THE STEPPE CAT. 187 
Characters.—Nearly allied to the Jungle Cat, this species is 
stated to be distinguished by the following differences. Where- 
as in the Pale Cat the colour of the outer surface of the ear is 
similar to that of the back, being brownish-yellow, thickly mingled 
with black, in the Jungle Cat the outer surface of the ear is 
almost invariably rusty-red or reddish-yellow, with the short 
pencil of hairs black; the pencil in / fa/dida being brownish- 
yellow mixed with black. Then, again, the present species is 
characterised by the generally pale yellowish-grey hue of the 
fur ; from which the rufous tinge—most conspicuous on the 
head, under-parts, and limbs—of / chauws is entirely absent. 
Indeed, those parts of the body of the latter which are rufous 
or reddish-yellow, in the Pale Cat are whitish or grey. The 
tail of & pallida is also longer and more bushy than in & 
chaus. 
For a detailed account of the coloration of this form, the 
reader may refer to the original description ; but the foregoing 
is sufficient to indicate its extremely close relationship with 
the Jungle Cat. Indeed, it is probable that many zoologists 
would regard it merely as a pale-coloured local race of the 
latter. 
Distribution Kansu, N.W. China. 
XXXIX. THE STEPPE CAT. FELIS CAUDATA. 
Chaus caudatus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. 31. 
Felis caudata, Elliot, Monograph of Felidae, pl. xxxiv. (1878-83). 
Felis caudatus, Mivart, The Cat, p. 421 (1881). 
Characters.—As mentioned under the heading of the Desert 
Cat, this species may be distinguished from the Jungle Cat by 
being very indistinctly spotted, and by the tail being con- 
siderably longer. 
The type specimen is described as follows :—Fur close, soft, 
pale yellowish (the hairs blackish-brown at the base), with very 
