76 FELICE. 



inside each eye ; and occasionally curved lines running back from 

 above the eye to between the ears. Ears black or brownish black 

 outside, with an ill-defined pale central spot. !Fur brown at the 

 base, ferruginous near the end, some black tips on the back. 



A variety of a dark brown colour also occurs (F. nigrescens, 

 Hodgson), both in Nepal and Tibet. It has the same white under- 

 surface to the tail. 



Dimensions. A fine male, according to Hodgson, who saw the 

 animal alive, measured, length of head and body 31-5 inches, 

 tail 19, height at the shoulder 17, length of ear 2-5. An adult 

 skull fi-om Nepal, in the British Museum, measures 4-8 inches in 

 basal length, and 3 - 65 in zygomatic width. 



Distribution. The South-eastern Himalayas, at a moderate eleva- 

 tion ; rare in Nepal, more abundant in Sikhim. Found also in 

 Tenasserim, Sumatra, and Borneo, and probably throughout 

 Burma and the Malay Peninsula. Mason mentions an animal 

 known to the Burmese as the fire-cat or fire-tiger, from its red 

 colour; and Theobald saw a specimen caged at Moulmain. A 

 suggestion has recently been made in the ' Taprobanian,' i, p. 33, 

 that this species may be found in Ceylon, but this is improbable. 



Habits. Unknown. Several specimens have been obtained alive ; 

 there was one for some time in the Zoological Gardens, London, 

 and another in Calcutta. This cat does not appear easily tamable. 



35. Felis viverrina. TliefisUnrj Cat. 



Felis viverrina, Bennett, P. Z. S. 1833, p. 68 ; Blytli, P. Z. S. 18G3, 

 p. 184; Jerdon, Mam. p. 113 ; Blyth, Mam. Birds Burma, p. 27; 

 Elliot, Mon. Fel. pi. xxii. 



Felis viverriceps, Hodgs. J. A. S. B. v, p. 233 (1836) ; Eelaart, 

 Prod. p. 46. 



Felis him alay anus, Jar dine, Nat. Lib., Felines, p. 230, pi. 24* (1837). 



Felis celidog'aster, Blyth, Cat. p. 61, nee Temm. 



Banbiral, Bdrdun, Klmpya-bdyh, Bdyh-ddsha, II. ; Mach-bdyral, Beng. ; 

 Hdndun-diva, Cingalese. 



Size larger than that of the domestic cat, limbs short and strong. 

 head elongate, ears short and rounded. Fur coarse, without any 

 gloss. Tail about one third the length of the head and body. Caudal 

 vertebras 19. Pupil circular. 



Skull long, occipital and sagittal crests well-developed ; muzzle 

 narrow, compressed, elongate ; nasal bones long, broad anteriorly, 

 concave on the outer margin. Orbit complete or nearly complete 

 behind in adults. Lower margin of mandible nearly or quite 

 straight. Teeth large. 



Colour. Earthy grey, with a more or less marked brownish tinge, 

 darker and browner on the back, paler and whiter below, spotted 

 throughout with black or dark brown. The spots are always much 

 longer than broad, but they vary much in size, sharpness, and 

 definition in different animals ; in some they are small and com- 

 paratively indistinct, owing to an admixture of grey-tipped hairs ; 



