PELIS CATUS. 67 



in colour than the upper ; throat white, turning to ashy on 

 the breast ; a few black streaks on the hind legs near the 

 feet ; ears short, wide, rounded, without tufts, almost de- 

 stitute of hairs on the inside ; two maxillary teeth on each 

 side of the upper jaw, the posterior being the largest; 

 three in the lower jaw. 



Length of head and body, 1 foot 7 inches 3 lines ; tail, 

 without the hair, 9 inches. 



" Is nearly allied to the F. Oatus, which it closely re- 

 sembles in its habits, but differs from it in colour, size, 

 the length of the tail, and in the number of its molar 

 teeth." 



Lives in caves and rocky holes (Pallas). 



Inhabits the southern slopes of the Ural Mountains, 

 and is common also through Central Asia. 



rT.B. — Pallas does not give the number of molars, but 

 probably means to say that the F. Manul has only three 

 upper molars, the F. Catus having four. 



Felis Catus. 



Felis Catus, Desm. Mamm. Sp. 366 ; Pallas, Bell, Brit. Quad. 

 The Wild Cat. 



DESCKTPTioif . — Hair long and bushy, grey or brownish grey 

 above, more or less tinged with yellow, beneath paler ; a 

 black line down the middle of the back, with transverse 

 parallel bars of the same colour over the flanks, thighs, 

 and shoulders ; several narrow parallel black lines on top 

 of the head between the ears ; lips black ; feet yellowish, 

 the soles black ; tail ringed with black ; the tip black ; of 

 equal thickness throughout its whole length, and, as it 

 were, truncated at the end. 



In the male, the length of head and body is 27 inches 



