108 FELID^E. 



cat" with Temminck's F. aurata, the origin of which was not known. 

 Its dimensions are given, as head and body, 3 feet 4 inches ; tail 12i ; but 

 if Hodgson is right in his measurements, that of the tail must be a mis- 

 take. Hodgson does not allude to the sjDots at all ; but Blyth states 

 that a Nepalese specimen in the Indian Museum is very distinctly and 

 conspicuously spotted. He further wx'ites me that it comes near Diardi 

 and marmorata. There is a very beautiful variety of a saturated brown 

 or black colour, of which Mr. Hodgson sent several specimens from 

 Darjeeling to the India House and British Museums. The tip of the 

 tail has a whitish discoloration. 



Nothing is known of the habits of this cat, which is stated to inhabit 

 the central region of Nepal and Sikim. 



113. Felis rubiginosa. 



Is. Geoffroy. — Belangee, Yoyage, pi. — Namali pilli, Tam. — Blyth, 



Synops. 13. 



The Rusty-spotted Cat. 



J)escr. — Greenish-gray, with a faint rufous tinge ; beneath and inside 

 of limbs white ; a white superciliary streak, extending on the side of the 

 nose ; two dark face-streaks ; top of head and nape with four narrow 

 dark-brown stripes, becoming interrupted posteriorly, an^ passing into 

 a series of rusty coloured spots on the back and sides, somewhat longi- 

 tudinal on the back, but roundish on the sides ; tail short, more rufous 

 than the body, and uniform in colour, or very indistinctly spotted, the 

 tip not dark ; the lower surface and inside of the limbs with large 

 dai'k- brown spots ; feet rufous-gray above, black on the soles ; eai'S 

 small ; whiskers long, white ; fur short and very soft. 



Length, head and body, IG to 18 inches ; tail 2h. 



This cat varies somewhat, it appears, both in the ground-colour of 

 the fur and the character of the spots. Is. Geoffrey calls the ground- 

 colour reddish-gray, and Kelaart describes it as ferruginous grayish- 

 brown. The latter calls the spots on the body dark ferruginous-browu, 

 almost black on the limbs. It appears to be very rare in museums, and 

 I have not had many specimens, but in all the spots were rusty, and 

 the fur much of the same hue, more or less tinged with rufous. 



I have only procured this cat in the Carnatic, in the vicinity of Nellore 

 and Madras. Belanger's specimen was pi'ocured in the same district, at 



