398 DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE FELIDjE. [Apr. 11, 



bands and spots. Dr. Smith's specimen is much paler, yellow, with 

 very indistinct rather darker yellow bands and spots, and very broad 

 black bands on the legs. 



The large specimens from Tunis and Tangiers are very like the 

 largest dark one from the Cape. 



A rather small specimen, received from Mr. Brandt of Hamburg 

 as F. caligata from Africa, is only obscurely banded, is peculiar in 

 the tail being black at the tip for about an inch, and in only having 

 three or four very obscure narrow cross bands across the upper 

 surface of the hinder two-thirds of the length of tlie tail. 



A small specimen, very obscurely banded and having a redder fur 

 with darker red streaks on the back, was received from Capt. Speke, 

 marked "Menessa." 



The Felis caligata of Africa and the F. inconspicua of India are 

 nearly allied and very similar ; but one is grey and the other more 

 fulvous and rather differently marked — so much so that I think they 

 are distinct. They and Felis hidica, the " Domestic Cat of India," 

 diifer from Felis chaus of India (and Africa?) in the greater length 

 of the tail. The first two are almost always more or less distinctly 

 banded and spotted, the F. chaus and F. indica being very obscurely 

 (if at all) banded, except on the legs and thighs. 



I suspect that what have been called the ^African F. chaus may be 

 only pale varieties of F. caligata ; at least I have not seen any 

 specimens of the true F. chaus from Africa. M. F. Cuvier's figures 

 of F. chaus from Egypt are doubtful ; for he describes the body and 

 head as being 2- feet 4 inches long, and the tail 9 inches long; but 

 the figure represents the tail as two-fifths, while the description 

 represents it as being only one-fourth of the entire length. In the 

 same manner the Chat aux oreilles rouges, figured by M. F. Cuvier, 

 Mamm. Lithogr., from a specimen from India, is said to measure 

 24 inches from the end of the nose to the base of the tail, and its 

 tail to measure 10 inches; and in the figure the tail is very nearly 

 half the length of the head and body. Can both or either of these 

 figures represent F. chaus, which is known by its short tail? 



I believe that all these African Cats are of one species, varying 

 greatly in size and colour. The synonymy will be as follows : — 



Lynx, Bruce, Voy. viii. no. 30. 

 "Felis caligata, Bruce," Temm. Mouogr. p. 123. 

 IF. lybicus, Olivier, Voy. p. 41. 

 F. caffra, Desm. Suppl. p. .540, 1822. 

 F. nigripes, Burchell, Travels, 1822. 



F. maniculata, Riippell, Zool. Atlas, i. t. 19 (pale variety). 

 ?? Chat aux Oreilles Rouges ou Chat botte (^F. caligata), F. Cuvier, 

 Mamm. Lithogr. t. (pale variety). 



F. pulchella. Gray, Mag. N. H. (very pale variety). 



F. chaus, Riippell, Atlas, i. t. 140. 



? Chaus, F. Cuvier, Mamm. Lithogr. t. 



F. obscura, Desm. Mamm. p. 2.50 (black variety). 



The ''Chat noir du Cap," F. Cuvier, Mamm. Lithogr., and F. 



