797 



FELID^E. 



FELID^E. 



793 



towards the back, and become obsolete towards the belly, which is 

 nearly white. Tail annulated with light gray and black ; tip of the 

 latter colour. Feet and insides of the legs yellowish-gray; soles 

 black, at least in the male, of which sex Temminck declares it to be a 

 peculiarity. Colours of the female paler, and markings less distinct. 

 Dimensions differing greatly according to the statement of various 

 naturalists. Medium size of full-grown male : 



Foot. In. Lines. 



Length of head and body . . . . 1 10 

 Length of head . . . . . . 38 



Length of ears 023 



Length of tail 11 2 



Female rather smaller. (Bell.) 

 Temminck gives the average length as three feet. 

 The Wild Cat is found in all the wooded countries of Europe, 

 Germany especially ; Russia, Hungary, the north of Asia, and NepauL 

 The animal is larger in cold climates, and its fur is there held in 

 higher estimation. 



Wild Cat (Felit Oatui). 



In Britain it was formerly plentiful, and was a beast of chase, as 

 we learn from Richard the Second's charter to the abbot of Peter- 

 borough, giving him permission to hunt the hare, fox, and wild cat. 

 The fur in those days does not seem to have been thought of much 

 value, for it is ordained in Archbishop Corboyl's canons, A.D. 1 127, 

 that no abbess or nun should use more costly apparel than such as is 

 made of lambs' or cats' skins. 



The Wild Cat is now rarely found in the south of England, and 

 even in Cumberland and Westmoreland its numbers are very much 

 reduced. In the north of Scotland and in Ireland it is still 

 abundant. 



Among the foreign Wild Cats maybe enumerated Fdii Chaus, Quid. ; 

 the Mota Rahn Manjur, or Larger Wild Cat, of the Mahrattas (a 

 lynx) ; and Felis torquatus, F. Cuv. ; the Lhan Rahn Manjur, or Lesser 

 Wild Cat, of the Mahrattas ; Fdi* Moormensis, the Moormi Cat, 

 Hodgson, from the Moormi Hills in Nepaul ('Zool. Proc." January, 

 1824). Felit jilanicept, Vigors and Horsfield, departs in many points 

 from the true cats, and approaches Prionodott in others. Fdit 

 Ttmminckii of the same zoologists, which is near the Domestic Cat in 

 size, comes nearer in form it is uniform in colour to the true 

 Tiger-Cate. We must not omit to notice the Fdii Caffra, a specimen 

 of which is to be seen in the South African Museum (No. 23), speci- 

 mens of which have been met with, as the ' Catalogue ' informs us, in 

 whatever direction South Africa has yet been explored. " It exhibits 

 certain fixed peculiarities which unequivocally constitute it a distinct 

 species from the Domestic Cat, which is occasionally found wild in 

 the colony, and with which the former has sometimes been erroneously 

 confounded. It possesses a full share of the ferocity of the feline 

 tribe ; and dogs which have once had a specimen of its pugnacious 

 will and power show a considerable degree of caution in encountering 

 it a second time. It is frequently found in such flats as chance to be 

 covered with long grass or with a moderate growth of brushwood ; 

 and when disturbed by the approach of men or dogs, usually seeks 

 shelter in thickets, or the burrows of other animals. It preys upon 

 small quadrupeds and birds, and is an especial enemy to those of the 

 latter which have their nests upon the ground." (' Catalogue of 

 South African Museum.') 



We subjoin a list of the specimens of Felina in the collection of 

 the British Museum, arranged according to the views of Dr. J. E. Gray. 

 Fdinee. 



1. l*o Jiarbarui, the Lion ; Fell* Leo, Linn. ; Leo Africannt, 

 Swains. ; F. Leo Jiarbarut, Fischer. North Africa. 



2. Leo Goojrattensis, the Maneless Lion ; Leo Persicus, Swains. (?) ; 

 Felis Leo Goojrattensis, Smee. 



3. Leo Gambianus, the Gambian Lion ; Lion du Senegal, ' Mam. 

 Lithog.' ; F. Leo Senegalensis, Fischer. West Africa, interior of 

 Gambia. 



4. Tigris regalis, the Tiger ; Felis Tigris, Linn., Buffon. India. 



5. Leopardus varius, the Leopard or Panther ; Felis Leopardus and 

 F. raria, Schreb. ; F. Pardus, Linn. (?), Cuv. ; F. minor Ehreub. ; F. 

 Panthera, Erxl. ; F. Antiquorum, Fischer ; F. melas, Peron ; F. 

 chalybeata, Henn. ; F. fusca, Meyer. Nepaul, snowy region. 



6. Leopardus Uncia, the Ounce ; Felis Uncia, Schreb., Buffon ; F. 

 Pardus, Pallas ; F. It-bit, Ehrenberg ; F. Panthera, Erxl. Tibet. 



7. Leopardus neglectus, the Gambian Leopard ; Felii neglecta, Gray ; 

 /'. lenalina, Ogilby ; F. Seneyalensis, Lesson ; F. cdidogastcr, Temm. 

 Gambia, Western Africa. 



8. Leopardus Onfa, the Jaguar ; Felix Onfa, Linn. ; F. Yaguar, 

 Griffith. ; F. nigra, Schreb. ; F. Panthera, Schreb. Tropical America. 



