MAMMALIA — TIGER CAT. 



199 



THE TIGER CAT OF AFRICA, OR CAPE CAT.' 



This beautiful animal was erroneously supposed by Buffon to be the 

 same as the serval of India, but we have recently seen a living specimen in 

 Boston, from which the above accurate likeness was taken, and which ena- 

 bles us to testify to the accuracy of the following description from Shaw. 

 " This animal is extremely brilliant in color, it being of tbe brightest ful- 

 vous yellow, with jet black stripes and spots; the chin, throat, and breast, 

 pale ash color ; along the back are black stripes ; on the sides of the neck, 

 and on the breast, numerous small crescent shaped spots pointing upwards ; 

 on the legs numerous roundish spots ; and the tail very strongly and dis- 

 tinctly annulated with black and yellow." 



The specimen of the cape cat to which we have referred, was certainly 

 one of the most beautiful animals we have ever seen. Its motions were 

 exceedingly quick and graceful, and its countenance mild, lively, and pleas- 

 ing. Its form was very slender ; the head and body not being larger than 

 those of a domestic cat ; yet its height and length were nearly twice as great. 



1 Felis capensis. 



