new Species of Cat from China. 375 



stripes in front of the eye conspicuous but short, losing tliem- 

 selves before reacliing "level of the ear. Starting from tiie 

 outer margin of these stripes on either side a black stripe 

 runs backwards, which broadens out considerably behind the 

 ear, gradually becoming rufous at the base of the neck, and 

 ending abruptly over the shoulders. The black inner margins 

 to the white eye-stripe remain narrow and, becoming more or 

 less suffused with rufous over the shoulders, may still be 

 traced, although very much broken up, as far as the hind- 

 quarters. The remainder of the upper parts are covered with 

 elongated spots of rufous with or without black centres, those 

 on the limbs showing most black. Underparts white, with a 

 row of clear-cut black spots on either side of the ventral 

 median line. Across the lower part of the neck are three or 

 four irregular black collars, much broken up and suffused with 

 rufous. The tail is light grey in colour, aunulated with 

 black, the annulations being about equal in breadth to the 

 spaces between them. The outer sides of the ears are black, 

 with a small patch of white. 



The skull is large and strongly built, but, except in size, 

 does not differ apprtciably from that of F. ohinensis. 



Dimensions (from dried skin) : — Head and body 26 inches j 

 tail 11. 



Skull (see below). 



Hah. Foochow, China. 



Type. B.M. 98. 6. 21. 1. Collected by C. B. Rickett, Esq., 

 on the 5th April, 1898. 



There are two other specimens in the Museum, one from 

 I^ingpo and the other from Corea. This species is nearly 

 allied to F. eujytilura, of which the British Museum has 

 specimens from Amurland and Corea. F. euptilura is, how- 

 ever, a much larger cat with long fur and a thick bushy tail. 

 It has hardly any markings except on the head; there is a 

 slightly darker area along the middle of the back and a few 

 faint rufous spots may be traced on the flanks, limbs, and 

 tail. On the underside, except for some broken rufous 

 collars on the throat, there are no distinct markings, the 

 general colour being pale buff; in specimens from Corea the 

 markings are more distinctly visible. 



In the general tone of its colour F. Ricketti is not unlike 

 F. tristis, especially resembling it in the predominance of the 

 rufous tint over the shoulders and the blue-grey colour of the 

 rest of the body. F. tristis, however, is much larger and its 

 markings are broad, irregular, light patches with dark edgings, 

 resembling in shape those of F. marmorata ; whereas in the 

 present species the markings are in the shape of spots, and 



