FELIS SUMATRANA. 



Ord. III"".' Carnassiers, Cuvier. 3"i' Famille. Les Carnivores, 2''? Tribu, 



Digitigrades. 

 Ord. III. Ferje, Linn. Syst. 

 Ord. XII. Falculata, Illiger. Fam. 35, Sanguinaria. 



FELIS, Linn. Briss. Er.vleb. Cuv. Geoff. Illig. 



Char. Gen. — Denies Primores intermedii eequales. Molares supra utrinsecus qua- 

 tuor, tertius maximus, interius gradu lateral! auctus, quartus tritorius (aliis 

 nuUus). Infra utrinsecus tres, tertius maximus. Rostrum breve, rhinario rotun- 

 dato. Lingua retrorsum aculeata. Folliculus supra anum nuUus. Pedes digiti- 

 gradi antice pentadactyli, postice tetradactyli. Ungues: falcul^ acutse retractiles. 



Felis Cauda abbreviata apice fusca, corpore ex flavescente griseo-ferrugineo maculis 

 atro-fuscis dorsalibus lineari-oblongis confluentibus, lateralibus angularibus irre- 

 gularibus sparsis. 



The name of Felis javanensis having been applied to a subject described in 

 the first number of these Researches, which appears to be peculiar to Java, the 

 present species, which has been forwarded to the Museum of the Honourable East 

 India Company by Sir Stamford Raffles, from the neighbouring Island of Sumatra, on 

 which it has hitherto been found exclusively, may with propriety be denominated Felis 

 SuMATRANA. In the article referred to, the resemblance which exists between the 

 smaller species of this genus, hitherto described by authors, has been pointed out ; 

 and although between several it is very close, they possess, individually, characters 

 too well defined, to allow them to be united into a single species. The Felis javanensis 

 and the Felis bengalensis are most alhed ; to these the Serval, the Fehs galeopardus, 

 approaches nearest in external characters ; the Felis vmdulata is readily distinguished 

 by the transverse disposition of its marks ; and the Felis sumatrana possesses peculi- 

 arities stiU more obvious and striking. AU these species are natives of the East Indies : 

 the same remark regarding the aflftnity of external characters, apphes to the more 

 numerous species of this genus which are found in North and South America. 



In size, in the proportion of the legs to the body, and in the shortness of the 

 tail, our species agrees Avith the Felis javanensis ; it is also, like that animal, marked 

 with four dark brown lines, consisting of oblong confluent spots, which commence 

 on the forehead, between the eyes, and pass along the back to the root of the tail, 



