THE OCELOT CATS—MEARNS. 245 



latter collected by Dr. Buller)— are of a peculiar pattern and o-rayish 

 coloration, (iviite different from either ////^^:f^6• or i^ar^ZaZ/s; l.ut, in the 

 absence of skulls, the form can not l)e differentiated. 

 FELIS COSTARICENSIS, new species. 

 COSTA KICAN OCPXOT. . 

 7^,/^,,, —Skull No. 14180, U.S.N. M. Adult male from Talamanca, 

 Costa lii<-a; collected by William M. Gabb. (The skin. No. 121S0, 

 U.S.N.M., seems to have been destroyed.) 



General eharacfer.<i.— Size very large. Ground-color decidedly tawn}'. 

 Black markings extended and very intense. Ear smaller than in Felis 

 Iknitis. Skull narrow, osseous, with a heavy dental armature. ^ 



^,^/,,^.,_Pattern similar to that of Felis 2)ardalh and F. Umitis. 

 Coloration like that of F. pardaUs. but with black markings increased 

 in area and intensity. Neck with median pair of black stripes con- 

 solidated, so there are but five longitudinal stripes on upper side of 

 neck. Ears black, with the gray patch extending to margin and meas- 

 uring 8 by 25 mm. Upper parts with ground-color russet, becoming 

 tawn^'y-olive on the inclosed areas of the spots, and cream-buff between 

 the chains of spots on the sides. A heavy black stripe, 2.50 mm. in 

 length, occupies the median dorsal area, the row of spots on either side 

 ])eing solidly black, elliptical, measuring about 15 l)y 20 mm. The 

 lateral-dorsal spots all heavily inclose areas of tawny-olive, except 

 anteriorly, where they are sometimes open (c-shaped), the spots 

 being 2o" to 40 mm. in length and half as wide, varying in size and 

 shape within the usual limits. Tail with more black than light; about 

 eleven crossbars of black, encircling the tail more narrowly below 

 than above. A broad collar of black crosses the under side of the 

 head behind the throat, and the pectoral collar is likewise continuous. 

 The under parts are cream-buff, with the usual black spotting, the 

 largest ])lotches on the chest measuring 25 mm. in greatest diameter. 

 The russet ground-color of the upper parts becomes less intense poster- 

 iorly, l)ut much less markedly so than in the Brazilian Ocelot, which 

 also differs in having most of "^ the lateral spots c- or < -shaped, open 



anteriorly. 



Sl'uU and teeth.— SU\\\ narrow, l)ut heavily ossified, with prominent 

 crests and terete, elongate, depressed postorbital processes. The 

 braincase is narrow; dentition heavy. 



Measwrenie}ds (adult female. No. iH^f, U.S.N.M., from Talamanca, 

 Costa Rica, collected by William M. Gabb; now No. 2853 in the collec- 

 tion of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, on which the 

 above description of the color is based).— Length (of skin), 1,050 mm.; 

 tail, 280; hind foot, 162. Skull (largest male) : Basilar length (Hensel), 

 134; zygomatic breadth, 108. Largest female: Basilar length, 112; 

 zygomatic breadth, 92. 



