THE WEASEL KIND. 



341 



tion. How tar future experience may con- 

 firm this conjecture, time must discover; but 

 certain it is, that if such small varieties make 

 a separate class, there may be many other 

 animals equally entitled to peculiar distinc- 

 tion that are now classed together. We shall, 

 therefore, content ourselves, at present, with 

 considering, as former naturalists have done, 

 these two merely as varieties of the same ani- 

 mal, and only altered in figure, by climate, 

 food, or education. 



The civet resembles animals of the weasel 

 kind in the long slenderness of its body, the 

 shortness of its legs, the odorous matter that 

 exudes from the glands behind, the softness 

 of its fur, the number of its claws, and their 

 incapacity of being sheathed. It differs from 

 them in being much larger than any hitherto 

 described ; in having the nose lengthened, so 

 as to resemble that of the fox ; the tail long, 

 and tapering to a point ; and its ears straight, 

 like those of a cat. The colour of the civet 

 varies; it is commonly ash, spotted with black; 

 though it is whiter in the female, tending to 

 yellow ; and the spots are much larger, like 

 those of a panther. The colour on the belly, 

 and under the throat, is black ; whereas the 

 other parts of the body are black or streaked 

 with gray. This animal varies in its colour, 

 being sometimes streaked, as in our kind of 

 cats called tabbies. It has whiskers, like the 

 rest of its kind ; and its eye is black and beau- 

 tiful. 



The opening of the pouch or bag, which is 

 the receptacle of the civet, differs from that 

 of the rest of the weasel kind, not opening into 

 but under the anus. Besides this opening, 

 which is large, there is still another lower 

 down ; but for what purposes designed, is not 

 known. The pouch itself is about two inches 

 and a half broad, and two long; its opening 

 makes a chink, from the top downwards, that 

 is about two inches and a half long; and it 

 is covered on the edges and within, with short 

 hair: when the two sides are drawn asunder, 

 the inward cavity may be seen, large enough 

 to hold a small pullet's egg; all around this 

 are small glands, opening and furnishing that 

 strong perfume which is so well known, and 

 is found in this pouch, of the colour and con- 

 sistence of pomatum. Those who make it 

 their business to breed these animals for their 



perfume, usually take it from them twice or 

 thrice a week, and sometimes oftener. The 

 animal is kept in a long sort of a box, in which 

 it cannot turn round. The person, therefore, 

 opens this box behind, drags the animal back- 

 wards by the tail, keeps it in this position by 

 a bar before, and, with a wooden spoon, takes 

 the civet from the pouch, as carefully as he 

 can ; then lets the tail go, and shuts the box 

 again. The perfume, thus procured, is put 

 into a vessel, which he takes care to keep shut; 

 and when a sufficient quantity is procured, it 

 is sold to very great advantage. 



The civet, 3 although a native of the warm- 

 est climates, is found yet to live in temperate, 

 and even cold countries, provided it be defend- 

 ed carefully from the injuries of the air. 

 Wherefore, it is not only bred among the Turks, 

 the Indians, and Africans, but great numbers 

 of these animals are also bred in Holland, 

 where this scraping people make no small 

 gain of its perfume. The perfume of Amster- 

 dam is reckoned the purest of any; the peo- 

 ple of other countries adulterating it with 

 gums, and other matters, which diminish its 

 value, but increase its weight. The quantity 

 which a single animal affords, generally 

 depends upon its health and nourishment. 

 It gives more in proportion as it is more deli- 

 cately and abundantly fed. Raw flesh, hash- 

 ed small, eggs, rice, birds, young fowls, and 

 particularly fish, are the kinds of food the ci- 

 vet most delights in. These are to be chang- 

 ed and altered, to suit and entice its appe- 

 tite, and continue its health. It gets but very 

 little water; and although it drinks but rare- 

 ly, yet it makes urine very frequently ; and, 

 upon such occasions, we cannot, as in other 

 animals, distinguish the male from the female. 



The perfume of the civet is so strong that 

 it communicates itself to all parts of the ani- 

 mal's body; the fur is impregnated thereby, 

 and the skin penetrated to such a degree that 

 it continues to preserve the odour for a long 

 time after it is stript off. If a person be shut 

 up with one of them in a close room, he can- 

 not support the perfume, which is so copious- 

 ly diffused. When the animal is irritated, as 

 in all the weasel kind, its scent is much more 

 violent than ordinary; and if it be tormented 



a Buflbn, vol. xix. 



3G 



