Felid^. MAMMALIA. Felid.®. Ill 
by her side there lay two dead leverets ! In the ordi- 
nary domesticated condition, the cat is certainly of a 
capricious disposition, but its habits are too well known 
to demand any lengthened exposition. 
THE .EGYPTIAN CAT {Felis maniculata). — The 
Frankfort naturalist, Eiippell, who discovered this 
species during his travels in Nubia, has expressed his 
opinion that our common domestic cat owes its origin 
to this species. Temminck and others have supported 
this persuasion, and authorities are still divided on the 
subject. After weighing the arguments on either side, 
all that we can say, is, that there appears more pro- 
bability of our tame animals having descended from 
the .Egyptian, than from the European wild form ; but 
the matter is b3' no means settled. In the .Egyptian 
cat the limbs are more slender, while the tail is 
narrower and longer than in Felis Catus. The fur is 
greyish-yellow generally; the cheek, throat, under part 
of the throat, and belly being white. A dark stripe 
runs along the central line of the back, and the limbs 
ai’e crossed by several faint blackish bands. The 
length of the body is about twenty inches, exclusive of 
the tail, which measures three-quarters of a foot. 
THE PAMPAS CAT {Felis pajeros). — This species is 
extensively distributed over the South American 
plains, from the banks of the La Plata to the Straits of 
Magellan. It is about the size of the European wild 
cat, measuring twenty-six inches, exclusive of the tail, 
which is about a foot from root to tip. The fur is 
particularly long, the individual hairs being from three 
to five inches in length ; it is of a pale yellowish-grey 
colour generally, and banded at the sides by numerous 
irregularly-disposed stripes of a brownish tinge. Along 
the central line of the back the hairs have a brownish- 
black colour, which is more or less continued on the 
tail. The head is comparatively small and rounded, 
the ears having a moderate development. The tail is 
short, thick, and rather bushy ; but it does not exhibit 
any circular markings or spots. According to D’Azara, 
the natives call it Gato Pajero, or jungle cat. It is 
said to feed chiefly upon guinea-pigs. 
THE CHATI {Felis mitis) is somewhat larger than 
our common domestic cat, measuring three feet includ- 
ing the tail, for which eleven inches may be reckoned. 
The fur displays a multitude of irregularly arranged 
dark-brown patches on a general ground colour of pale 
yellow above, and white below ; on the limbs these 
spots are more rounded, and there are two crescent- 
shaped collar-like bands beneath the throat. The ears 
are blackish externally; the pupil of the ejm is rounded. 
The tail is slightly ringed towards the tip. Like the 
foregoing, the Chati is an inhabitant of the plains of 
South America. The female preserved in the Parisian 
menagerie, was extremely gentle and fond of attention. 
THE CHIBIGTJAZU {Felis chihiguazu) is also a 
South American animal, being rather larger than the 
above, and measuring, according to D’Azara, four feet 
including the tail, which is about thirteen inches long. 
Some regard it as identical with the chati, others refer 
it to the ocelot; probably it is distinct. It is exceed- 
ingly cunning and destructive in its habits; approaching 
and entering human habitations only in the darkest 
nights, and then, not content with carrying off as much 
poultry as it can manage, it destroys others that have 
been left behind. If taken young it becomes very 
tractable and amusing, but if allowed much liberty it 
soon displays its fowl-destroying propensities. 
THE SEEVAL {Felis serval) is a native of southern 
Africa, and is called the Tiga' hoschlcatti by the Dutch 
colonists at the Cape. By others it is called the 
leopard. According to Mr. Andersson some of the 
African tribes believe the real tiger to exist in that 
country, but it is evident that they refer to the serval. 
This animal is remarkably savage. “ One night,” says 
Mr. Andersson, “ I was suddenly awoke by a furious 
barking of our dogs, accompanied by cries of distress. 
Suspecting that some beast of prey had seized upon 
one of them, I leaped, undressed, out of my bed, and, 
gun in hand, hurried to the spot whence the cries pro- 
ceeded. The night was pitchy dark, however, and I 
could distinguish nothing; yet, in the hope of frighten- 
ing the intruder away, I shouted at the top of my 
voice. In a few moments a torch was lighted, and we 
then discovered the tracks of a leopard, and also large 
patches of blood. On counting the dogs, I found that 
‘ Summer,’ the best and fleetest of our kennel, was 
missing. As it was in vain that I called and searched 
for him, I concluded that the tiger had carried him 
away ; and, as nothing further could be done that 
night, I again retired to rest, but the fate of the poor 
animal continued to haunt me, and drove sleep away. 
I had seated myself on the front chest of the waggon, 
when suddenly the melancholy cries were repeated; 
and, on reaching the spot, I discovered ‘ Summer ’ 
stretched at full length in the middle of a bush. 
Though the poor creature had several deep wounds 
about his throat and chest, he at once recognized me, 
and, wagging his tail, looked wistfully in my face. 
The sight sickened me as I carried him into the house, 
where, in time, however, he recovered.” It is also 
satisfactory to learn that the savage animal was found 
on the day succeeding the encounter. On being dis- 
covered the beast took refuge in a tree, and was not 
dispatched before it had received sixteen wounds, some 
of the arrows employed for this purpose having been 
poisoned. In Dr. Gray’s arrangement of the Felidm 
contained in the British Museum, this species is 
denominated Leopardus serval. 
THE NEPAULESE CAT {Felis Nepaulensis). — In the 
list of feline mammalia preserved in our National 
Museum, this species is called the waved cat or Felis 
inconspicuns, and it is believed by Dr. Gray to be 
identical with the Bengal cat. Dr. Horsfield considers 
these forms to be distinct. The body is scarcely' two 
feet long, exclusive of the tail, for which another ten or 
eleven inches must be allowed. The general colour of 
the fur is that of a tawny'-grey, the surface being 
marked with spots and linear patches of a deep-black 
colour, somewhat irregularly disposed. The throat and 
under part of the helly are whitish ; the spots on the 
tail being uniform, rounded, and arranged so as to 
resemble transverse bands. 
THE KUWUK {Felis Javanensis) is also a small 
species, principally distinguished by its comparatively 
short tail and rather long legs ; it is also only provided 
with three molars on either side of each jaw. The body 
