PAEADOXTJEUS BONDAE. 129 



hdr, H. — Bondar and Baum, Beng. — Machahha and Malwa, in the Nepal 

 Terai, and neighbouring districts. 



The Tbrai Tebe-cat. 



Deser. — Color a clear yellow, largely tipped with black, and entirely 

 devoid of marks or lines upon the body ; the bridge of the nose, the upper 

 lip, whiskers, broad cheek-band, ears, chin, lower jaw, forelegs and hind 

 feet, and terminal third of the tail, black or blackish-brown ; region of the 

 genitals and a zone encircling the eyes, pure pale-yellow ; snout and soles 

 of feet brownish fleshy-gray ; nude parts of Ups, palate and tongue, pure 

 fleshy white. The hair is straight, long, erect, yellow at the base, black 

 tipped; the under wool soft, curly, yellow. Its nails are very sharp and 

 curved, sheathed and mobile. Total length 45 inches of which the tail is 

 about half ; weight 6 ft. The female is somewhat smaller and paler, 

 and has four ventral teats. 



This tree-cat is said to be found throughout the Terai of the hiUs, 

 extending into the neighbouring districts of Bengal and Behar, but of its 

 distribution elsewhere I can find no record. In its habits it is said to be 

 found in inhabited and cultivated tracts, its favorite resort being old 

 abandoned mango-groves, seeking refuge in holes of decayed trees, where 

 it also breeds. It seeks its food as well among the branches of trees as 

 on the ground, and is highly carnivorous, living upon birds, small mam- 

 mals, mice, rats, and even young hares ; also on snakes, but it will not 

 touch frogs or cockroaches. Occasionally it is very destructive to poultry. 

 It wUl eat ripe mangoes and other fruit. It sleeps rolled up like a ball, 

 and when angered spits like a cat. It is naturally very ferocious and 

 unruly, but capable of domestication if taken young. It has a keen sense 

 of smeU, but less acute hearing and vision by day than the mungooses. 



Another species alHed to these two last, is Paguma laniger, Gray, Martes 

 laniger, Hodgson, from Tibet, and adjoining snowy Himalayas. Parado- 

 xurus quinque-lincatus, Gray, appears to be described from the same speci- 

 mens as P. strictus formerly alluded to ; and there are other species des- 

 cribed, some of which also appear to be varieties of P. musanga. 



Ceylon possesses a peculiar species, P. eeylanims, Pallas ; and P. trivir- 

 gatus, Temminck, and P. Imcomystax, Gray, are found in the Malayan 

 peninsula and islands, in addition to P. musanga, and P. derhyanus, 

 already alluded to. 



