THE AFRICAN CIVET 73 



freely soon after their arrival, and later accepted anything 

 in the way of raw meat offered them, consuming not only 

 flesh of antelopes and birds, but of leopards, civets, 

 hyaenas, and wild dogs, with complete impartiality. 

 They were always very shy with strangers, but their 

 own attendant could handle them readily. 



The call of the adult animal is a kind of " chirping " 

 or "mewing," a cat's "mew" cut short, as it were. 

 When alarmed or annoyed it utters a deep growl. 



CHAPTER VIII 



VIVERRINES : 

 THE AFRICAN CIVET GENETS MUNGOOSES 



THE AFRICAN CIVET. A full-grown male civet will 

 measure some four feet in length, eighteen inches of this 

 being taken up by the tail. The ground colour is yellowish 

 grey ; there is usually a ridge of long black hairs forming 

 a crest down the middle of the back. The body is covered 

 with dark spots. The cheeks, throat, and limbs are 

 black. The tail is ringed, with a black extremity. The 

 ears are short, broad, and rounded, with white bases 

 and black extremities. Glands are present on each 

 side of the tail, and the scent obtained therefrom was 

 formerly in considerable demand as an article of com- 

 merce. 



The species extends through the tropical and sub- 

 tropical regions of Africa, including the low-lying regions 

 of the east coast as far south as Zululand. It favours 

 rather thick bush, and, as a rule, is not met with in hilly 

 country. 



The civet is solitary and nocturnal in habit, and lies 

 up by day in grass, bush, or the holes made by ant-bears 



