26 FELIDJ3. 



Mr. Ogilby, and myself, all diifer from the one from Guinea de- 

 scribed by M. Temmiuck. My Fells neglecta agrees with F. celi- 

 dogaster in many particulars ; but the spots are much smaller than 

 M. Temminck describes, they are by no means of a chocolate or 

 bright brown colour, and the tail is not ringed. These are just 

 the characters by wliich the three skins in the British Museum are 

 distinguished from each other. It is most probable that the F. 

 celidogaster of Guinea is distinct from the Cats from the Gambia 

 and Sierra Leone which arc in the Museum. All the three, and, 

 indeed, very many other Spotted Cats, have the belly distinctly 

 spotted and the throat with a half coUar ; so that the name F. celido- 

 gaster would be equally applicable to auy of them. — Gnuj, P. Z. S. 

 1867, p. 394. 



ttttt Stnall-sized spotted Asiatic Cats. Tiger Cats. 



The smaller Spotted Cats of the warmer parts of Asia have all 

 been regarded as one species by Mr. Blyth, following in the wake of 

 Temminck ; but it is to be observed that the latter naturalist only 

 had the specimens from Java and Sumatra to examine. Perhaps if 

 he had had in his museum specimens from Nepal, Bhootan, China, 

 and the various districts of continental India, he would not have 

 regarded them as belonging to the same species, as he did those 

 from Java and Sumatra. They, no doubt, are very similar, and we 

 know that the Spotted Cats, as the Leopard, the Jaguar, the Ocelots, 

 and the Kuichua of Brazil are very variable ; but then in a large 

 series of these specimens the varieties pass into each other, and the 

 countries where the different varieties come from are contiguous, 

 and different varieties come from the same locality. Now that is 

 not the case with the small Spotted Cats of India ; and until we 

 have a series sufficiently large to show how the species do pass into 

 each other, I think it is safer to regard them as valid. 



Of the small-sized Spotted Asiatic Cats, which have an ovate 

 skuU and incomplete orbits, there are several si)ecimens in the Mu- 

 seum which appear to be worthy of being noticed either as species 

 or well-marked varieties. They all have two weU-marked streaks 

 on each cheek ; and there is a pale or white streak up each side of 

 the forehead, and one between the cheek-streaks. 



To this group belong Felis sumatrana and Felis javcmensis of 

 Horsfield, Zool. Java ; Felis nepalensis, Vigors and Horsfield, Zool. 

 Journ. iv. t. 39 ; and Felis cliinensis, Gray, Mag. N. H. 1837, from 

 China, and some others undescribed. 



19. Felis minuta. B.M. 



Felis minuta (part.), Temm. ; Gray, P. Z. S. 1867, pp. 273, 400. 



Felis undata (part.), Fischer. 



Felis sumatrana, Horsfield, Z. Java, i. 



Hah. Sumatra. 



20. Felis javanensis. B.M. 



Felis javanensis, Horsfield, Zool. Jara, t. :- ; Grai/, P. Z. S. 1807, 

 pp. 274, 400. 



