TEE OAT, ' 



Its upper parts are clear yello-w, and its under parts white, and 

 its .entinj body is spotted with blaci. Among the natives it is 

 known as bosoh-katte, or bush oat. It is an inoffensive crea- 

 ture, not easily irritated, and behaving generally like our own 

 familiar grimalkin. 



America has several tiger-cats, foremost amongst which may 

 be mentioned the Ocelot. Two of these animals were kept at 

 the Tower of London at the time when that ancient fortress 

 counted a menagerie among its other attractions, and of one of 

 these Mr. Bennett gives the following description : — 



" Body when full grown nearly three feet In length ; tail 

 rather more than one foot; medium height about eighteen 

 inches. Ground-colour of fur gray, mingled with a sKght tinge 

 of fawn, elegantly marked with numerous longitudinal bands, 

 the dorsal one continuous and entirdy black, the lateral (six or 

 seven on each side) consisting for the most part of a series of 

 elongated spots with black margins, sometimes completely dis- 

 tinct, sometimes running together. The centre of each spot of 

 a deeper fawn than the ground-colour external to them ; this 

 deeper tinge is also conspicuous on the head and neck, and on 

 the outside of the limbs, all of which parts are irregularly 

 marked with full black lines and spots of various sizes. From 

 the top of the head between the ears, there pass backwards, 

 towards the shoulders, two or more,frequentlyfouruninterrupted 

 diverging bands, which inclose a narrow fawn-colour space 

 with a black margin ; between these there is a single longi- 

 tudinal, somewhat interrupted, narrow black hne, occupjring 

 the centre of the neck above. Ears short and rounded, ex- 

 ternally margined with black, surrounding a large central 

 whitish spot. Under parts of the body whitish, spotted with 

 black, and the tail, which is of the same ground-colour with 

 the body, also covered with black spots." 



This animal is a native of Mexico and Paraguay. Its home 

 is the gloomiest depths of the forest, where all day long it lies 

 quiet but, as night advances, comes out to prey on birds and 

 small quadrupeds. It is said to be a particularly cunning 

 creature, and sometimes, when other stratagems to replenish 

 his larder have failed, to stretch himself all along the bough of 

 a tree and sham death. The monkeys of the neighbourhood 

 have no greater enemy than the ocelot; therefore, it is only 

 natural that when they find him dead they should be much 

 rejoiced, and call together their friends and relations to see the 

 pi>etty sight. The iareaoberous ocelot is, however, meanwhile 



