CIVETS 135 



the while. About 100 paces from the tree they stopped again, as if suspecting 

 danger. After awhile, however, they grew reassured and ran quickly to the tree. 

 Tha two larger were the first to be caught in the snares by their fore-legs. The 

 shikaris rushing up threw a blanket over their heads, and tied their legs together. 

 Meanwhile the ox-cart had come back, and the blankets were taken off and replaced 

 by a hood, one of the natives being seriously bitten while this was being done. 

 After the leopards had been tied to the carriage, and the snares all collected, the 

 party returned to camp. 



Women and children remain all day with the newly captured animals, talking 

 all the time in order to accustom them to the human voice. Then the different 

 stages of the training begin, and in six months the leopards are generally tamed, 

 some of them being as obedient and docile as dogs. They are fond of being 

 caressed, are good-natured even with strangers, and like to rub themselves against 

 their friends, purring all the time like cats. They are never kept in cages, but 

 generally tied to a wall by a chain, and allowed to sleep on a native bedstead, or 

 charpoi. 



When a hunting-leopard is taken into the field a hood is placed on its head to 

 prevent it from seeing, a line is tied to a leather belt round its neck or body, and 

 the animal is conveyed in a bullock-cart to a place where antelopes are likely to be 

 found. The latter allow the party to come fairly close, and when the shikaris think 

 they are near enough, the hunting-leopard is freed from its hood, and let loose. 

 According to the distance, the hunting-leopard either runs straight at the antelopes 

 or sneaks up near enough to be able to attack them successfully. When a buck is 

 with the herd, the hunting-leopard generally selects it for attack, probably because, 

 as a rule, it is behind the others ; and brings the antelope down by striking its legs. 

 Immediately it clutches the fallen animal by the throat, and holds it until the 

 shikaris come up. The latter then cut the antelope's throat and catch some of its 

 blood in a basin for the hunting-leopard, who licks it up greedily. While drink- 

 ing the blood, the hood is again drawn over its head, and it is taken on to other 

 game, as a good chita will sometimes catch as many as four bucks in a morning. 



Passing- on to the civet tribe, we find the true civets represented 

 Civets 



by the Indian civet ( Viverra zibetha), which ranges from Bengal east- 

 wards into China and Hainan and southwards into Siam. This animal may be 

 recognised by its small round ears, long thick tail, which is thin at the end and 

 measures more than half the length of the body, and the crest of long bristly hair 

 running down the middle line of the back. In colour it is yellowish or brownish 

 grey, profusely striped and spotted with black, the crest being black and the tail 

 ringed with black. The lower part of the legs and the feet are dark brown or black ; 

 the head is grey, the chin brown, and the forehead as well as the sides of the neck 

 and upper part of the chest are white; on the throat is a broad black band 

 generally edged with white, and the neck has another dark band beginning behind 

 the ear. 



This civet, which has a length of about 40 inches including the tail, usually 

 lives alone, hiding during the day in woods or high grass, and appearing in the 

 open only after sunset. It feeds on small mammals, birds, snakes, frogs, insects, 

 eggs, fruits, and roots. The civet used in perfumery is taken from this and other 



