second are conical, the third compressed;
the flesh-tooth is triangular, and as broad as long; the tubercular
grinders are smaller than the flesh-tooth, the first triangular, the
hinder cylindrical and smaller still; toes five in each foot, with
powerful semi-retractile claws.

NO. 235. ARCTICTIS BINTURONG.
_The Binturong_ (_Jerdon's No. 126_).

HABITAT.--Assam, Nepal, Simla hills, also Tenasserim, Arakan, and
the Malayan countries.

[Illustration: _Arctictis binturong_.]

DESCRIPTION.--Long body, short legs, long prehensile tail, very
thick at the base, and gradually tapering to a point, clad with very
long bristling hair; the hair of the body very coarse; general colour,
deep black, with a white border to the ears, a few brown hairs on
the head and anterior surface of fore-legs. Some of the Malayan
specimens are slightly sprinkled with brown, and have the head, face,
and throat grizzled. It has a large sub-caudal gland, secreting an
oily fluid.

SIZE.--Head and body 28 to 30 inches; tail about the same. Jerdon
gives 28 to 33 inches; tail 26 to 27 inches.

According to Jerdon it is nocturnal, arboreal, and omnivorous,
eating small animals, birds, insects, fruit and plants; more wild
than viverrine animals in general, but easily tamed. Its howl is loud.
In an illustration I have of one of these animals, it is drawn with
white patches over the eyes. Cantor says the young are marked with
eye spots. I have added the Simla hills to the list of places it
inhabits, as Mr. Hume possesses the skin of one which I have lately
examined, and which was procured in this neighbourhood.

HERPESTIDAE--THE ICHNEUMON OR MUNGOOSE FAMILY.

A well-defined genus of animals, with long vermiform bodies, clad
with long, harsh grizzled hair, long muscular tails, thick at the
base, and tapering to a fine point; semi-plantigrade feet with five
toes, and partially retractile claws; the eyes are small, but
glittering and snakelike; the tongue rough like a cat's. Dr. Gray
has divided this family into two groups, _Herpestina_ and
_Cynictidina_, the former containing thirteen genera, the latter one,
which is separated on account of its having four toes only. Of the
thirteen genera in Herpestina, we have only to do with _Herpestes_,
_Calogale_, _Calictis_, _Urva_, _Taeniogale_, and _Onychogale_,
which six are by most naturalists treated under _Herpestes_, and I
will continue to do so, as the differences are hardly sufficient to
warrant so