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LLOYD'S Wet ORAL. HISTORY. 


EDITED By R. BOWDLER SHARPE, LL.D., F.L.S., &c. 


Ol 


Bal of 
an 
mane A HAND-BOOK 
CARNIVORA./ 
PART - I; 


CATS, CIVETS, AND MUNGOOSES. 


BY 
RICHARD LYDEKKER, BA, FRS, 


Vice-Fresident of the Geological Society, etc., etc., etc. 


4pBL Te 


WEARNS 
COLLECTION 


LONDON: 
EDWARD LLOYD, LIMITED, 
12, SALISBURY SQUARE, FLEET STREET. 


1896. 


PRINTED BY 


WYMAN AND SONS, LIMITED. 


PREFACE. 


THE present volume deals with the members of the Carnivora, 
with which most people are familiar, viz., the Cats, and I am 
again indebted to Mr. Lydekker for a most useful summary of 
our present knowledge of these animals, and also for his very 
interesting conclusion to the work, wherein he deals with the 
extinct members of the Order. 

To one trained like myself, by long years of work in the 
field of ornithological synonymy and literature, the nomen- 
clature employed for some of the Mammalia appears some- 
what strange; but Iam glad to say that I have induced the 
author to latinise the generic term “ Linsang” into Zinsanga. 

The duplication of the generic and specific names, for the 
necessity of which I always strongly insist, whenever Linnean 
specific names have been misappropriated for generic titles 
by subsequent writers, appears to be necessary in only three 
instances in the present volume. Mr. Lydekker, as is well 
known, does not hold with the practice, but, in my opinion, 
the name of the Common Genet should be Genetta genetta 
(L.), that of the Meerkat, Swricata suricatta (Erxl.), and that 
of Daubenion’s Civet, Fossa fossa (Schreb.). 


R. BOWDLER SHARPE. 


AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 


——— 


AMONG the great Order of Carnivorous Mammals the Cats will 
always claim the largest share of general interest, not only on 
account of their including some of the largest and most power- 
ful of all beasts of prey, but likewise from the beauty of their 
form, the elegance of their coloration, and the gracefulness 
and activity of their movements. Accordingly, in the present 
volume of the ‘‘ Naturalist’s Library,” this group of the Order 
has been treated in comparatively full detail, and a large num- 
ber of the species illustrated by plates, whereas in the less- 
known group of Civets, Mungooses, &c., the amount of space 
devoted to each genus and species is naturally less, and the 
illustrations are much less numerous. 

In both groups every existing species hitherto described is 
mentioned, together with its most important synonymy ; but 
in several instances the question of the right of a particular 
form to be regarded as a species, or merely as a variety, is 
left more or less open. In the compilation of the volume 
especial assistance has been derived from Mr. W. T. Blan- 
ford’s ‘‘ Mammals of British India,” from Professor St. George 
Mivart’s work on ‘‘ The Cat,” and his papers on the Cats and 
Civets in the “ Proceedings of the Zoological Society,” and 
also from various memoirs by Mr. Oldfield Thomas, published 
in the same serial. 


RICHARD LYDEKKER. 


SYSTEMATIC INDEX. 


ORDER CARNIVORA 
FAMILY FELID 


BSG a ae 

- leo, L. 

. tigris, L. 

2 pardus, L. ...: 
. uncia, Schreb. 


onca, L. 


. concolor, L. 

. nebulosa, Griff. 

. marmorata, Martin 

. scripta, Milne-Edw. 
. tristis, Milne-Edw. 

. temmincki, V. and H. 
. planiceps, V. and H. 
. badia, Gray 

. viverrina, Benn. 

. bengalensis, Kerr ... 
. euptilura, Elliot 

. rubiginosa, I. Geofir, 
. serval, Erxl. 

. togoénsis, Matschie 
. chrysothrix, Temm. 
. celidogaster, Temm. 
. pardalis, L.... 

. tigrina, Schreb, 

- guigna, Molina 

. pardinoides, Gray ... 
. jaguarondi, Fischer 


PAGE 


FELIS—(comtinued). 


27s 
28. 


44. 
45. 


braccata, Cope 
eyra, Fischer 


. caffra, Desm. 

. domestica, Gm. 

» catus, L. 

. manul, Pall, 

. pajeros, Desm, 

. colocolo, H. Smith 
. ornata, Gray 

. shawiana, Blanf. 

. chaus, Giildenst, 

. pallida, Biichn, 

. caudata, Gray 

. caracal, Giildenst. ... 
2 Kyox. i. 


canadensis, Desm. ... 


. rufa, Giildenst. 


baileyi, Merriam 
pardina, Temm. 


II. CyNZLuRUuS, Wagl. 


I. jubatus (Erxl.) 


I, 


FAMILY II., VIVERRIDA 
I. CRYPTOPROCTA, Benn, 


ferox, Benn. 


II. VIVERRA, L. 


I, civetta, Schreb. 


2. 


zibetha, L. ... 


3. civettina, Blyth 


PAGE 


vl SYSTEMATIC INDEX. 


PAGE PAGE 
VIVERRA—(continued). PARADOXURUS—-(continued). 
4. megaspila, Blyth ... 213 8. leucomystax, Gray... 238 
5. tangalunga, Gray ... 214 g. musschenbroecki, 
6, malaccensis, Gm. ... 214 | Schl. a inn 239 
MiiVocsayGray | ..: ss. 26 10. laniger, Hodgs. ... 240 
I, daubentoni, Gray ... 216 | XI. ArcTIcTIs, Temm. was 280 
LV. (Genetra, Cuv, css. 27 1. binturong (Rafil.) ... 241 
I, vulgaris, Less. «- 218 | XII. CyNOGALE, Gray seinen 
2. felina(Thunb.) ... 219 1. bennetti, Gray a0 242 
3. senegalensis (Fischer) 219 | x]]], Herpesres, Lacép. ... 244 
4. tigrina(Schreb,) ... 219 I. ichneumon (L.) _ ..- 246 
5. pardina, Geoffr. ... 220 2. caffer (Gm.) . 247 
6. rubiginosa, Pucher, 221 . angolensis, Bocage... 249 


3 
V. LINSANGA, S. Miill. eeneet A, gracilis, Riipp. .1 s.<250 
I, gracilis (Desm.)- ... 222 5. sanguineus, Riipp.... 251 
2. maculosa (Blanf.) ... 223 6. neumanni, Matschie 252 
3. pardicolor (Hodgs.) 224 7. galera (Erxl.) oo. SR 
8. pulverulentus, Wagn. 254 
g. punctatissimus, 
Temm. -... exe 254 
10. auropunctatu 
(Hodgs.) ... oo aS 
II. mungo (Gm.) sce 257 
12. smithi, Gray son ho 
‘ F3. fuscus, Waterh.  ° ...c256 
2. gerrardi, Thomas ... 229 14. fulvescens, Blyth | ... ae 
IX. ARCTOGALE, Gray e250 I5. javanicus (Geoffr.) ... 260 


