773 



FELID..E. 



771 



a new form of felii from the upper provinces of India, differing 

 essentially from that which is found in the plains of Bengal ; and ao 

 direct the attention of naturalists in that country to a more careful 

 investigation of the various oriental species of this interesting 

 genus." 



The same authors state that a specimen was presented by Captain 

 Fairer, of the East India Company's service, to the Zoological Society 

 of London. It came immediately from Calcutta, where it was said 

 to have been sent from Nepaul. It lived some time in the Society's 

 Garden, but was extremely wild and savage. It generally remained 

 in a sitting posture, like that of the common domestic cat, and never 

 paced its den in the manner of most other animals of the group. 

 (' Zool. Journ.,' vol. iv.) 



African Tiger-Cats. 



Felit Serval, the Serval. Upper parts clear yellowish, with black 

 spots ; lower parts white, with black spots also, but they are less 

 numerous. Upon the head and neck the markings are most conspi- 

 cuous, and form symmetrical lines on each side directed towards the 

 shoulders. On the other parts of the body they are placed irregularly. 

 On the back they are lengthened, and show a disposition to form four 

 rows ; on the body and thighs they are larger and round, and they 

 are smaller but equally round on the extremities. Upon the face 

 and muzzle they are minute. Back of the ears black at the base, 

 succeeded by a transverse white bar ; tips of the ground-colour of the 

 body. On the inside of the fore limbs two conspicuous black trans- 

 verse bars ; the hind limbs with similar markings, but less defined ; 

 last joints of the limbs of a paler tint than the rest of the body, the 

 spots on them round and very small. Tail with eight black rings ; 

 tip of the same colour. Length, exclusive of tail, 1 foot 11 J inches ; 

 tail 9 inches. Height, when standing erect, about 12 inches at the 

 shoulder, and 15 inches at the hind quarters. (F. Cuvier.) 



Serval (Felit Serral). 



The animal from which the above description was taken was a very 

 young male. Ita tamper was mild and gentle, and its disposition 

 sportive. It played like a domestic cat, or rather kitten, chasing its 

 tail, and amusing itself with anything that it could roll with its paw. 



The Serval is a native of Southern Africa. There are generally 

 some living specimens in our menageries. It has been exhibited in 

 that of the Zoological Society of London. 



American Tiger-Cats. 



It is in America that the Tiger-Cats are most numerous and 

 beautiful, and there their manners have been -best noticed by com- 

 petent observers. We select three examples of the varieties of form 

 and colouring exhibited by this group in that quarter of the globe. 



Felit pardalit (Linn.), the Ocelot. This, the most beautiful perhaps 

 of all the Tiger-Cats, almost defies description. Mr. E. Bennett has 

 however given a very faithful account from two living specimens, one 

 existing, when he wrote, in the Tower of London, and the other in 

 the Garden of the Zoological Society in the Regent's Park. His 

 description is as follows : 



" Body when full grown nearly three feet in length ; tail rather 

 more than one foot ; medium height about 18 inches. Ground-colour 

 of fur gray, mingled with a slight tinge of fawn, elegantly marked 

 with numerous longitudinal bands, the dorsal one continuous and 

 entirely black, the lateral (six or seven on each side) consisting for the 

 most part of a series of elongated spots with black margins, sometimes 

 completely distinct, sometimes running together. The centre of each 

 spot of a deeper fawn than the ground-colour external to them ; this 

 deeper tinge is also conspicuous on the head and neck, and on the 

 outeide of the limbs, all of which parts are irregularly marked with 

 full black lines and spots of various sizes. From the top of the head 

 between the ears, there pass backwards, towards the shoulders, two 

 or more frequently four uninterrupted diverging bands, which are 

 full black anteriorly, but generally bifurcate posteriorly, and inclose 



a narrow fawn-colour space with a black margin ; between these there 

 is a single longitudinal, somewhat interrupted, narrow black line, 

 occupying the centre of the neck above. Ears short and rounded, 

 externally margined with black, surrounding a large central whitish 

 spot. Under parts of the body whitish, spotted with black, and the 

 tail, which is of the same ground-colour with the body, also covered 

 with black spots." (Bennett, ' Tower Menagerie.') 



