THE HUNTING-LEOPARD. 201 



Characters. — This southern Old World Lynx, of which the 

 colour is rufous on the upper-parts and white beneath, with 

 numerous rounded black spots on the body, limbs, and tail, 

 appears to be a well-marked species distinguished from all the 

 preceding forms by the characters of the skull. According 

 to Professor Mivart, when the skull is viewed in profile, it will be 

 seen to differ from that of the common Lynx and its allies by 

 being raised and convex between the orbits ; while a further 

 difference is to be found in the more backward extension of 

 the nasal bones. 



Distribution. — Southern Europe, including Turkey, Greece, 

 Sicily, Sardinia, and Spain. That it is a very ancient inhabi- 

 tant of the latter country is proved by the occurrence of its 

 fossilised remains in the ossiferous deposits of the caverns of 

 Gibraltar, in association with those of extinct Mammals. 



I have not come across any good accounts of the habits 

 of the Spanish Lynx, but it is probable that these differ in no 

 essential degree from those of the other representatives of the 

 group. 



II. THE NON-RETRACTILE-CLAWED CATS. GENUS 

 CYNyELURUS. 

 Cynailurus, Wagler, Syst. Amphib. p. 30 (1830). 

 Characters. — Claws only partially retractile, their extremities 

 being always protruded from their sheaths ; the tubercle on 

 the inner side of the upper carnassial tooth rudimental. Body 

 slender, and limbs relatively longer than in the retractile- 

 clawed cats. Skull with the foramen below the socket of the 

 eye very small, and frequently represented by two or more 

 minute apertures. 



The genus is at the present day represented solely by the 

 under-mentioned species, although it is probable that an ex- 

 tinct form occurs in the Pliocene rocks of the Siwalik Hills in 

 the north of India, 



