150 BOTANIC GARDENS MENAGERTE. 



Felts tristis. 



A full grown female of this large cat was sent to the gar- 

 dens in a stick cage one night, and was put temporarily in part 

 of the monkey cage. It -however managed to escape from its 

 travelling cage, and as it could not be recaptured with any 

 safety it had to be shot. The carcase was sent to the museum. 



F. Temminchi. 



A golden cat was sent from Pahang in 1893, and lived for 

 some time, when it suddenly died. It was a very quiet and 

 handsome animal with its marbled orange tabby fur. It was 

 one of the most placid cats I ever saw. As there was some 

 difficulty in getting its travelling cage into the large cage, en- 

 deavours were made to get it to walk into its new home, but 

 nothing would induce it to move. When squirted at with 

 water it sat still and lapped up the water ; when a smoke of 

 brown paper was made it folded its paws and went to sleep. 

 Finally the travelling cage was got into the large cage and 

 broken to pieces, till at last the cat remained sitting calmly 

 on the last bit of the box. 



F. bengalensis. 



The Leopard cat is the kind most commonly brought in 

 for sale. It is a beautiful little animal, hardly as big as a good 

 sized English cat, yellow with round black spots. When 

 caught full grown it is usually extremely vicious. Two kept 

 in one cage always watched carefully at feeding time for the 

 keeper, to try and strike him with their paws when he opened 

 the small side door to put the food in. Being nocturnal they 

 are generally very quiet, hardly moving all day, and frequently 

 only feeding at night. When caught as kittens they can some- 

 times be made as tame as an English cat. One kept for a long 

 time by Mr. Hervey in Malacca was presented by him to the 

 gardens where it lived many years, and was quite tame and 

 would play like a kitten with anyone. Formerly it was kept 

 loose in the house in Malacca but it got so very sportive and 

 smashed so much glass and china that it had to be- shut up. 



Jour. Straits Branch 



