VIVERRA RASSE. 



Viverra griseo.fulvescens,"auriculis subapproximatis, dorso lineis octo longitudina- 

 libus parallelis nigricantibus vario, coUo fasciis obscuris, pedibus concoloribus 

 fuscis, pilis corporis caudseque attenuate rigidiusculis. 



Basse, of the Javanese, 



The Viverra Rasse is at once distinguished from the other species of this genus, 

 by its lengthened form, and by the slenderness of all its parts. The head is laterally 

 compressed, elevated from the jaws to the crown, and regularly and uniformly atte- 

 nuated to the muzzle. The position of the ears affords a peculiar physiognomy to 

 our animal : they approach each other on the forehead, in consequence of the narrow- 

 ness of the head ; the auricle rises to a considerable height with a curve, and then 

 suddenly declines to the sides ; but its margin is generally reflected, and thus this 

 character, as is the case in our figure, does not appear in its full extent. Near the 

 base the auricle has posteriorly a duplication or fold corresponding to an antitragus, 

 and is provided, opposite to the base, with a tragus of considerable extent. The 

 internal ear has several naked transverse membranes, leading to the meatus audito- 

 rius ; but it is concealed from view by a decumbent series of stiff hairs, which extend 

 into the ear from the sides of the head. The eyes are of moderate size, prominent, 

 and have a dark iris ; before the interior canthus, a considerable cavity exists in the 

 face. The muzzle is long, defined above by a regular Une, and terminated by a short 

 naked nose with lateral nostrils. The whiskers consist of several stiff hairs of great 

 length, closely applied to the head, differing as to colour, being either entirely white 

 or entirely black. A few solitary bristles are also scattered over the chin and cheeks. 

 The teeth agree precisely with those of the Viverra Zibetha : the canine teeth are long 

 and slightly arched ; the points of the false and true grinders are acute and elevated. 

 The front teeth are disposed in a regular series. Both jaws are of equal length. The 

 form of the neck and of the body is slender and cylindrical. The tail is of small 

 diameter at its origin, and regularly attenuated to the point. The anterior extremi- 

 ties are slender ; of the posterior extremities the thighs are stout, but the legs and 

 feet are delicate. The Rasse belongs to the division of strictly digitigrade Carnas- 

 siers. The claws are sharp and semiretractile. In the number and distribution of 

 the toes the Rasse agrees with the other species of Viverra, and with Genetta and 

 Musanga. 



The apparatus by which the odoriferous substance, the dedes or jihet of the 

 Javanese and Malays, is secreted, consists of a glandular body, of an oval form, 

 slightly compressed, having in its external surface considerable resemblance to a nut- 



