264 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



rilE LEOPARD CAT. 



misleading characters. Mature individuals keep 

 their corners, snarl and spit viciously^except at 

 the sight of food, and the instant it is received the 

 giver is greeted with a malignant, green-eyed stare 

 and a guttural expostulation for daring to longer 

 intrude his presence. Very young specimens may 

 be tamed and remain docile and affectionate for a 

 time, but the wild blood of the parent asserts itself 

 with maturity, and the sight of food at once 

 destroys all docility. 



The Serval (Felis serval), is an important figure 

 among the small cats of our collection. In structure 

 it stands midway between the common leopard and 

 the cheetah. To one who has observed the cheetah, 

 the Serval is at once interesting. The first im- 

 pression of the former species is a lasting one. 

 Long-legged, built like a greyhound in the body 

 but with a typical, rounded, cat-like head, this 

 remarkable creature, in moving about its cage, 

 produces a clattering on the wooden floor with its 

 dog-like feet and claws; but a moment later may 

 roll back its lips and hiss, in true, cat-like fashion. 

 To the novice it is a nondescript. On several 

 occasions the writer has heard careless visitors, who 

 had not taken the trouble to look at the label, 

 pronounce the cheetah a "dog-cat," and advance 

 the theory that it was the result of freak breeding 

 at the Park. 



The relationship 

 of the Serval to the 

 cheetah is at once 

 apparent by the 

 structure of the long, 

 thin limbs. The 

 claws of the front 

 feet are retractile 

 and in strict accord 

 with those of the 

 average cat. The 

 hind feet, however, 

 are rather dog-like, 

 and the claws are 

 permanently ex- 

 posed. 



In the Park's col- 

 lection, the North 

 American cats are 

 very well represent- 

 ed, even though the 

 Margay Cat and the 

 last Canada Lynx died last summer. A fine pair 

 of Pumas or "Mountain Lions" (Felis concolor), 

 are exhibited outside of the Small Mammal House, 

 together with one species and one sub-species of 

 lynx. The Canada Lynx {Lynx canadensis), is a 

 fine species and is usually represented in the Park 

 collection. It is rather a larger and stouter animal 

 than the Bay Lynx {Lynx rujus), and may be 

 recognized by its proportionately much larger feet, 

 and the well-developed tuft of hair, or "pencil," 

 on the tip of the ear. The species is rapidly 

 becoming scarce, and, unfortunately, is not a hardy 

 species in captivity. The Bay Lynx or Wild Cat 

 {Lynx riifus), is a hardy and continually irritable 

 species. Several specimens are exhibited, together 

 with the spotted phase — the Spotted Lynx or Te.xas 

 Lynx {Lynx rujus maculatus). 



Several months ago, the Society was fortunate in 

 securing an exceptionally fine specimen of the 

 southern Yaguarundi Cat {Felis yaguarundi). 

 The specimen was captured near Brownsville, 

 Texas. This animal represents a delicate species; 

 but a careful study of its diet brought the creature 

 through the fretful, worrying stage of the newly 

 arrived specimen, and it is now thriving. Over 

 its original size, on arrival, it has increased sub- 

 stantially, and has developed a beautiful coat of 

 hair. Seen from a distance, this long-bodied 



