70 NATURAL HISTORY OP 



of the same country are represented in India and her 

 islands, by the numerous small spotted and clouded 

 cats, which so much abound in them ; while in Africa 

 the Cape cat and its allies enter into the same part 

 of the economy of nature ; the lynxes, though of 

 a different form, find representatives to each other in 

 more varied districts. A few species again, are more 

 limited in the space which they occupy. The tiger 

 is exclusively Asiatic ; the Ounce* belongs to Persia, 

 and to the Alpine ranges only ; and the Felis macro- 

 celis appears yet confined to the Indian Archipe- 

 lago.f 



The natural abodes of these animals, with a few 

 exceptions, may be said to be the boundless forests. 

 The scorching heat of the climates which they chiefly 

 inhabit, renders a very impervious covering neces- 

 sary during the day, and this, in its greatest need, is 

 best supplied among the umbrageous palms, and 

 luxuriant foliage of the tropics. By Mr Burchell 

 the lion is said principally to frequent the open 

 plains, but in this situation he was almost always 

 disturbed during the day, from a patch of short 

 brush, or from among the long and reedy vegetation, 

 which, in the absence of other cover, often fringes 

 the margins of the springs and rivers of these de- 

 serts. When disturbed, he generally betook him- 

 self to the mountains, where a temporary shelter 



* See description of that animal. 



f Felis nebulosa, Griff., from China, has not been satis-- 

 factorily identified with F. macrocelia. 



