72 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



roof. I also noticed that the semi-retractile claws of 

 these cubs were quite as sharp as those of a true feline, 

 and when one of them rushed at a terrier which had got 

 into the cage,* he struck at the dog with his forepaws 

 as he charged, just as a domestic cat often does. 



These young animals were caught near the Mlondozi 

 Spruit in October 1908, being then apparently about 

 two weeks old ; the mother was started out of some rocks 

 by a couple of native policemen, and made off without 

 attempting to defend the little ones, which attempted 

 to follow her, but were quickly caught and picked up. 

 They were covered on their upper part with long blue- 

 grey silky hair, while the sides, tail, legs and the under- 

 neath parts of the body of each were coated with tawny 

 fur, thickly pitted with dark solid spots. The eyes 

 were dark brown, and the whites showed a good deal. 

 The sound which they usually uttered was a bird-like 

 chirp, sometimes followed by a purring noise. When 

 annoyed they spat exactly like domestic cats. 



At about two months old they had become very tame ; 

 but when I had them out for exercise in the yard one 

 day something startled them, and they could then run so 

 fast that they were recaptured with some difficulty. 

 At three months old the pronounced greyness of the 

 backs had begun to disappear, and the spotting had 

 become general all over the bodies ; the fur throughout 

 was, however, much longer than in adult animals. The 

 voices also altered, the bird-like chirps becoming changed 

 into " mews " not unlike those uttered by domestic 

 cats, and were curiously mixed with, and followed by, 

 the short purring sound. About this time they began 

 to take a strong and apparently not too benevolent 

 interest in any small dogs and fowls which passed near 

 their cage. Beside milk, the little creatures took flesh 



