NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 
The food of the Civet Cat consists of small 
animals, birds, reptiles, and insects. 
Man cannot tolerate this cat in his neighbour- 
hood, for it takes every opportunity of destroying 
and devouring his poultry, often killing a dozen in 
a single night, like its bloodthirsty cousins the 
muishonds, weasels, and wild cats. 
The Civet Cat is particularly interesting for the 
reason that it is the animal which supplies the sub- 
stance known as “civet,’’ which is secreted by two 
glands situated at the base of, and under, the tail. 
This substance is the well-known civet which was 
-formerly in great demand as a perfume. It is, 
however, not used at the present time to any con- 
siderable extent in Europe. 
In the tropical parts of Africa the natives 
capture these Civet Cats and confine them in cages, 
or tie them up by passing a ring through the nose. 
At regular intervals the perfume-secreting glands 
are emptied of their contents. This is subsequently 
bartered to Arab and other traders. 
The African Civet Cat is a little over four feet 
in length from the nose to the tip of the tail. The 
body is flattened at the sides ; the limbs are short, 
and the feet small and rounded. General colour 
of the hair brownish-grey, covered with dark streaks 
and blotches, which on the front parts of the body 
tend to form transverse lines. The ears are broad, 
short, and rounded, black at the bases, and white at 
the tips. Along the back from between the ears to the 
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