Classification of existing Felidae. 345 



than in Profelis, and the facial portion of the frontal ante- 

 rior to the root of the postorbital process is larger and the 

 lacrymal extends higher above the malar arch within the 

 orbit. The skulls are variable in these respects, but, on the 

 Avhole, the arrangement of the bones above described gives a 

 different aspect to the skulls of Leopardus as compared with 

 Profelis. The mesopterygoid fossa is more pointed as a rule 

 in front, and has more sinuous margins owing to the curva- 

 tui-e of the pterygoid bones. The bullae are differently 

 shaped from those of all the Old- World tiger-cats in that the 

 portion behind a line drawn from the stylomastoid foramen 

 at right angles to the occipital axis is larger than the portion 

 in front of it. 



In the mandible the condyle is not so high above the 

 angular process as in Profelis, the first premolar is higher as 

 compared with the carnassial than in that genus, and when 

 the jaw is closed reaches up to the comparatively large first 

 premolar of the maxilla, so that, as in Leptailurus, the post- 

 canine space is quite small — a feature not observable in the 

 Asiatic tiger-cats. 



In addition to the true ocelots, often called jaguars*, I 

 refer to this genus L. wiedii {macrourd), commonly cited as 

 tigrina f, which may be described as a small, long-tailed, 

 smooth-skulled representative of the ocelots. The skull is 

 like that of a young ocelot in most respects, showing at most 

 a shallow postorbital constriction, with the temporal crests 

 forming a lyriform area generally wide but varying in width 

 with age and possibly locally. The skulls differ, however, 

 from those of ocelots in having a tolerably regularly rounded 

 low occipital area ; even when the occipital crest is well 

 developed its edges have no definite lateral emargination ; 

 and the inferior edge of the orbit is thin, with the preorbital 

 thickening hardly developed. In this last-mentioned parti- 

 culai', as well as superficially and in size, the skulls recall 

 those of Pardofelis, but the maxillse are wider above, the 

 nasals narrower posteriorly, the malar arch is shallower from 

 above downwards, the postorbital processes, although as long 

 as in Pardofelis, are thinner, the back of the cranium is 

 longer, and the occipital plane more vertical, the posterior 

 part of the bulla is larger, the sides of the mesopterygoid 

 fossa thinner, and the chin much more sloped. 



* Schreber's figure of Felis onca, Linn., represents an ocelot (Leo- 

 pardut2)ardalis), and not tlie species whicli is trivially known as the 

 jaguar {Panther a onca). 



t For the position of this species see below under Herpailurus. 



Ann. iSs Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 8. Vol xx. 23 



