of Prionodon Pardicolor. 41 



blance to the lesser civets of India (Viverrula mihi), none of 

 which, nor of the weasel group, exhibit the vermiform or 

 slender and elongate structure in greater perfection, the head, 

 neck and body being long, attenuated and cylindrical. The 

 head in general shape and even in details, bears an extra- 

 ordinary likeness to that of the Hasse ; but its expression 

 is more gentle conformably to the milder disposition of the 

 animal. 



The head is conical depressed and exhibits very little curve 

 in profile, either along its upper or lower outline ; the back 

 part of the head is very slightly arched, and the nose quite 

 straight : the muzzle or nude extremity of the nose is clearly 

 defined, small, round, and faintly grooved between the nares, 

 which are opened chiefly to the front with a curved pro- 

 longation to the sides. The large dark lustrous eyes are 

 about equidistant from the nose and the ears, and their pupils 

 are apparently round, though the glittering and dark hue of 

 the irides renders it difficult to distinguish them. The thin 

 lips are furnished with long full and strong mustaches, and 

 there is a smaller tuft of bristles over the eye, and still 

 smaller ones behind the gape, and on the chin. The moderate 

 sized and rounded ears have the helix anteally a good deal 

 attached to the head, running forwards towards the eye. 

 Posteally the helix is fissured, while in the interior of the 

 ears are various lobate processes analogous to the antihelix, 

 tragus and antitragus. The ears have free motion and are 

 softly but scantily furred outside and on the fore margin of 

 the inside, the rest of the interior being nude but nearly con- 

 cealed by the long hairs springing from the base. Both neck 

 and body, as already noted, are much elongated and slender, 

 the neck being ordinarily more or less curved in the living 

 animal, so as to add to its graceful aspect. The short slight 

 and well-formed limbs terminate in small compact extremi- 

 ties, exhibiting in their perfectly sheathed, sharp, compressed, 

 and highly curved talons, concealed in the softest fur, a 



