Page:Natural History (1848).djvu/89

Rh The Civet of North Africa (Viverra civetta, .) is about as large as a Badger, but of more graceful proportions; its colour is grey, hand-

CIVET.

somely, but irregularly striped and spotted with black; the tail, which is bushy, is ringed and tipped with black. The unctuous perfume, called civet, so much valued still in the East, and formerly in vogue in Europe, is the produce of this species; and to obtain it great numbers are domesticated. Father Poncel affirms that he has seen as many as three hundred in the possession of one merchant. In Buffon's time, many were imported into Holland for the same object. The civet is procured by scraping the inside of the pouch with an iron spatula, twice a week. If the animal is in good condition, and especially if it