VIVERRA ZTBETHA. 5 1 



[The Lynx {Felis Lynx, Linn.).] 



Of the Lynx. 

 The lynx is of the cat-kind, having its os hyoides attached to the 

 head by a bony connexion ; the only differences (if there are really any) l 

 is that the colon and rectum are shorter than the lion's ; but this may 

 be owing to a greater contraction of the longitudinal fibres ; for in the 

 lynx the caecum lies rather in the left of the mesentery, something 

 similar to the civet-kind ; one of which is called Genetta (vide descrip- 

 tion of it) ; but not near so short as in that animal. The tail is short, 

 the ears long and pointed like a cat's, with a small tuft of hair on 

 the tip, which terminates in a point, and which makes the ear look 

 sharper than it really is. The hair is longer on the side of the jaws 

 than anywhere else. 



[Family VIVERRID^E.] 



[The Zibet (Viverra Zibetha, Linn.).] 

 It is of the civet-kind, and it seems to be one (or perhaps more) 

 removes from the cat. 



It is an animal nearly of the size of a cat, but longer in body and 

 neck, and smaller, especially forwards ; having its neck longer, smaller, 

 and more in tbe line of the body; with its head long and small, more 

 in the line of the neck, and terminating in a point at the nose. Its 

 ears are short, with a rounded edge, and broad, with little motion in 

 them. Its whole fore-part approaches nearer to that of a pole-cat in 

 shape. Its legs are small and short ; its toes rather longer than those 

 of a cat of the same size : the claws are like those of a cat, but not quite 

 so large, and not quite so well defended by not being pulled so far up 

 when not used. There is a thumb-toe, as in a cat, which is pretty 

 strong. It has not so much motion, especially at the root, in the tail, 

 which is not so long as in a cat : the tail is annular, yellow and brown 

 alternately. The animal is spotted like a leopard at the lower part of 

 its sides ; at the upper part the spots are not so distinct nor so round, 

 approaching to stripes, like those of a tiger ; yet somewhat broken or 

 interrupted, but less so to the back where they are continued. They 

 do not pass across the body, but are in the direction of the body, most 

 regular near the back, having one long dark one on the back. 



The hair is short and pretty strong, and of two kinds ; one fine or 

 woolly, which is the shortest ; the other much stronger, pointed at the 

 end, like the American porcupine's quill, longer than the other ; and 



each hair is of two colours. 



<i — _ _ . 



1 [Home, Comp. Anat. i. p. 438.] 



e2 



