FELTS. 81 



sumatrana, with smaller and more numerous rounded black spots. 

 Some specimens appear to have a decidedly shorter tail than typical 

 F. bengalensis, but others have the tail as long as in the normal 

 form. F.javanensis (of Horsfield and Gray, F. javensis of Elliot 

 in part) is a peculiar small grey form with very small spots, those 

 on the back elongate but deep blackish brown * rather than black, 

 those on the sides brown. F. jerdoni, as represented by two speci- 

 mens in the British Museum, both named by Blyth, and one of 

 which must be considered the type, is merely a smaller form, 

 absolutely indistinguishable from F.javanensis so far as markings 

 and structure are concerned ; there is no evidence of the locality 

 whence these specimens came, but they are probably Malayan. 



Habits. F. bengalensis is only found in forests, where it preys on 

 birds and small quadrupeds. In Coorg, Jerdon was informed that 

 it lived in hollow trees, and carried off poultry from villages. Jerdon 

 also quotes Hutton to the effect that this cat breeds in May, and 

 has only 3 or 4 young, in caves or beneath masses of rock. 



All observers agree that F. bengalensis is excessively savage and 

 untamable. Usually when caged it remains crouched in a corner 

 during the daytime and snarls at all who come near. But a speci- 

 men that I have recently seen in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's 

 Park, paced its cage, came when called by its keeper, and appeared 

 thoroughly tame. This is the individual, already mentioned, from 

 Jeypore in the Madras Presidency. 



37. Felis rubiginosa. The rusty-spotted Cat. 



Felis rubiginosa, I. Geoffr, Belanger, Voy. Indcs Or., Zoologie, p. 141, 

 pi. 6 (1834) ; Kelaart, Prod. p. 47 ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 108 ; Holds- 

 worih, P. Z. 8. 1871, p. 756 ; Elliot, Mon. Pel. pi. xxix. 



Namalipilli, Tamil, Madras; Verewa jmni, Tamil, Ceylon ; Kula diya, 

 Cingalese. 



Size smaller than that of an ordinary domestic cat. Tail about 

 half the length of the head and body. Fur short and soft. Ears 

 small, rounded at the end. Two upper premolars on each side ; 

 the anterior pair are wanting, as in the lynxes. The bony orbit is 

 complete behind. 



Ground-colour above and on the sides rufescent grey, below 

 white, body and limbs spotted. Some Ceylon specimens are 

 bright ferruginous with a slight greyish tinge only. The fur of 

 the upper parts is hair-brown, varying in depth of shade, at the 

 base, then pale brown ; numerous longer hairs are intermixed, in 

 which the pale brown passes into rufous brown followed by a 

 white ring, the tip being rufous to dark brown. The spots on the 

 back and sides are brown to pale ferruginous, darker on the back, 

 paler and redder on the sides ; all are small, somewhat elongate, 

 especially on the back, and arranged in longitudinal lines. The 

 spots on the belly are dark brown and larger. In the ferruginous 

 Ceylon variety none of the spots are red, all are brownish black. 

 Four dark lines, sometimes with one or two shorter broken bands 



