Page 104

104                   The Anatomical Defcription
is befmeared. The Tapetum ftrongly inclined to White. Naturalifts do fay,
that the Eyes of this Animal do fhine in the night like thofe of Cats. The
Cryftalline was more convex inward than outward; but that which it had
moft remarkablewas an extraordinary liardnefs,which put us in mind of what
Pliny fays of the Eyes of the Hyena, viz. that there are thence taken fome
Precious Stones called Hyenia.
  This Particularity joyned to a great many others, which are found common
to the Hyena of the Ancients, and to our Civet-Cat, made us rather to incline
to the Opinion of Belonius, ( who thought that thefe are not different Ani-
mals) than to that of Scaliger, Raelitu, AIexander Ben'edicbs, Matthiol/s,
Leo
Africanus, Bmfbeqyimis, A4drovandms, and almoft all the Modern Authors, who
would have the Civet-Cat to be unknown to the Ancients, and that it was a
Species of Cat: for according to our Remarks, the length of the Head and
Eyes of the Civet-Cat, the fmalnefs of the Teeth and Feet, the harfhnefs
of
its Hair, the foftnefs of its rongue, the blacknefs and reditude of its Nails,
and the hoarfnefs which all Authors have obfIrved in its Voice, which ren-
ders it more like to that of Dogs than Cats, are Charadiers wholly different
from thofe which are feen in all the Species of Cats.  But on the contrary,
all
that the Ancients have related of their Hy~ena is found in the Civet-Cat,
Ibme
Incredible and Ridiculous things only excepted; as to make Dogs filent by
its Shadow, as Ariftotle and £,lian report; to know how to imitate
the Voice
of Men, whom it calls by their Name, to intice them from their Habitati-
ons, and devour them, as Pliny relates; and to have alfo Humane Feet, and
no Vertebre in the Neck, like the Animal which Bmsbequjim takes for the H!ynt
of the Ancients; which are Particularities, which Leo Africanus has not ob-
ferved in the Animal which he propofes for the Helena.
  For the Defcription of the Ancients, as to what concerns the exteriour
Form, confifts in three things, which are to refemble the Wolf by the Head,
to have long ftaring Hair on the Back, and a particular Aperture under the
Tail, befides the two which arc commonly there in the Females of otrher A-
nimals. 'ile two firfl marks which we very diffindly discovered in our
Civet-Cat, although, common to other Animals, have fenled to us
very convincing , being joyned to' the third, which. is fo particular, that
it may be faid that there is not known any Animal wherein is found the like.
For the Aperture which Hares, Gazella's, and Several other Animals have in
this place, has nothing that resembles the extraordinary Figure of this which
is in the Civet-Cat, and which AriJifotle has very diftinaly obferved in
the
1yena which he defcribesby faying, that this Foramen is like to the exteriour
Orifice of the Matrix of a Woman.
   The fole difficulty which occurs is that the Ancients have not fpoken
of
the Scent of the Civet-Cat: which has made Gillims to think, that it was
the
Panther of the Ancients, and Cajlellw, that it was an Hyana of a particular
Species. But it muff be confidered that moff Natural Hiftorians have com-
pofed their Works upon the Report of others,and that there is reafon to doubt,
whether the Hunters who informed them of the Particularities of Animals,
wvere not too grofs and rude, as are the greateft part of the Savages which
are addided to this Exercifi, to be capable of knowing the goodnefs of the
Scent of the Civct-Cat, and in this refemble Beafts that diffinguili not
the
                                                              difirelicnc