82 



in the middle, run from the eyes and base of the nose over the 

 head, almost without interruption, and the two inner are continued 

 between the shoulders as two well-marked, elongate, slightly 

 diverging stripes without any other spots or bands between them. 

 Behind the shoulders the bands are continued in the form of spots, 

 other spots intervening. Cheek-stripes and throat-bands as in 

 other cats, but usually ferruginous, the bauds outside the forearm 

 dark brown. There is a well-marked dark band inside each eye. 

 Kirs outside brown, with a large pale spot on each. Tail rufous 

 grey, nearly the same colour as the back above, much paler below, 

 finely punctulated, but without any distinct spots or stripes. 



Fig. 20.Felis rutiffinosa. (Elliot, Mon. Pel.) 



Dimensions. Head and body 16 to 18 inches, tail 9*5. A skull 

 measures 2'55 inches in basal length and 2-05 in breadth across the 

 zygomatic ai-ches. 



Distribution. Southern India and Ceylon. Unknown on the 

 Malabar coast, but not uncommon in the Carnatic. Sterndale also 

 obtained it at Seoni in the Central Provinces, but it appears to be 

 rare so far north. 



Habits. Jerdon says : " This very pretty little cat frequents grass 

 in the dry beds of tanks, and occasionally drains in the open 

 country and near villages, and is said not to be a denizen of the 

 jungles. I had a kitten brought to me when very young in 1846 

 and it became quite tame, and was the delight and admiration of all 

 who saw it. Its activity was quite marvellous, and it was very 

 playful and elegant in its motions. "When it was about eight months 

 old, I introduced it into a room where there was a small fawn of the 

 gazelle, and the little creature flew at it the moment it saw it, 

 seized it by the nape, and was with difficulty taken off. I lost it 

 shortly after this. Sir W. Elliot notices that he has seen several 

 undoubted hybrids between this and the domestic cat, and 1 have 

 also observed the same." 



