CHAPTER XXV 



CIVET CAT 



The civet cat is sometimes called the "Pole Cat". In color the 

 fur is black with white spots of irregular shape. It differs from the 

 skunk in that the stripes of the skunk are regular and run from the 

 back of the head down to the tip of the tail, while in the civet cat 

 there are no stripes but spots of white fur from one half to an inch 



CIVET CAT 



in diameter and of irregular shape covering the entire body. The 

 full grown civet cat is about one half the size of the skunk, and the 

 fur is about one half inch in depth and of an even length over the 

 entire body. The tail is about one half the length of the body, and 

 is rather round in shape being about three quarters of an inch in 

 diameter, and is not large and brushy like the tail of the skunk. 

 The civet cat is found in nearly every state in the Union, and is one 

 of the big articles of the fur trade. It is very popular in Europe, 

 especially in Russia, or rather it was popular in Russia before the 

 Great War and was largely used for coat lining. It is a very beauti- 

 ful and striking fur when made into a garment, the black being a 

 rich beautiful glossy black and the white a snow white. This con- 

 trast in color makes a beautiful fur garment, and it is difficult to 



