IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. 65 



The cold was accompanied by slight cough and much sneezing. The 

 animal was not removed to another place, but, to protect it from 

 probable risk of climate and to keep the place as warm as possible, 

 canvas screens were hung all round, and a very thick straw bedding 

 was provided. For the first three or four days the animal ate absolutely 

 nothing, but when it had partially recovered its appetite chicken soup 

 and milk were given. Except a dose of castor oil (half an ounce) in 

 milk, no medicine was internally administered. During the time the 

 ocelot remained ill the washing of its cage was altogether suspended. 

 In about a fortnight the animal completely recovered. 



Observations on the habits of an Ocelot. 

 The specimen exhibited in the garden was a playful, active creature ; 

 when not asleep it was hardly ever at rest. It found great amusement 

 in setting some wooden balls rolling, and watching them in motion, 

 sometimes from one side and sometimes from another, and, when they 

 stopped, in setting them in motion again. Anything tassellated or 

 pendant greatly excited and amused this animal, so that, when tired of 

 playing with the balls, it would betake itself to the bunch of jute which 

 hung from the roof of its cage. It was extremely tame and purred like 

 a domestic cat when pleased at the attention paid to it ; but it once 

 betrayed such ferocity, its great tameness notwithstanding, that all 

 confidence in the animal's temper was lost. A boy-keeper of some 

 fifteen years of age cleaned its cage every morning, and was very friendly 

 with the animal. "While engaged in his usual work one morning, the 

 ocelot attacked him savagely and literally tore open his scalp, inflicting 

 at the same time other less severe wounds. Having regard to the 

 manner of attack as described by the boy, it was conjectured that the 

 pendant locks of his hair, set in motion by the movement of his body 

 while sweeping out the cage, attracted the beast, and that the resistance 

 which the boy naturally offered exasperated it, and its native ferocity of 

 temper was aroused. 



(63) THE DOMESTIC CAT. 

 (FELIS CATUS vae. DOMESTICUS -IftwZ.) 



Several varieties of domestic cats have been exhibited : the Persian 

 cat with lengthened fur ; the Malayan cat with truncated tail, — some 

 of these having short and peculiarly twisted tail; and the semi- 

 domesticated Indian cat with grey-ground colour and black stripes, 

 supposed to be derived from the Felis viverrina. A Thibetan cat with 

 an ashy coat has been living in excellent health for the last year. 



(64) THE HUNTING LEOPARD. 



(CYNJ3LURUS JUBATUS— ScArefi.) 



Hindi — Chita. 

 Description. — Head and body about 4 feet, tail about 2. Slender 

 in body and lanky in limbs. Head round and much smaller than that 

 of a leopard. Fur generally coarse, hair about the neck and belly some- 

 what lengthened and shaggy. General colour above and on the sides 



