MAMMALIA. 229 



towards the tip, with a short dusky ring between the 

 isabeUine and grey, and more or less of a black tip, espe- 

 cially towards the centre of the back. The hairs on the 

 back are about 2\ inches long. Under parts rufous 

 white The tip of the tail for about 2 inches is black : 

 there is a black ring about an inch further forward and 

 indications of a second. The cheek and face-marknigs 

 are very faint. Ears rufous brown, scarcely pencilled at 

 the end There is a faint black ring round the shoulder 

 much more strongly marked inside, as usual. The soles of 

 all the feet are black. . ^. f 



This cat agrees exactly both in the character of the tur 

 and in coloration with Cape specimens, and there are 

 skins both in the British Museum and in that of Berlin 

 which are precisely similar. This is an important point, 

 because in this instance, as in others, the animal from the 

 lowlands of Abyssinia is a tropical form and similar to 

 others found in the neighbouring tropical countries, 

 whilst that from the highlands is a form found agam 

 in a distant part of Africa, where the climate is cooler. 

 This fact is of more interest than the question whether 

 .v.„. ....-;— -..e shall be caUed species or varieties. 



a doubt that this is the "Booted 

 and Temminck especially identifies 

 Bruce's description with his F. culigata. In Bruce;s 

 figure the ears are much too large, and too f o^g 7 P^^^ 

 ilated, as remarked by Temminck. Indeed this cat 

 ^rarcelv belongs to the lyncine group. 



ifLlin I found this cat labelled F. caffra, Desm. : 

 but it does not coincide with Desmarest's description. 



