18 



SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 



Turkestan and described by Dr. J. E. Gray 1 in 1873 as Chaus caudatus. The tail was cer- 

 tainly much shorter than was represented in Dr. Gray's figure, but this might have been 

 due in part at least to a portion having been lost. Accordingly, in the published list of the 

 collections, I noted the species as Fells sp. near F. pardina (? Chaus caudatus, Gray.) 



Subsequently, in 1876, two additional skins of the same cat were brought from Yarkand, 

 one by Mr. Shaw and the other by Dr. Scully. Neither is perfect, but Mr. Shaw's specimen 

 only wants the paws, and the whole skeleton has been preserved with the skin. It was 

 evident that the species was quite distinct from Chaus caudatus, the tail being considerably 

 shorter, and the skull of quite a different form. I consequently described this apparently 

 new form, and named it after Mr. It. B. Shaw, to whom we are so much indebted for our 

 present knowledge of Eastern Turkestan. 



Description. — General colour pale greyish fulvous above, the back rather darker than 

 the sides, underparts white ; the body marked throughout with rather small black spots, 

 which are largest on the abdomen, smaller and closer together on the shoulders and thighs, 

 tending to form cross lines on the latter, and indistinct on the middle of the back ; anterior 

 portion of the face and muzzle whitish, cheek stripes of rusty red and black hairs mixed. 

 Ears rather more rufous outside, especially towards the tip, which is blackish-brown and 

 pointed, the hairs at the end scarcely lengthened ; interior of ears white. There are some 

 faint rufous spots at the side of the neck. Breast very faintly rufous with one narrow 

 brownish band across. Inner side of limbs mostly white, a black band inside the forearm, 

 and a very black spot behind the tarsus. Apparently there are two black bands inside the 

 thigh, but the limbs are ill-preserved in all the specimens. Tail dusky above near the base, 

 with 5 or 6 black bars above on the posterior half, none below, the dark bars closer together 

 towards the tip. Eur soft, moderately long, purplish-grey towards the base. 



The size appears rather to exceed that of a domestic cat, and to equal that of F. chaus. 

 The tail apparently is about half the length of the body without the head. In the two best 

 skins examined, the length from nose to rump is about 25 inches, the tail 7 to 8, but very 

 little dependence can be placed on such measurements. The tail- vertebrae from the posterior 

 end of the sacrum measure when put together 8" 75 inches, which would coincide with a tail 

 measurement outside the body of about 7^ inches. 



The skeleton is that of an adult animal, and the following are dimensions of the skull 

 and limb bones : 





Metre. 



Inches. 



Total length of skull ......... 



. -108 



4-25 



Length from incisors to lower edge of foramen magnum 



. -093 



3-67 



Breadth across hinder parts of zygomatic arches . 



. -073 



2-87 



behind postorbital processes ....... 



. -031 



1-23 



Least breadth of face between orbits ....... 



. -020 



0-8 



Length of suture between nasal bones ...... 



. -025 



1- 



Greatest diameter of bony orbit ....... 



. -033 



1-25 



Length of bony palate behind incisors ...... 



. -041 



1-63 



Length of mandible .......... 



. -073 



2-88 



Height of do. from the angle to the top of the corronoid process . 



. -033 



1-3 





•140 



5-52 





. -141 



5-57 





•126 



4-95 





•133 



5-26 



1 P. Z. S. 1874, p. 31, PI. VI, VII. 



