108 FELIDJK. 



cat " with Temminck's F. aurata, the origin of which was not known. 

 Its dimensions are given, as head and body, 3 feet 4 inches ; tail 12 J; but 

 if Hodgson is right in his measurements, that of the tail must be a mis- 

 take. Hodgson does not allude to the spots at all ; bub Blyth states 

 that a Nepalese specimen in the Indian Museum is very distinctly and 

 conspicuously spotted. He further writes me that it comes near Diardi 

 and marmorata. There is a very beautiful variety of a saturated brown 

 or black colour, of which Mr. Hodgson sent several specimens from 

 Darjeeling to the India House and British Museums. The tip of the 

 tail has a whitish discoloration. 



Nothing is known of the habits of this cat, which is stated to inhabit 

 the central region of Nepal and Sikim. 



113. Felis rubiginosa. 



Is, GEOFFROY. BfiLANGER, Voyage, pi. Namali pillij Tarn. BLYTH, 



Synops. 13. 



THE RUSTY-SPOTTED CAT. 



Descr. Greenish-gray, with a faint rufous tinge ; beneath and inside 

 of limbs white ; a white superciliary streak, extending on 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 spots on the back and sides, somewhat longi- 

 tudinal on the back, but roundish on the sides ; tail short, more rufous 

 than the body, and 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-gray above, black on the soles ; ears 

 small ; whiskers long, white ; fur short and very soft. 



Length, head and body, 16 to 18 inches ; tail 9J. 



This cat varies somewhat, it appears, both in the ground-colour of 

 the fur and the character of the spots. Is. Geoffrey calls the ground- 

 colour reddish-gray, and Kelaart describes it as ferruginous grayish- 

 brown. The latter calls the spots on the body dark ferruginous-brown, 

 almost black on the limbs. It appears to be very rare in museums, and 

 I have not had many specimens, but in all the spots were rusty, and 

 the fur much of the same hue, more or less tinged with rufous. 



I have only procured this cat in the Carnatic, in the vicinity of Nellore 

 and Madras. Belanger's specimen was procured in the same district, at 



