THE SERVAL. 



The serval (Felis served) is one of the forms of the 

 Felidse, and appears to unite the characteristics of the 

 lynx and cheetah. In the form of the limbs, and the 

 colour and marking, as well as the texture of the coat, it 

 closely approaches the cheetah (Felis jubata); and in shape 

 of the body and shortness of its tail, together with the 

 somewhat erect and rather pointed ears, it represents the 

 family of the lynx. It, however, requires a very little 

 consideration to discover the number of resemblances 

 among this beautiful order, as, for instance, the Persian 

 lynx resembles the puma of America as much in colour as 

 the serval does the cheetah. Thus we have the serval with 

 its spotted coat and short tail side by side with the Persian 

 lynx in its plain dress. 



Throughout the whole group of the Felidse there is so 

 little variance in the structure of the animals, that, 

 divested of their skins, the most learned anatomist would 

 be much perplexed to find characters to distinguish one 

 species from another, except by the size ; and in the case 

 of animals like the lion and tiger, it is only possible by a 

 very slight difference in the skull to distinguish these 

 two well-marked species, the skins of which present so 

 great a contrast. 



The skins of the large cats, such as the leopards of the 

 old world and the jaguars of America, are distinct enough 



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