V I V E R R A. 
nearly the length of the otter, with blackish feet and very 
short ears, covered with woolly fur, is a native of the Cape of 
Good Hope. 
4. Viverrazenik, or four-toed grey weasel.—With ten trans¬ 
verse black bands on the body, and deep chesnut-coloured 
tail, black towards the tip ; it is about the size of a water-rat, 
with a long snout, and two incisive and six canine teeth in 
each jaw; it has live toes on each foot •, the claws on the fore¬ 
feet being very long, and almost straight; and those on the 
hmd-feet are small and crooked.—It is described by Son- 
nerat as a CafFrarian species, being found in the country of 
the Hottentots. 
5. Viverra tetradactyla, or surikatte; the grey-brown 
weasel.—With four-toed feet, and long moveable snout, and 
ferruginous tail, black at the tip: the suricate of Buffon, 
and four-toed weasel of Pennant. It is an inhabitant of the 
Cape of Good Hope, where it is called meer-rat. It feeds on 
flesh, and preys on mice and other small animals. It com¬ 
monly sits erect like the squirrel, and when pleased, makes a 
rattling noise with its tail, from which circumstance it has 
obtained, among the Dutch inhabitants of the Cape, the name 
of Klappermaus.—It is also found in the island of Java, 
where the Dutch call it Surikatje, on account of a peculiar 
acid scent which it is said to emit. 
C. Viverra nasua, or rufous weasel.—With tail annulated 
with white, and lengthened moveable snout: the coati of 
Marcgrave, and coati-mondi of others, and Brasilian weasel 
of Pennant. Its size is equal to that of a cat; its colour cine¬ 
reous-brown, with a cast of reddish, and tail annulated with 
distinct circles of black. Like the pole-cat, it preys on the 
smaller quadrupeds, birds, &c.—It is a native of South 
America. Some animals are distinguished by a prolongation 
of the skin at the back of the head into several horny pro¬ 
cesses, about a quarter of an inch in length ; and the upper 
part of the tongue is marked with several furrows, disposed 
so as to resemble the fibres of a leaf. 
7. Viverra narica, or brownish weasel.—With tail of the 
same colour, and lengthened moveable snout: the coati-brun 
of Buffon, and dusky weasel of Pennant; reckoned a variety 
of the former both by him and Shaw. However, it is larger 
than the former, of a browner colour, and without any very 
distinct variegations on the tail. It feeds on animals and 
vegetables • goes into the water, and also climbs trees.—It is 
found in South America. 
8. Viverra vulpecula, or dark chesnut-coloured weasel.— 
With lengthened snout: the coasse of Buffon, and stifling 
weasel of Pennant. It is about the size of the pole-cat, of a 
deep or blackish chocolate colour, that of the tail sometimes 
mixed with white.—This animal is a native of Mexico, and 
many other parts of America, and when attacked or irritated 
in pursuit, emits very powerfully offensive effluvia. 
9. Viverra quasje, or chesnut-coloured weasel.—Beneath 
yellowish, with prolonged snout and annulated tail; is found 
at Surinam, and feeds on worms, insects, and fruits, and is 
fetid. Probably a variety of the coati-mondi, or Brasilian 
weasel. 
10. Viverra putorius, or blackish weasel.-—With five pa¬ 
rallel, white dorsal stripes: the striated weasel of Pennant, 
and conepate of Buffon: supposed to be the female of the 
viverra vulpecula.—Found in North America. It is some¬ 
times tamed, and rendered domestic. See Mustela Puto¬ 
rius. 
13. Viverra conepatl, or blackish weasel.—With two white 
dorsal lines extending along the tad.—It is a native of New 
Spain, and probably a variety of the preceding. 
12. Viverra mephitis, or brown weasel.—With white back, 
marked with a longitudinal black stripe: the skunk weasel 
of Pennant, and chinche of Buffon. In manners and smell 
this species resembles the two preceding. 
The viverra chinge of Molina, or black weasel, with a 
changeable cast of blue, and a row of white spots from head 
to tail, resembles in shape and general form the chinche just 
mentioned ; but its colour is black.—It is a native of Chili. 
According to Molina, its smell proceeds from a greenish oil, 
ejected from a follicle or receptacle near the tail. The Indians 
-Vox.. XXIV. No. 1645. 
