WILD CAT 439 



representative of which has been described as a distinct species, under 

 the name of F. dGminicanoriun, although it is really nothing more than 

 a grey colour-phase. 



Recent experiments on birds have demonstrated that exposure to 

 a warm moist temperature, accompanied by absence of light, readily 

 induces a darkening of the plumage ; and it is accordingly evident that 

 dark colour in wild animals dwelling under similar conditions is a very 

 unstable feature. 



THE AFRICAN WILD CAT 



{Felis ocreata) 

 Phagi, Beciiuana ; Wilde kat, Cape Dutch 



Originally mentioned in Bruce's Travels to discovei' the Source of 

 the Nile as the booted lynx, this cat has received an almost bewildering 

 number of names, both popular and scientific ; among which it will 

 suffice to mention Kafir cat, Egyptian cat, Felis caligata, F. maniculatay 

 and F. lybica. It appears to be closely related to the European wild 

 cat (/''. catus), and cannot possibly be confused with either the serval 

 or the African tiger-cat, from which it differs in the markings taking 

 the form (on a greyish ground) of more or less distinct transverse 

 dark stripes ; these stripes being most developed in kittens, and nearly 

 obsolete on the back of many adult specimens. 



In both the European and the African wild cat the sides of the 

 body are typically marked with wavy transverse (vertical) dark stripes 

 extending from the spine to the opposite surface, but better defined, as 

 a rule, above than below. The upper portions of both limbs are marked 

 with broad transverse bars nearly always darker than the body-stripes ; 

 the fore-leg has two conspicuous dark bars on the inner surface of 

 its upper part, and the under surface from the toes to the wrist, as 

 well as the back of the elbow, is black ; while the hind-limb is usually 

 black from the toes to the hock. The terminal portion of the tail 

 has a black tip and usually three well-defined black rings, above which 

 it is much less distinctly ringed, being generally marked with an 

 ill -defined stripe on the upper surface. The throat is, at most, 

 indistinctly striped, but usually has a white spot ; the chest and fore 

 part of the lower surface of the body are spotted, but the hind portion 

 of the latter is, like the inner side of the thighs, uniformly coloured and 

 tinged with yellowish buff. 



