VIVERRA, the weasel, in natural his tory, a genus of Mammalia, of the order Fero. Generic character : six fore-teeth, rather sharp ; tusks longer : tongue in some smooth, in others aculeated back wards ; body ofa lengthened form. Gme lin separates the Viverra from the Mustela genus, and includes the Lutrx, or ot ters, under the latter. -Mr. Pennant unites the two first, and forms the Lutrx into a distinct genus. This arrangement appears preferable to the other, is adopt ed by Shaw, and will he followed here. There are forty-five species, of which the following are principally deserving of notice: V. ichneumon, or the ichneumon, of which there are two varieties, the Indian and the Egyptian. The Egyptian ichneu mon is nearly three feet and half in full length, and of a pale reddish grey colour. It bearsa mortal enmityto ratsand snakes, and other offensive animals, with which Egypt is infested, and is domesticated fre quently in that country for the sake of' its services on this account. With the ancient Egyptians it was not only in high estima tion, but obtained the reputation of a sort of deity, and was thought entitled to a de gree of adoration. Its movements are ra: pid and agile in the extreme. In ap proaching its prey it often moves upon its belly like the feline tribe, or rather in the manner of a serpent ; at others, it pur sues it with rapid boundings. It is able to swim, and to dive also for a considera ble time, and frequents chiefly the bor ders of rivers. The Indian ichneumon is considerably smaller, but is eqUally useful and esteemed. It attacks without terror, and even with the extreme of fierceness, the most formidable and venomous ser pents, particularly the cobra de capello, and destroys them without sLiffiCulty.. They are both formidable to animals much larger than themselves, fastening upon them with immoveable firmness, and sucking their blood till they are ab solutely gorged with it.
V. striata, is a native of Mexico, and discriminated by five longitudinal stripes of white on its back of chocolate colour. When irritated by fear or anger it emits a vapour extremely fetid, in comparison with which every other odour, generally deemed repulsive and disgusting, is pro nounced to be the most exquisite perfume..
Even the dogs engaged in the pursuit of these creatures are stated to be compelled to abandon the course by this intolerable fetor, and if but a small drop of it should attach to the person or clothes of a human being, it is said to require the ablutions of several days to rid him.of the nuisance, and prevent his being any longer avoided with disgust and horror.
V. civetta, or the civet, is a native of the warm territories of Asia and Africa, and above two feet long, exclusively of the tail. It subsists on smaller quadrupeds and birds. This animal is distinguished for its perfume, for which it 'was well known to the ancients, who considered it as one of the most powerful stimuli, and for which it is kept in a state of confine ment in Holland at the present day, as well as in the East. The drug produced by the civets is formed in a glandular re ceptacle, and is taken from it by its keep er several times in the course ofa week ; the quantity generally procured from each civet at a time being about a drachm, but varying with the state of the animal's health, and the nourishing quality of its food. It is in its original state of a yellow colour and an unctuous appearance, and is extremely pungent, and indeed disagree able. 'Every part of the animal is pene trated by its effluvia, and the effect of be ing shut up in a room with one of these creatures in a state of high irritation is nearly intolerable.
V. genetta, or the genet, is to be met with in Syria, Turkey and Spain. These animals are about the size of a small cat, of a more lengthened form in head and body, and of a longer tail. They are distin • guished by an agreeable perfume, some ' what similar to musk. They are gentle, -easily tamed, exceedingly active and -cleanly; and in Constantinople and other -places are frequently domesticated, and accomplish all the objects effected by the common cat. Their colour is a tawny - red, spotted with black.