GUIDE TO THE 
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around Calcutta. The name Paradoxure means ‘ queer- 
tailed/ and was given to the genus from the circumstance 
that some of these animals carry their tails in a sort of 
corkscrew fashion ; but this is not a persistent character, 
although it is occasionally well seen in the Assam variety, 
Patadoxurus quadriscripUis. The common species in 
Bengal is Paradoxurus typus. It inhabits trees and seems 
to have a partiality for Palm-trees, such as the Cocoa 
and Palmyra palms, but it also lives under the thatch of 
native houses. It is essentially nocturnal in its habits 
and does not see at all well in day-light. It roams 
about at night, feeding on small mammals, birds, and 
lizards, and doubtless eats fruits as well. It seems to 
have a distinct liking for shell-fish, and in captivity 
devours with avidity the large spirally pointed land-shell, 
Achcttina fulica , a snail which, although very plentiful in 
every garden about Calcutta, was introduced from the 
Mauritius not many years ago. The Paradoxure eats 
shell and animal entire. From the prevalence of this 
Paradoxure, and also of Civets and Jackals around and 
within the Gardens, there have been very many serious 
losses of rare aquatic birds, although the birds have 
been enclosed within a special railing which it was 
' thought would have protected them from the raids of 
these animals. 
There are two or three Paradoxures allied to the 
common species, and one of these belonging to the sub¬ 
genus Paguma , is generally to be seen in this House, 
P. grayi is the name of this species. It is found in the 
Himalaya and extends apparently to Burma. 
The Genets are also represented here. One of the 
species, Genetta vulgaris, occurs in the south of Europe, 
