The Small Indian Civet, or Rasse (Vwerricula indicd) is also kept as 

 a civet-producer, but this is a rather different animal from the typical 

 Civets, being smaller, with no mane along the back, and with shorter 

 claws ; in accordance with this structure, it is more of a climber. Its 

 coat is grey spotted with black. It is not only found in India, where it 

 ranges all over the country, and eastwards as far as does the Large 

 species, but also in Madagascar, where, however, it may very likely have 

 been introduced. 



THE GENETS 



THE Genets and Linsangs (Genetta, Prionodon, Poiana) are very beautiful animals, 

 of small size, with very short legs and long bodies, necks, and tails. In their 

 sleek spotted coats and retractile claws, they much resemble the true Cats, but 



