382 Dr. Horsfield and Mr. Vigors on some Mammalia 



Length of the tail 6 



Length of the head 6 



Breadth of the head across the ears .... 6 J 

 Distance between the eyes If- 

 Height of the shoulder 14J 



Height of the rump 15J 



Length of the anteriour tarsus and toes ... 2 J 



Length of the posteriour ditto ^ 2 J 



This animal is probably one of the numerous alleged varieties of Felis 

 rufa, Guld., the Baij Cat, as it is considered, of Pennant. It differs ma- 

 terially however from the original description of that species, although 

 it may approach some of the varieties, lately assigned to it by the conti- 

 nental naturalists. One point of distinction may be observed upon, — the 

 length of the tail ; not that I consider it in this instance important, but 

 I wish to draw the attention of naturalists to some facts relating to these 

 varieties, as they are called, of this animal, which involves a character ge- 

 nerally considered of some value among the Lynces. In M. Cuvier's Felis 

 rufa, the tail is four inches long ; in M. Temminck's, it is five ; in our 

 animal it is decidedly six. It were much to be wished that the American 

 naturalists would pay more attention to the Mammalia of their country, 

 and determine those points, about which Europeans are contending. 

 They exclusively have the materials for working upon : they are suffi- 

 ciently powerful in numbers and ability to perform the office ; and to 

 them it legitimately falls as a national duty. But they pay too much 

 deference to our continental writers ; and consequently meet in return 

 with no adequate respect. Let them remember that they have had a 

 Wilson among their birds. Why should they not assert an equal autho- 

 rity in the elucidation of their numerous Mammalia ? 



Felis Nepalensis. 



Fel. caudd mediocri tenui apice grised, corpore ex fulvescente griseo, 

 maculis lateralibus oblongisvel angularibus saturato-fusco et fulves- 

 cente variis, singulis plagd saturatiore posticd notatis, situ obliquo 

 spar sis; jugulo subtiis immaculato; collo utrinque fasciis duabus 

 undulatis maculdque posticd oblongd transversd ; guld fascid an- 



