CHAP. XII.] 



DIFFERENT KINDS OF GATS. 



417 



(32.) The Small-eared Cat (Fdis microtis).^ 



^ This cat Is very like F. cJiinenm, but differs from it by the small 

 size of its ears. The infra-orbital foramen is, moreover, divided. 



The hair is long, soft, and very abundant. The general colour is 

 that of F. chine nsis, but the spots are redder and more confused ; 

 the markings of the zygomatic region are less distinct, as are those on 

 the head and neck. The ears have each two white spots behind, 

 separated by a vertical blackish-brown band, while in F. chinensis 

 the ears are black and have but a single white spot. The tail is 

 not distinctly spotted. It inhabits the neighbourhood of Pekin, and 

 is also found in Mongolia. 



(33.) The Large-eared Cat (Felis megalotis). f 



This animal appears to be only known by Miiller's description. 

 He tells us: — ''This new species is of the size of Felis minufa ; it 

 has, however, much longer and more projecting ears and a much 

 larger tail, which is not round but more or less flattened. The 

 general colour is yellowish, the back reddish-yellow, and the under 

 parts more of an Isabella colour. The hairs of the head, neck, 

 shoulders, hind legs and tail are annulated with black rings, which 

 results in giving a marbled appearance to the body. There are 

 some transverse black stripes on the hind legs, and some reddish- 

 yellow and black stripes on the fore legs. The claws are light 

 yellow. A dark stripe proceeds from beneath the eyes to the 

 ears, where it breaks up into narrower stripes. The hairs of the 

 tail are longest at each side, so as to form a lateral fringe, which 

 gives the tail its flattened appearance. The tail is partly ringed in 

 an indistinct manner. The ears are bluish-white within. The 

 iris is orange-yellow. 



(34.) The Flat-headed Cat (Felis ^jlaniceps). I 



This very peculiar and exceptional cat is one- coloured, with a long 

 body and short legs and tail. 



It may be thus described : — 



Fur thick, soft, and long. Top of head dark reddish-brown. 

 Two yellow lines extend upwards (one on each side) from between 

 the eyes to near the ears ; body dark brown, darkest on the back. 



* Alpliou.se Milne-Edwards, Eeclierclies 

 p. 221, plates 31a and 316, Fig. 1. See 

 also the riglit-hand figui-e in Mr. Elliot's 

 plate of F. euptilura. Mr. Elliot identi- 

 fies this species ^\'ith his F. euptilura. 

 The figures, however, appear to me very 

 different, and I think it best to keep it 

 distinct, at least provisionally. 



+ Miiller, Verhand. over de Natuur- 

 lijke Geschiedenis Zool., Leyden, 1839- 

 1844, Part I. ; Over de Zoogdiernen van 



den Indischen Archipel., by Salomon 

 Miiller, p. 54. 



J See Mr. Elliot's Monogi-aph, from 

 ■which the above figure was, by per- 

 mission, copied. It is the Fiverriceps 

 planice2}s oi GrsLj, Pro. Zool. Soc, 1867, 

 p. 269 ; and Catalogue of Carnivora, 

 p. 17. It is the F. planiceps of Vigors 

 and Horsfield, who first described and 

 figured it in the Zoological Journal, 

 vol. iii., p. 449, plate 2, 



E E 



