266 
VEETEBRATA. 
THE RIMAN-DIHAN. 
dog, who used to idUit roiind the cage and Avith the animal, and it was amusing to observe the 
playfulness and 'tenderness Avith which the latter came in contact with his inferior-sized com- 
panion. When fed with a fowl that died, he seized the prey, and after sucking the blood and 
tearing it a little, he amused himself for hours in throAving it about and jumping after it in the 
manner that a cat plays with a mouse before it is quite dead. He never seemed to look on man 
or children as prey, but as companions : the natives assert that Avhen wild, these creatures live 
principally on poultry, birds, and the smaller kinds of deer. They are not numerous, and may 
be considered rather rare animals, even in the southern part of Sumatra. Both specimens were 
procured from the interior of Bencoolen, on the banks of the Bencoolen River. They are gener- 
ally found in the vicinity of villages, and are not dreaded by the natives, except as far as they 
may destroy the poultry. The natives assert that they sleep and often lie in Avait for their prey on 
trees ; and from this circumstance they derive the name of Dihan, Avhich signifies the fork formed 
by the branch of a tree, across which they are said to rest and occasionally to stretch themselves. 
Both specimens constantly amused themselves in frequently jumping and clinging to the top of 
their cage, and throAving a somerset, or twisting themselves round in the manner of a squirrel 
Avhen confined, the tail being extended, and showing to great advantage Avhen so expanded." 
Leaving for the present the American Jaguar and Puma Avhich rank Avith the leopard and 
panther in size, and would naturally come in here, we must noAV notice various foreign species of 
the cat family, which are intermediate between these poAverful brutes and the smaller kinds. 
The Serval, F. serval^ of Africa, has a skin of a yellowish color, marked Avith black spots; the 
tail has eight black rings ; length of the body two feet, height one foot. A young one in the 
Zoological Gardens was mild, gentle, and exceedingly sportive, playing Avith its tail and rolling 
small objects about on the floor like a kitten. It is a native of Southern Africa. 
The Gaffre Cat, F. Caffi 'ci^ is about two feet long 5 its tail is long and busby 5 its ground-color 
of a grayish broAvn zebraed Avith black. It is extremely elegant in its form and its markings. 
It is found in Caff'raria and parts of Southern Africa, living in the flats covered with long grass 
and low underAvood, and feeding upon small quadrupeds and birds. ^ 
The Nepaul Tigeb-Cat, F. Nepalensis, has a ground-color of grayish broAvn, Avith longitudinal 
bands and spots of deep black. It is of the size of the preceding, but more slender of form, and 
with the tail longer. It appears to be of a Avild and savage nature. 
The KuBOUK, F. Javanensis, found in Java ; the Marbled Cat, F. marmorata, of Malacca ; the 
MiRViNi, F. Moormensis, from the Moormi Hills of Nepaul ; the Wagati Cat, F. viverriua, of 
India ; the Balu, F. Sumatrana, of Sumatra ; the Maou, F, Chinensis, of China ; Warwick's 