409 
are said to value the skin of this species on account of its 
beauty, and to use it for various purposes, quilts, &c. 
13. Viverra zorilla.—Weasel variegated w'ith black and 
white: the zorilla of Buffon ; the mapurito and mafutiliqui of 
Gumilla, &c. y smaller than the three preceding.—A native of 
Peru and other parts of South America. The ground colour 
is black ; the tail as bushy and elegant as that of the mephitic 
weasel. It possesses the same faculty with the three former 
species. 
14. Viverra mapurito, or black weasel.—With snow-white 
band from the forehead to the middle of the back, and with¬ 
out any external ears. This is the viverra putorius of Mutis. 
Its tail is nine inches long, and whitish at the tip.—It in¬ 
habits New Spain, burrows under ground, feeds on worms 
and insects, and may, perhaps, be a variety of the mephitic 
weasel. 
15. Viverravittata, or blackish weasel.—With a broad white 
band from the forehead to each shoulder : the grison of Buf¬ 
fon.—A native of Surinam, and found at Pamplona, in New 
Spain, and probably in every part of South America. 
16. Viverra Zeylanica, or cinereous weasel.—Mixed with 
brown; whitish beneath; resembling the martin, and sus¬ 
pected by Schreber to be the same with the Ceylonese dog of 
Vosmaer.— It is found in Ceylon, and probably in the Philip¬ 
pine isles. 
17. Viverra Capensis, or black weasel.—With grey back 
edged with white. This is the stinkbinksen of Kolbe, and 
ratel weasel of Pennant. It is one of the larger animals of 
the genus; cinereous grey above, and brownish-black below, 
the two colours being separated along the whole length of the 
animal, from the base of the nose to the tail, by a stripe of 
black and white; when pursued it ejects a fetid liquor, ac¬ 
companied with the intolerable smell of that of the American 
weasels, or skunks, and producing the same effects.—It is 
found at the Cape of Good Hope, and in Guinea. 
18. Viverra mellivora.—With cinereous back, with a black 
lateral band; the abdomen black; the claws long, hollow 
beneath, and formed for burrowing. This is the ratel of 
Sparrmann, feeding principally on the honey of wild bees, 
and found about the Cape of Good Hope. This honey- 
weasel has a very tough and loose skin, with thick hair, sup¬ 
posed to be given to itas a natural defence against the sling of 
bees. Mr. Pennant seems to have confounded this animal 
with the viverra capensis; both species feed on honey , but 
Mr. Sparrman does not mention any offensive effluvia in his 
description. 
19. Viverra civetta, or ash-coloured weasel.—Spotted with 
black, with chesnut-coloured mane, and dusky tail spotted 
towards the base. This is the felis zibethi of Gesner and Al- 
drovand, and the civetteof Buffon, and commonly known by 
the name of the civet cat.—It is a native of several parts of 
Africa and India. It is of a mild disposition, preys on birds 
and small quadrupeds, and produces the drug called civet; 
which see. 
20. Viverra zibetha, or ash-grey weasel.-Strialed with black 
undulations, aud an annulated tail. It is the felis zibethi of 
Gesner, and zibet of Buffon. Pennant regards it as the same 
species with the former, but it is generally considered by mo¬ 
dern naturalists as distinct.—It is found in India, and the 
Indian islands, and may be called the Indian, whilst the 
former is denominated the African, civet cat. In disposition 
and manners they both seem to agree; as well as in the se¬ 
cretion of the perfume before mentioned, which is collected 
from both animals in the same manner. 
21. Viverra hermaphrodila, or dark-grey weasel.—With three 
black dorsal stripes, and long tail with black tip. Schreber 
has described this species from Dr. Pallas.—It is a native of 
Barbary. 
22 . Viverra genetta, or fulvous-grey weasel—With the body 
marked with rows ol black spots, and annulated tail. It is 
the genette of Buffon, and one of the most beautiful animals 
ofthe genus, and about the size of a small cat. Its disposition 
is mild, and it is easily tamed. In various parts of the east, 
and particularly at Constantinople, it is domesticated like the 
cat, and no less serviceable in clearing houses from rats and 
4 K mice. 
