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tyry, a pretty accurate defcription of its figure and habits 
was given. There are feven fpecies. 
i. Mofchus mofchiferus, the Thibet mufk : a follicle 
near the navel; tail fliort. The fize and general appearance 
of this animal referable, infome degree, thofe of thefmall 
roebuck. It meafures about forty inches in length, and 
twenty-feven in height from the top of the (boulders to 
the bottom of the fore-feet, thirty-three inches from the 
top of the haunches to the bottom of the hind-feet. The 
upper jaw is conliderably longer than the lower, and is 
furnifhed cn each fide with a curved tulk about two inches 
long, and confequently expofed to view when the mouth 
is clofed. Thefe tulks are thought to refemble a pair of 
crooked knives : their fubftance is a kind of ivory. The 
ears are iong and narrow, of a pale yellowifli caff in the 
infide, and deep brown on the outlide. The general co¬ 
lour of the whole body is a kind of deep iron-grey; the 
tips of the hairs being of a ferruginous call, the remainder 
is blackifli, growing much paler, or whitifh, towards the 
roots ; each hair is fomewhat waved or undulated through¬ 
out its whole length, and is of a ltrong and elaftie nature, 
growing rather upright on the animal, and very thick. 
See the annexed Plate, fig. i. The female is fmaller than 
the male, and wants the tufks. 
Thefe animals inhabit the Alpine Mountains of Alia, 
Tonquin, and Siberia : they are alfo found about the Lake 
Baikal, and near the rivers Jenifea and Argun. Their fa¬ 
vourite haunts are the tops of mountains covered with 
pines, where they delight to wander in places the mod diffi¬ 
cult of accefs. In their habits and manners they refemble 
the chamois, and other mountain goats, fpringing with 
great celerity, and, when purfued, taking refuge among the 
liigheft and moll inacceffible fummits. They are hunted 
for the fake of their perfume, which is contained in a re¬ 
ceptacle about the fize of a fmall egg, hanging from the 
middle of the abdomen, and is peculiar to the male animal. 
This receptacle is found filled with a loft un&uous 
brownifn fubftance, of tlie moll powerful and penetrating 
fmell, which is the perfume, in its natural ftate, fo well 
known. As foon as the animal is flain, the hunters cut 
off the receptacle, or mufk-bag, and tie it up ready for fale. 
The perfume is found in animals at all feafons of the year, 
but not in thofe that are young : the quantity is about a 
quarter of an ounce. The celebrated traveller, Tavernier, 
fays he purchafed, in one of his eaftern journeys, no lefs 
than 7673 mulk-bags. The penetrating nature of the 
mufk-perfume is' generally known: its colour is brown, 
with an unftuous and granulated appearance. At a dis¬ 
tance, the fcent is agreeable ; but when brought too dole, 
and in large quantities, it produces alarming effefts : it 
has been known to force the blood from the nofe, eyes, and 
ears, of thofe who have imprudently or accidentally in¬ 
haled its vapours. 
2. Mofchus Indicus, the Indian mufk : body tawny 
above, and whitifh beneath, with fpurious hoofs, and a 
fomewhat-lengthened tail. This is called the Indian 
mufk, as being found in the Eaft Indies. It has been de- 
fcribed by Briffon, and is larger than the Thibet mufk. 
Its head is very like that of the horfe; the ears are eredl 
and oblong, and the legs flender. 
3. Mofchus pygmsens, the pigmy-mufk: body above 
brown, tawny, beneath white, and without fpurious hoofs. 
It inhabits India and Java; is very fmall, as its fpecific name 
imports, not being more than nine or ten inches long from 
the nofe to the tail. It is a moll elegant little animal, of a 
bright bay colour, but beneath and on the infides of the 
thighs it is white. Its fliape, as well as its colour, is beau¬ 
tiful, and the legs are fo flender as not to exceed the dia¬ 
meter of a fwan's quill; the head, eyes, and ears, are rather 
large; and theafpeft is mild. The natives ofjava catch great 
numbers in (hares, and carry them to market in cages for 
fale; and fome years fince they were purchafed at as low 
a rate as twopence or threepence each. It obtained the 
aame of Guinea mufk from the opinion of Briffon and 
M OS 55 
others, that it was a native of that country, which it has 
been fince afcertained is not the cafe. The legs of the 
pigmy-mufli have been frequently capped at the upper 
joint with gold or (liver, and in that ftate ufed as tobacco- 
ftoppers. See the Plate, fig. 2. 
