152 BOTANIC GARDENS MENAGERIE. 



to feed wild cats or any carnivora with cooked meat, they will 

 never touch it, until they have been gradually trained to it, nor 

 will any of them drink milk, though they may be trained to do 

 so, especially if quite young. It is perhaps as well to point out 

 that all these cats, including tigers, require grass and should be 

 supplied with it. 



VlVERRIDAE. 



Viverra zibetha, and V. tangalunga. 



The two big grey civets are often brought in by Malays. 

 They are very handsome beasts, but do not stand captivity 

 well, as they are usually very nervous and dislike being looked 

 at. They live best in darkened cages as they cannot stand a 

 bright light. During the day they are generally very quiet, and 

 are active only at night. They are never vicious though seldom 

 tame. Their food consists of fruit and meat, but like all these 

 animals should be fed chiefly on bananas, papayas and such 

 fruit, with only a little meat. One of the Tangalungas escaped 

 from captivity on one occasion and lived wild in the gardens 

 for a long time. It usually concealed itself during the day, but 

 was often seen by the watchmen at night wandering about. I 

 came across it during the day on one occasion, when the dogs 

 pursued it but were easily beaten off. Wild ones have also 

 been seen in the gardens. 



Paradoxurus hermaphroclitus . 



The Musang. This is a very common animal, abundant 

 in a wild state all over Singapore, and often inhabiting the 

 roofs of houses. It is very easily kept in "confinement and 

 becomes very docile, especially when taken young, and can be 

 trained to perform tricks, or to follow its owner about. It 

 eats almost anything but lives chiefly on fruit. It does not 

 appear to be a long lived animal, but it seldom suffers from any 

 disease. Specimens brought by Malays however are very 

 often injured in catching them. I have had one brought with 

 its mouth sewn up with string, to prevent it biting. The 

 string was quickly removed and the poor animal soon recover- 

 its injuries. The common local form varies somewhat in 



Jour, Straits Branch 



