THE POLE-CAT, CIVET-CAT. 41 



THE POLE-CAT, OR FITCHET. 



THIS animal is nearly a foot and a half long, exclusive of 

 the tail, which is about six inches. The colour is a deep 

 chocolate, with a space of white round the mouth, and the 

 ears are likewise tipped with white. It is long, slender, 

 and active, and is very destructive to poultry, pigeons, and 

 rabbits. A single Pole-cat is sufficient to despoil a whole 

 warren : for it has such an insatiable thirst for blood, that 

 it kills as well from wantonness as from necessity. The 

 female brings forth five or six young at a time, but the 

 species is not very numerous, and seems confined to lati- 

 tudes equally remote from heat and cold. 



When alive, the smell of the Pole-cat is rank and dis- 

 agreeable, even to a proverb ; however, its skin is dressed 

 with the hair on, and used for various purposes, although 

 its offensive smell can never be altogether removed or sup- 

 pressed. 



THE CIVET CAT. 



THIS animal is an inhabitant of many parts of India and 

 Africa. It is more than two feet long, with a thickish 

 body, and sharp lengthened head. The hair is coarse, and 

 forms a mane on the back. The general colour of the 

 body is yellowish ash grey, marked with large dusky 

 spots, placed in rows across the back and limbs. The sides 

 of the face, chin, legs, and breast are black, and the other 

 parts of the face and neck of a yellowish white. The ears 

 are small and round, the eyes bright blue, the nose tipt 

 with black. The civet is of a wild disposition, and preys, 

 like others of the genus, on small animals : it is active and 

 nimble. This animal is capable of being domesticated, 

 and is kept by the perfumers of Amsterdam for the sake of 

 the civet which it produces. This drug is secreted in a 

 peculiar gland near the tail, which empties of its own 

 accord. When kept in confinement, the creature is placed 

 some time in a wooden box, so contrived that it cannot 

 turn round to bite the person employed in collecting the 

 civet. This is obtained from the animal by scraping it 

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