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who are near it are obliged t© be buried in the ground 

 for some time before they can be purified. 



5. The Skunk (Viverra Mephites). 



This, like the last, defends itself by emitting so in- 

 tolerable an odour, as to overpower whatever pursues 

 it ; this sometimes happens in the houses of the 

 settlers in North America, when their whole stock of 

 provisions are rendered useless. 



d. The Civet (Viverra Civetta). 



This Cat is sometimes erroneously called the Musk 

 Cat. It is a native of the hottest climates of Africa 

 and Asia; yet it is capable of living in temperate or 

 even in cold countries, if it be carefully defended 

 against the injuries of air, and provided with delicate 

 and succulent food. The Civet Cat is a wild, fierce 

 animal, and feeds on its prey in the same manner as 

 the fox. In Holland they are frequently reared for 

 the sake of their perfume, which greatly resembles 

 musk. This is produced in a pouch under the tail ; 

 and those that keep them for this purpose put them 

 into a long narrow box, in which they cannot turn ; 

 this box is opened behind twice or thrice a week by 

 the person who collects the perfume, who drags the 

 animal backwards by the tail, and keeps it in that 

 situation by placing a bar before it, while with a 

 small spoon he scrapes the odoriferous substance from, 

 the pouch in which it is produced. 



7, Three-striped Weasel (Viverra Hermaphrodita). 

 It is a native ofBarbary, and very destructive to 



poultry. 



8. The Genet (Viverra Genetta). 



This beautiful little animal was kept for some time 

 alive, and was suffered to play at liberty in the 



