THE PAMPAS CAT. 20; 



The Syra, Felis syra, resembles the lion and the cougar in being 

 uniffjrm in color. Its body is so long, and its limbs comparatively s^j 

 short, that it seems to be a link between the cats and the weasels ; and it 

 indeed displays the agility of one family and the cruelty of the other. 

 No member of the cat tribe can carry off its booty with greater rapidity 

 than this little marauder. It has never been tamed, lierlandier obtained 

 one at Matamoras, but it seems, like the Yaguarundi, to belong properly 

 to Guiana and f3razil. 



The Chati or Maracaya, Fdis cliati, is more like the jaguar than 

 the ocelot. It measures about three feet in length of body, and resem- 

 bles the leopard in the color of its skin, but the spots arc disposed 

 irregularly and are of irregular shape. Some are round, some oblong ; 

 in places they are in lines, in others scattered without any order. Two 

 black streaks appear on the cheeks and a brown one on the throat ; the 

 latter half of the tail has black rings. 



It is a courageous beast, and attacks pretty large animals, such as 

 small deer. But like the rest of its kin, it prefers to devastate a well- 

 filled hen-roost, and usually chooses a very dark and stormy night for its 

 visit. 



It is easily tamed, and becomes amiable and Mtached to its owner, 

 but nothing can eradicate its propensity to catch and kill chickens. In 

 Brazil the Indians and negroes eat its flesh, but it is said to have a very 

 unpleasant odor. 



The Long-tailed Cat or KuichL'A, Felis macrouros, is about the size 

 of a large cat. It is distinguished from the Chati by a longer tail, a small 

 head, large eyes, pointed ears, and the great curvature of its claws. Its 

 color is reddish-gray, flecked with grayish-brown or black-brown. The 

 back is marked with five longitudinal stripes ; on the crown there are two 

 dark stripes with a black spot between them. 



It is found nearly everywhere in Brazil, and is hunted for its skin. It 

 is one of the most beautiful of the whole cat group, and is much more 

 agile than the Chati. 



The Pampas Cat, Felis pajeros, resembles the ordinary Wild-cat, but 

 it stands higher, its head is smaller, its tail longer, and its hair stififer and 

 longer. The color of its coat is silver-gray, on which brownish-red 

 streaks are visible, running obliquely V;ackward and downward from 

 the shoulder, but forming a girdle round the chest, and appearing as rings 

 on the limbs ; the tail has four to six dark rings, and is short and bushy. 