I leucotis (Hlorsf.) ... 230 16. brachyurus, Gray ... 261 
eee CES) eo 17. vitticollis, Benn. ... 261 


VI. Porana, Gray ... pe2e5 
I. poensis (Waterh.) ... 225 
VII. HEMIGALE, Jourd. _...._ 226 
1. hardwickii (Gray) ... 227 
2. hosii, Thomas ies 225 
VIII. NAnpINIA, Gray sages 
I. binotata (Reinw.) ... 229 


X. PARADOXURUS, F. Cuv.... 231 18. semitorquatus, Gray 262 
I. hermaphroditus 19. urva (Hodgs.) ... 263 
(Schreb.) ... ves 233 20. albicauda, Cuv. ... 264 
2. philippinensis, Jourd. 235 21. grandis, Thomas ... 266 

3. macrodus, Gray... 236 i 
ieerdon) Blank 1 Ba6 XIV. HELOGALE, Gray sex 8200 
5. aureus, F.Cuv. ... 236 I. parvula (Sundev.) ... 267 
6. grayi Benn. «« 237-| XV. BDEOGALE, Peters nas 208 
7. larvatus (Temm.) ... 238 I. crassicauda, Peters... 268 


SYSTEMATIC INDEX, 


BDEOGALE—(cov¢znued). 
2. fusca, Peters 
3. nigripes, Pucher. 


XVI. CynictTis, Ogilby 
I. penicillata (Cuv.) ... 


XVII. RHYNCHOGALE, 
Thomas 
1. melleri (Gray) 


XVIII. CrossARCHUS, F. Cuv. 
. obscurus, F. Cuv. ... 
. gambianus (Ogilby) 
. zebra (Riipp.) 

. fasciatus (Desm.) 

. dybowskii, Pous. 


wm Bw N 


XIX. SuricaTA, Desm. 
I. tetradactyla (Schreb.) 


i. GaArrpreris, Geofir. -... 
I. striata (Cuv.) aes 
2. vittata, Gray 

XXI. GaLipiA, Geoffr. ve 
I. elegans, Geoffr. 

XXII. HEMIGALIDIA, Mivart 
1. unicolor (Geoffr.) -.. 
2. olivacea (Geoffr.) 


PAGE 


. 268 
. 269 


. 269 


270 


ez 
271 


272 
273 
273 


. 274 
- 275 
Seas 


«276 


276 


277 
278 


. +279 


279 


2 279 


280 
280 


. 280 


XXIII. EUPLEREs, Doyere ... 
. 285 


EXTINCT CARNIVORA ... 


I. goucoti, Doyere 


Vil 


PAGE 
280 


282 


FAMILY FELIDz ... 1,202 


I. -FeLisyL. hig « Oy. oe 
II. CYN-ALURUS, Wagl. 201, 282 


III. MacH#ropus, Kaup. 
IV. EusMILus, Gerv. 


VI. Dinictis, Leidy 
VII. Nimravus, Cope 
VIII. PoGonopon, Cope 


X. HopLoPpHONeEus, Cope 
XI, PSEUDALURUS, Gerv. 


XII. Pro#&.urus, Filhol ... 


FAMILY VIVERRIDZE 


283 


nae Sol 
V. AELURICTIS, Trouess. ... 
. 286 
. 287 
. 288 
IX. ARCHALURUS, Cope ... 


285 


288 
288 
289 
290 


. 291 


I. -VIVERRA, L. ..... “BIG, 208 


II. AMPHICTIS, Pomel 


. 291 


III. HERPESTES, Lacép. 244, 292 
IV. PROGENETTA, Depéret 292 


V. ICTITHERIUM, Wagn. 
VI. PALZOPRIONODON, 
Filhol 


293 


. 293 


VII. STENOPLESICTIS, Filhol 295 


LIST OF PLATES, 


I.—Lion ... 
II.—Lioness ei 
II.—Lion-Tiger ... 


IV.—Tiger 
V.—Leopard 
VI.—Ounce 
VII.—Jaguar 
VIII.—Puma 


IX.—Clouded Leopard ... 
X.—Marbled Cat 
XI.—Fishing Cat... 
XII.—Leopard-Cat 
XIII.—Leopard-Cat ed 
XIV.—Serval . 
XV.—Ocelot 
XVI.—Ocelot (variety) 
XVII.—Tiger-Cat 
XVITI.—Eyra... 
XIX. 
XX.—Wild Cat 
XXI.--Colocolo 
XXII.—Desert Cat ... 
XXIII.—Caracal 


XXIV.—Lynx : 
XXV.—Hunting- Meoperd™: 
XXVI.—Fossa 


XXVII.—African Civet 
XXVIII.—Blotched Genet 


XXIX.—Hardwicke’s Hemigale 


XXX.—Common Palm-Civet 


XXXI.—Egyptian Mungoose 


XXXII.—Broad-Banded Cusimanse... 


Felis leo 8 .. Frontispiece 
Felis leo . facing p. 27 
Felis leo (hybrid) 7 45 
Felis tigris '- 49 
Felis pardus ps 71 
Felis unciae 9 Go” 
Felts onca 5 95 
Felis concolor 3 tog 
Felis nebulosa ... Pri: pi 
Felis marmorata 45 . ETO 
Felis viverrina ... i es 
Felis bengalensis ... ee ©) 
felis bengalensts ... os SE 
felis serval 1» «6a 
felts pardalts » «30 
Felis pardalts 32 04s 
Felis tigrina 3. 145 
felts eyra 5 RS 
Felis caffra oes 
Felts catus eee 
Felis colocolo a ee 
Felts ornata 55° - EO 
Felis caracal i, meg 
Felis lynx ig 208 
Cynelurus Fildes ve | 202 
Cryptoprocta ferox iy eee 
Viverra civetta ... sor) aE 
Genetta tigrina .., sain 210 
Hemigale hardwickit ,, 22] 
Paradoxurus herma- 
phroditus jue eS 
flerpestes ichneumon ,, 247 
Crossarchus fasciatus 3 «= 275 


H 


CARNIVORES., 


ORDER CARNIVORA. 


