180 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



pensive to buy, and require only ordinary care and commonsense 

 treatment to keep them in perfect health. 



Since it is only the few who are able to travel far enough to 

 study the wild animals of the globe in their own haunts, it is 

 obvious that our knowledge of their habits is to be advanced as 

 much by careful observations on captive specimens as by field 

 notes ; and this domain of bionomical research is still practically 

 untrodden. It is hoped that the following account of a series 

 of mammals which have recently been in my possession may 

 not only be interesting, but also act as an encouragement 

 to others to take up the matter for themselves. The list of 

 animals is as follows : — 



Carnivora. 



Felis tigrina (Margay Tiger-Cat). — There are certain zoo- 

 logical traditions which die very hard, illustrating the result of 

 giving a dog — or any other animal — a bad name. Thus even 

 to-day most persons believe all Zebras to be untameably wild 

 and vicious, although Equus burchelli at any rate has now many 

 times been successfully broken to harness ; the black African 

 Rhinoceros is still often supposed to be a surly, sulky savage, 

 prone to charge without provocation, though the most recent 

 information shows it to rather be a short-sighted, dull-witted 

 brute, which merely rushes blindly forward when alarmed — 

 nervous, not vindictive ; and the Gorilla is still represented as 

 a ferocious almost bloodthirsty monster, though the skins of 

 several supposed to have been shot when charging have been 

 found to show the bullet-holes in the back. So also the name 

 " Tiger-Cat " has become almost proverbial for innate ferocity, 

 and any animal of this description — whether it be Serval Ocelot 

 or Margay — is popularly assumed to differ in size only from the 

 savage of the Indian jungles. Many of these beautiful animals, 

 however, become, if taken young, as tame and good-tempered as 

 could be desired, although of course allowance must be made for 

 individual differences of disposition, and it must be admitted 

 that very young animals can be as spiteful or more so than their 

 elders. I recently saw two Serval kittens which snarled and 

 hissed at the mere approach of a stranger; in the same collection 

 was an adult animal of the same species which allowed me to 

 stroke him with every indication of pleasure. A very tame and 



