32 FELID^. 



body marked with transverse or, rather, perpendicular bands 

 which are more or less broken, into spots ; and it has more marked, 

 wider, and black bands across the upper part of the fore and hmd 

 legs. The tail, which is not quite so long as the body, is of the 

 same colour as the back, and has some narrow black rings near the 

 tip, which is black. 



The Felts inconspicim, of India and the F. caligata of Africa are 

 nearly allied and very similar ; but one is grey and the other more 

 fulvous and rather differently marked — so much so that I think they 

 are distinct. They and Felis indica, the " Domestic Cat of India," 

 differ from Felis chaus of India (and Africa?) in the greater length 

 of the tail. The first two are almost always more or less distinctly 

 banded and spotted, the F. chaus and F. indica being very obscurely 

 (if at all) banded, except on the legs and thighs. 



31. Felis domestica. B.M. 



Felis domestica, Brisson ; Blasius, Wirhelt. JEktr. p. 167. f. 104, 



105 (skull) ; Gray, P. Z. 8. 1867, p. 272. 

 Felis syriaca, Jldrov. 



Hah. Syria ?, and has been introduced as a domestic animal in 

 most countries. 



The normal colour seems to be that of the Tabby Cat, grey with 

 black dorsal streaks and subconcentric bands on sides and thighs; 

 sometimes all black from melanism, or grey, blue, yeUow, or white, or 

 these colours more or less mixed. When black, white, and yellow, 

 it is called Tortoise-shell or Spanish Cat. The fur varies greatly in 

 length ; it is very short, close, and almost erect from the skin ui 

 the Rabbit Cats ; it is very long, silky, and fluffy in the Angora (or 

 Angola) Cat. The tail is usually long. It is very short or almost 

 entirely wanting in the Isle-of-Man Cats, or the Japan Cats of 

 Ksempfer. The ears are generally erect ; but they are sometimes 

 pendulous in the Chinese Cats. 



Mr. Hodgson thinks the Domestic Cat {Felis domestica) is derived 

 from F. nepalensis (Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, i. p. 341). Pennant 

 (Hist. Quad. i. p. 293) says the Indian Wild Cat breeds with the 

 Domestic English one. The Domestic Cats in India breed with F. 

 chaus and rubiginosa, Elliot, with F. omata, Scott, and with F. 

 viverrina, Kelaart, in Ceylon. They breed with F. caffra, Layard, 

 at the Cape (see Blyth, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 184). 



In the British Museum there is a specimen of Felis domestica that 

 was collected, by Mr. Darwin, wild in the woods at Maldanado, men- 

 tioned in the ' Voyage of the Beagle,' Mam. p. 20. It shows how 

 nearly the Domestic Cat is to the above species : it chiefly differs 

 from F. caligata in the tail being more slender and tapering, the 

 colours more intense and defined, and in the throat being pure 

 white. It is dark grey, grizzled with black streaks and spots; the 

 streaks on the legs are wide, those of the fore legs more or less 

 confluent. The taU is grey for two-thirds of its length, with black 

 rings, the hinder one being broadest ; the hinder third of the tail is 



