?,t-f 



THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF xNATURAL HISTOEY. 



[EIGHTH SERIES.] 

 No. 119. NOVEMBER 1917. 



XL. — The Classification of existing Felidse. 

 By R. i. PococK, F.ll.S. 



Introduction. 



The number of names quoted belott'^ in the lists of 

 suggested synonymy attests the prevalence amongst zoolo- 

 gists, during the last halt' century or thereabouts, of the 

 conviction that the genus Felis of Linnaeus was capable of 

 division into several genera. Severtzow and Gray were the 

 most prolific proposers of titles of this rank. Severtzow, 

 however — perhaps wisely, — made no attempt to define his 

 genera; and the characters embodied in the definitions given 

 by Gray seemed scarcely important enough to justify his 

 efforts. Gray began his schismatic work in 1821 and finisiied 

 it in 1869, overlapping Severtzow, who published in 1858; 

 but since Gray was ignorant of Severtzow's paper, or 

 possibly purposely passed it by because of the omission of 

 diagnoses, the inevitable result was chaotic confusion in the 

 generic nomenclature thus independently suggested. 



Other authors have given generic titles to isolated species 

 without attempting a comprehensive revision of the whole 

 group. The only genus dismembered from isf//.s which has 

 met with unanimous acceptance is Acinonyx or Cynailurus, 

 of which y«6a^^<5 is the type ; but the frequency with whicii 

 a certain measure of recognition has been specially accorded 

 to Lynx luminously refiects the general character of the 

 systematic efforts of authors, because of all the groups of 

 s])ecies into which the cats can be divided Lynx is itself 

 most nearly related to Felis, as exemplified by its typical 

 form. 



Ann. ct' ^faq. K. Hist. Ser. 8. Vol. xx. 22 



