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Show 20 OF TilE VOYAGE OF TJIE BEAGLE. ZOOLOGY ' " 2. FELIS DOMESTlCA. Felis domestica, B1·isson, R g. Anim. P· 264. of . , . cat the colouring and proportions I find in Mr. Darwm s collec~Io~ a h, l stic cat as however it was . h 't io-in IS hom t e come ' . which convmce me t at t s oro . . ay perhaps prove useful. , f house a descnptwn m , ' shot in a wild state far rom any ' . d . 1 with numerous irregular . d . ami the borly JS a OI nee Its general colour 1s eep giay, 11 ·k ·k formed of confluent spots, b d tl ·e i, a broad ) ac mai , ld narrow black an s; 1e1 :s . a little behind the shou cr~; dl f t1 back ·which commences along the mid e o }e ' 1 , f' tl mouth the chin, throat, centra 1 . nd the ang es o le ' . . a consulerable space arou f 1 1 . , 1 1 • f'eet and the postenor port1o.u ~ . £ t toes o t 1e 11m c ' . portion of the chest, ore- ee , . d b ckwards from the postenor au gle . h't . a black hne exten s a 1 . . . of the belly, ale w I e' . tl throat there are two mes. th cheeks. thence, acioss le , 'l . of the eye, on to e .' 1 . fl pied with white hairs: the tm IS b t the eye IS cue y occu . the space e ween ex. the basal half is gray with black nngs, slender, and tapers ~owards the ap in,()' the extreme point, which is white: the and the apical half ts black, except of .1 rrray colour banded with black tarsus I.S black beneath .• the legs are o a ueep o ' externally. . h f lomestic cat which in colour and 'fo the dimensions I wtll add t ose. o a c d ,.bed I may add that 1 1 bles the ammal above escn · markings very c ose y resem l d' size for my comparison , yet it I have chosen a cat rather above tle or mary. - . will be seen that the wild cat has the advantage m bulk. Length from nose to root of tail of tail of tarsus of car Height ttt houlders Wild Cnt. ln. Li nes. 22 0 12 3 5 1 1 11 11 3 Domestic Cat. Iu. Lines. 19 11 1· 0 G 7 Habitat Maldonado, La Plata, C~f- ay. ) . ' . . k h'll a few m11e s " This animal was killed amongst some thtekets on a IOC y d 1 t. . than from Maldonado. It appeared, when d cad ' muc· h larger an l s ·nIOgn gbeele n ex- . ] :bed to me as 1av1 any domestic cat I ever saw, ~nd Jt was c esc~l . J oses that the do-ceedingly fierce. I mention this because M. 'le~mmck surt 'ld stock from mesticated varieties of all animals are of larger s1ze, than t le Wt which they are descended."-D.* b' f tl c 'agu:.tr and puma, which being " I must refer the reader to my j ournal for some account of the ha ltS o I J• t th gllt it worth well kuown ttnimttls, and the facts that 1 mention having h.t tle sc1·C n t'1f ic ·m t crcs t ' I b:':w e no ou while to repeat them here. MAMl\:IALIA. GALLlCTIS VITTATA. G:tllictis vittata, Bell, Zoological Journal, vol. ii. p. 551-2. -----, , Proceedings of the Zoological Society, for April, 1837, p. 39. Gulo vittatus, De8mat·e8t, Mamm. p. 175. 21 "This animal is not uncommon at Maldonado, where it is called "Huron" or thief, from the ravages it commits on eggs and poultry. Shortly after being killed this specimen weighed 1 lb. 8 oz. (Imp. weight)."-D. 1. LUTRA PLA'fENSIS. L. vellere nitido, adp1·esso, intense fusco ; c01pore subtus pallidi01·e; gutture ad latera, et subtus, pallide fusco; menlo 1·ostt·ique apice s01·dide .flavescenti-albis; peclibus nigrescentijitscis; pilis caudce supe1·ne brevim·ibus, adp1·essis, illis ad caudce latera longioribus et fimln-iant ifficientibus. DESCIUPTION.-This Otter is about equal in size to the common European species (Lutm vulgm·is, Auct. ) : its fur is short, glossy, and adpressed; the under fur is tolerably abundant and of a silky natme. The general colouring of the ordinary fur is deep brown, and that of the under fur is very pale brown, deeper externally. The tint of the under parts of tbe body is paler than the upper, and may be described as brown, that of the throat, sides and under part of the neck, pale brown; and, on the tip of the muzzle and chin, dirty yellowish-white. 'fhe hairs of the moustaches are brownish-white; the ears are covered with short deep brown hait·s, those towards the tip are paler. The hairs covering the feet above are short, and of a very deep brown colom. The tail is tolerably long, thick at the base, whence it gradually tapers to the apex. The hairs on the base of the tail resemble those of the body, but on the remaining portion, they are short, glossy, and very closely applied to the skin both on the upper and under surface, whereas those on the sides are longer, and form a kind of fringe. 'fhe tip of the muzzle and the soles of the feet are naked, with the exception of the hinder half of the tarsus. ln. Lines. I 28 0 Length of tail . ln. Lines. Length from nose to root of tail . . l ll 0 Habitat, La Plata, (July.) |