PAR I 


i THE CATS. FAMILY FELIDA: 


IF a naturalist were asked to select two groups of Mammals 
severally representing the most highly developed and _ beauti- 
ful type of the carnivorous and herbivorous modifications, he 
would certainly make choice of the Cat tribe for the one, while 
for the other he would most probably select the Antelopes and 
Gazelles. Both of these groups do, indeed, seem to present the 
highest modification and specialisation which the particular type 
of structure by which they are characterised is susceptible of 
attaining ; and it is curious to notice the kind of parallelism in 
development which may be traced between the two groups. 
In both groups, for instance, the limbs have been more or less 
elongated, these animals walking only on their toes, instead 
of on the whole sole of the foot. Whereas, however, in the 
Antelopes the elongation of the limbs has been excessive, 
and mainly concentrated on the segment immediately above 
the fore- and hind-foot—that is to say, the metacarpus and 
metatarsus—while the toes have been reduced to a single 
functional pair on each foot, in the Cats the bones of the 


7 B 


- 

2 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 

lower portions of the limbs have not undergone such excessive 
elongation, while the fore-feet retain the original typical number 
of five toes, and in the hind pair the number of digits is only 
reduced by one. ‘Then, again, whereas in the Antelopes the 
movements of the fore-limb have become restricted to a 
backwards-and-forwards direction, while its extremities (like 
those of the hind-limb) are encased in solid horny hoofs, in 
the Cats the same limb is capable of a free rotatory motion, 
and its toes are armed with sharp and powerful claws. These 
divergencies of structure are, of course, to be accounted for by 
the respective exigencies of the mode of life of the members 
of the two groups; the Antelopes having merely had to attain 
a speed sufficient to enable them to escape the attacks of their 
enemies, while the Cats had not only to equal or surpass this 
speed, but to have the power of striking down their prey and 
holding it when struck. 

Another parallelism between the two groups may be detected 
in their dentition, which in each case has been specially modi- 
fied for the exigencies of a particular mode of existence, and 
has thus departed very widely from the generalised type pre- 
valent in many of the older Mammals, and which is partially 
retained in the common Pig. In the Antelopes the object of 
the modification has been to produce a type of dentition best 
suited for the cropping and mastication of grasses. Conse- 
quently, while the teeth of the cheek-series, that is to say, the 
pre-molars and molars, have been retained in their full number, 
though their crowns have been lengthened, and likewise compli- 
cated by infoldings and flutings of their summits and sides, so 
as to form the best possible masticating apparatus, the tusks, 
or canines, have disappeared, either totally or as such, while 
the lower incisor teeth have assumed spatulate crowns admir- 
ably adapted for plucking off the tufts of grass seized in the 
tongue, by biting against the hard, callous pad in the front of the 


THE CATS. a 


upper jaw, from which the whole of the teeth have disappeared. 
On the other hand, in the Cats the object has been to produce 
a type of dentition adapted for seizing and holding a living prey, 
and afterwards devouring it by tearing and cutting off the flesh 
and sinews from the bones, without attempting to crack the 
bones themselves. Consequently, we find that the three pairs 
of incisor teeth in each jaw, characteristic of the older types of 
Mammals, have been retained, and have assumed a pincer-like 
form ; while the tusks, or canines, have been greatly developed, 
‘and project far in advance of the level of the crowns of the 
other teeth. On the other hand, the pre-molar and molar 
teeth, constituting the cheek-series, have been greatly re- 
duced in numbers, their whole strength being, indeed, con- 
centrated on a single pair in each jaw—the carnassial, or 
sectorial teeth—which bite against one another with a scissor- 
like action. 

Assuming it to be a fact that all Mammals have been derived 
from a common ancestral stock, presenting none of the special- 
ised features respectively characteristic of the Antelopes and the 
Cats, these two groups present us the extreme modification 
of which the original stock was susceptible in two opposite 
directions, according to the exigencies of a particular mode of 
life. Before passing on to the consideration of the distinctive 
structural features of the group before us, it may be mentioned 
that the Cats and Antelopes are alike characterised by the pre- 
valence of tawny and rufous hues in their general coloration. 
Moreover, in both groups the ornamentation of the pelage 
takes the form of either spots or stripes ; although among the 
Cats many species have a kind of clouded marking, somewhat 
intermediate between the other two types of coloration. Where- 
as, however, among the Cats, dark transverse stripes are of 
common occurrence, among the Antelopes this kind of orna- 
mentation is met with only in the Zebra-Antelope and the 


B.2 


4 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 


Gnus of Africa, On the other hand, white transverse stripes on 
a tawny or chestnut ground are common among Antelopes, 
whereas they are quite unknown in the Cats. And whereas in 
the latter group dark spots on a light ground are prevalent, in 
the former just the reverse of this arrangement holds gocd. 
That there is some sufficient reason for this prevalence of one 
type of coloration in one group of animals, and its replace- 
ment by another in a second, may be taken for granted, 
although at present naturalists have not succeeded in unravel- 
ling the mystery in which the subject is enveloped. 

The Cats, under which title are included Lions, Tigers, Leo. 
pards, Pumas, Tiger-Cats, Domestic Cats, and Lynxes, form a 
well-marked family group of the Terrestrial Carnivora, readily 
distinguished from most of their allies, with the exception of 
the Fossa (Cryptoprocta) of Madagascar, by which they appear 
closely connected with the Civets (Viverride). In this work we 
must take it for granted that the reader is more or less in- 
timately acquainted with the distinctive structural features of 
the Carnivora—a group which, in addition to the more typical 
terrestrial forms, is likewise taken to include the aquatic Seals 
and Walruses. It may be mentioned here, however, that the 
Terrestrial Carnivora, among which the Otters and Sea-Otters 
are included, are specially characterised by the special develop- 
ment of a pair of teeth in each jaw to bite against one another 
with a more or less marked “‘scissor ”-like action ; although the 
peculiar features of these teeth are less conspicuously marked in 
the Bears and Racoons than in the majority of the other mem- 
bers of the group. Not the least remarkable feature connected 
with these teeth, which, as already mentioned, are termed car- 
nassials or sectorials, is the circumstance that the upper pair do 
not correspond serially with those of the lower jaw. That is to 
say, that while in the upper jaw this pair of teeth belong to the 
pre-molar series, or those preceded by milk- or baby-teeth, 


_ 


THE CATS, 5 


in the lower jaw they are true molars, or have no such deciduous 
predecessors. In the Cats these teeth attain the largest and 
most specialised development in the entire carnivorous Order. 

