484 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



frequent reeds near to the water, to feed on Fish, Snails, 

 and Muscles. 



The Rimau Bulu of the Malays is described and figured 

 by Dr. Horsfield, under the epithet Sumatrana; he says it 

 is one of the various species of Felis which are found on 

 the Island of Sumatra. 



It is really quite disheartening to the Tyro in zoology to 

 be told of the various species of one genus of mammalia to 

 be found in a single island. Either any thing like perfec- 

 tion in a catalogue of animals is perfectly unattainable, or 

 the species are unduly multiplied. It cannot be doubted on 

 the authority of such an observer and such a scholar as 

 Dr. Horsfield, that there are strongly-marked external dif- 

 ferences in various individuals and, perhaps, races of the 

 genus ; but are not all these analogous to what the French 

 call the Chien des Rues, the endless varieties of the Dog, 

 and will they not all breed together ? If so, these external 

 characters on which their distinctness is founded, will be 

 found to be evanescent, and the zoologist be constantly 

 doomed to the more difficult task of unlearning much of 

 what he has acquired. 



We shall merely observe that this particular Sumatra 

 Cat, or the Rimau Bulu, is about the size of the preceding, 

 the colour more yellow, and the spots blacker ; these are 

 also much more irregular both in disposition and shape. 

 Our author seems to refer it to the Bengal Cat of Pennant. 



There appears, however, to be in Java another wild spe- 

 cies of the Cat, much larger, and very remarkable for the 

 beautiful regularity of its spots, which our author names 

 from M. Diard, its describer, Felis Diardi. Major Smith 

 has long had it in his collection ; and we have also a draw- 

 ing of it. 



Its size is nearly that of the Ocelot. The ground colour 

 of its fur is yellowish-gray. The throat and back are co- 



