37 



notes, than the talons of other cats, therefore less adapted for climb- 

 ing. The figure of the chaus which stands high on the leg as a 

 dog or jackal does, and the gait and style of hunting of the animal, 

 do not give me the idea of a creature that would get into a tree 

 unless from necessity. 



But this may be a mere fancy of mine, not worth the ink 

 expended on it. 



No- 26- Felis Caracal- 



JERDON, No. 116, PAGE 113 ; THE RED LYNX. 

 There is now (September 1868) in the People's Park at Madras, 

 a very fine specimen of the lynx, which in size and general appear- 

 ance corresponds very nearly with F. Caracal as described in Jer- 

 don and the " Naturalist's Library" the color, however, is more a 

 grey than " an unspotted vinous brown or bright fulvous brown" as 

 Jerdon has it at page 113, while the tail, although " concolorous 

 " with the body and tapering" has not the black tip he mentions 

 the " black spot where the moustaches grow and another above the 

 " eye and the line down each side of the nose" of his animal are 

 hardly perceptible in this, indeed if it had not been for his book, 

 I should not have remarked them. The white spots above the 

 eyes mentioned in the Naturalist's Library are wanting in the 

 Madras animal, which has however " the end and edges of the 

 " upper lip and the chin, pure white." The ears too are not quite 

 as Jerdon describes them, but as the Naturalist's Library has it " the 

 " base of the back of the ears, is of a deep shade of black, assum- 

 " ing a greyer tint towards the tips, which are furnished with tufts 

 " of long black hair," The animal, notwithstanding these slight 

 variations, must I imagine be F. Caracal : it is certainly very hand- 

 some, perfectly gentle and much valued by the natives who attri- 

 bute to it most marvellous hunting prowess. It was presented to 

 the People's Park, by the Rajah of Karwait Nugger but I cannot 

 trace it further back. Can it be F. Isabelliua of Blyth, page 113 

 of Jerdon an animal, I have never seen nor had described to me. 

 The native name " siagosti" black ear is their usual term for any 

 lynx. 



