THE OCELOT. 207 



nate group in the great family of the Felinae, and he 

 describes them as being of middle size, between the 

 larger and smaller cats, of more slender and elegant 

 propoitions, without tufts on the ears, the markings 

 diverging more or less in open chain-like spots 01 

 streaks from the shoulders, backwards and down- 

 wards. They all belong to the New World ; but 

 there are two or three species of the Old that re- 

 semble them in several particulars, and therefore 

 might form the next group *. 



In the four varieties above mentioned, the ground 

 colour varies, on different parts of the body, from 

 tawny-yellow to rufous, and to grey tinged with red ; 

 and the markings change from lengthened chain-like 

 streaks, surrounded with a dark margin, to spots like 

 those on the jaguar, and to solid streaks and blotches 

 of black. The spots and blotches are frequent on the 

 legs of all the varieties ; but the chain-like streaks 

 appear only on the neck, sides, and loins. Upon 

 the back, the blotches often run together, forming aw 

 irregular but continuous dark line. The rufous co- 

 lour prevails chiefly on the head, neck, and shoul- 

 ders. 



Temminck gives the length of a full-grown ocelot 

 at from three feet and a half to four feet, including 

 the tail, which is from 11 to 15 inches. Specimens 

 of this animal have been brought from Mexico, Bra- 



* Griffith's Cuvier, ii. p. 475. A very near prototype to 

 the ocelots of the New World will be seen in the subjects 

 of plates xxi. and xxii. 



