BASSARIS ASTUTA. 
315 
all fox-like. It however, by its long and moveable muzzle approaches 
the civets, (viverra,) the genets, {gennetta,) and the coatis {ictides.) 
The head is small ; skull, not much flattened ; nose, long ; muzzle, point- 
ed, naked ; moustaches, numerous, long and rigid ; ears, long, erect, ovate, 
clothed with short hair on the outer surface ; sparingly within ; neck and 
body, long ; legs, longer than those of the martens, but shorter than those 
of the fox ; nails, sharp and much hooked ; toes, covered with hairs con- 
cealing them ; palms, naked ; tail, with long coarse hairs, containing 
scarcely any under fur ; the inner hair on the back, is of moderate fine- 
ness, interspersed with rather coarser and longer hairs. The longer hairs 
on the back are about an inch in length, those on the tail, two inches, and 
the under-fur, on the back, half an inch. 
COLOUR. 
The hair on the back is grayish, for three-fourths of its length from the 
roots, then pale yellowish-white, then yellowish-brown, deepening into 
black at the tips ; the under- fur is first plumbeous, then yellowish- white ; 
this disposition of colours gives it a brindled brownish-black appearance 
on the head and upper surface. Moustaches, black ; point of nose, dark 
brown. There is a light grayish spot above the eye ; ears, chin, throat, 
neck and belly, yellowish-white. The tail is regularly and conspicuously 
ringed with bars of white and black, alternately ; the upper white one 
very indistinct ; the next black-obscure and increasing in more conspicu- 
ous bands of white and black to the end, which is broadly tipped with 
black ; on the upper surface of tail, the black colours predominate, and on 
the under surface, the white. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Feet. 
From point of nose to root of tail, - - 1 
Tail, (vertebra;), ... - - 1 
“ to end of hair, . - - - 1 
From point of nose to head, between the ears. 
Height of ear, posteriorly, . - - - 
Breadth of ear at base, . - . - 
From shoulder to end of toes, . . - 
Length of longest moustache, ... 
