NATURAL HISTORY. 307 



THE GENETT. 



THE genett is an animal smaller than the civet. 

 It has a long body, short legs, a sharp snout, and a 

 slender head. Its fur, which is exceedingly smooth 

 and soft, is of an ash-colour, glossy, and marked with 

 black stripes, which are separate upon the sides, but 

 which unite upon the back. It has also upon its 

 neck a kind of mane, which forms a black streak from 

 the head to the tail, which last is as long as the body, 

 and is marked with seven or eight rings, from the inser- 

 tion to the tip, which are alternately black and white. 



The genett has under the tail, and in the very same 

 place with the civet, an opening, in which is separat- 

 ed a kind of perfume resembling civet, but less strong, 

 and apter to evaporate. It is an animal somewhat 

 larger than the martin, which it is very like, not only 

 in the form of the body, but also in disposition and ha- 

 bit, and from which it .seems chiefly to differ in being 

 more easily tamed. 



THE ONDATRA, AND THE DESMAN. 



THE ondatra and the desman, are two animals 

 which must not be confounded, though they have both 

 been denominated musk-rats, and though they hare 

 a few common characteristics. 



