40 A DESCRIPTION OF 
THE CIVET CAT (Viverra Civetta,} 
Is found throughout India, Guinea, and the Philippine 
Islands, and is famous for producing the perfume called 
civet. He is kept for the sake of this perfume, and fed 
with a kind of soup made of millet, or rice, with a little fish 
or flesh boiled with it in water. The civet obtained from 
the male is esteemed the best. It is found in a large 
double glandular receptacle, situated at a little distance 
beneath the tail. When a sufficient time for the secretion 
has been allowed, one of these animals is put into a long 
wooden cage, so narrow that it cannot turn itself round. 
The cage being opened by a door behind, a small spoon is 
introduced through the orifice of the pouch, which is care- 
fully scraped ; this is done twice or thrice a week, and the 
animal is said always to produce the most civet after being 
irritated. The Civet, although a native of the warmest 
climates, is yet found to live in temperate, and even cold 
countries, provided it be defended carefully from the in- 
juries of the air. It is bred in Holland, for the sake of 
its perfume, which is sold as an article of commerce. 
The Civet of Amsterdam is considered purer than any 
other, as people of other countries adulterate it with 
gums, and other ingredients, to increase its weight. In a 
wild state, the Civet lives entirely on birds and small 
quadrupeds ; and at any time a small quantity of salt 
is said to poison it. 