The whole ofthe Cats are graceful and elegantly made animals, 
showing a marked general similarity in structure and appear- 
ance, although one species—the Hunting-Leopard—differs so 
markedly from all the other living representatives of the family, 
as to necessitate its reference toa genus (Cyn@/urus) apart from 
the rest. All are remarkable for their strength and agility, but 
while some are arboreal in their habits, others are terrestrial. 
Many, moreover, are more or less exclusively nocturnal animals, 
and all have the power of preventing during the daytime the en- 
trance of too much light into their large and full eyes—so ad- 
mirably adapted to receive every gleam of light during their 
nocturnal wanderings—by diminishing the size of the pupil by 
the contraction of the retina, or coloured portion of the eye, 
as will be fully explained in the sequel. Having highly 
developed senses and mental powers, the Cats are ill-adapted to 
become the servants or companions of man, even the domestic 
breeds only associating with him to a great extent as a matter 
of convenience to themselves, and never sympathising and con- 
fiding in him afterthe manner of a Dog. Indeed, unlike the 
latter, it requires but little inducement to make even the most 
affectionate of Domestic Cats revert to the wild life of her 
ancestors, and whenever such an animal does escape to the 
woods it has little difficulty in accustoming itself to the new 
conditions, whereas, under similar circumstances, most Dogs 
would soon die of starvation. Asa matter of fact, the whole 
of the Cat tribe are of but little importance to mankind, with 
the exception of the domesticated races, their only use being 
as a source of handsome and valuable furs. 

Subsisting almost, or quite exclusively, upon flesh, and pre- 
ferring a living prey to one which has been killed for them by 


6 LLOYD'S NAMPRAL HISTORY. 


other animals, or which has succumbed to a natural death, the 
Cats creep upon their victims with a characteristic stealth and 
patience, and seldom pursue the chase if their first deadly 
spring has missed its mark. They never hunt in packs, 
although Lions have been observed to combine with one another 
to drive their prey in the direction where others are awaiting it, 
and generally pursue their victims singly, except in the earliet 
stages of their existence, when they often goin couples. A 
peculiar and, at the same time, most unpleasing trait of most or 
all the members of the Family, is their habit of playing with and 
torturing their victims before finally despatching them, as if 
to prolong the pleasure and excitement of the chase. 

Regarding their method of hunting and capturing their prey, 
Jardine writes that ‘‘morning and evening are the times when 
it is chiefly sought, and it is either crept upon by stealth or 
lain in wait for. Near to the passes in the thick forests, the 
edges of the jungle, the banks of the springs and rivers, where 
the beasts daily seek for water, are situations favourable for the 
exercise of their perfidious ambuscade ; when the prey ap- 
proaches, the animal gathers his strength for the spring, and 
by a succession of leaps, or by one immense bound, seldom 
fails in reaching the object. Or if the creature has to be 
approached, the assailant becomes flattened, as it were, and, 
crouching, advances swiftly but imperceptibly ; the velvety- 
feeling pads of the toes touch the ground without noise ; the 
eyes, gleaming on the prey, see no obstruction, but the slightest 
hindrance is told by the sensitive whiskers. The measured 
distance is gained, and the muscles of the animal are braced 
for the fatal spring ; a roar or yell thrills through the victim, 
and overpowers its faculties; an instinctive terror renders 
strength or swiftness of foot equally unavailing, and it is borne 
off felled and unresisting to some neighbouring thicket, where 
it can be devoured in quiet. 


THE CATS. 7 


** Some species follow their prey into the trees, as the Leopard 
and Jaguar, and seize the Monkeys and larger birds, after they 
have gone to rest for the night. Sometimes, says Humboldt, 
the cry of the Jaguar comes from the tops of the trees, fol- 
lowed by the long and sharp whistling of the Monkeys, which 
appear to flee from the danger which threatened them; and 
this manner of hunting is also pursued by most of the smaller 
Cats, which vary the size of their prey, according to their 
strength to seize it.” 

The external appearance of the Cats is so well-known and so 
characteristic as to demand but brief notice in this place. 
The fur with which the entire body is invested is generally 
short, thick, and close, although frequently longer on the 
under-parts than elsewhere; and is always kept in the most 
brilliant and glossy condition by constant licking and cleansing 
with tongue and paws, as is exemplified by the care and regu- 
larity with which the Domestic Cat ‘‘washes her face.” In 
species like the Snow-Leopard, inhabiting cold climates, the 
fur is, however, long and almost shaggy; and the same con- 
dition obtains in those races of normally short-haired species 
ranging into colder regions than ordinary, as exemplified by 
the Siberian variety of the Tiger. The hair is, however, always 
short on the face and paws, while it is totally wanting on the 
tip of the nose, the lips, and the pads on the soles of the feet. 
In the male of the Liona large mass, or mane, of long hair 
is developed on the head, neck, and shoulders; and the 
True Lynxes have an incomplete ruff of longish hair on the 
throat, in addition to stiff pencils of elongated hairs on the 
summit of the ears. The inside of the ear is always lined with 
long hairs, and each side of the upper lip is furnished with a 
dozen or so of long tapering bristle-like hairs, projecting hori- 
zontally outwards, and known as the whiskers, or vibrissz, the 
function of these hairs being to act as organs of touch or per 


8 LLOYD’S NMPURAL HISTORY. 


ception. A few elongated hairs over each eye correspond to 
the human eyebrows, but eyelashes are totally absent. The 
direction of the hairs on the body inclines uniformly backwards 
from the head to the tip of the tail, while on the limbs it is 
mainly downwards. 

In the majority of species the body is somewhat elongated, 
and the limbs relatively short ; these features attaining their 
maximum development in the Eyra of South America, which 
approximates to the Civets in form. The Lynxes, however, 
differ in their relatively shorter bodies and longer legs ; while 
the typical members of that group are further distinguished by 
the extreme shortness of the tail. As a rule, however, the tail 
is long, cylindrical, and tapering; and it is also generally evenly 
furred throughout its entire length, the hairs being, however, 
often longer than elsewhere; but the Lion is an exception in 
having a large tuft of hair at the extremity, in the midst of 
which, in many individuals, is concealed a horny nail-appendage 
of unknown use. All Cats walk exclusively on their toes, or, 
in other words, are digitigrade ; and while in the fore-feet the 
thumb, or pollex, is raised above the level of the other toes, 
and is not applied to the ground in walking, in the hinder pair 
its representative, the great toe, or ‘‘hallux,” is totally absent. 
In all the typical members of the Family, or those included in 
the genus /e/s, the claws are retractile, and maintained in an 
efficient state of sharpness during walking, by being withdrawn 
into horny protecting sheaths, to be exserted when the prey is 
seized. In regions frequented by Cats the bark of the trunks 
of trees is seen to be scored by a number of longitudinal streaks, 
where these animals have exercised their exserted claws by 
tearing them along it, probably for the purpose of aiding to 
keep them clean. This habit is still retained by the Domestic 
Cat. 

