CLOUDED TIGER. 123 



or caressed. Unfortunately, however^ it did not long 

 survive the ungenial effects of this climate, and its death 

 was hastened by disease connected, with cutting its 

 teeth. 



In its native state, the clouded tiger is neither an 

 object of terror nor of apprehension. Sir S. Raffles says 

 that the natives of Sumatra assured him that it lives 

 principally upon poultry, birds, and small deer. It is 

 not found in numbers ; and may be considered rather a 

 rare animal, even in the southern part of Sumatra, It 

 is generally found in the vicinity of villages, where it 

 is only annoying to the natives in so far as it may 

 destroy their poultry. The natives assert that they 

 sleep, and often lay wait for their prey, in trees : from 

 this circumstance they derive the name of Dalian, which 

 signifies the fork formed by the branch of a tree, across 

 which they are said to rest, and occasionally stretch them- 

 selves. 



The following short description, abridged from the 

 more ample one given by Dr. Horsfield, will sufficiently 

 distinguish this species from any other : — The ground 

 colour of the Riman-Dahan is whitish grey, inclining 

 to cinereous or to brownish grey ; one of the chief pe- 

 culiarities being the almost entire absence of yellow 

 or red in the external tint. The marks on the body 

 are oblong, irregular, very broad, and trans\'ersely dis- 

 posed and connected on the shoulders, but interrupted 

 and angular on the sides and flanks : all these, however, 

 have their posterior edge margined only by a deep velvet- 

 black line. This peculiarity alone will enable a common 

 observer immediately to recognise the animal. 



The tortoiseshell or clouded tiger {Fells nebulom) of 

 major Hamilton Smith and jMr. Griffiths, is considered 

 by Dr. Horsfield as, in all probability, a distinct species 

 from the rimau-dahan of Sumatra, to v>'hich he there- 

 fore gives a new name, borrowed from M. Temminck. 

 Mr. Griffiths, on the part of major Smith, has entered 

 into some very sensible observations on the subject. 

 Until better evidence com.es before us^ we are clearly of 



