THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON; 



ABRIDGED. 



/. Natural History and Description of the Tyger-cat of the Cape of Good Hope. 



By John Reinhold Forster, LL. D., F. R. and A. S. Vol. LXXI. Anno 



1781. p. I. 



Few tribes of quadrupeds have in Africa more representatives of their different 

 species than that of the Cat. The genus of Antelopes may perhaps be excepted, 

 since, to my knowledge, says Dr. F., about 20 different Ghazels and Antelopes 

 are to be met with in Africa ; but no more than about 8 or 9 of the cat tribe 

 have hitherto been discovered on that continent. However, I know about 21 

 different species of this great class ; and I suppose these by no means exhaust it. 



The greater and more numerous the different genera of animals are, the more 

 difficult it must be to the natural historian properly to arrange the whole of such 

 an extensive division of animals, especially if they are not equally well known. 

 To form new genera, in order to arrange them, is a remedy which increases the 

 evil, instead of curing it. The best method therefore is to make great divisions 

 in each genus, comprehending those species which, on account of some common 

 relation or character, have a greater affinity to each other. The genus of cat 

 offers 3 very easy and natural subdivisions. The first comprehends animals re- 

 lated to the cat tribe, with long hair or manes on their necks ; secondly, such 

 as have remarkable long tails without any marks of a mane on their necks ; 

 lastly, such as have a brush of hair on the tips of their ears, and shorter tails 

 than the second subdivision. I shall confine myself to that species which has 

 been hitherto imperfectly known to naturalists. 



The first notice we had of the Cape Cat is to be met with in Labat's Relation 

 Historique de l'Ethiopie occidentale, torn. 1, p. 177, taken as is supposed from 

 Father Carazzi. Labat mentions there the 'Nsussi, a kind of wild cat of the 

 size of a dog, with a coat as much striped and varied as that of a tyger. Its ap- 

 pearance bespeaks cruelty, and its eyes fierceness ; but it is cowardly, and gets 

 its prey only by cunning and insidious arts. All these characters are perfectly 



vol. xv. B 