The mechanism by which the claws are exserted and again 


THE CATS. 9 


withdrawn is illustrated by the accompanying figure from 
Jardine’s monograph of the Cats in the original edition of 
the ‘‘Naturalist’s Library.” As figured, the position of the 
joints, or phalanges, as they are technically termed, is one of 


The muscles, tendons, and ligaments of one of the toes of a Lion’s foot. 


retraction. The claw is supported on the last phalange, which 
is of a peculiar form ; its two portions being united to one 
another nearly at a right angle. The base of the claw is 
received into a groove at the body of the bone, to prevent 


10 LLOYD’S NA#BRAL HISTORY. 


its being pushed backwards in the rapid movement of the 
paws; and the two portions of the bone form a kind of hook, 
or crochet. In repose, the superior extremity of this phalange 
is placed almost vertically, while the other end lies nearly 
parallel to the second joint. The articulation is situated at 
the upper end of the vertical portion, and the flexor tendons, 
passing over the upper part of the bone, are firmly fixed to 
the other portion. The action of the deep-seated flexor—the 
flexor profundus—causes the whole bone to move through an 
angle of ninety degrees round the end of the second phalange. 
This last phalange is kept in its retracted condition by the 
tendon a, which passes from the extensor tendon up to the 
base of the superior or first phalange, and also by the elastic 
ligaments J and ¢, proceeding by double heads from the ten- 
dinous expansion at the top of the second phalange, and form- 
ing bands on each side to unite at the palmar base of the 
claw. From the twisted form of the second phalange, the first 
does not move over its end in the same plane, but on retraction 
falls a little to the outer side. In the figure, d indicates the 
strong round tendon of the flexor profundus, which passes 
over the superior extremity of the last phalange to e, as over a 
pulley, thus giving prodigious power to the action of its 
muscle. This tendon does not arise, as in man, directly 
from the belly of the muscle, but from a flat irregular cartila- 
ginous body, 234 inches long and 1% broad, attached to the 
lower end of the muscle, and sliding between the annular liga- 
ment and a very thick fascia covering the bottom of the fore- 
paw; from this substance five very strong tendons proceed to 
the fingers, which perforate the tendons of the sublimus nearly 
as in other animals. They are strongly strapped down, as seen 
in the figure. 

In all the more typical Cats the head is remarkable for its 
rounded and shortened form, while the jaws are likewise 


THE CATS. TI 


relatively short. The full and large eyes, which are separated 
from each other by a considerable interval, are directed almost 
immediately forwards. The ears are comparatively small and 
short, gradually narrowing from base to tip, and with the deep 
internal concavity directed forwards and outwards. 

In common with the Civets ( Viverride), Hyznas (Hyenide), 
and the Aard-Wolf (Prote/eide), the Cats present certain pecu- 
liarities connected with the structure of the skull by which 
they are distinguished from the other Carnivora, the Dogs 
(Canidz) making the nearest approach to them in this respect. 
In all these.four Families the chamber of the internal ear 
known as the auditory bulla is dilated into a thin bladder-like 
expansion, which, except in the Hyzenas, is divided into two 
moieties by a vertical partition of bone. In addition to this, 
the tube leading from this chamber to the external ear, and 
known as tke auditory meas, is remarkably short. There 
are other peculiarities connected with this part of the skull, 
the consideration of which would involve too many technical- 
ities for a work of the present nature. 

Asa Family the Cats, both recent and fossil, are distinguished 
by the strong development of the canine teeth, or tusks; by the 
number of upper molar teeth never exceeding one, and the 
lower two on each side of the jaws ; and, likewise, by the three 
lower incisor teeth of each side being placed in the same hori- 
zontal line, instead of the middle one being thrust up above 
the plane of the other two. If we exclude certain extinct 
forms, the Family may be further characterised by the following 
characters, mainly relating to the dentition. Both in the upper 
and lower jaws, the true molar teeth are reduced to a single 
pair, the former being a small flat functionless tooth, with its 
crown considerably wider than long, while the lower one is 
the carnassial. In the lower jaw, as shown in the accom- 
panying figure, the pre-molars are reduced to two pairs. The 


a LLOYD'S NAM@RAL HISTORY. 


upper carnassial tooth, or the large tooth on the right of the 
upper figure in the illustration, consists of an external cutting 
blade formed by three sharp lobes or cusps placed in the same 
line, and of a blunt tubercle on the inner side. The lower 
carnassial (shown on the left of the lower figure in the illustra- 
tion), on the other hand, consists simply of a cutting blade, 
formed by two nearly equal-sized lobes, without any cusp on 
their inner side, or any projecting heel on the hinder border. 
In the skull the auditory bulla is uniformly smooth and 


Side View of Upper and Lower Teeth of the Lion. In the upper figure 
the incisor teeth are turned to the left, and in the lower in the opposite 
direction. 


bladder-like, without any external trace of a transverse con- 
striction. 

In conformity with the contour of the head, the skull of the 
typical Cats, as shown in the annexed woodcut, has a short 
facial region; while the zygomatic arches, in order to afford 
space for the powerful muscles necessary to work the jaws, are 
very widely expanded. In the figured specimen, as in the 
skulls of the other large members of the family, the nasal bones, 
forming the roof to the cavity of the nose, are very short and 
wide; but in some of the smaller Cats they become narrow, 


THE CATS, 13 


and pinched in .on the sides. Moreover, in all the large Cats 
the orbit, or socket for the eye, is partially open posteriorly, as 
the descending process from the frontal bone is not sufficiently 
elongated to meet the ascending one from the zygomatic or 


IN 


Ts 


ve 


Upper surface of the skull of the Jaguar. 


cheek- arch; but in some of the smaller Asiatic species the 
union is complete. 

Another peculiarity of the Cats is to be found in the struc- 
ture of the tongue, the upper surface of which is covered with 
numerous horny papillz, having the points directed backwards, 
the effect of which may be observed, when a Lion or any large 


14 LLOYD’S NATORAL HISTORY, 


animal of the tribe is licking a bone, which is too powerful for 
his strong jaws to break. It is suited more for laceration, and 
to retain the food within the mouth, than for an organ of 
taste; and the gustatory nerves are comparatively small, and 
distributed principally to the muscles. Inthe different species, 
these papille have by no means the same arrangement, for 
some are in straight rows, while others run in straight lines. 
Most persons are familiar with the peculiar sensation produced 
on the skin of the hand when licked by a Domestic Cat, but 
by the Lion or Tiger much more marked traces of the opera- 
tion would be left. 

