CIVET. 



97 



this was its true station. Dr. Horsfielcl subsequently re- 

 vised all his former opinions, and finally placed it as a 

 genus intermediate between the two. We cannot, in 

 this place, detail all the different points of structure in 

 which this animal resembles, and differs from, the wea- 

 sels and the tiger-cats ; but a glance at its figure will 

 show, even to the inexperienced naturalist, how much 

 it resembles both, without having such decided cha- 

 racters as to induce us to place it with either. As we 

 have a particular aversion to names which mean nothing, 

 or at least convey no definite idea to the English reader, 

 we have ventured to call this the Weasel-Cat. In its 

 native state it inhabits the vast forests of the eastern ex- 

 tremity of Java : but even there it is of such rarity that 

 Dr. Horsfield was only able to procure two specimens ; 

 neither could he learn any thing of its manners or habits 

 from the natives. 



The size is small : the body measures about one 

 foot three inches, and the tail something more than 

 another foot. Its body is slender, its head tapering, 

 and its muzzle sharp : the tail is long and thick, and 

 the limbs are slender and delicate. The whole animal is 

 elegantly marked with stripes and bands of deep brown 

 upon a pale yellowish white ground. There is a beau- 

 tiful specimen preserved in the East India company's 

 museum, and which is figured in Dr. Horsfield's 

 Researches. 



The Civet. 



Viverra Civetta, Gmelin. La. Civette, Bvffon. 

 Pennant. ( Fig. 11.) 



The Civet. 



The odoriferous 

 substance produced 

 by this animal, al- 

 though now scarce- 

 ly known among the 

 perfumes in use 



