26 



The Museum Gazette 



a large antelope which is labelled a Dromedary. I was told 

 that it was a young one and not in a very thriving condition. 

 It has but a single hump, and that not a large one. I was told 

 that it is a mistake to suppose that a dromedary has two 

 humps. It has but one, like the common camel. In fact, it 

 is a common camel, just as a race-horse is only a common 

 horse. It is a slenderly built and easy-going camel. 



There are four or five Porcupines, all looking exceedingly 

 well. They show all gradations between hair, coarse hair, 

 bristles and quills. You can see on different parts all stages 

 of modification, so that you can feel no doubt whatever that 

 quills are simply gigantic hairs which have grown straight 

 and become hard and polished. 



I was attracted in the Civets house by the name of an 

 animal of which I had never heard before, the Binturong. It 

 is a black cat-like animal, as large as a small leopard, and 

 has a magnificent tail. Its ears are pointed and tufted, like 

 the Lynx. Its tail, which is very bushy, has the peculiarity 

 of tapering towards the tip. It seemed sluggish. Looking it 

 up in " Lyddeker," when I got home, I found that it is a 

 native of Asia, but, inhabiting wild forests, is seldom seen, 

 and still less frequently caught. It is known as the " bear- 

 cat," but is more nearly related to the civets than to the bears 

 or cats. It is said to be the only old-world mammal which 

 can use its tail to "hang by in climbing. When young it can 

 suspend itself by the end of its tail. When young, like 

 many other animals, it is spotted, but uniform in colour 

 when grown up. It is the only representative of its genus, 

 and species, a decided curiosity, and I am glad to have made 

 its acquaintance. 



(To be continued.) 