Aliusion has already been made to the alteration in the size 
of the pupil of the eye of the Cats by the contraction of the 
iris under the influence of light ; and it may be added that the 
contraction likewise produces an alteration in the form of the ex- 
posed pupil, which varies from a circle to a narrow, more or less — 
oat-shaped vertical slit. ‘The subject of the contraction of the 
iris and the consequent form of the pupil has recently been in- 
vestigated by Dr. G. L. Johnson, the results of whose observa- 
tions have been published in the ‘‘Proceedings of the Zoologi- 
cal Society” for 1894. After examining no less than 180 
Domestic Cats, all of whose eyes were subjected to the same 
degree of illumination, it was found that the shape of the pupil 
varied from a perfect circle toa pointed oval. No general rule 
could, however, be established with regard to this variation, 
except, perhaps, that in the so-called blue tabbies no oval pupils 
were detected. And it appears that neither the colour of the 
iris nor the sex of the animal have any bearing on the shape 
of the pupil. 

“The only condition,” writes Dr. Johnson, “ which appears 
to have an influence on the shape of the pupil seems to be 
age. My observations on the above-mentioned Cats, and on 
a number of others, all lead me to the conclusion that the 


THE CATS. I5 


younger the Cats the rarer the cases in which the pupil is 
round ; and, conversely, the older the Cats the greater the 
prevalence of round pupils. This, I think, may be due to a 
decrease of the elasticity and consequent contractility of the 
iris as the animals grow older. 

“In no case have I noticed any convergence of the eyes, or 
any contraction of the pupil in accommodation for near objects. 
Sudden bright illumination, however, invariably causes con- 
traction. 

“The Cat’s iris contracts in a very definite and curious way. 
It may be imitated most accurately by causing two discs to 
overlap, until the horizontal diameter is equal to half the ver- 
tical (acute oval), when the contraction ceases in the vertical 
direction, but continues horizontally until the sides meet, 
forming two parallel vertical lines in close contact. At the 
extremities of this vertical slit there are always two round pin- 
holes, which are caused by the inability of the fibres of the iris 
to come further together ; if examined with a strong magnify- 
ing-glass, the radiating fibres of the iris are seen surrounding 
these points. 

“When I held a Cat’s face so that the unobscured sun shone 
directly on the centre of the pupil, and its image could be seen 
on the cornea, I noticed the pupil immediately contract to the 
above-mentioned vertical slit. So close was the contact between 
the free margins of the iris that, so far as I could judge, no 
light entered the eye except through the two pinholes. In 
fact, I found I could hold a Cat with the lids held apart so 
that the sun shone directly on to the pupils, without it showing 
any sign of discomfort, nor did the animal trouble to use its 
nictitating membrane. In this respect it had the advantage 
over the big /é/ide with pupils that contract in a circular 
manner, since a circular pupil can never contract completely 
so long as it remains a circle,” 


16 LLOYD’S MrurA HISTORY. 


In this connection brief reference may be made to the well 
known fact that pure white Cats with blue eyes are generally 
deaf; this being probably due to the absence of pigment in 
the internal ear. 

With regard to the coloration of the Cats, it has already 
deen incidentally mentioned that the ground-colour of the fur 
raries from some shade of grey, through sandy and chestnut, 
to orange ; and that upon this ground there are very generally 
dark markings, which may be either brown or black. No 
Cats are normally black, although melanistic races or in- 
dividuals of several species are not uncommonly met with; 
neither, with the exception of albinos, are there any white Cats 
in nature. Whereas, however, black enters largely into the 
coloration of the majority of the species, pure white (except on 
the under-parts, and in small patches about the head) is 
practically unknown in the Family ; and there are no instances 
of the markings being lighter in tint than the ground-colour. 
In common with the majority of animals, the Cats generally have 
the under-parts lighter than the back ; in this respect differing 
markedly from many species of the Weasel Family (AZuste/ide). 

No Cat has complete longitudinal dark stripes throughout 
the body ; although a few such stripes may be met with on the 
crown of the head and down the middle of the back. The 
markings may, indeed, be classified under the headings ot 
longitudinal streaks, spots, cloudings, and transverse stripes ; 
while a few species have the fur uniformly coloured, although 
in certain lights it generally exhibits traces of spots or stripes, 
while in the young state it is always thus ornamented. 

Examples of Cats with longitudinal streaks or flecks are 
afforded by the Fishing Cat (Feds viverrina) and the Colocolo 
(F. colocolo), the streaks being darker, larger, and more numer- 
ous in the former than in the latter. As may be observed in our 
illustrations, the streaks in these and other cases are always 


THE CATS. 17 


arranged in more or less continuous lines, as if they had been 
formed by the breaking up of longitudinal stripes, and it is 
evident that if this were really their origin, a further con- 
tinuance of the same process would result in the production 
of spots. One variety of the Tiger Cat (7 ¢igrina) affords an 
instance of the transition from a streaked to a spotted type 
of coloration. 

Spots are the most common type of ornamentation assumed 
py the Fe/ide, although these vary greatly in form and size in 
the different species. Simple solid black spots, of comparatively 
small size, are found in the Serval (4é/s serva/) and the Hun- 
ting-Leopard (Cyne@lurus jubatus) ; and these would appear to 
present the original modification of this type of coloration. In 
the Leopard (#: pardus) the spots have, however, become 
broken up into rosettes, formed by imperfect rings of small 
spots surrounding a light area, which may or may not be 
darker than the general ground-colour of the fur. In the 
Ounce (/ wacia) the rings are larger and more complete, 
while the central area is decidedly darker than the rest of 
the fur. A further development is presented by the Jaguar 
(F. onca) in which not only is the rosette formed by a com- 
plete ring and the enclosed area darker, but there is a solid 
black spot in the centre of each rosette. By the union of two 
or more rosette-like spots, with the central area darker than the 
rest of the fur, may be evolved the pattern characteristic of 
the Ocelot (7: Aardalis), in which we have elongated tawny 
or chestnut blotches, each surrounded by a black border, run- 
ning obliquely downwards and backwards on the sides of the 
body. A further step will bring us to the clouded type, as 
exemplified by the Clouded Leopard (/ medbulosa) and the 
Marbled Cat (“2 marmorata), in which the dark blotches have 
become larger, broader, and more squared, with the black 
edgings confined to their hinder borders. 


7 Cc 


13 | Liovy’s NMPuRAL tisToRY. 


A complete transition from solid spots to transvetse stripes 
is not observable in any member of the Family, although an 
iiidication of the mode in which such a transition might be 
effected is afforded by the markings on the fore-quarters of some 
specimens of the Indian Desert-Cat (# ornata). The most 
perfect development of transverse dark stripes is to be met with 
in the Tiger (/ ¢/gris) and the Wild Cat (/ catus). From such 
fully striped species a transition can be traced through forms 
like the Caffre Cat (™ caffra) and the Flat-headed Cat 
(/. planiceps), in which, while the limbs remain more or less 
distinctly striped, the body has become more or less uni- 
formly tawny, to perfectly tawny species like the Bay Cat 
(F. éadius), the Eyra (& eyra), and the Lion (¥/. 4o). That 
the Bay Cat was originally a striped form may be inferred from 
its alliance to the Flat-headed Cat; while that the Licn has 
originated from a transversely striped species is evident from 
the occurrence of such stripes in the cubs. On the other hand, 
the indications of spots persisting on the fur of the Puma 
(/ puma) prove as clearly that in some instances a uni- 
formly tawny hue has been evolved from the spotted type 
of coloration. 

