CATS— GREAT AND SMALL 147 



dreaded enemy of Sheep, Pigs, Calves, and especially Colts, and 

 when pressed by hunger a big male Cougar will kill a full-grown 

 Horse or Cow, Moose or Wapiti. It is the special enemy of Mountain 

 Sheep. In 1886, while hunting White Goats north of Clark's Fork 

 of the Columbia, I found them preying as freely on the Goats as on 

 the Deer. It rarely catches Antelope, but is quick to seize Rabbits, 

 other small beasts, and even Porcupines." 



OCELOT. — The Ocelot (Fig. in) is an inhabitant of tropical 

 America, one of many small Cats there found, and of great interest. 

 It has several names, such as "Tiger Cat," "Manigordo" and 

 "Leopard Cat," but these are somewhat misleading in view of the 

 two other animals treated of towards the end of this chapter. Julius 

 Barras says that "from Oklahoma to southern Brazil it is always 

 found in the woods and especially in thickets." It is an active and, 

 as the photograph depicts, a beautiful animal ; it readily takes to 

 trees and there procures most of its food. It is a bloodthirsty beast, 

 of great daring, but the specimen in Fig. in, which was housed 

 at the London Zoo and died in 1908, became very tame and con- 

 fiding. It measures about two and a half to three feet in length, 

 exclusive of the tail, which is a foot long. The general coloration is 

 grey, prominently marked with small and large fawn-coloured spots 

 having black edges. Individuals vary a great deal, so much so, 

 indeed, that one observer has remarked that it exhibits a distinct 

 pattern on each of its sides. 



The coat is soft and long, and the beautiful irregular mottling 

 accounts for the demand that exists for it, enormous numbers of these 

 Cats being trapped every year. It is of stout and heavy build, and 

 has dark eyes and a pink nose. 



CARACAL. — Fig. 112 shows a pair of Caracal cubs, the first ever 

 born at the London Zoo, this interesting event having taken place 

 in the Spring of 1908. It is probable that this is the first time the 

 Caracal has ever produced young in captivity. It is an active 

 member of the Cat tribe and is found inhabiting open country 

 throughout the whole of Africa and through Western Asia into 

 India. In colour it is uniform bright reddish-fawn; it does not 

 possess a ruff, but has sharp ears penciled with black, and a long tail 

 which bears a black tip. It is, like the Ocelot, a good tree-climber, 

 and can leap with amazing adroitness. It preys upon game birds, 

 rabbits and other animals, but although trained by Eastern princes 

 for sporting purposes, it is a fierce little beast, yet elegant in shape, 

 l 2 



