. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. go NATURAL HISTORY. The Zil.»et is forty-seven to fifty-six inches in length, from thii-teen to twenty of this being taken up by the tail. It is of a yellowish grey colour, with black si^ots and stripes. The throat and sides of the neck are white, and the fine tail is ringed with black. This species is said to be tamed more easily than its African relative; but of this, as well as of its habits, veiy little is known. THE LESSER CIVET.* The Lesser Civet, or Rasse, is found in the island of Java, as well as in many parts of India, such as Ne
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. go NATURAL HISTORY. The Zil.»et is forty-seven to fifty-six inches in length, from thii-teen to twenty of this being taken up by the tail. It is of a yellowish grey colour, with black si^ots and stripes. The throat and sides of the neck are white, and the fine tail is ringed with black. This species is said to be tamed more easily than its African relative; but of this, as well as of its habits, veiy little is known. THE LESSER CIVET.* The Lesser Civet, or Rasse, is found in the island of Java, as well as in many parts of India, such as Nejiaul and Madras. "It is not an uncommon species in Hong-Kong and the adjacent islands. In Formosa it is the commonest of all the carnivoi'ous group. Skulking during the day in the dark ravines that intersect the hilly country in the north-west, in the twilight it threads its way. with great speed through the long gi-ass, and searches the fields for small mammals and birds. It is much dreaded by the Chinese for the havoc it commits in the hen-roost; and as its skin is somewhat valued for lining to great coats, its haunts and cree])M are .sotight after, and traps laid for it. Of these the slip-knot noose for the head and feet is the most commonly practised and the most killing. As the cool season apjiroaches, hawkers may be daily met with, even in the villages, offering for .sale the stretched .skins of these animals. Tlie poorer classes, who are unable to purchase the dearer fui-s, make use of these cheaper yet pretty ; The Easse is about thirty-two inches in length, its tail thirteen inches. Tlie odour of musk is so strong as to taint the skin and the flesh of the entire animal. " The Chinese," says Mr. Swinlioe, " eat the flesh of this animal; but a poi-tion that I had cooked was so affected with the Civet odour that I could not j)alate ; The Rasse is a much smaller animal than the two preceding species, its head and body together being
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectanimals
