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No. 24, Page 35, Felts torquata. 

 Spotted wild cat. 



There are so many shades and sizes among these cats, that it is, 

 I think, difficult to say where the domestic ends and the true wild 

 variety begins. Jerdon mentions hybrids between the spotted and 

 domestic cat, yet it is strange that in writing of the wild cat of the 

 British Isles, Buckland in his " Curiosities of Natural History" 

 gives the following extracts from Bell's quadrupeds : 



" The assertion that the wild and domestic cat will breed 

 together, I believe to be absolutely without foundation. The head 

 of the wild cat is triangular, strongly marked ; the ears rather 

 large, long, pointed, and triangular ; the body strong and rather 

 more robust than that of the domestic cat. The tail of equal size 

 throughout its length, or rather larger towards its extremity." 



Jerdon's description of the spotted wild cat is as follows : 



" Ground color of the fur cat-gray, more or less fulvescent, or 

 pale grayish-fulvous, with numerous small black roundish spots ; 

 on the head, nape and shoulders, the spots are smaller, and tend 

 to form longitudinal lines on the occiput and nape ; some distinct 

 cross bands on the limbs, with one or two black streaks within 

 the arm ; cheek striped as usual ; the breast spotted, but the belly 

 almost free from spots, tail short, with a well defined series of 

 dark rings and a black tip, ears externally dull rufous, with 

 a very small dusky pencil-tuft ; cheek stripes as usual ; paws 

 blackish underneath. 



Length, head and body about 16 to 18 inches ; tail 10 to 11. 



The fur is more or less dense, and the markings are much 

 brighter and more distinct in some than in others, but never so 

 much so, that I have seen, as in the figure in Hardwicke's illustra- 

 tions. Specimens from the salt range of the Punjab and Hazara, 

 whence sent by Captain Hutton, vary somewhat, and were at one 

 time considered distinct by Blyth. The markings in this variety 

 often form somewhat large transverse ill-defined stripes on the 

 sides and limbs. 



Length 2 feet ; tail 1." 



