CATALOGUE. 63 



If taken while young, it becomes patient and gentle during confine- 

 ment, and receives readily animal and vegetable food. It requires little 

 attention, and even contents itself with the scanty remains of the meals 

 of the natives, with fish, eggs, rice, potatoes, &c., the structure of its 

 teeth being particularly adapted to a vegetable diet. It prefers, how- 

 ever, delicate and pulpy fruits, but, when pressed by hunger, also 

 attacks fowls and birds. It is most abundant near the villages situated 

 at the confines of large forests. It constructs a simple nest in the 

 manner of squirrels, of dry leaves, grass, or small twigs, in the forks 

 of large branches, or in the hollow of trees. From these it sallies 

 forth at night to visit the sheds and hen-roosts of the natives, in search 

 of eggs, chickens, &c. Its rambles are also particularly directed to the 

 gardens and plantations, where fruits of every description within its 

 reach, and particularly pine- apples, suffer extensively from its depreda- 

 tions. 



The coffee plantations in Java are greatly infested by the Viverra 

 musanga ; in some parts of the island it has on this account obtained 

 the name of the coffee-rat. It devours the berries in large quantities, 

 and its visits are soon discovered by parcels of seeds which it discharges 

 unchanged. It selects only the ripest and most perfect fruits, and the 

 seeds are eagerly collected by the natives, as the coffee is thus obtained 

 without the tedious process of removing its membranaceous arillus. 



The injurious effects occasioned by the ravages of the Luwak in the 

 coffee plantations, are, however, fully counterbalanced by its propagating 

 the plant in various parts of the forests, and particularly on the declivi- 

 ties of the fertile hills. These spontaneous groves of a valuable fruit 

 in various parts of the western districts of Java, afford to the natives 

 no inconsiderable harvest, while the accidental discovery of them, 

 surprises and delights the traveller in the most sequestered parts of 

 the island. 



93. PARADOXURUS PREHENSILIS, Hamilton Sp. 



Ichneumon prehensilis, Dr. Francis (Buchanan) Ha- 

 milton, MS. 



Viverra prehensilis, Blainv. Desmar., Mamm. p. 208. 



Paradoxurus prehensilis, Gray, Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1832, 

 p. 66. Temm., Monogr. II. p. 340, notice compilee, 

 SfC. Bennett, Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1834,;?. 33. Gray 

 and Hardw., Illust. Ind. Zool. II. plate 9. Catal. of 

 Mamm. in Museum of Zool. Soc. 1838, p. 22. 



HAB. Continental India. 



