FELIS. 



85 



black spots ; the chin, throat, and front of the breast white and un- 

 spotted, the fore neck rufescent. Ears externally the same colour 

 as the back, with a few elongate brown hairs at the end. Tail with 

 some black transverse bands above, which form rings towards the 

 end ; the tip is black. Paws black beneath. 



Dimensions. Head and body 18 to 22 inches, tail 9 to 10, hind 

 foot from calcaneuni 4-5. Basal length of an adult female skull 

 3-25, zygomatic width 2*75 ; a smaller male skull 2-85 by 2*35. 

 The sexes do not appear to exhibit any constant difference in size. 



Distribution. Throughout the drier regions of Western India, 

 from the Punjab and tSind to Saugor and jVagpur, not extending, 

 however, to the Gangetic valley, and rare south of the Nerbudda. 

 It is common in the Indian deserts east of the Indus, in Sind, 

 Western Rajputclna, and Hurriana. 



Habits. The desert cat inhabits sandy plains and sand-hills, where 

 its principal food in all probability consists of Gerbilli (G. harriame). 

 It is not found in wooded country. It is not by any means par- 

 ticularly nocturnal. 



According to Dr. Scott, as quoted by Blytb, this cat, like F. 

 ruhifjinosa, F. chaus, and other species, breeds with domestic cats, 

 and in some parts of the country inhabited by F. ornata many of 

 the village cats are similarly spotted. 



Until recently this animal was I'epresented by but two skins, one 

 of them immature, in the British Museum collection. It appears 

 to be also poorly represented in Calcutta. The receipt of six 

 beautiful specimens and skulls, obtained near Sambhar in Rajpu- 

 tana by Mr. H. M. Adam, and presented to the British Museum 

 by Mr. Hume, has served to show that F. ornata is a well-marked 

 species and distinct from F. torqxata, to which it was united by 

 Blyth and Jerdon. 



A cat much resembling F. ornata is found inhabiting Eastern 

 Turkestan, and was named by me F. sliawiana. Although nearly 

 allied to the Indian desert cat, F. shawiana appears to be lai'ger 

 with a shorter tail. 



40. Felis torquata. The waved Cat. 



Felis torquata, F. Cifv. Hist. Nat. Mam. pi. 12G (182G) ; Jerdon, 



Mam. p. 110, part im ; Thomas, P. Z. S. 1886, p. 55. 

 Felis iuconspicua, Grat/, Charles worth's Mac/. N. H. i, p. 577 (1837). 

 ? FeUs huttoni, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xv, p. 1G9 ; xvii, p. 247, xxii, p. 581. 



Size of a domestic cat. Tail tapering, about half the length of 

 the head and body, or rather more. Ears rounded at tips. 



Skull short and high, very similar to that of F. ornata. The 

 minute anterior upper premolar, instead of being placed as in 

 F. ornata, F. caligata, and many other cats, halfway between the 

 second premolar and the canine, is close to the former in both the 

 skulls examined, and in one there is an additional equally minute 

 premolar in front, close to the canine. The position of the normal 

 anterior premolar close to the second is common in domestic cats, 

 Indian and European. 



