1856.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society . 441 



discover no distinction in ike skull, or in the rest of the skeleton ; except- 

 ing that the metacarpal bones of the Darjiling specimen are conspicuously 

 shorter; whereas, compared with the Dingo skeleton, which in all respects 

 is that of a domestic Dog y the distinctions are great and manifest. Upon 

 present evidence, I can only regard it as a specimen of C. dukhunensis* 

 in winter vesture, as developed in a cold climate ; and the Malayan race 

 appears also to be identically the same, only much deeper in colouring. 

 In this case, the various names are unfortunate, primcevus as implying it 

 to be the origin of any domestic variety, and others as of restricted local 

 application ; and Canis (or Cuon) rutilans of Temminck is by far the 

 most suitable appellation that has been suggested for the species, suppos- 

 ing it (as I believe it to be) identical in India at' 'all elevations and in the 

 Malayan peninsula and archipelago. In Burma it would appear to be 

 particularly numerous. 



7. Dr. David Scott, of Hansi. Three skins of Cats, sent as those of 

 three species of wild Cats inhabiting that part of India. One is the ordi- 

 nary Felis chaus ; another a melanoid variety of the same (doubtless 

 that indicated by Mr. Theobald in XXII, 582) ; and the third is a little 

 known species which I identify as 



Felis ornata, Gray (founded on an exceedingly bad coloured drawing, 

 obviously by a native artist, published in Hardwicke's ' Illustrations of 

 Indian Zoology') ; F. servalina apud Jardine, Nat. Libr., Felince (nee 

 F. servalina, Ogilby) ; F. ad Oxam, Pallas (apud Gray) ; F. Huttoni, nobis 

 (founded on a skin from the Hazara hills) ; Chaus servalina, Gray, Brit. 

 Mus. Catal. This wild species approximates very nearly to the domestic 

 Cat. The ground-colour of the fur is a "Cat-grey," more or less fulves- 

 cent ; or better described as pale greyish-fulvous in some specimens ; with 

 numerous roundish black spots, which tend to unite into transverse bands 

 on the sides : on the head, nape and shoulders, the spots are smaller and 

 less distinct, and tend to form longitudinal lines on the occiput and nape, 

 but not upon the back : on the limbs there are distinct cross-bands, with 

 one or two broad black streaks within the arm, as in the Chaus and com- 

 monly in domestic Cats ; the paws blackish underneath : cheek-stripes as 

 usual : breast spotted, but the belly almost free from spots : tail tapering 

 more or less distinctly, and marked with a series of well defined rings 

 and a black tip : ears externally dull rufous, with a slight but distinct 

 duskyish pencil-tuft at tip, — not black-tipped as in the Chaus, nor is their 

 rufous colour nearly so bright as in that animal, differing little from the 

 general hue of the body : the fur, according to locality or perhaps season, 

 is more or less dense or full ; and the markings are much brighter and 

 more distinct in some individuals than in others. 



3 m 2 



