THE COMMON PARADOXURE.[88]
This animal, and other species of the same genus, are often called “Tree Cats,” or “Palm Cats,” but as they are not Cats at all, it is better to throw over the incorrect English name, and follow the plan which, as the reader may see, is adopted on the labels at the Zoological Gardens in this and similar cases: that is, Anglicise the Latin name, even at the risk of using a somewhat long and ugly word; but, as Milton says:—
“Why, is it harder, sirs, than Gordon,Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp?Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek,That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp.”
“Why, is it harder, sirs, than Gordon,Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp?Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek,That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp.”
“Why, is it harder, sirs, than Gordon,Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp?Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek,That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp.”
“Why, is it harder, sirs, than Gordon,
Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp?
Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek,
That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp.”
The name Paradoxurus—“queer-tailed”—was given to the genus from the fact that some of the animals composing it have their tails curled round into a sort of screw, the under side being thus brought uppermost. The name “Tree Cat” is very inappropriate, as the Paradoxures are not in the least like Cats, but resemble far more closely the Civets, which are, indeed, their nearest allies. They are long-bodied and short-legged, with sharp snouts and long tails, and are almost completely plantigrade.
The Common Paradoxure varies a good deal as to the character of its fur. The ground-colour is usually “brownish-black, with some dingy yellowish stripes on each side, more or less distinct, and sometimes not noticeable; a white spot above and below each eye, and the forehead with a whitish band in some; a black line from the top of the head down the centre of the nose is generally observable.” The individual hairs are yellowish at the base and blackish at the tip, and according to the state of wear and tear of these, the animal appears to be of various shades of tawny, brown, blackish, &c. The head and body together attain a length of twenty-two to twenty-five inches, the tail nineteen to twenty-one.
“This Tree Cat is a common and abundant animal throughout the greater part of India and Ceylon, extending through Burmah and the Malayan Peninsula to the island. It is most abundant in the latter wooded region, and is rarely met with in the low portions of the Deccan, Central India, and the North-West Provinces. It is very abundant on the Carnatic and Malabar coast, where it is popularly called theToddy Cat, in consequence of its supposed preference for the juice of the palm, a fact which appears of general acceptation both in India and Ceylon (where it is called the Palm Cat), and which appears to have some foundation. Kelaart says: ‘It is a well-established fact that it is a consumer of palm toddy.’ It lives much in trees, especially in the palmyra and cocoa-nut palms, and is often found to have taken up its residence in the thick thatched roofs of native houses. I found a large colony of them established among the rafters of my own house at Tillichery. It is occasionally found in dry drains, outhouses, and other places of shelter. It is quite nocturnal, issuing forth at dark, and living by preference on animal food, rats, lizards, small birds, poultry, and eggs; but it also freely partakes of vegetable food, fruit, and insects. In confinement it will eat plantain, boiled rice, bread and milk, &c. Colonel Sykes mentions that it is very fond of Cockroaches. Now and then it will commit depredations in some poultry-yard; and I have often known them taken in traps baited with a Pigeon or a Chicken. In the south of India it is very often tamed, and becomes quite domestic, and even affectionate in its manners. One I saw, many years ago, at Trichinopoly, went about quite at large, and late every night used to work itself under the pillow of its owner, roll itself up into a ball, with its tail curled round its body, and sleep till a late hour of the day. It hunted for Rats, Shrews, and House Lizards. Their activity in climbing is very great; and they used to ascend and descend my house, at one of the corners of the building, in a most surprising manner.” Sir Emerson Tennent states that in Ceylon the Palm Cat makes fearful havoc with the fowls of the villagers, “and, in order to suck the blood of its victims, inflicts a wound so small as to be almost imperceptible.”
COMMON PARADOXURE.
COMMON PARADOXURE.