221 



The Lesser Leopard' Cat. 



" Very similar in its markings to the preceding species ; but 

 the size of the full-grown animal much smaller, that of F. 

 rubiginosa ; and the ground hue of the upper parts grey, untinged 

 with fulvous. 



" Hab Peninsula of India. I first detected an adult male and 

 a kitten of this species in the Museum at Madras, and find that 

 there is an adult specimen also in the British Museum." 



Nothing more is recorded of this cat, which may turn out to be 

 only a small variety of the last. 



Jerdon gives the following description of " Felis rubiginosa" 

 the " Rusty spotted cat" which he only procured in the Carnatic, 

 in the vicinity of Nellore and Madras. I do not remember having 

 seen it, but, like Mr. W. Elliot and Jerdon, page 109 of the latter, 

 have often seen, near villages, undoubted hybrids, probably between 

 this and the domestic cat. 



Jerdon never saw or heard of this cat in Central India, or on 

 the Malabar coast, he had not many specimens, but in all the spots 

 were rusty, and the fur much of the same hue, tinged with rufous, 

 more or less. 



Description. " 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, and passing into a series of rusty-colored 

 spots on the back and sides, somewhat longitudinal on the back, 

 but roundish on the sides ; tail short, more rufous than the body, 

 and uniform in color, or very indistinctly spotted, the tip not dark ; 

 the lower surface and inside of the limbs with large dark brown 

 spots ; feet rufous-gray above, black on the soles ; ears small ; 

 whiskers long, white ; fur short and very soft. 



Length, 16 to 18 inches head and body ; tail 9J. 



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

 of the fur, and the character of the spots. Geoffroy calls the 

 ground-color reddish-gray, and Kelaart describes it as ferruginous 

 grayish-brown. The latter calls the spots on the body dark 

 ferruginous-brown, almost black on the limbs." 