In a paper on the coloration of animals published by 
Professor Eimer, of Tiibingen, in the ‘ Jahreshefte Vereins fir 
Naturkiinde, Wiirttemberg,” for 1883, the author arrives at the 
conclusion that longitudinal dark stripes formed the primitive 
coloration of terrestrial vertebrates in general, and that these sub- 
sequently broke up into spots, while the latter again coalesced 
to form transverse stripes ; a uniform coloration being finally 
produced by the disappearance of the latter. Although the 
coloration of the existing /ée/rde can, as is evident from the 
foregoing observations, be explained on this hypothesis, yet 
there are several difficulties in accepting it altogether. In the 
first place, it has been shown that in the Puma a uniform 


THE CATS. 19 


coloration has resulted directly from a spotted coat, without 
the intervention of a striped stage. This, however, might be 
an individual exception, not affecting the theory as a whole. 
A greater difficulty is, however, presented in the case of the 
Banded Marsupial Ant-eater (AQjrmecobius fasciatus), which, 
although one of the most primitive of living Mammals, is yet 
transversely barred. The Thylacine (Zhylacinus cynocephalus), 
likewise belonging to the Polyprotodont Marsupials, also pre- 
sents a similar type of coloration. Then, again, a further ob- 
jection arises from the circumstance that the coloration of the 
felide appears to be mainly of a protective nature; the uni- 
form tawny hue of the Puma and Lion harmonising with the 
sand of the open plains, while the vertical stripes of the Tiger 
resemble the lines of light and shadow formed by the tall 
grasses of an Indian jungle, the clouded markings of the 
Marbled Cat and Clouded Leopard assimilating with the 
gnarled and lichen-clad boughs on which these animals are 
wont to rest, and the spotted coat of the Indian Desert-Cat 
rendering the creature almost invisible on the stony deserts it 
frequents. To suppose that this harmony has always been 
produced by a regular transition from longitudinal stripes to 
spots, from the latter to transverse barrings, and these again 
to a uniform hue, is a theory very difficult to accept. 

The whole subject of coloration is, however, one involved in 
great mystery and obscurity ; and even although, as aforesaid, 
it appears most probable that the coloration of the Fe/de is in 
the main due to adaptations to the natural surroundings of 
its various members, there are not wanting difficulties even © 
here. For instance, we have already said that the coloration 
of the Tiger harmonises almost exactly with the Indian jungles 
which the animal now inhabits. From its absence from Cey- 
lon, Mr. Blanford, is, however, of opinion that the Tiger is 
probably only a comparatively recent immigrant into Southern 

cig 


20 LLOYD’S nATORAL HISTORY, 


India; and his suggestion is supported by the well-known in 
tolerance displayed by this animal to the fierce rays of an 
Indian sun. It is therefore quite probable that this Cat may 
be an immigrant from the west or north; and if Siberia, where 
it now exists, should prove to have been its original home, 
what becomes of the theory as to the adaptive harmony ex- 
isting between its dark and light stripes, and the dark streaks 
of vertical light and shade in an Indian jungle ? 

Leaving the subject of their coloration in this somewhat 
unsatisfactory state, we pass on to the consideration of the 
geographical distribution of the Cats. Although the Tiger 
now inhabits Siberia and Amurland, while its fossilised re- 
mains have been found on an island still farther north and 
well within the Arctic Circle, and the Ounce is an inhabitant 
of the cold plateau of Tibet, yet at the present day the Cats, 
as a whole, attain their greatest numerical development in the 
warmer regions of the globe. Indeed, while they are repre- 
sented in almost ali the hottest parts of the world, they have 
no representatives in the extreme northern countries inhabited 
by the Arctic Fox and the Polar Bear. With the exception of 
the Tiger, the larger members of the Family are, in fact, now 
for the most part denizens of tropical and sub-tropical regions, 
although the range of the Puma extends southwards to the 
cold wastes of Patagonia, and northwards to British Columbia 
and Maine. It is true, indeed, that the Lion, as represented 
by the so-called Felis spelea, ranged during the Pleistocene 
period in Western Europe as far north as England, yet we 
know too little of the climate of that period to draw any 
inferences from this former more extended distribution. 

With the exception of Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, 
perhaps Celebes, Madagascar, the West India Islands (save 
Trinidad, which may be reckoned as part of South America), 
and the circumpolar regions, the Cats have a practically 


THE CATS. 21 


cosmopolitan distribution. The Cats of the New World are, 
however, as a rule, markedly distinct from those of the Old, 
although the Lynxes form a marked exception to this rule. 
Exclusive of the Old World Caracal, these animals are, how- 
ever, essentially a northern group; and it is therefore not 
surprising to find the common Lynx of Europe and Asia so 
closely allied to the Canadian Lynx as, in the opinion of many 
competent zoologists, to be no more than a local race. As a 
whole, the New World is not so rich in Cats as the Old; but it 
is noteworthy that in both hemispheres spotted, striped, and 
uniformly-coloured species occur. It is only, however, in the 
former that we meet with a species (the Jaguar) in which the 
dark rosettes have a central black spot ; while the great tawny 
American Cat (the Puma) differs from its Old World analogue, 
the Lion, in having been derived from a spotted instead of a 
striped ancestor. Moreover, the only striped American species 
is the Pampas Cat, in which the stripes are but poorly de- 
veloped ; and accordingly, if Dr. Eimer’s theory of coloration 
be the true one, it would seem that in this respect the New 
World Fedde are less specialised than their Old World cousins. 

Europe at the present day is remarkably poor in species of 
the Family, having only the Wild Cat, the common Lynx, and 
the Spanish Lynx. The warmer parts of Asia and Africa, on 
the other hand, may be regarded as the headquarters of the 
Family ; and it is here only that we meet with the Hunting- 
Leopard, which is not the sole representative of its genus, but 
is likewise common to the two continents. The only other 
species found both in Asia and Africa are the Lion, the 
Leopard, the Jungle Cat, and the Caracal, although a few 
essentially African species range into Syria. As regards the 
smaller Cats, several African species appear to be peculiar to 
the forest districts on the western side of that continent. 

