228 ZOOLOGY. 



5. F. caligata, Temm. 



Booted Lynx of Brace, Travels, vol. v. p. 146, with plate. 

 2**. caUgata, Temm. MonograpMea de Mammalogie, i. p. 123. 



It is extremely difficult to ascertain the correct specific 

 names for cats. Dr. Gray may perhaps be right in 

 uniting all these African forms. In this case as in 

 hundreds of others, if a large series be examined, it will 

 be found that there is a gradation between the extreme 

 forms, and yet the Gordian knot is only cut by classing 

 all together. In the present instance, the single speci- 

 men of a wild cat which I obtained from the highlands 

 of Abyssinia is so entirely difierent from the specimen 

 last described, that no naturalist looking at these two 

 only would consider them to belong to the same species. 

 The specimen which I assign to F. caligata was shot at 

 Adigrat at an elevation of about 8,000 feet above the 

 sea. It is at least twice the size of the specimen of 

 F. maniculata ; the measurements, again unfortunately 

 only taken from the dried skin (which, however, is in 

 beautiful order and in no way distorted), being — 



ft, in. 



Head and body to insertion of tail 2 1 



Tail 11 



Total 3 2 



The head is about 4 inches long, ears 2 in. long, radius 

 5| in., carpal joint to end of toe 3 in., tibia 51 in., tarsus 

 and hind toes 5-^ in. The general colour is a somewhat 

 rufous grey, darker from being mixed with black towards 

 the centre of the back. The hair of the fur is fulvous, 

 becoming paler on the flanks, dusky at the root, grey 