( 5 . There is a variety of this fpecies thus defcribed ; 
Body rufty, mixed with black ; neck and throat with per¬ 
pendicular ftripes. 
4. Mofchus meminna, the meminna : body above ci¬ 
nereous-yellow, beneath white; (ides (potted with white, 
and with fpurious or falfe hoofs. It is a native of the 
Indian Ifiands, but is chiefly found in Ceylon and Java. 
It has been fometimes confounded with the M. pygmseus.: 
It is readily diftinguifhed by its remarkable colour and 
(pots ; and was raifed into a diftindl: fpecies by Mr. Pen¬ 
nant, who calls it the Indian mufk. See fig. 3. 
5. Mofchus Javanicus, the Java mufk : body above 
ferruginous, beneath longitudinally white ; tail longifh, 
hairy, white beneath and at the tip. As its name imports, 
it is a native of Java ; and about the fize of a rabbit. The 
nofe and ears are naked; the neck is grey, mixed with 
brown hairs; beneath white, with two grey fpots almolt 
connefted ; under the throat there are two long divergent 
hairs; the crown is longitudinaily,blacki(h. See fig. 4. 
6. Mofchus Americanus, the Brafilian mufk: body 
tawny-brown; mouth black ; throat white. This fpecies 
is found in Brafil and Guinea; is nearly as large as a roe¬ 
buck, with ears four inches long; it is timid, adlive, and 
fwift; the hair is foft and fhort; the head and neck on 
the upper part brown, and under it is white ; the hind¬ 
legs are longer than thofe in front. It can, like a goat, 
ftand with all the four legs together on the point of a 
rock. The animals of this fpecies are often feen fwim- 
ming in rivers, and may then he eafily taken. The In¬ 
dians hunt them, and their flefli is efteemed very delicate. 
See fig. 5. 
( 3 . A variety of this fpecies is tawr.y-brown, fpotted 
above with white. 
7. Mofchus delicatulus, the Leverian mufk; ferrugi¬ 
nous-brown, and fpotted above with white. In the Le¬ 
verian Mufeum it was called the “ fmall fpotted mufk.’' 1 
Dr. Shaw fays, that the animal fo named appears to be 
nearly allied to one figured by Seba, who affures us it is a 
native of Surinam, and defcribes it as of a ferruginous co¬ 
lour, thickly fpotted with white, except on the head, 
breaft, and belly, and that it is in all probability the fame. 
In fize it fcarcely exceeds the pigmy-mufk, if the fpeci- 
men referred to be of its full growth, of which there are 
doubts entertained, from the finenefs and clofencfs of its 
hair. See fig. 6. 
MOSCK'KA, or Moska. See Muscka. 
MOS'COS, the name of a tribe in the kingdom of New 
Granada, faid to have been fo called by the Spaniards, 
who, finding them more numerous than the other tribes, 
transferred the appellation from the flies, which abound 
in the country. Their conquerors found them governed 
by two elective princes, one of whom, denominated the 
“ Zipa,” refided at Bogota, while the “ Zaqui” was efta- 
blifhed at Tunja. Others more juftly infer, that the ap¬ 
pellation of Molcos was a mere play of words upon the 
native name of Muijcas. Next to the Peruvians, they 
were the moll civilized people. They wore a clofe tunic 
of cotton, with afquare cloak of the.lame fabric. On the 
head was a cap of the fkins of animals, decorated witli 
plumes of various colours ; and over the forehead hung 
a crefcent of the gold or (liver which abounded in their 
country, the points being turned upwards. Their arms 
were adorned with bracelets, formed of ftone or bone; 
the nofe-ring was of gold; and on gala-days, the face 
and body were painted with achiote, or rocou, which 
yields a vermilion tint, and with the juice of the jitgua , 
which produces a deep black. The women ufed a (quare 
cloak, chircate, faitened with a girdle; and over the 
fhpulders a fmall mantle, called liquira, fixed on the breaft: 
with 
