870 DR. J. K. (;ray on the tapirid.e. [Nov. 14, 



Museum are few in number, and not in a very perfect state; but I 

 ' can scarcely think that this Cat can be the young state of Felis 

 affinis from Nepal. It is doubtless the Cat that Mr. Blyth con- 

 founds with the Egyptian Cat {F. chaus, Geoff.}, stating that it is 

 "the common animal of Bengal" (see P. Z. S. 1863, p. 186), and 

 that, as in the case of many common animals, its skins are rarely 

 brought to Europe. It seems spread over various parts of India, as 

 the specimens in the British Museum were sent from the Matoralla 

 territory by Sir Walter Elliot, and from Gangootra. 



The third species of Chaus in the British Aluseum is the beautiful 

 animal that I figured in the ' Illustrations of Indian Zoology ' as 

 Felis orno.ta. The small specimen of the species in the British 

 Museum is not in a very good state. Chaus ornutus is of a pale, 

 more or less bright, yellow-brown colour, with transverse bands of 

 nearly uniform-sized roundish blackish spots on the body. The 

 spots are larger, darker, and closer together on the thighs and upper 

 parts of the legs. The tail has some black rings near the end, and 

 a small black tip. 



Hab. Northern India {Capt. Boys). 



This does not appear to be a common Cat in India, as we have 

 only received a single half-grown example, which was purchased at 

 the sale of Capt. Boys's specimens ; and I do not find it described in 

 any systematic work, nor do I recollect to have seen any specimens 

 of it in continental collections. 



in his crude paper on the Asiatic species of the genus Felis (P.Z.S. 

 1803, p. 185), Mr. Blyth places Felis ornata under Felis torqunta, 

 observing that the figure is "very bad." If he had compared the 

 specimen in the British Museum with the figure, he must have re- 

 versed this note ; for it is very characteristic, but is taken from a 

 larger and brighter specimen. Mr. Blyth, when he saw the speci- 

 men in the Museum collection, in his usual offhand manner, said it 

 is only one of the numerous varieties of the common Indian Cat. 

 This species is quite distinct from the Cat that Sir William Jardine 

 afterwards figured as Felis ornata in the ' Naturalist's Library,' 

 Felida, t. 28. 



9. Notice of a New Species of Americau Tapir^ with Ob- 

 servations on the Skulls of Tapirus, Rhinochcerus, and 

 Elasmognathus in the Collection of the British Museum. 

 By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., Y.P.Z.S., F.L.S. 



(Plate XLII.) 



The British Museum having recently received the skulls of some 

 specimens of American Tapirs in different states of development, I 

 have been induced to reexamine the series of skulls in the collection, 

 and herewith send the notes which 1 have made during the process. 



Mr. Sclater has kindly presented to the Museum the skull of an 



