103 



Mammalia of the Southern Mahratta Country, 



[July 



23. — Felis Chaus, Gould. — Felis Ajfinis, Gray, 



Maul Beh Canarese o^lf^'^xT 



Kadu belr or K«r beh. . f Do. of the Waddar caste f 17 

 Bella bek i who eat them ...... f «?«r-^ 



rv> XT 



Janglibilli Dakhani ^ 



Bhaoga Mahratta of Ghats 



From an examination of a number of skins deposited Ipv me in the 

 British Museum, Mr. Gray seems to consider the Affin'is to be identical 

 with Chaus. 



29.— .Felis. . Wagati, Mahratta of the Ghats. 



This animal I was unable to identify with any of the species described' 

 so it may perhaps be a new one. It seems to differ both in size and 

 colour from the Felis Viverrinus sent home byMr. Heath, and described 

 by Mr. Bennet.* It is peculiar to the western ghat forests. It 

 approaches most nearly to the Felis Tigrina or Marg ay, Gm. ; the Felis 

 Javanensis or Kuivuk, Horsf. ; and the Felis Diardi. 



The Wagati (an adult male) is 26 inches long, from the muzzle to the 

 insertion of the tail, which is nearly 11 more — in all nearly 37 inches. 

 The colour is pale yellowish grey — darker on. the back — yellowish white 

 or pale yellow on the sides — white on the under parts of the body. The 

 forehead has 4 longitudinal spots. In a line w T ith these, from the vertex, 

 four lines run to the shoulders, the outer broader, the centre ones nar- 

 rower, and these two last are continued almost uninterruptedly to the tail ; 

 the others break diagonally into large longitudinal spots, which are 

 continued in rows of smaller rounder spots to the centre of the belly. 

 There are about six rows on each side, exclusive of the two dorsal lines. 

 Two smaller bands run from the eye, and along the upper Hp, to a throat- 

 band running transversely below the ears. Two other similar trans- 

 verse bands cross the breast with a row of spots between. The inside 

 of the arm has two broad bands, and the soles are dark brown or nearly 

 black. The tail is spotted on the upper half and indistinctly annulate 

 towards the tip. It is very fierce— living in trees in the thick forests ; and 

 preying on birds and small quadrupeds. A shikaree declared that it drops 

 on larger animals, and even on deer, and eats it^way into the neck ; 

 that the animal in vain endeavours, to roll or shake it off, and at last is 

 destroyed. 



* Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1833, Part I. p. G8. 



(To be continued.) 



