GUIDE TO THE 
114 
occurs in the Himalaya and in the hilly regions of India 
generally, and extends into Ceylon. It is also found in 
Bengal and in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, and spreads 
eastwards throughout Burma, Malaya, and the neighbouring 
islands of Java and Sumatra. It lives in the hollows of 
trees, feeding upon small quadrupeds and birds, and 
is said also to eat lizards, snakes, fish and shrimps. The 
colour of this cat would appear from the descriptions 
which have been given of it to be very variable, but it 
seems likely that there may be more than one species, 
as the small cats of this group are not at all well known. 
Felis chaus , which goes by the name of the common 
wild cat, or jungle cat of all India, is a species closely 
allied to, if not identical with, the similar cat found in 
Egypt and Northern Africa. It has a somewhat pointed 
and tufted ear like the lynx, and its tail is shorter than in 
the majority of cats. It is common about Calcutta. 
The Indian Lynx, Felis caracal , is found only in the drier 
regions of North-Western and Western India, being found 
at Delhi, Lahore, and in many parts of Harriana, Raj- 
putana and the Punjab, and it extends to Persia, Arabia 
and Africa. Some of the Princes of India keep trained 
animals for hunting purposes. They are kept with the 
greatest care, and are taught to stalk peafowl, hares, &c., 
but the sport is tame, as they are generally slipped only 
at short distances. 
Although these were the only cats in this house, while 
this Guide was being written, it has contained, from time 
to time, examples, of others, among which may be men¬ 
tioned the very small beautiful cat of the Madras Presi¬ 
dency, Felis rubiginosa i which was extremely shy and would 
never show itself; the small Malayan cat with a shortish 
