78 



36. Felis bengalensis. The leopard Cat. 



Felis bengalensis, Kerr, Animal Kingdom, p. 151 (1792) ; Blyth, Cat. 



p. 60 ; id. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 184 ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 105 ; Anderson, 



An. Zool. Res. p. 164; Elliot. Mon. Pel. pi. xxi ; Blanford, 



P. Z. S. 1887, p. 627. 

 Felis javanensis, Desmarest, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat. vi, p. 115 (1816) ; 



Horsf. Zool. Res. Java, pi. 



Felis sumatrana Horsf. Zool. Res. Java, pi. (1824). 

 Felis miluta, Temm. Mon. Mam. \, p. 130 (1827). 

 Felis nipalensis, Via. # Horsf. Zool. Journ. iv, p. 382 (1829). 

 Felis chinensis, Gray, Charlesworth' 1 s May. N. H. i, p. 577 (1837). 

 Leopardus ellioti and Leopardus horsfieldii, Gray, A. M. N. H. x, 



p. 260 (1842). 

 Felis pardochrous, Hodgs. Calc. Journ. N. H. iv, p. 286 (1844), no 



description. 



Felis ogilbii, Hodgs. Calc. Journ. N. H. viii, p. 44. 

 Felis jerdoni, Myth, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 185 ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 107. 



Felis javensis, Elliot, Mon. Pel. pi. xxviii (1883). 



Chita Billa, H. ; Ban Biral, Beng. ; Wagati, Malir. of Ghats ; Thit- 

 Kyoung, Arakan ; Kye-thit, Thit-kyiik, Kya-gyiik, Burmese ; Kla-hla, 

 Talain and Karen ; Rimau-dkar, Malay. 



Fig. 19. Felis bengalensis. (Elliot, Mon. Fel.) 



About the sizfe of a domestic cat or rather smaller, but with 

 longer legs. Tail rather less than half the length of the head and 

 body together, sometimes perhaps not more than one third, but 

 some measurements give more than one half. Ears moderate, 

 rounded at the tip. Pupil circular (perhaps elliptical in strong 

 light). 



The skull is rather elongate, low and convex. Orbit incomplete 

 behind. The inner lobe of the upper flesh-tooth small. Anterior 

 upper premolar rarely deficient. 



Colour. Ground-colour above pale fulvous, varying from rufous 

 to greyish, below white, ornamented throughout with numerous 

 more or less elongate, well-defined spots, either black throughout, 