Ocelot (Felis pardalis). 



Mr. Bennett remarks that he has, in the above description, stated 

 the length of the tail at more than a foot ; and that in all the known 

 Ocelots, as well as in all the species (of which there are several) that 

 approach it in form and colouring, the proportionate length of the tail 

 is at least equal to that which he has given as its average measure- 

 ment. The tail however of the Tower specimen did not exceed six 

 or seven inches ; its extremity was overgrown with hair, and there 

 was no cicatrix. Still, its equality throughout and its abrupt stumpi- 

 ness induced the belief that this abbreviation was purely accidental ; 

 and he felt by no means inclined to regard that specimen as a new 

 species, to be distinguished by the excessive shortness of that append- 

 age, by the unusually pale colour of its markings, and by some slight 

 peculiarity in the mode of their arrangement, which, he observes, varies 

 in every individual that he had seen. 



This animal is a native of Mexico, Paraguay, and probably Peru. 



The Ocelot remains in the deep forests during the day, sallying 

 forth at night in quest of small quadrupeds and birds, the latter of 

 which it successfully chases in the trees, for it is a very expert 

 climber. If it be, as is generally supposed, the Tlacoozelotl, Tlalo- 

 celotl, Catus Pardu Mexicanus of Hernandez, it is said to stretch 

 itself out as if dead on the limb of some tree when it spies monkeys in 

 the neighhourhood. They, urged by curiosity, proceed to examine 

 the supposed defunct, and fall victims to their curiosity. 



The Ocelot has been so completely tamed as to be left at liberty, 

 and it is said to be capable of strong attachment to its master. Mr. 

 Bennett states that the specimen in the Tower, a male, was perfectly 

 good-tempered, exceedingly fond of play, and had much of the charac- 

 ter and manners of the domestic cat Its food consisted principally 

 of rabbits and birds ; the latter it plucked with great dexterity, and 

 always commenced its meal with the head, of which it seemed par- 

 ticularly fond ; but it did not eat with the ravenous avidity which 

 characterises nearly all the animals of this tribe. 



Felii mitti (F. Cuvier), the Chati ; Chibiguazu of D'Azara (?) ; Felis 

 Chibiguazu (Desm.). About a third larger than the domestic cat : 

 length, exclusive of tail, rather more than two feet ; tail, 11 inches ; 

 height to middle of back, about 1 foot 2 inches. Ground-colour of 

 fur on the upper parts, pale yellowish ; on the lower, pure white ; at 

 the roots, dull gray, and very thick and close. Body covered with 

 irregular dark patches ; those upon the back entirely black, and dis- 

 posed longitudinally in four rows ; those upon the sides surrounded 

 with black, with the centres of a clear fawn, arranged in nearly five 

 rows. Spots upon the lower part of the body, where the ground- 

 colour of the fur is white, full, and arranged in two lines composed of 

 six or seven patches on each side. Limbs covered with nearly round 

 spots of smaller dimensions : on the fore legs, near the body, two 

 transverse bands. On the throat a sort of half-collar, and on the 

 under jaw two crescent-shaped spots. Behind each eye two bands 

 about two inches long, terminating opposite the ear. Forehead bor- 

 dered by two lines, between which are numerous spots, and, at their 

 origin, a blackish mark from which the whiskers spring. Outside of 

 the ear black, with a white spot upon the small lobe. Base of the 

 tail spotted with small blotches, which towards the end run into 

 half-rings, which are broadest on the upper surface. Pupil round, 

 (F. Cuvier.) 



This animal, a female, was extremely gentle ; and if those with, 

 whom it was familiar passed its cage or did not approach it, it woul,d 

 express its discontent by a short cry. It manifested great delight 

 when it was caressed. It lived in the Paris menagerie, and was 

 procured from a dealer in Brest. The Chati is a native of South 

 America. 



