The Cat Tribe 



53 



the scrvals are. It is entirely a tree-cat, and lives on birds and monkeys. The following 

 detailed description of its coloration appeared in "Life at the Zoo": 



" Its coat, with the exception perhaps of that of the clouded leopard of Sumatra, marks 

 the highest development of ornament among four-footed animals. The Argus pheasant alone 

 seems to offer a parallel to the beauties of the ocelot's fur, especially in the development of 

 the wonderful ocelli, which, though never reaching in the beast the perfect cup-and-ball 

 ornament seen on the wings of the bird, can be traced in all the early stages of spots and 

 wavy lines, so far as the irregular shell-shaped rim and dot on the feet, sides, and back, just 

 as in the subsidiary ornament of the Argus pheasant's feathers. Most of the ground-tint of 

 the fur is smoky-pearl colour, on which the spots develop from mere dots on the legs and 



[Berlin. 



Photo by Ottnmnr AnchHtz] 



OCELOT FROM CENTRAL AMERICA. 

 The ocelot can be tamed and almost domesticated if taken young, and is occasionally kept as a pet by the forest Indians. 



speckles on the feet and toes to large egg-shaped ocelli on the flanks. There are also two 

 beautiful pearl-coloured spots on the back of each ear, like those which form the 

 ornaments of the wings of many moths." 



The nose is pink ; the eye large, convex, and translucent. 



A tame ocelot described by Wilson, the American naturalist, was most playful an- 

 affectionate, but when fed with flesh was less tractable. It jumped on to the back o a horse 

 in the stable, and tried to curl up on its hindquarters. The horse threw the oce o t off and 

 kicked it curing it of any disposition to ride. On seeing a horse, the ocelot always ran off to 

 as kennel aftenvards. When sent to England, it caught hold of and threw down a child of 

 four years old, whom it rolled about with its paws without hurting it. 



