THE BLOTCHED GENETT AND THE CACOMIXLE. 



GENETTS. 



A small but rather important group of the Viverrine animals is that 

 tlio members of which are known by the name of the Genetts. 

 These creatures are all nocturnal in their habits, as are the civets, and, 

 like those animals, can live on a mixture of animal and vegetable 

 food, or even on vegetable food alone. The Genetts possess the musk- 

 secreting apparatus, which much resembles the pouch of the Civet, 

 although in size it is not so large, nor does it secrete so powerfully 

 smelling a substance as that of the civets. The secreting organ, al- 

 though it resembles a pouch, is not so in reality, being simply com- 

 posed of two glands, united to each other by a strip of skin. 



The best known of these animals is the Common or Blotched 

 Genett, an inhabitant of Southern Africa and of various other parts 

 of the world, being found even in the South of France. It is a very 

 beautiful and graceful animal, and never fails to attract attention from 

 an observer. The general color of the fur is gray, with a slight ad- 

 mixture of yellow. Upon this groundwork dark patches are lavishly 

 scattered, and the full, furry tail is covered with alternate bands of 



black and white. 

 The muzzle would 

 be entirely black 

 but for a bold 

 patch of white fur 

 on the upper lip, 

 and a less deci- 

 dedly white mark 

 by the nose. The 

 feet are supplied 

 with retractile 

 claws, so that the 

 animal can deal a 

 severe blow with 

 its outstretched 

 talons, or climb 

 trees with the 

 same ease and ra- 

 pidity which is 

 found in the cat 

 tribe. 



Very different from the Genetts in its appearance is the Cacomixle, 

 although it is closely allied to them. 



It is remarkable as being a Mexican representative of the Genett 



The Blotched Genett {Genetla Tigr 



