MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 499 



V 



Felis bengalensis, Kerr. 



The LeoiHird Cat. 



4 (5 d • 1 $ • Virajpet, S. Coorg. • 



2 (no skulls) Haleri, N. Oroog. 



The yellow brown wild cat, with dark brown or black longitudinal stripes 

 and spots ; underside white and spotted. Head and body about 21 inches 

 long, tail about half that length, weight about 6^ lbs. 



This series, which is very uniform, will be most useful in working out 

 the F. bengalensis group when more specimens from other parts of India 

 have been received, nothing can really be attempted in the way of sorting 

 out, or breaking up, this very difficult and complicated group until speci- 

 mens have been obtained from. Bengal ; these are the first examples of this 

 cat that have been collected during the survey, and the National Collection 

 is very badly off for specimens, those which it does possess are mostly poor 

 skins with very vague localities, therefore it is impossible to try to give 

 any sort of synonymy at present as more material is greatly needed. 



" Fairly plentiful in Coorg, apparently more so than Fells affi')ds which is 

 the common wild cat in most parts of Southern India. Particularly 

 numerous around villages, where they destroy large numbers of fowls. I 

 have seen specimens of this cat from as far North as Castle Rock (North 

 Kanara) where, however, they appear to be rare. In North Kanara and 

 Dharwar districts the vernacular name " Wagati" is used indiscriminately, 

 both for this species and Felis rubiginosa'\ — G. C. S. 



Vernacular name : — Borka. ' 



Felis (domestic). 

 1. Haleri, N. Coorg. 

 Probably a hybrid cat. Grey with lateral stripes like an ordinary tabby 

 cat. 



ViVERRICTJLA MALACCENSIS, Gmel. 



The Small Indian Civet. 



(Synonymy in No. 3.) 



I 6 . Wotekolli, S. Coorg. 

 Id, 3 $ $. Virajpet, S. Coorg. 

 I J . Kutta, S. Coorg. 



3 $ $ , 2 not sexed. Haleri, N. Coorg. 



('S'ee also Reports Nos. 3, 5, 7 and 10.) 



A brownish grey civet with longitudinal black or brown stripes and 

 rows of spots on its back and a stripe down each side of the neck, brown 

 paws and a longish narrow head and pointed nose. Head and body about 

 22 inches, tail about 16 inches. Some specimens are lighter in colour and 

 the stripes and spots indistinct, the tail is ringed, grey and brown. 



" Very plentiful in Coorg. Blanford states that he has not heard of 

 any Civet Cat being kept in India for the production of Civet"; but a 

 number of this species are kept for that purpose at Kolar in Eastern 

 Mysore. Civet is very largely produced from this species in Java, where 

 it is used very considerably for flavouring the tobacco smoked by the 

 natives. 



Civets, Paradoxures and the Common Mongoose do not seem to be such 

 persistent raiders of poultry yards as the suisbll felidae ; not on account of 

 any shyness, as they all have the habit of collecting in large numbers 

 around human habitations. If such were the case, it would hardly be 

 possible to keep poultry at all in a district like Coorg, where these animals 

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