76 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
killing rats. Several other 
very similar forms are found in 
Africa. The fsresence of such 
a very Oriental-looking ani- 
mal in Europe is something 
of a surprise, though many: 
persons forget that our South 
European animals are very 
like those of Africa and the 
East. The porcupine, which 
is common in Italy and Spain, 
and the lynx and Barbary ape 
4 are instances. A tame genet 
“1 kept by an acquaintance of the 
writer in Italy was absolutely 
domesticated like a tame 
mongoose. It had very pretty 
fur, gray, marbled and spotted with black, and no disagreeable odour, except a scent of musk. 
It was a most active little creature, full of curiosity, and always anxious to explore not only 
every room, but every cupboard and drawer in the house. Perhaps this was due to its keenness 
in hunting mice, a sport of which it never tired. It did not play with the mice when caught as 
a cat does, but ate them at once. 
The Linsancs, an allied group, are met with in the East, from India to Borneo and Java. 
They are more slender than the genets, and more arboreal. Of the NEPALESE Linsanc Hodgson 
writes : “ This animal is equally at home on trees and on the ground. It breeds and dwells in 
the hollows of decaying trees. It is not gregarious, and preys mainly on living animals.” A 
tame female owned by him is stated to have been wonderfully docile and tractable, very sensitive 
to cold, and very fond of being petted. There is an allied West African species. 
The Patm-civets and Hemicates still further increase this numerous tribe. Slight differ- 
ences of skull, of the markings of the tail, which may only have rings on the base, and of the 
foot and tail, are the naturalist’s guide to their separation from the other civets; HarDWIcKE’s 
HeEmIGALE has more zebra-like markings. Borneo, 
Africa, India, and the Himalaya all produce these 
active little carnivora ; but the typical palm-civets are 
Oriental They are sometimes known as Toddy-cats, 
because they drink the toddy from the jars fastened to 
catch the juice. The groves of cocoanut-palm are their 
favourite haunts ; but they will make a home in holes in 
the thatched roofs of houses, and even in the midst 
of cities. There are many species in the group. 
The BinruronG is another omnivorous, tree- 
haunting animal allied to the civets; but it has a 
prehensile tail, which few other mammals of the Old 
World possess. It is a blunt-nosed, heavy animal, 
sometimes called the Bear-cat. Very little is known 
of its habits. It is found from the Eastern Himalaya : : 
to Java. + a, : 
The last of the Civet Family is Bennert’s Crvet, Photo by L. Medland, F.2Z,8.] [North Finchley 
the only instance of a cat-like animal with partly eM STAN SEL 
Pe P ‘ A small and very beautiful b the Civet Famil, 
webbed feet. Found in the Malay Peninsula and in of It feladeeeh, is i ec ena 
Photo by Scholastic Photo, Co.] [Parson's Green 
AFRICAN CIVET 
This photograph shows the finely murked fur of the spectes and the front view of the head 
