10 



January 24, 1832. 

 William Yarrell, Esq., in the Chair. 



Specimens were exhibited of various Mammalia and Birds, col- 

 lected in Nepal by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., Corr. Memb. Z. S., Bri- 

 tish Resident at Katmandoo. For this exhibition the Committee 

 was indebted to the kindness of Dr. N. Wallich, to whom the skins 

 had been transmitted by Mr. Hodgson. 



The Mammalia included specimens of a new species of Felis, L.; 

 of two Antelopes, one the Chiru and the other new to science ; and 

 of the wild Dog of Nepal. They were accompanied by coloured 

 figures, and, except in the instance of the latter, by accounts of the 

 several animals from the pen of Mr. Hodgson. These accounts 

 were read. 



The new species of Felis is described as the Moormi Cat, a name 

 derived from that of the tribe which inhabits the part of the hills in 

 which the animal was taken. It was entirely unknown to the na- 

 tives, and had consequently no local name. It may be thus cha- 

 racterized : 



Felis Moormensis. Fel. caudd elongatd ; supra saturate badia, 

 infra pallidior ; auribus caudceque apice nigris ; mento albo fa- 

 ciei lateribus vittisjlavescentibus nigro marginatis tribus notatis. 



In size it is nearly intermediate between the larger and the 

 smaller Cats ; but is more allied in its general form, proportions, 

 and aspect, to the former than to the latter, having in fact little re- 

 semblance to the smaller species of Felis, except in the shortness 

 of its nose and the agreeable expression of its countenance. 



Its body is long and compressed ; its legs short and not remark- 

 ably stout. The neck is short and thick. The head is of consider- 

 able breadth and depth ; its crown flattened ; the nose straight, 

 short, and abrupt ; the ears short, widely opened, and well lined 

 within, erect, rounded, and without tuft at the tip. The tail is 

 long, rounded, well and uniformly covered with hair, and slightly 

 tapering at its extremity. 



The hinder legs are considerably longer than the anterior, and 

 are distinguished by the true pardine length of the femoral portion ; 

 indicating, like all other parts of the form of the animal, very great 

 agility. The jaws are very powerful, but the teeth are not remark- 

 able for superiority of size, and the front ones may even be said to 

 be small ; they are close-set and compressed laterally except near 

 the extremities, where the lateral compression ceases and an ob- 

 lique truncation is observed both from without and within. The 

 moustaches are large and very stout ; the bristles above the eyes are 

 only four or five, and are small. The expression of the face is 

 devoid of ferocity, and agreeable, approaching to that of the domestic 

 Cat. 



