CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 5. CARNIVORA 



279 



THE OCELOT. 



limb of a tree, as if dead. The monkeys cannot restrain their curiosity, and so approach to see 

 what this means. When they come within reach, they are suddenly grasped by the teeth and 

 claws of the wily deceiver. The ocelot also devours small quadrupeds, as well as eggs. If by 

 chance it is discovered by man, it conceals itself by crouching upon the larger branches of the 

 trees, or in the bottoms of decayed trunks. It runs like the fox and wild-cat when pursued by 

 the hunters and their hounds, often seeking to baffle the chase by doubling and resorting to vari- 

 ous artifices. In case of extremity it ascends a tree. It is savage and spiteful in its defense, and 

 snarls and spits at a stranger when confined in a cage. If taken young, however, it may be ren- 

 dered quite tame, so as to be left at liberty; thus domesticated, it manifests strong attachment 

 for its master. Mr. Bennett states that a male specimen in the Tower Menagerie was perfectly 

 good-tempered, exceedingly fond of play, and had much of the character and manners of the 

 domestic cat. Its food consisted principally of rabbits and birds; the latter it plucked with 

 great dexterity, and always commenced its meal with the head, of which it seemed particularly 

 fond ; but it did not eat with the ravenous avidity which characterizes nearly all the animals of 

 this tribe. 



The Mitis, or Chati, Felis mitis, the Chibiguazu of Azara, is a native of Mexico and the coun- 

 tries south to Paraguay. It is smaller than the ocelot, but it resembles that animal, and has been 

 confounded with it. Its ground-color is pale yellow above, figured with irregular dark patches, 

 disposed in longitudinal rows. The lower parts are white, also marked with spots arranged in 

 rows. These animals inhabit the deep forests by day, but go forth at night, sometimes visiting 

 the farm-yards and killing the poultry. They live in pairs, and feed on birds and small quadru- 

 peds. Their eyes shine in the night. They have, the habits of washing their faces with their 

 paws, cleaning themselves, fkffing, sneezing, &c, like the domestic cats. One of these animals in 

 the Paris Menagerie was very gentle, and manifested great delight at being caressed. If any one 

 with whom it was familiar passed the cage without noticing it, it would utter a plaintive cry of 

 discontent. 



The Pampas Cat, or Jungle Cat, Felis paje?-o, is found in the country bordering the Rio de 

 la Plata. It is twenty-six inches in length, and thirteen in height, and is distinguished by hair 

 three to four inches in length. The color is yellowi h gray, with numerous irregular brown and 

 yellow stripes running obliquely from the back along the sides. It lives in the pampas or plains, 

 and not in the woods, concealing itself amid the dense masses of thorny shrubs, and feeding 

 chiefly on Guinea-pigs. 



The Margay, Felis tigrina, is of the size of the domestic cat; the Painted Ocelot, Lcopardus 

 pir.tus, the Grey Ocelot, Felis armillata, the Variegated Leopard, L. variegatus, the False 

 Margay, L. tigrinoides, are all small species found in tropical America; the Kuichda, F. ma- 

 croura, is of Mexico 



