i54 



Lloyd's natural history. 



Characters. — Readily distinguished from all the other members 

 of the Family by its extremely elongated and Weasel-like body, 

 short limbs, very long tail, and long and flattened head, this 

 South American species is also one of the comparatively few 

 uniformly-coloured forms. In colour the soft fur is uniform 

 reddish-yellow or chestnut, with a whitish spot on each side of 

 the upper lip. Pupil round. Skull much elongated and flat- 

 tened, with the nasal region somewhat compressed laterally, 

 and the anterior upper pre-molar present. In size the species 

 may be compared to a rather small Domestic Cat, but with the 

 limbs proportionately much shorter, and the body longer. 



Distribution. — Brazil, Guiana, and Paraguay, extending north- 

 wards to the Rio del Norte between Mexico and Texas ; but 

 much more rare to the north than to the south of the Isthmus 

 of Panama. 



Habits. — Information is still required as to the habits of this 

 Cat in a state of nature. It is, however, known to be a denizen 

 of forests, and is extremely fierce in disposition, while its move- 

 ments are extremely active and lithe. Five specimens had 

 been exhibited in the London Zoological Gardens up to 1883, 

 the first of which was purchased in i860. The latter was ex- 

 tremely gentle in disposition, although one of the others proved 

 untameable. Azara writes : " I had one nearly full-grown 

 which had been captured young, and was as gentle and playful 

 as any kitten could be ; but I kept it chained, as it was a great 

 enemy to poultry. It slept in the skirt of my garments, purr- 

 ing, or making the ruru of the Cats ; Rats were an easy prey 

 to it, and no one of the nine Paraguayan species could surpass 

 it in the certainty with which it captured, or the promptitude 

 with which it despatched, the largest Rats, as well as birds of 

 all kinds." 



With regard to the restriction to the name Eyra to the present 

 species, the reader is referred to the Jaguarondi, on page 151. 



