418 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



they diverge, and form a peculiar radiated circle round the 

 face, giving the countenance a striking and remarkable as- 

 pect. The eyes are large, black, and prominent ; and the 

 ears are short, rounded, edged with white, and terminated 

 by tufts of black hair. There are six incisors, fyc. 



It climbs trees, assisted by its prehensile tail, in which it 

 has uncommon strength. Major Farquhar kept one alive 

 many years ; it lived both on animal and vegetable food ; 

 was particularly fond of plantains, but would also eat fowls' 

 heads, eggs, fyc. Its movements are slow, and it is rather 

 of a timid disposition ; it sleeps much during day, but is 

 more active at night. 



M. Desmarest, perhaps too hastily, makes a distinct spe- 

 cies of this animal. We may, perhaps, gather from Doctor 

 Horsfield, that he considers it only as a variety. " In Su- 

 matra," says he, " the Musang assumes, agreeably to the 

 description of Sir T. S. Raffles, a dusky fulvous-colour, and 

 the point of the tail is uniformly white. The stripes on the 

 back and sides are more distinct than in the dark Javanese 

 variety." 



In addition to the figure of the Paradoxurus typus, from 

 M. F. Cuvier, we present a figure of a specimen in the 

 Museum at Paris, which is referred to the Binturong of 

 Sir Stamford Raffles. It is a female, and certainly does not 

 accord in colour with the above description, being almost 

 uniformly, except about the face, forehead, and ears, of a 

 slate colour. It is also much larger than the Paradoxurus 

 typus of Cuvier. 



There is also another specimen, in the Paris Museum, of 

 a uniform, fine golden-yellow colour, which was sent to 

 that establishment, preserved in spirits ; we have a draw- 

 ing of it before us, but as it differs exteriorly, at least, 

 from the others, in colour alone, we have not engraved it. 

 It is treated, also, by M. Desmarest, as a new species, 



