THE MADAGASCAR CIVETS 
though often remote situation suggests a fear of 
enemies, and also a kind of imitation of the serpent. 
To imitate a serpent, however, seems to be needless. 
If there is anything in the world sharper than a serpent’s 
tooth. it is a cat’s claw. A wild cat can look after 
itself without, so to speak, borrowing from the attitudes 
of the serpent, and endeavouring to delude its foes 
into the notion that they are to deal with the “ vengeful 
snake.” Still, the aloofness of pussy is probably a 
trait of wildness, as is her frequent habit of escaping 
for weeks from comfort, and leading a wild and hunting 
life in neighbouring game preserves. 
CRYPTOPROCTA FEROX 
About twice the size of a common cat with a long tail 
and of an uniform sandy or tawny hue, is the Fossa of 
Madagascar, an island which does not nourish many 
bloodthirsty beasts of prey. It appears, however, 
that what it wants in quantity it makes up for in 
quality ; for the Cryptoprocta, as its specific name 
suggests, is reputed to be one of the most ferocious of 
hunting mammals. The unprejudiced visitor to the 
Zoo will probably not be of that opinion. For the 
specimens that have been on view at that institution 
present the appearance of mildness rather than ferocity 
of disposition. But place a Cryptoprocta handy to a 
farmyard and the bloodthirstiness comes into evidence ; 
it will kill and slay indefinitely. In this it is like its 
not near relative the weasel, ferocity of disposition 
being often in wild beasts disproportionate to size. 
This fossa must not be confounded with another 
Madagascar carnivorous animal, Fossa daubentoni, 
which is more definitely a civet, though lacking the 
odoriferous pouch of those beasts. To avoid confusion 
the latter animal is spoken of as the fossane. The exact 
position which Cryptoprocta occupies in the carnivorous 
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