THE DESERT CAT. 179 
fumerous Monkeys, sometimes hanging to the extremest 
branches above the water. Although the vessel would on 
‘other occasions excite but little attention, no sooner was the 
‘stuffed specimen in sight, that the whole community would 
feooP off with prodigious screams and howlings. It was of 
“course surmised, from the excessive terror of these animals, 
‘that this species of Cat must be an active enemy to them.” 
Practically nothing is known as to the habits of the Colocolo 
‘in a state of nature ; although it is evident that it must differ 
from the Pampas Cat in being an arboreal, instead of a purely 
terrestrial species. 
XXXV. THE DESERT CAT. FELIS ORNATA. 
Felis ornata, Gray, Ill. Indian Zool. vol. i. pl. ii. (1830) ; 
Elliot, Monograph of Felidz, pl. xxxii., (1878-83); Blan- 
ford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 84 (1888). 
felis servalina, Jardine, Naturalist’s Library, Felinz, p. 232 
(1834). 
Chaus pulchellus, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 45 (1843). 
Chaus servalinus, Gray, loc. cit. 
Chaus ornatus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 275. 
(Plate XXII.) 
Characters.—With the present species we come to the first 
representative of what may be termed the Lynxine group of 
Cats, which includes the whole of the remaining members of 
the genus. Asa group, theyare characterised by the presence 
of a larger or smaller pencil of hair at the tip of the ear; while 
the tail is short; and in the skull the orbits are always incom- 
_ plete behind, and the anterior pre-molar is generally wanting. 
In the present species the tail reaches the hocks; the ground- 
colour of the fur is pale yellow, upon which there are small 
round black spots ; while the pencils on the ears are reduced 
_ toa few short brown hairs. Skullasin J chaus (infra, p. 182). 
N 2 
