14(! DIVISIOX I. VEIJTEr.RAL ANIMALS. — CLASS L SLVMMALLV. 



crourus), are varieties of the foregoing species, and distingui.slied l)ysiiullar 

 habits. 



The IMai'lOAY {Fdh /ii/rin/t). — A small and lieaiitiful species, also 

 from Smith America. The fur is <if a pale fawn color, wliile on the lo\v<'r 

 iiarts. I'lu^ head and neck are adorned with black longitudinal bands, nar- 

 row and distinct upon the orown, and becoming broad upon the neck. On 

 the whole, it resembles the ocelots, from which, howe\er, it may readily be 

 distinguished by its smaller size and the comparative shortness of the tail. 



iSuaiatran Cat (F(;lis nunntu). — The length of this animal is about 

 two feet, including the tail, which is eight inches. The height is between 

 eight and nine inches. The ground color of the upper [laits is a. reddish- 

 o-rav, passing gradually to a pin-e white on the under parts of the body. 



It is a most ferocious little animal, and all cflorts to tame it Jiave invari- 

 abl)' pi-o\-cd uniivailing. It inhabits the i>lands of Ja\a. and Sumatra, 

 where it dwells in the forests, concealing itself during the day in hollow 

 trees. At niuht it wanders in search of food, and sometimes enters the 

 villages on the skirts of the forests an<l plunders the hen-roosts. It is said 

 that it imitates the voices of fowls, in oi'dcr to approach thi'm unsuspected. 



Following the aljove are the Ik'ngal cat {F. Jjeiiijidciisis) , of a tawny- 

 yellow above, white beneath. Diard's eat ( /''. JJ/m-dii), yelhnvi.-h-gray, an 

 inhabitant of, lava; Xepaul cat ( /•'. Xrj)/i/<'jisis) , tawny-gray, nearly white 

 below : inhabits Xepaul. The Serval (/'. Sm'fd), upper parts ochrey-yellow, 

 dee[ie>t upon the back, and shading into pure white underneath : nati\e of 

 AlVica ; Himalayan Serval (/''. I/i/jiiu/idiiiis) , upper parts dull, rich brown, 

 paler as it reaches the lower third of the body, and changing into white ou 

 the bi'cast and liclly : from India; Servalinc eat ( F. >Srrr(i/iit(i ) , very pale 

 tawnv : also from India ; the Ccdocolo ( F. (Ji>l<irohi) , whitish-gray : inhabits 

 South America; and common wild cat (/'. V'ttiis) , {m- long and thick, 

 ground color varying from a yellowish-gray to a blackish-gray. The .scries 

 of cats is ternnnated by an interesting species, which serves to connect the 

 foregoing \\ ith can- domestic cats. 



Like the dog, the domestic eat has, through unknown generations, been 

 the conipanion of civilized man, sharing his roof, and coin-tlng his fricnd- 

 shii> and caresses; repaying his protection by hunting and destroying tiie 

 rats, mice, and other animals wliicli at times become so annoying. The 

 cat is more extensively diffused than the dog; for wdiile but few people, 

 comparativelv, keep the latter, ncaily every house has its cat. ^\'hatever, 

 thei'efore. will tlirow light on the history of this useful animal, can scarcely 

 fail to excite a li\cly interest in all classes of people. 



The Eg\-ptian cat (FcFs n/au/'ciildla) is a native of Xorth Africa, and 

 was first described in the Zoiilogical Atlas of the German naturalist Iiup- 



