I
have constantly set these traps for them, but always without
success, as some other kind of vermin is nearly certain to spring
the trap before the chetah's arrival. Among the variety of small
animals thus caught I have frequently taken the civet cat. This
is a very pretty arid curious creature, about forty inches long
from nose to tip of tail. The fur is ash-gray, mottled with
black spots, and the tail is divided by numerous black rings. It
is of the genius Viverra, and is exceedingly fierce when
attacked. It preys chiefly upon fowls, hares, rats, etc. Its
great peculiarity is the musk-bag or gland situated nearly under
the tail; this is a projecting and valued gland, which secretes
the musk, and is used medicinally by the Cingalese, on which
account it is valued at about six shillings a pod. The smell is
very powerful, and in my opinion very offensive, when the animal
is alive; but when a pod of musk is extracted and dried, it has
nothing more than the well-known scent of that used by perfumers.
The latter is more frequently the production of the musk-deer,
although the scent is possessed by many animals, and also
insects, as the musk-ox, the musk-deer, the civet or musk-cat,
the musk-rat, the musk-beetle, etc.
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