232 



THE RASSE. 



along the direction of the spine the fur is most deeply black. On the lower part of the 

 throat and neck are three curiously shaped black bands, very wide in the middle and 

 very narrow at each end, the central band being several times wider than the others. 



The length of this animal is two feet six inches, the head measuring nearly seven 

 inches in length, and the tail about eleven inches. The head is rather wide and rounded, 

 and is suddenly contracted towards the nose, so as to form a rather short muzzle. The 

 tail is nearly cylindrical, and does not taper so much as that of the zibeth, and the 

 body is furnished with a close downy covering of soft hairs near the skin. It is partly 

 to this woolly hair that the cylindrical outline of the tail is owing. The Tangalung is a 

 native of Sumatra. 



The RASSE is spread over a large extent of country, being found in Java, various 

 parts of India, Singapore, Nepal, and other localities. The color of its fur is a warm 

 greyish-brown, upon which are placed eight parallel lines of elongated dark spots. The 

 dark rings which mark the tail pass entirely round that member, while those which are 



TANGALUNQ.-Wv rra Tangluaga. 



found on the tail of the zibeth reach little more than half the circumference of the tail. 

 The texture of the fur is rather coarse and stiff, and it is not very thickly set. The 

 ears of this animal approach each other very closely at their base, being only separated 

 by the space of an inch, whereas there is an interval of two inches between the ears 

 of the zibeth. 



In the Javanese language, the word " Rasa," from which the name Rasse is taken, 

 signifies a sensation of the palate or the nostrils, so that it may be applied to the senses 

 of smelling or tasting. It generally refers to odoriferous substances. 



The perfume which is furnished by the Rasse is secreted in a double pouch, like that 

 of the civet, and is removed from the animal in precisely the same manner. It is 

 highly valued by the Javanese, who imbue their persons, their rooms, and their gar- 

 ments so strongly with this substance that a European nostril is grievously affected at 

 the all-pervading odor. The substance itself is termed Dedes. 



As far as is known of the disposition of this animal, it appears to be savage and 

 irritable, bearing captivity very impatiently, and never losing its wild ferocious nature 



