1861.] OF THE LARGER FELIDiE IN CAPTIVITY. 141 



lection. I have seen some animals of this kind bred between a male 

 black Jagnar and a female Indian Leopard ; the young partook strongly 

 of the male, being almost black. 



The Leopard is not unfrequently bred in captivity ; many have 

 been bred and reared in the Society's Gardens, and elsewhere. 



The Puma (F. concolor) has bred frequently in the Society's 

 Gardens. This species appears to produce generally two only at a 

 birth, in some cases only one : they rear their young without diffi- 

 culty. 



The Ocelot (F. pardalis) has also bred two or three times in the 

 Society's Gardens. 



As far as I am able to ascertain, the period of gestation in the 

 foregoing species is sixteen iveeks. The young of some of the spe- 

 cies bear a great resemblance to each other ; thus, for instance, the 

 young of the Lion is indistinctly spotted all over ; the young of the 

 Puma is also spotted with large and well-marked patches, which the 

 accompanying figures (Plate XXIL), drawn by Mr. Wolf from young 

 Pumas born in the Gardens, well exhibit. 



The Cheetah (Felis juhata) never to my knowledge has bred in 

 England ; Dr. Gilnther, however, informs me that this species has bred 

 in the Gardens in Frankfort. From all that I have experienced with 

 reference to this beautiful species, I consider it one of the most difficult 

 of the family to keep, aud consequently the chances of its breeding are 

 rare. This animal is generally gentle, timid, and very excitable. I 

 am inclined to think the want of sufficient space and exercise, toge- 

 ther with over-feeding, are the cause of convulsions and fits, to which 

 this species is liable ; I have witnessed the death of two or three 

 that have died from excitement after a full meal. 



The young of the Tiger is striped like the adult, but of course less 

 distinctly. The young Leopard also resembles the adult in its mark- 

 ings. Not only in the large Cats, but in all the smaller species of 

 the genus Felis, the spots, stripes, or markings are always present in 

 the young of those species that are so marked in the adult state ; 

 and, as far as my knowledge extends, the young of all (except the 

 domestic cat) exhibit traces of spots or other markings, although they 

 disappear in the adult animals. 



A very extraordinary malformation or defect has frequently oc- 

 curred among the lions produced during the last twenty years in the 

 Regent's Park. This imperfection consists in the roof of the mouth 

 being open — the palatal bones do not meet, the animal is therefore 

 unable to suck, and consequently always dies. This abnormal con- 

 dition has not been confined to the young of any one pair of lions, 

 but many lions that have bred in the Gardens, and not in any way 

 related to each other, have from time to time produced these mal- 

 formed young, the cause of which appears to me quite unaccountable. 



Since writing the above, I have the pleasure of adding that the 

 Society's collection has been enriched by a litter of cubs from the 

 female Mexican Jaguar {Felis hernandezi) and the male of the com- 

 mon Jaguar {Felis onca). I may add at the same time, that the 

 Tigress in the Society's Gardens is now in young. 



