THE RASSE. 185 
It is furnished with a musk-secreting pouch like that of the African civet. It is a lethargic 
animal in captivity, and even in a wild state passes the day in sleep, and only seeks its food 
after dark. Its usual diet is composed of birds and the smaller mammalia, but it will also 
eat various fruits, especially those of a sweet nature. In size it nearly equals the civet. In 
captivity it is a gentle creature, and is so completely tamed by the natives of the countries 
where it is found that it inhabits the house like a domestic cat and employs itself in similar 
useful pursuits. 
The animal which is known by 
the native name of Tahgaltjng, bears 
some resemblance to the preceding 
animals. The black markings, how- 
ever, are more distinct, and along the 
direction of the spine the fur is most 
deeply black. On the lower part of 
the throat and neck are three cu- 
riously shaped black bands, very 
wide in the middle and very narrow 
at each end, the central band being 
several times wider than the others. 
The length of this animal is two 
feet six inches, the head measuring 
nearly seven inches in length, and the 
tail about eleven inches. The head 
is rather wide and rounded, and is 
suddenly contracted towards the nose, 
so as to form a rather short muzzle. 
The tail is nearly cylindrical, and 
does not taper so much as that of 
the zibeth, and the body is furnished 
with a close downy covering of soft 
hairs next the skin. It is partly to 
this woolly hair that the cylindrical 
outline of the tail is owing. The 
Tangalung is a native of Sumatra. 
The Rasse is spread over a large 
extent of country, being found in 
Java, various parts of India, Singa- 
pore, Nepal, and other localities. The color of its fur is a warm grayish -br o wn , upon which 
are placed eight parallel lines of elongated dark spots. The dark rings which mark the 
tail pass entirely round that member, while those which are found on the tail of the zibeth 
reach little more than half the circumference of the tail. The texture of the fur is rather 
coarse and stiff, and it is not very thickly set. The ears of this animal approach each other 
very closely at their base, being only separated by the space of an inch, whereas there is an 
interval of two inches between the ears of the zibeth. 
In the Javanese language, the word u Rasa,” from which the name Rosse is taken, signi- 
fies a sensation of the palate or the nostrils, so that it may be applied to the senses of smelling 
or tasting. It generally refers to odoriferous substances. 
The perfume which is furnished by the Rasse is secreted in a double pouch, like that of 
the civet, and is removed from the animal in precisely the same manner. It is highly valued 
by the J avanese, who imbue their persons, their rooms, and their garments so strongly with 
this substance that a European nostril is grievously affected at the all-pervading odor. The 
substance itself is termed Dedes. 
