234 Mr. O. Thomas on Neotropical Mammals. 
XVITI.—Notes on Neotropical Mammals of the Genera Felis, 
Hapale, Oryzomys, Akodon, and Ctenomys, with Descrip- 
tions of new Species. By OLDFIELD THOMAS. 
THE SpoTTeD TIGER-CATS OF BRAZIL. 
AMONG his recent collections Mr. A. Robert has sent home a 
certain number of small spotted cats, these being animals 
very badly represented in most Museums, and with their 
_literature and determinations in a great state of confusion. 
Of this group Hensel distinguished three species in Rio 
Grande do Sul, viz. “‘ Felis macroura, Wied,” “ F. guigna, 
Mol.,” and a new species he named /’. guttula. Mr. Robert 
obtained ali these three, and, by the kindness of Dr. Matschie, 
skulls of his specimens have been directly compared with 
those of the Hensel collection in Berlin, so that there can be 
no deubt about their determinations. 
At the same time it should be noted that specimens ob- 
tained together, and clearly conspecific, show an extraordinary 
amount of variation both in marking and skull-characters ; 
so that the study of the group is beset with quite unusual 
difficulties. 
The three types referred to may be briefly distinguished 
as follows :— 
I. Size larger. Fur soft and thick. Nape-hairs generally 
reversed forwards, at least in part. Skull broadly 
rounded, with a large smooth brain-case and short 
face. 
To this type belong the Mexican and Central-American 
tiger-cats, £, Wiedii, Schinz (f. macroura, Wied), and 
many others, including F’. glaucula, sp. n., described below. 
Cuvier’s F. mitis would also probably come here, but being 
without locality is not certainly determinable and should be 
ignored. The same may be said of Lesson’s F’. elegans *. 
II. Size rather smaller. Fur harsher. Nape-hairs not 
reversed. General colour darker. Skull long and 
narrow, somewhat resembling that of the Jagua- 
rondi, with narrow brain-case and elongated face. 
I’, guttula, Hens. 
III. Size smallest. Fur medium or harsh. Nape-hairs 
not reversed. Skull small and delicate, with smooth 
brain-case and short face. 
F. nardinotdes, Gray (F. guigna, Mol., of Hensel). 
* Cent. Zool. p. 69, pl. xxi. (1880). 