9. Leopardus Serval, the Serval ; Fdii Serral, Schreb. ; F. Capensis, 

 Forster; F. Galopardus, Desm. ; Tiger Boschkatte, Cape colonists. 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



10. Leopardus Mooi-mensis, the Mirviiii ; Felis Moormensis ; Hodgson. 

 Nepaul. 



11. Leopardus concolor, the Puma ; Felis concolor, Linn. ; F. dis- 

 color, Schreb. ; F. Puma, Shaw ; Cougouar, Buffou ; Gouazoura, Azara ; 

 Puma, Hernaud. Canada. 



12. Leopardus Yagouarondi, the Yagouarondi ; Felis Yagouarondi, 

 Lacep. ; /'. Darwinii, Martin. French Guyana. 



13. Leopardus marmoratus, the Marbled Cat; Fdis marmorata, 

 Martin ; /'. Diardii, Jardine. Malacca. 



14. Leopardus pardalis, the Ocelot; Felis pardalis, Linn., Schreb., 

 Button ; F. Ctiibiguazu, H..Smith (?) ; F. Smithii, Swains. (?) ; F. Ham.il- 

 tonii, Fischer. Tropical America. 



15. Leopardus mil is, the Chati ; Fdi* mitis, F. Cuvier ; F. Onfa, 

 Schreb., Buffon; P. Chati, Griffith; F. Wiedii, Swains. Tropical 

 America, Guyana (!). 



16. Leopardus macrourut, the Kuichua ; Felis macroura, Pr. Max. ; 

 F. Wiedii, Sching. Mexico. 



17. Leopardus griteus, the Gray Ocelot ; Felis armillata, F. Cuvier. 

 Tropical America. 



18. Leopardus pictus, the Painted Ocelot, Gray. Tropical America. 



19. Leopardus Tigrinus, the Margay ; Felis Tigrina, Schreb., Buffon ; 

 F. Margay, Griffith ; F. Guigua, Molina. Tropical America. 



20. Leopardus varitgatut, the Variegated Leopard. Tropical 

 America, 



21. Leopardus tigrinoides, the False Margay. Tropical America. 



22. Leopardus viverrinus, the Wagati Cat ; Felis viverrinus, Bennett, 

 Gray ; Wagati, Elliot. India. 



23. Leopardus Jai-aneruis, the Kubouk ; Felis Javanensis, Horsf. ; 

 F. minuta, var., Temm. ; F. Diardii, Griffith; F. undata, Fischer; F. 

 unditlata, Sching. Java. 



24. Leopardus Sumatranus, the Balu ; Felis Sumatrana, Horsf. ; F. 

 minuta, var., Temm. ; F. undata, var., Fischer. 



25. Leopardus Ohinensis, the Maou ; Fdis Chinensis, Gray. China. 



26. Leopardus Keevesii, the Chinese Bulu, China; Leopardus Elliott i, 

 Elliott's Cat, Gray ; Fdii Nepalensis, Hodgson. Madras. 



27. Leopardus JJimalayattus, Warwick's Cat ; Fdit Ifimalayanus, 

 Warwick, Jardine. India. 



28. Leopardus inconspicuus, the Waved Cat, Gray ; Felis torquatus, 

 F. Cuv. ; /'. liengalensis, Desm. ; F. Nepaleniis, Vigors and Horsf. 

 India, Gangootra. 



29. Felis C'atut, the Wild Cat, Linn., Buffon. Scotland. 



30. Fdis domettica, the Cat, Brisson; F. Catus Domesticus, Schreb. 



31. Fdit planiceps, the Flat-Headed Lynx ; Chaus(?); F, Diardii, 

 Crawford. Sumatra. 



32. Chans Lybicut, the Chaus ; Fdi* affinis, Gray ; /'. Chans, Giil- 

 denst, Hurnb., F. Cuv. ; F. Dongolensis, Hemp., and Ehr. ; F. caligata, 

 Bruce; /'. Lybicus, Oliv. ; F. Catolynx, Pallas; Lync/tus erythrotua, 

 Hodgson ; F. Jfutas, Pearson ; F. Rnppellii, Brant. Nepaul. 



33. Chaus pulchdlus, the Smaller Chaus; Fdii pulchella, Gray. 

 Egypt 



34. Chaus tercalinus, the Servaline Chaus ; Felis ornata, Jardine; 

 /'. terraliiia, Jardine. India. 



35. Chaut Coffer, Caffre Cat; Fdit Caffra, Desm. (?). Cape of Good 

 Hope. 



36. Caracal melanotis, the Caracal ; Fdii Caracal, Buffon. Capo of 

 Good Hope. 



37. Lyncut Canadensit, the Peeshoo, or Canada Lynx ; Felis Cana- 

 dentis, Geoff., Richards. ; F. borealis, Temm. ; Cat-Lyux, Penn. ; 

 Carcagout, Charlevoix. Canada. 



38. Lyncus pardinut, the Southern Lynx ; Felis pardina, Okeii ; 

 Loup-Cervier, Perrault. Sardinia (?), Spain, Sierra Morena. 



39. Gueparda jubata, the Youze or Cheetah ; Felis jubata, Schreb. ; 

 F. yuttata, Herm. ; F. Fearonit, A. Smith (?) ; F. venatica, H. Smith; 

 Hunting Cat, Penn. Cupe of Good Hope. 



Fossil Felida;. 



In the second or Miocene period of the Tertiary Formations 

 we have hitherto found the first traces of large Fossil Cats. There 



