130 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



are scarcely distinguishable from those of Horsfield's type of 

 F java?ie?isis. In both the characteristic points mentioned — 

 the marks in the in'. ; ^capulary region, and the spots on the 

 tail — the two skins agree with F. bengalensis, and not with 

 F. rubiginosa. To complete the evidence, Mr. Thomas has 

 had the skull of one of the skins of F.jerdoni extracted, and it 

 proves to possess the anterior upper pre-molar and imperfect 

 orbit of F bengahnsis. I have, therefore, not the least hesita- 

 tion in assigning F. jerdoni, as a variety, to that species, and 

 I believe it to be identical with the form commonly known 

 as F. javanensis. The locality of neither specimen of F. jer 

 doni in the National Collection is known ; but, considering, 

 that so closely similar a form has been described from Java, 

 whilst there is no evidence as to the derivation of the Madras 

 Museum specimens, it is far from improbable that Mr. Blyth 

 was mistaken in his supposition [as to their Indian origin], and 

 that these skins were really brought originally from Malacca or 

 the neighbourhood." 



In the Himalayan variety of this species (F. pardochroa), as 

 represented in our first illustration, the ground-colour of the 

 upper-parts is pale rufescent, with the spots usually more or 

 less angular in form, and with their front border brown and the 

 hinder margin black. Whereas, however, in some examples 

 the spots are large and almost triangular, with the apex 

 directed backwards, in others they take the form of small 

 elongated ovals. The so-called Nipal Cat (F. ?iipalensis) was 

 founded on a grey phase, which there is some reason for be- 

 lieving may have been a hybrid. In another Indian variety 

 the black spots tend to form longitudinal lines, enclosing rich 

 bands of rufous-brown between them ; the bands being broken 

 up more or less completely into large rosettes, dark brown at 

 the centres, with imperfect black rings on the margins. This 

 form is perhaps the handsomest and most striking of all. 



