146 CENTRAL AFRICAN GAME AND ITS SPOOR. 



WILD CAT (Felis caffra). 



(Wild or jungle cat.) 



Native Names. 

 Chinyanja .... Vumbwe. Swahili .... Paka Mitu. 



Chiyao Chiulu. Chibisa . . . Fumbwe. 



Zulu (Ngoni) . . Ligora. Chiwemba . . Mpaka. 



Chikunda .... Vumbwe. 



Food. 

 Mice, birds, such as guinea-fowl and partridge. Breaks into pigeon-houses and 

 hen-houses. Locusts. 



Spoor. 

 Much the size of a small jackal, but without claw-marks. 

 In walking the spoor of the hind foot covers that of the fore. 



Habitat. 

 Bush country, lying up in long grass or occasionally entering antbear holes. 



Habits. 



Spoor frequently seen on paths. When it gets into a poultry or pigeon house it 

 kills wantonly more than it can eat or take away, in the same way as does a lion in a 

 goat kraal. 



It is often caught by the natives by burning the long grass in which it lives. 



The male often covers a female domestic cat from a village, which gives birth to 

 young coloured like the wild cat. Not wholly nocturnal, like the genet, but occasion- 

 ally goes abroad in the daytime, when it stalks guinea-fowl, partridge, &c. 



Notes. 



