THE YOUNG TIGER. 135 



months, was so tame us to admit of every kind of familiarity from UK- people on board. It was n* 

 harmless and playful as a kitten. It frequently slept in tin- sailors' hammocks; and, when stretched 

 on the deck, would allow two or three of them to repose, with their heads resting on it for a pillow. 

 It was, like the cat, given to thieving, and frequently stole the sailors' meat. One day, having stolen 

 a piece of beef from the carpenter, he followed it, and, after taking the flesh out of its mouth, b. 

 severely for the theft, which it suffered without offering to retaliate. It would frequently run out on- 

 the, bowsprit, climb about the ship like a cat, and perform a number of tricks with surprising agility. 

 There was a dog on board, with which it would often play in the most diverting manner. This animal 

 was placed in the menagerie of the Tower of London, where it remained many years, and never 

 any ferocity. It was called Harry, and answered to this name like a dog. 



THE TREE TIGER* 



TEMMIN-CK gives the length of this animal as five feet six inches, of which the tail measures two feet 

 and a half. Dr. Horsfield's measurement of a female exceeded this, although it had scarcely attained 

 its full size : the total length was five feet six inches, of which the tail made two feet eight inches ; and 

 at the shoulders it stood in height one foot four inches. We shall now give some particulars from Dr. 

 Horsfield's description of this specimen, in which it will be seen that the peculiar marking of the skin, 

 the strength of the limbs, and the fulness and length of the tail, will .at once distinguish it from any 

 known species. 



" The head of the Felis macrocelis is proportionally small, somewhat attenuated, obtuse, and rather 

 high in its vertical dimensions. The upper lip is full and distended, the lower lip is less swelled and 

 projecting than in several other species of this genus. The termination of the muzzle is abrupt. The 

 forehead is rather depressed and plain, and the nose but slightly elevated. The general aspect, even in 

 a state of nature, indicates less ferocity than that of the tiger or leopard ; the character of the eyes and 

 the physiognomy have considerable resemblance to those of the domestic cat. On the upper lip and 

 cheeks short whiskers, alternately of a white and black colour, are scattered ; small fascicles of stiff 

 hairs are also situated above the eyes. The ears are small and rounded. The teeth, as far as regards 

 the generic character, present nothing peculiar : in the specimen, before me, the second set of canine 

 teeth is protruding, while the first still occupies its original situation. The neck is rather slender, and 

 of moderate length. In its general habit, this animal has much of the elegance and gracefulness of the 

 leopard : the form of the body is, on the whole, cylindrical ; the breast and flanks have a moderate 

 rotundity, and not the flatness which is frequently observed in the tiger ; but, in the character of the 

 extremities, our animal resembles the latter species. The strength and robustness of the thighs, legs, 

 and feet, give it a peculiarity which has very properly been taken by M. Temminck as the cha- 

 racter of the species. The tail is of greater length and fulness than any other species of Felis hitherto 

 discovered : it is equal in length to the body and neck together. The hairy covering of the tail is 

 longer and more delicate than that of the body ; it increases in thickness towards the extremity of that 

 organ, where it has a lanuginous texture. In general, the animal is thickly clothed with fur, which 

 is of moderate length, soft to the touch, and provided at the base with a soft down. 



" The ground colour of this animal is a whitish-gray, inclining to cinereous or to brownish-gray ; 

 and one of the peculiarities mentioned by Sir Stamford Raffles, is the almost entire absence of yellow or 

 red in the external tint. On the upper portions of the neck and back, the tint is more purely cinereous." 



Dr. Horsfield then proceeds to show that the most distinguishing character of the animal und. r 

 examination is afforded by the marks of the shoulder, and on the sides of the body. These are oblong, 

 irregular, of great breadth, transversely disposed and connected on the shoulders, and interrupted and 

 angular on the sides and flanks. In all, the posterior margin has uniformly a deep velvet-black tint, 

 and consists of a curved or irregularly waving line. The marks on the shoulders and on the sides 

 are separated by narrow gray interstices, which give a tesselated appearance to the covering. 



The surface of the large marks of the Felis macrocelis is covered with a mixture of gray and black 

 hairs, among which small black dots are distributed ; the anterior margin is, in most cases, without 



* Felis macrocelia. Temminck. 



