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Show 402 DR. j. E. G R A Y O N T H E FELID.E. [Apr« H, over the orbits whitish ; belly with black spots, like those on side. Body and head 19, tail 8 inches. Hab. India (Capt. Boys). This Cat is at once known from all the other Indian species by the length and slenderness of the tail, and the small size and equal distribution of the spots. In this respect it resembles the Hunting Leopard; but the band on the legs, the shortness of the tail, and the terminal half of the tail being ringed at once distinguishes it from that Cat and all the other species. The tail is somewhat like that of F. chaus. Mr. Blyth has kindly given to the British Museum a specimen of the Domestic Cat of India, which is generally distributed there. It agrees with Felis chaus in almost every character, but it is smaller in size. The tail is rather longer compared with the length of the body, has more narrow black rings, occupying full half of the length of the tail, and there are two narrow pale cheek-streaks. In the Museum there are two larger and rather darker specimens, agreeing in almost every particular with the above. They are most likely hybrids between F. chaus and F. domestica. The Wild F. chaus is peculiar for having the cheek-stripes very indistinctly marked, or one or both entirely wanting. As regards South or Tropical American Cats, I may observe the skull of the Jaguar (Felis onca, Linn.) is known from the skulls of all the other species of the genus Leopardus, and from the Lion and the Tiger, by having a distinct, but more or less developed, tubercle (probably for the attachment of one of the muscles of the eyeball) on the middle of the inner or nasal edge of the orbit, and there is also a well-marked half ovate notch in the middle of the truncated front edge of the internal nostril, which is not so distinctly developed in other large feline animals. The specimen which I described under the name of Leopardus hernandesii in the 'Proceedings' of this Society (1857, p. 278, Mamm. t. 58), from Mexico, has come into the British Museum collection ; and I cannot find any difference in the skull to distinguish it from the other specimens of the Jaguar; so I suppose it must be considered one of the varieties of that species, marked by the distance at which the small spots are placed from each other,* only now and then forming anything like a distinct ring or row of spots. The Ocelots are extremely variable; and though there is a very large series of specimens in the British Museum, I cannot make up my mind whether they are all one, or whether there are three or more species. There are two most distinct varieties as regards size -the large Ocelots, with very large heads, and the smaller Ocelots, with more moderate-sized heads; but each variety presents several variations of colour, and there are examples intermediate in size The differences in the size of the Ocelots may depend on the temperature, the geographical disposition, and the abundance or scarcity of food in the district which they inhabit. I can well believe that the large variety is as dangerous and destructive as the Jaguar as travellers assert. to ' |