FELIS CARACAL. 113 



116. Felis caracal. 



SCHREBER. BLYTH, Cat. 187 ; Synopsis, 20. Caracal melanotis, 

 GRAY. WOLF, Zool. Drawings. Siagosh, H., i. e. black-ear. 



THE RED LYNX. 



Descr. General colour unspotted vinous-brown or bright fulvous- 

 brown, paler beneath, almost white in many ; tail concolorous with the 

 body, tapering, with the tip black ; lower parts with some obscure spots, 

 at times distinct, on the belly, flanks, and inside of limbs ; ears black 

 externally, white within, with a long dark ear-tuft ; a black spot where 

 the moustaches grow, and another above the eye, also a line down each 

 side of the nose. 



Length 26 to 30 inches j tail 9 or 10 ; ear 3 ; height 16 to 18 inches. 



This handsome animal is found, though rarely, in many parts of 

 India. I have had it from the Northern Circars on the east coast ; 

 from the Neermul jungles between Hydrabad and Nagpore ; and from 

 the Yindhian range of hills near Mhow. It was sent to Mr. Blyth from 

 Jeypore. It appears to be more abundant perhaps in the west of India, 

 in Kandeish, Gujrat, and Cutch ; and the Guicowar is said to keep a 

 pack of trained lynxes with which he hunts peafowl, hares, &c. It 

 appears to be quite unknown in the Himalayas and in Bengal, and the 

 countries to the eastward. The Bheels about Mhow assert that it kills 

 many peafowl, hares, &c., in its wild state, and it is occasionally trained to 

 stalk peafowl, hares, kites, crows, cranes, &c. <kc. It is found in Persia 

 and Arabia ; in Tibet, where it is sometimes trained, and throughout 

 all Africa. 



The common lynx of Tibet is F. isabellina, Blyth, and there is a small 

 cat-like species in the same country, F. manul, Pallas (F. nigripectus, 

 Hodgson). There is also recorded a F. megalotis, Temminck, from 

 Timor. Other lynxes are the European red lynx, F. lynx, Temminck ; 

 the great lynx, F. cervaria, L. ; the pardine lynx, of Spain, F. pardina; 

 and the arctic lynx, F. borealis, Temminck ; all four found in Europe, 

 and the last in North America also j and the bay lynx, F. rufa, peculiar 

 to North America. 



The last of the Indian Felidce differs a good deal from the others in 

 having the claws only partially retractile, in being of a much more 

 slender make, and with longer limbs j and it has been separated generally 

 as Cynailurus, Wagner. 



