124 TIVEEEINvE. 



prickles. The female has four teats, two pectoral, and two inguinal. This 

 genus was founded by Horsfield on a Malayan animal from Java. It 

 forms quite a link between the cats and civets. The fur is short and 

 close, resembling that of the cats. 



122. Prionodon pordicolor. 



Hodgson. — Calc. J. N. A. 2, 57, with figure.* — Zik-chum, Bhot. — 

 Sulit/u, Lepch. 



The Tigee -civet. 



Descr. — Eich orange buif or fulvous, spotted with black; the neck 

 above with four irregular lines ; the body above and on the sides with 

 large entire elliptic or squarish marks, eight in transverse, and seven in 

 longitudinal series, diminishing in size from the dorsal ridge, which has 

 an interrupted dark line, and extending outside the limbs to the digits ; 

 below entirely unspotted ; tail with eight or nine nearly perfect and equal 

 rings. 



Length, head and body, about 16 inches ; tail 14 ; height 6 or so. 



This very beautiful animal is said to have the manners of the cats, to 

 spring and climb with great power, to prey on small mammals and birds, 

 and to frequent trees much in search of the former, as well as for shelter. 

 Hodgson says, " equally at home on trees or on the ground, it dwells 

 and breeds in the hollows of decayed trees.'' It has only been obtained in 

 the south-east Himalayas, in Nepal and Sikim, and does not appear to be 

 at all common, though Hodgson asserts it to be so. I only procured one 

 specimen whilst at Darjeeling. Cantor thus refers to an indi-^adual of the 

 Malayan species, to which ours is very closely allied, kept in captivity for 

 some time. " At first the animal was fierce and impatient of confinement, 

 but by degrees it became very gentle and playful, and when subsequently 

 suffered to leave the cage, it went in search of sparrows and other small 

 birds, displaying great dexterity and unerring aim in stealthily leaping 

 upon them." 



Hodgson had our species in confinement, and states that it was very 

 gentle and fond of being petted. It was fed with raw meat. It never 



' By an oversight in tlic recent edition of Hodgson's British Museum Collections, this is twico- 

 cuameratecl 115 'OS, Linsaiifj mrdkolor, and 30, Pnortodon iHtrdochrous. 



