142 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 
brown intermixed ; the belly and throat have black streaks, 
and the tail has imperfect Black annuli.” 
From the marked difference in these varieties, and the fact 
that they breed true, it is probable that each has a definite 
local distribution; and hence those zoologists who are inclined 
to rank every well-marked variation as of specific importance, 
would probably regard them as representing as many species. 
The specimen depicted in our first illustration was a female, 
measuring 2 feet 91% inches to the root of the tail, our plate 
being copied from Wilson’s “ Illustrations of Zoology.” In this 
example “the upper part of the head is deep tawny, streaked 
with blackish-brown. A blackish streak passes from the upper 
and inner canthus of each eye to the forehead, between the 
ears, in a converging manner; and between them there are 
several delicate lines of the same colour. Another strongly 
expressed stripe passes from the outer canthus of the eyes to 
the angles of the lower jaw, where an irregular blackish bar 
passes upwards, to within an inch of the outer edge of the 
ears. From the angles of the jaw, two stripes pass downwards, 
and meet in front of the throat. The- ears are thin,’ and 
blackish externally, with a spot of pure white on the back of 
each. ‘There is a patch of pure white at the angles of the 
mouth, beautifully speckled with three rows of black dots, 
which lie at the roots of the vibrissze ; chin and throat white, 
with blackish bars ; the ground-colour of the breast less pure ; 
that of the belly and insides of the legs dull grey. Around 
the eye are white marks, nearly enclosing the orbit, but inter- 
rupted by the blackish stripes above described. There are 
four chains of open lengthened spots on each side, more or 
less distinct, sloping down from the shoulder towards the 
flanks. The legs are irregularly marked with numerous black 
spots, differing in size and shape. The tail is barred with 
black on its sides and dorsal line, but is not annulated as in 
some of the varieties.” 
