TEIilS CABACAL, 113 



116. Fells caracal 



ScHEEBEB.— Blyth, Cat. 187 ; Synopsis 20. — Caracal melanotis, 

 Gbay. — Wolf, Zool. Drawings. — Siagosh, H., L e., black-ear. 



The Bed Lysx. 



Descr. — General color unspotted vinous brown or bright Mtous brown, 

 paler beneath, almost white in many ; tail coucolorous with the body, 

 tapering, with the tip black ; lower parts with some obscure spots, at times 

 distinct, on the belly, flanks and inside of Hmbs ; ears black externally, 

 white within, a long dark ear-tuft ; a black spot where the moustaches 

 grow, and another above the eye, also a line down each side of the nose. 



Length 26 to 30 inches ; tail 9 or 10 ; ear 3 ; height 16 to 18 inches. 



This handsome animal is found, though rarely, in many parts of India. 

 I have had it from the Northern Circars on the east coast; from the 

 Neermul jungles between Hydrabad and Nagpore ; and from the Viudhian 

 range of hills near Mhow. It was sent to Mr. Blyth from Jeypore. It 

 appears to be more abimdant perhaps in the west of India, in Kandeish, 

 Gujrat and Cutch ; and the Guicowar is said to keep, a pack of trained 

 lynxes with which he hunts peafowl, hares, &c. It appears to be quite 

 imknown in the Himalayas and in Bengal, and the countries to the east- 

 ward. The Bheels about Mhow assert that it kills many peafowl, hares, 

 &o., in its wild state ; and it is occasionally trained to stalk peafowl, hares, 

 kites, crows, cranes, &c., &c. It is found in Persia, Arabia, Tibet, where 

 sometimes trained, and throughout all Africa. 



The common lynx of Tibet is F. isabelUna, Blyth, and there is a small 

 cat-like species in the same country, F. manul, Pallas, (JE'. nigripectus, 

 Hodgson). There is also recorded a I', megalotis, Temminck, from 

 Timor. Other lynxes are the European red lynx, J", lynx, Temminck ; 

 the great lynx, F. cervaria, L ; the pardiue lynx, of Spain, F. pardina ; 

 and the Arctic lynx, F. borealis, Temminck ; all four found in Europe, 

 and the last in North America also ; and the bay lynx, F. rufa, peculiar to 

 North America. 



The last of the Indian Felidce differs a good deal from the others in 

 having the claws only partially retractile, in being of a much more 

 slender make, and with longer limbs ; and it has been separated generally 

 as Cynailurus, Wagler. 



