2 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO 1781. 



applicable to the Cape Cat, and it seems the animal is found in all parts of 

 Africa, from Congo to the Cape of Good Hope, in an extent of country of 

 about 11° of latitude. Kolbe, in his Present State of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 vol. '2, p. 127, of the English edition, speaks of a Tyger Bush-cat, which he 

 describes as the largest of all the wild cats of the Cape-countries, and is spotted 

 something like a Tyger. A skin of this animal was seen by Mr. Pennant, in a 

 furrier's shop in London, who thought it came from the Cape of Good Hope. ; 

 from this skin Mr. Pennant gave the first description which could be of any 

 utility to ;i natural historian.* All the other authors mention this animal in a 

 vague manner. 



When I touched the 2d time at the Cape of Good Hope in the year 1775, an 

 animal of this species was offered me to purchase; but I refused buying it be- 

 cause it had a broken leg, which made me apprehensive of losing it by death 

 during the passage from the Cape to London. It was very gentle and tame. 

 It was brought in a basket to my apartment, where 1 kept it above 24 hours, 

 which gave me the opportunity of describing it, and of observing its manners 

 and economy. These I found perfectly analogous to those of our domestic cats. 

 It ate fresh raw meat, and was much attached to its feeders and benefactors : 

 though it had broken the fore-leg by accident, it nevertheless was very easy. 

 After it had been several times fed by me, it soon followed me like a tame 

 favourite cat. It liked to be stroked and caressed ; it rubbed its head and back 

 always against the person's clothes who fed it, and desired to be made much of. 

 It purred as our domestic cats do when they are pleased. It had been taken when 

 quite young in the woods, and was not above 8 or Q months old ; I can however 

 positively aver, having seen many skins of full-grown Tyger-cats, that it had 

 already very nearly, if not quite, attained its full growth. I was told that the 

 Tyger-cats live in mountainous and woody tracts, and that in their wild state 

 they are very great destroyers of hares, rabbits, yerbuas, young antelopes, lambs, 

 and of all the feathered tribe. 



Description of the Cape Tyger-Cat. — Cat with subelongated, annulated tail, and fulvous body, 

 marked above by lengthened and beneath by orbicular spots, with black ears marked by a white 

 lunated spot. 



The body is ovate, and elegant : on the neck, rising between the bases of the ears, are four longi- 

 tudinal deep-black lines or stripes, which on the back are broken or interrupted : the upper parts of 

 the sides are marked by oblong, linear, oblique spots : the lower parts of the sides are marked by 

 round scattered spots : the abdomen is of a cinereous white, with small, round, scattere d , black 

 spots. 



This animal is the 'Num. I,abat Ethiop. Occident, torn. I . p. 177. 



Tyger-Botek-Katten. Kolbe Cape of Good Hope, vol. 2. p. 127. Engl. edit. 



Cape-Cat. Pennant Synops. Quadr. p. 181. — Measure, from the nose to the base of the tail IS 

 inches; the tail 8 inches. See fig. 1, pi. 1. 



* Pennant's Synopsis of Quadrupeds, p. 181, first edit. — Orig. 



