CARNARIA. 79 



F.pardus, L. ; the Pardalis of the ancients. (The Panther.) Fawn 

 coloured above; white beneath; with six or seven rows of black spots, re- 

 sembling roses, that is, formed by the assemblage of five or six simple 

 spots on each flank; the tail is the length of the body, minus that of the 

 head. 



F. leopardus, L. (The Leopard.) From Africa; similar to the Panther, 

 but has ten rows of smaller spots. 



F. discolor, L. ; Buff. (The Couguar or Puma.) Red, with small spots 

 of a slightly deeper red which are not easily perceived. From both Ame- 

 ricas, where it preys on Sheep, Deer, &c. 



Among the inferior species, we should distinguish the Lynxes, which 

 are remarkable for the pencils of hair which ornament their ears. 



Four or five different kinds of them are known in commerce. The most 

 beautiful, which are as large as the Wolf — F. cervaria, Temm., come from 

 Asia by the way of Russia, and have a slightly reddish-grey fur, finely spot- 

 ted with black. 



Others from Canada and the north of Sweden — F. borealis, Temm., have 

 the fur very much tufted, extending even under the feet; of an ash-coloured 

 grey, and with scarcely any spots. 



We find also in North America the 



F. rufa, Giild. (The Bay Lynx.) A reddish fawn or greyish colour, 

 mottled with brown; brown waves on the thighs; tail annulated with black 

 or brown; rather smaller than the Lynx. 



F. caracal, L.. (The Caracal. J Of an almost uniform vinous red. From 

 Persia, Turkey, &c. It is the true Lynx of the ancients. 



The inferior species, which are deprived of the pencils on the ears, are 

 more or less similar to our common Cat; such is 



F. pardalis, L. ; Buff. (The Ocelot.) Rather lower on its legs than 

 most of the others; grey, with large fawn-coloured spots bordered with 

 black, forming oblique bands on the flank. From Amei'ica. 



F. catus, Li. (The Domestic Cat.) This animal is originally from the 

 forests of Europe. In its wild state, it is of a greyish brown, with darker 

 transverse undulations; below pale; the insides of the thighs and of all the 

 feet, yellowish; three bands on the tail, its inferior third blackish. In a 

 domestic state it varies, as is well known, in colours, in the length and 

 fineness of the hair, but infinitely less so than the Dog; it is also much less 

 submissive and affectionate. The 



AMPHIBIA 

 Will form the third and last of the small tribes into which we di- 

 vide the Carnivora. Their feet are so short and so enveloped in 

 the skin, that the only service they can render them on land, is to 

 enable them to crawl; but as the intervals of the fingers are occu- 

 pied by membranes, they are excellent oars; and in fact, these ani- 

 mals pass the greater portion of their time in the water; never 



