This animal is called by some travellers the _genet of Madagascar_,
because it resembles the genet in colour, and some other affinities;
but it is in general much smaller, and has not the odoriferous bag,
which is an essential character belonging to that animal. As we
were not certain as to this fact, not being able to procure one for
dissection, we wrote to M. de Poivre, who had sent us the skin of a
fossane stuffed, and who favoured us with the following answer:--Lyons,
July 19, 1761. "The fossane which I brought from Madagascar is an
animal whose manners are much like those of our marten. The inhabitants
of the island assured me, that when the male is in heat it emits a very
strong smell like musk. When I stuffed the skin which is in the royal
gardens I did not discover any bag, nor did I find any odoriferous
smell. I reared two similar animals, the one at Cochinchina, and
another in the Phillippine Islands; they were both males; I had them
very young, and kept them about, two or three months, in which time
they had become pretty familiar. I never found any bag in the parts you
speak of, but only observed that their excrements had the same smell
as those of our marten. They eat flesh and fruits, but preferred the
latter, and were exceedingly partial to bananas, which they devoured
with voracity. This is a very wild animal, and difficult to tame;
though taken when very young, yet it preserved the look and character
of ferocity, which appeared to me somewhat extraordinary in an animal
who feeds by preference on fruits. The eye of the fossane represents
a large black globe, in comparison with the size of its head, which
gives it a mischievous aspect."
It gives us great pleasure to have here an opportunity of testifying
our thanks to M. de Poivre, who from a real taste for natural history,
and a friendship for those who cultivate it, has presented to the
cabinet a great number of scarce and curious animals.
The animal called _berbé_, in Guinea seems to us to be the same as the
fossane, and consequently that this species exists in Africa as well
as in Asia. "The _berbé_ (says Bosman) has a more pointed snout, and a
smaller body, than our cat, and is speckled like the civet." We know of
no animal with which these characters so well agree as with that of the
fossane.