ON INDIAN CIVETS. 475 



of poultry. A few months ago an instance of the kind occurred in 

 a house surrounded by a high wall, and in which there were several 

 dogs. The Catas on finding itself pursued, entered a large pond, and 

 appeared to rely with much confidence on its dexterity in the water 

 for its safety. 



J. M. McClelland." 



In the above notice of a Civet from the Cossia Hills, Dr. McClelland 

 supposes it to be distinct from Civetta and Zibetha ol authors. " The 

 subject is involved in double perplexity from the variations to wbich 

 these animals are liable, and from the inadequacy of all recorded de- 

 scriptions of the Civet and Zibet. The greater and the lesser species 

 of these animals are common in the Tarai and Hills of Nepal, and 

 they are recorded by me in my Catalogue of Mammals as Viverra 

 orientalis, new forsan Civetta vel Zibetha, and as Viverricula (nobis) 

 Indica and V. Rasse. 



" The first of these three is probably identical with Dr. McClellaud's 

 animal, but from my experience during the past 12 years, I own myself 

 as much inclined to doubt the specific distinctness of the Viverra et 

 Zibetha of authors as to allege positively the independence of this third 

 species on both the former. The specific character which I gave to my 

 V. orientalis in May 1838, when I forwarded drawings and skins to 

 England, is as follows : — Iron grey Civet, with body marked or unmarked, 

 with lateral and anteal surfaces of the neck conspicuously quadri- 

 cinctate, with black and white, the black prevailing, and black tail fur- 

 nished with six narrow perfect white rings. Snout to rump 32-3 inches ; 

 tail 19 ; mean height 14 to 15. It seems to me, however, that the 

 specific characters of Civetta and of Zibetha must be amended before 

 one set can be assigned to V. orientalis (Potius melanurus) at once precise 

 and accurate. 



" Without further preface I will proceed now to a full description of 

 a fine male specimen of our animal which I obtained in our valley in 

 March, 1836, thereafter noticing contradistinctively - a specimen from 

 Dorjiling, in which the Civet-like markings of the body, so faint in the 

 former as most striking. 



"The general colour of our animal, which is an old male, 'is iron 

 grey, more or less fulvescent and sordid. Below the belly and inside of 

 the limbs close to it are hoary white. Limbs nearly to the body brown, 

 black, or deep sooty ; whole inferior surface of the head and throat with 

 the margins of the gape and bridge of the nose, the same : mystaceal region 

 and tip of chin hoary like the belly ; ears outside black for the most 

 part, but becoming dusky and even grey towards tips ; lining of the 

 ears hoary grey ; head above and laterally void of marks, and coloured 

 like the body, but paler ; no mark under the eye ; sides and front of the 

 neck occupied by four conspicuous alternating black and white bands, 

 which proceeding from behind the ears first run longitudinally towards 



