the side of the nose ; two dark face streaks ; top of head and 

 nape with four narrow dark brown stripes, becoming interrupted 

 posteriorly, and passing into a series of rusty-coloured marks, which 

 on the back, are in the form of streaks, but are roundish on the 

 sides of the body. Tail short, more rufous than the body, and 



Fig. 176. THE RUSTY-SPOTTED CAT (F. ruMginosa). 



uniform in colour, or very indistinctly spotted, the tip not dark ; 

 the lower surface and inside of the limbs with large dark brown 

 spots ; feet rufous -grey above, black on the soles ; ears small ; 

 whiskers long, white ; fur short and very soft. 



It is a very small animal, the length of the head and body 

 being only sixteen or eighteen inches, and that of the tail about 

 ten inches. It is a well marked species. 



The skull is elongated, though its facial part is short. The 

 orbit is nearly encircled by bone, and the mastoid process is rather 

 prominent. The nasal bones are long and narrow, extending 

 backwards beyond the adjacent parts of the maxilla). The first 

 upper premolar is wanting. 



It is said to inhabit both Madras and Ceylon. 



A cat has been described by M. Alphonse Milne-Edwards under 

 the name of F. chinensis, and a similarly named specimen, which 

 agrees with the description referred to, is in the National collec- 

 tion. The latter is the type of a species named F. chinensis by 

 Dr. Gray. 



(27.) THE CHINESE CAT (Felis chinensis)* 



This animal presents the following characters : 



General colour pale yellowish grey, interrupted by a multitude 



* Pro. Zool. Soc., 1870, p. 629 ; and I Milne-Edwards, Becherches des Mam- 

 Catalogue of Carnivora, p. 27. Also A. ' iniferes, p. 216, plate 31. fig. 2. 



