11. CHAtrs. 35 



species easily distinguished from the CJiaus of Asia by the greater 

 length and development of the taiL 



Mr. Blyth has kindly given to the British Museum a specimen of 

 the Domestic Cat of India, which is generally distributed there. It 

 agrees with Felis chaus in almost every character, but it is smaller 

 in size. The tail is rather longer compared with the length of the 

 body, has more narrow black rings, occupying fuU half of the length 

 of the taU, and there are two narrow pale cheek-streaks. 



In the Museum there are two larger and rather darker specimens, 

 agreeing in almost every particular with the above. They are most 

 likely hybrids between F. chaus and F. domestica. The Wild F. chaus 

 is peculiar for having the cheek-stripes very indistinctly marked, or 

 one or both entirely wanting. 



2. Chans omatus. £.M. 



Fur short, pale whitish brown, black-spotted. Spots small ; on 

 the middle of the back smaller, linear ; on the front part of the sides 

 larger, oblong ; on the hinder part of the sides small, round ; on the 

 thighs and upper part of the legs confluent, forming interrupted 

 cross bands. Tail reaching rather below the heel, pale at the lower 

 half, with some interrupted black rings at the end, which is whiter 

 than the rest of the tail, the tip black. Crown with lines of small 

 spots ; cheeks with two narrow dark lines ; chin, throat, and spot 

 over the orbits whitish; beUy with •black spots like those on the 

 side. Body and head 19, tail 8 inches. 



Felis ornata, Gray, Must. Ind. Zool. t. ; P. Z. S. 1867, p. 401. 



? Felis Huttonii, Blyth, M.S. 



Chaus omatus, Gray, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 275. 



Hah. India {Capt. Boys). 



Legs long and slender. SkuU, adult, imperfect behind. Animal 

 very different from Felis torquata, F. Cuvier. The skull sent from 

 the Salt-range by Mr. Oldham and marked F.Euttonii, Blyth. Length 

 3 inches 10 lines, width 2 inches 7 lines. Orbits moderate, incom- 

 plete behind, 1 inch in diameter ; crown convex, shelving on the 

 sides ; face rather short, broad ; nasal very long, slender. 



The orbits are mudi larger than in a skull of F. himalayana, of a 

 larger size. 



This Cat is at once known from all the other Indian species by 

 the length and slendemess of the tail, and the small size and equal 

 distribution of the spots. In this respect it resembles the Hunting 

 Leopard; but the band on the legs, the shortness of the tail, and the 

 terminal half of the tail being ringed at once distinguish it from 

 that Cat and all the other species. The tail is somewhat like that of 

 F. cJmus. 



This rather short-tailed Indian Cat has not been well under- 

 stood. It has been most oddly mixed up by Mr. Blyth and others 

 with Felis torquata (the Cfiat de Nepaul of F. Cuvier, Mamm. Lithog. 

 livr, ii. 54), also named Felis hengalensis by Desmarest in the Sup- 

 plement to his ' Mammalia,' which is a grey-waved Cat, nearly 



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