THE FISHING-CAT 415 



longitudinal stripes, starting from the forehead and running to the nape of the 

 neck ; these becoming broken up on the shoulders, but reappearing along the back 

 as a line of spots. The grayish-white cheeks are generally crossed by two dark 

 streaks ; and the limbs are usually barred and spotted, more especially on their 

 outer sides, although occasionally uniformly colored. The tail has its upper surface 

 marked with more or less distinctly defined dark rings. Altogether, the coloration, 

 of the fishing-cat reminds us of some varieties of the domestic "tabby." 



A fair-sized male of the fishing-cat will have a total length of about forty-one 

 and one-half inches, of which the tail (the hair at its tip being included in the measure- 

 ment) will take up about eleven and one-half inches. The height of such an animal 

 at the shoulders will be about fifteen inches. 



The skull of the fishing-cat may be distinguished from that of any of the species 

 yet mentioned by the circumstance that in fully adult individuals the socket of the 

 eye is completely surrounded by bone in almost all cases. In this respect the skull 

 resembles that of a monkey and differs from that of most Carnivores, although 

 a similar feature is displayed in the skulls of some of the other small Indian cats, 

 and also in those of the ichneumons, noticed later on. We have occasionally seen 

 the skull of an adult domestic cat, in which the bony ring behind the socket of the 

 eye is almost complete. 



The geographical range of the fishing-cat extends from India to Southern 

 China ; but its distribution in the countries it inhabits appears to be somewhat 

 local. Thus, instead of occurring all over India, this cat, according to Mr. Blanford, 

 is unknown in the peninsula, except on part of the Malabar coast. It occurs, how- 

 ever, in Ceylon, and is found along the flanks of the Himalayas as far westward as 

 the independent state of Nipal. Thence it extends into Burma, the Malay Penin- 

 sula, and the south of China ; but, somewhat curiously, it appears to be absent from 

 the great Malayan islands, such as Sumatra and Borneo. The species is, however, 

 said to reappear in the island of Formosa ; which, if confirmed, will show that its 

 distribution will accord very closely with that of the clouded leopard. 



This cat is found in the neighborhood of thickets bordering lakes, swamps, and 

 rivers, and is stated to be far from uncommon in the neighborhood of Calcutta. It 

 does not appear that it has been observed by any European in the act of catching 

 the fish which form such a considerable portion of its diet, and an account of the 

 mode in which the capture is effected would be of much interest. In addition to fish 

 it has been stated on good authority that this cat is also a consumer of the large 

 mollusks found so abundantly in the swamps of India, and one specimen is known 

 to have eaten a snake. Probably, however, almost any kind of food is equally 

 acceptable to the fishing-cat, which doubtless catches all the smaller animals that 

 come within reach of its clutches. All writers who have seen it in the wild state bear 

 testimony to the fierce and savage disposition of this species ; and it is on record that 

 it has been known to destroy not only sheep, calves, and dogs, but also to carry off 

 native infants which have been left unguarded. In reference to these destructive 

 habits, a correspondent, quoted by Mr. R. A. Sterndale, observes that the fishing-cat 

 generally " takes up its quarters in low swampy jungles, where it often carries off 

 calves, for which the leopard undeservedly gets credit. Lately, a couple of months 



