VIVERRA RASSE. 



meg. The diameter is about three-fourths of an inch. It is situated in contact with, 

 and a little before the anus, and is provided externally, with a longitudinal aper- 

 ture, or rima, half an inch in length, capable of contraction, and partially concealed 

 by the hairy covering : this passes directly into the glandular apparatus, constituting 

 an extensive surface, on which the secreted odoriferous substance is deposited : the 

 sides are covered with numerous papUlee. 



The covering of the Rasse consists of rigid hairs of considerable length, supplied 

 with a downy appendage at the base. The general colour is gray, of a tawny hue, 

 variegated with lines and spots, dark brown, inclining to black, of different degrees 

 of intensity on different parts. The distinguishing character of our animal is afforded 

 by eight lines of a dark brown colour, extending longitudinally from the shoulders to 

 the root of the tail. The intermediate lines are continued and regular; the exterior lines, 

 on each side, are slightly interrupted, and the brown colour is variegated with lighter 

 shades of tawny. On the sides of the body the marks consist of several interrupted 

 lines, which are also observed on the shoulders and on the thighs. The head above, 

 and the upper parts of the neck, are covered uniformly with hair, banded alternately 

 with tawny and brown, which gives these parts a variegated appearance. A black 

 spot marks the anterior canthus of the eye and the base of the ears ; the extremity 

 of the auricle is gray externally ; several small tufts of whitish hairs are dispersed 

 over its internal surface. On the lips, the cheeks, and the under side of the neck 

 the colour is hghter, and has a grayish tint, but slightly diversified with tawny. A 

 longitudinal line extends, along the sides of the neck, from the ears towards the 

 shoulders : anteriorly the neck is marked with several transverse bands ; two of these 

 have an oblique direction, and, inclining towards each other, mark the neck with a 

 figure resembling the letter Y. The lower portion of all the extremities, the breast, 

 and the inner side of the thighs have a saturated blackish brown tint, with an obscure 

 reddish lustre ; the abdomen, underneath, is blackish gray, with a tawny hue. The 

 tail has eight rings, of a blackish colour ; the intermediate rings are gray, and the 

 colour becomes gradually more diluted, and whitish towards the extremity. In 

 yovmg subjects the tawny tint predominates generally over the gray, and the lines 

 and bands are obscurely marked. 



In the characters which belong to the genus Viverra, as now defined, the 

 Viverra Rasse agrees strictly with the Viverra Civetta and V. Zibetha : the great 

 elongation of the points of the teeth, as well as the glandular apparatus for secreting 

 the civet, affords a character to distinguish these animals from the Genettee ; and in 

 the employment of this genus, I have followed the division established by M. Cuvier, 

 in the Regne animal, I. p. 156. 



