336 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Observations. 



with long narrow stripes; the chin is of a pure 

 white, and the tail is annulated with black. It is 

 about two feet and a half in length, mild and 

 gentle in its manner, and is frequently observed 

 to grow very fat. 



The French naturalist likewise gives us the 

 figure of another animal of this tribe, under the 

 appellation of chat sauvage de la nouvelle Espagne, 

 whose body is nearly four feet in length, when 

 full grown: its general colour is of a blueish 

 grey, speckled with dark brown ; it has small and 

 clear eyes, coarse and stiff hair, the tail of one 

 colour, and rather longer than that of the former. 



The Comte de Buffon is of opinion that this 

 animal is only a variety in the tribe, but Pennant 

 considers it as a distinct species. 



These quadrupeds, like all of the feline race, 

 inhabit the most inaccessible mountains, and vast 

 forests, where they seek safety by flight, or by 

 climbing trees, for which nature seems to have 

 peculiarly adapted them, by the lightness of their 

 bodies, and the formation of their claws ; and as 

 tfcey have the advantage of eluding the pursuit 

 of man, so they arc noxious in proportion to 

 their power of doing mischief. 



THE CARACAL. 



THE caracal, pr syagush, in its general ap- 

 pearance nearly resembles the lynx, and may 



