1862.] MR. R. SWINHOE ON THE MAMMALS OF FORMOSA. 33.') 



verted bristles ; base of tongue having two large pajnllce, with three 

 smaller ones further in the rei'.r. No clavicle." 



I will now extract my note on the fresh animal. "A specimen killed 

 14th April. Iris mottled chestnut, the pupil in death appearing 

 perpendicularly ovate, and hence probably in life contracted to the 

 linear form, as in the true Cats. Paws very large and plantigrade. 

 Musk-bag between the testicles, shallow and empty. Penis and 

 testes strongly developed ; the exposable portion of the former 1 1 in. 

 long, i inch wide, 1 inch of its length towards the apex being 

 covered with short, inverted, horny papilles ; from the apex there 

 projects a thin, pointed piece, shaped like a finger, yyth in. long, 

 which is also covered with papillce. at its basal portion. The aper- 

 ture of the penis occurs at the junction of the finger-shaped protu- 

 berance with its apex." 



This is by no means a common animal in Formosa, the male adult 

 subject of this paper being the only one I have ever seen. It was 

 brought to me dead, and I can therefore give no notes as to its 

 habits. 



7. Helictis subaurantiaca, n. sp. (PI. XLIV.) 



I have compared this with H. mosehata from the Himalayas, and 

 with the Chinese specimens brought by Mr. Reeves. The Chinese 

 animal is light reddish brown on the upper parts, with a white mark 

 down the nose, extending backwards a little behind the ears. Its 

 under parts are whitish, and its tail is small and sparsely covered with 

 white hairs, especially near the tip. The Himalayan species is much 

 paler, has the tail larger and whiter, and the white extending in a 

 line some way along the back. In these two last particulars, as well 

 as in general appearance, ours approaches more nearly the Hima- 

 layan type. 



In the Formosan a line of white starts from the occiput and runs 

 down to about the middle of the back, narrowing as it goes. A large 

 spot of orange-white adorns the forehead. A line of deep purplish 

 brown, appi'oaching to black, runs from eye to eye above the muzzle, 

 continues over each eye, and joins again behind the whitish forehead- 

 spot, and then extends over the neck on each side of the white line 

 till it gets lost in the paler colour of the back. Another line of the 

 same runs under eaclr eye, and forms a dark spot on each cheek. 

 Under parts whitish orange, the inside of the ears, under part of fore 

 legs, and line down the belly being strongly washed with orange-ochre. 

 The purplish brown of the back runs into the tail, but soon yields to 

 a white, which is chiefly conspicuous at its bushy end. In size the 

 Formosan animal is rather larger than the Chinese, but about the 

 same as the Himalayan. 



One was brought to me alive, bound so tightly with cords that it 

 did not survive many days. It fed readily on the bodies of birds, 

 rolling itself up and sleeping throughout the day, but becoming 

 restless and active in the evening. It uttered a peevish cry when 

 disturbed. The Chinese called it the Kay-che-bah, or Fruit Civet. 

 When alive, the facial line turns upwards towards the nose, which is 