As regards their geological distribution, it is not a little 


22 LLOYD'S NAT@RAL HISTORY. 


remarkable that, whereas the typical Cats (7é/is) are unknown 
in Europe before the middle of the Miocene division of the 
Tertiary period, and in North America not earlier than the 
Upper Miocene or Lower Pliocene, in France the apparently 
more specialised sabre-toothed Tigers (Aacherodus) are met 
with in the Quercy Phosphorites belonging to the antecedent 
Oligocene division of the Tertiary. 

At the present day, as we have seen, the nearest relations 
of the Fe/id@ appear to be the Civets (Viverride) ; the aberrant 
Cryploprocta of Madagascar being the most Cat-like form 
among the latter. Both these groups agree in the general 
structure of the base of the skull, while the teeth of the Cryf- 
toprocta are practically indistinguishable from those of the 
felide. From this structural resemblance, coupled with the 
common occurrence of Civet-like animals in the earlier Tertiary 
strata of Europe, it has been generally considered that the Cats 
have taken origin from Carnivora more or less closely allied 
to the Civets. There exists, however, a group of extinct car- 
nivorous Mammals known as Creodonts, the teeth of which 
differ markedly in structure from those of the existing members 
of the Order; and it has been recently suggested by North 
American Palzontologists that the /e/ide have originated from 
one of these Creodonts quite independently of the other existing 
Carnivora. Ifthis should prove well-founded, the resemblances 
existing between the skulls and teeth of the Cats and Civets 
would be due to what is known as parallelism in development, 
and the apparent relationship existing between the two groups 
merely an instance of what is termed convergence. Without, 
however, denying the possibility that the American Palzonto 
logists may be correct, the writer would submit that mor 
decisive evidence is required before it can be definitely ac- 
cepted that there is no intimate relationship between the Cats 
and the Civets, 


THE CATS. 33 


Turning to the subject of classification, all zoologists are 
agreed that the whole of the existing Cats should be included 
within a single family—the Fede. As regards generic divisions 
there is, however, some difference of opinion ; although it is 
admitted on all sides that the Hunting-Leopard is entitled to 
stand as a genus (Cyz@lurus), apart from all the rest. The 
question then resolves itself as to whether the whole of the 
other Cats should be included in the single typical genus /e/is, 
or divided into two or more genera. By the late Dr. Gray, the 
existing Cats were split up into no less than thirteen generic 
divisions ; but the majority of these were obviously unnatural, 
and they have been discarded by most recent zoologists. 
The true, or short-tailed northern Lynxes differ, however, 
markedly from the more typical members of the Family, and 
were it not for the existence of more or less completely inter- 
mediate forms, there would be much to be said for referring 
them to a genus apart, under the name of Zyzcus. The 
Caracal, which is nearly allied to the Lynxes, is, however, a 
long-tailed form, connecting the former with the Jungle Cat 
and its allies so closely as to render any such divisions very 
difficult to define. It is true that an attempt to solve the 
difficulty has been made by referring the former animal to a 
third genus, as Caracal, but this, in the writer’s opinion, does 
not much mend matters, and accordingly, in the present 
volume, all the existing Cats, with the exception of the Hunting- 
Leopard, are included in the Linnean genus e//s. 

A nearly similar state of uncertainty exists as to the number 
of species by which that genus is represented. In the sequel 
forty-five different kinds are provisionally admitted. Several 
of these are, however, of doubtful specific rank, this being es- 
pecially the case among the Lynxes; and it is hence not im- 
probable that the number of species, if all were founded upon 
differences Of approximately equal yalue, might be reduced 


24 ILOYD’S NAT@RAL HISTORY. 


to somewhere about forty. On the other hand, there is a 
growing tendency among zoologists—especially on the other 
side of the Atlantic—to regard every well-marked and con- 
stant local difference in coloration as of specific value ; and if 
this view were accepted, the result would probably be to split 
up several of what are here regarded as species (e.g., the 
Jungle Cat and the Ocelot) into different races. Since, how- 
ever, a species is absolutely indefinable, as being non-existent, it 
is merely a matter of individual opinion as to the best manner 
of using that term ; the writer being very strongly in favour of 
employing it in as wide a sense as possible. 

This introductory dissertation on Cats in general may be 
fitly brought to a close by a reference to the important part 
which the larger members of the Family took in the pageants 
and shows of the ancients, the account being taken from the 
admirable veswmé given by Sir W. Jardine in the original 
edition of this volume of the ‘‘ Naturalist’s Library.” 

In the palmy days of ancient Rome various wild creatures 
were sometimes sent as presents from conquered nations ; but, 
in general, animals were collected from the shores of Africa 
and India in such numbers and variety, that we are at a loss 
to conceive how they were overcome, or afterwards transported 
to the utmost limits of the Roman empire. Those belonging 
to the tribe we are now about to describe were chiefly Lions, 
and the larger spotted African and Asiatic Cats, which then 
went under the different appellations of varii, pardi, panthers, 
&c. Lynxes were occasionally exhibited, but Tigers only once 
or twice. At the triumphs they were either led in procession 
as trophies from the vanquished nation or, in a few instances, 
having been tamed, they were made to draw the chariot of the 
conqueror. But the most frequent exhibition of all kinds or 
animals was in the public amphitheatral shows, an amusement 
which became a complete passion with the Romans, Immense 


THE CATS. 25 


sums were lavished in their arrangement; even the armies, when 
stationary for a short period, had their circus; and traces of 
_these erections are to be found in the most distant parts of the 
Roman empire. Training men to these sports became a pro- 
fession, and persons of rank were emulous to engage in them, 
because they were thought to keep up the martial spirit of the 
nation. 

The number of fierce animals collected at these shows was 
immense, and the slaughter no less so. Cornelius Scipio Nasica 
introduced sixty-three Lions. Scylla exhibited 100, which he 
received as a present from Boschus, King of Mauritania, with 
some Mauritanians to fight them. Pompey, at the opening of 
his theatre, exhibited a variety of games and battles with wild 
beasts, in which 500 Lions were slain in five days; and in 
another exhibition, the tragedy consisted in the massacre of 
too Lions, and an equal number of Lionesses, 200 Leopards, 
and 300 Bears. In the extravagant theatre built by Scaurus, 
500 Panthers were let loose in the-arena on a single occasion. 

At a later period, by many of the Indian sovereigns beasts 
of prey were kept to be hunted; or, being tamed, were placed 
near the throne upon occasions of pomp. They were also much 
more frequently employed as the executioners of criminals, or 
persons who had dispieased their despotic masters. The King 
of Pegu kept a park for Lions, Tigers, and other fierce beasts, 
called Liparo ; and it was a sad and daily sight to see criminals 
devoured by them. 

But in other parts of these countries, particularly Hindustan, 
instead of being used to rouse the martial spirit of the youth, 
the beasts of prey occupy a prominent part in the religious 
rites. In the mythology of the Hindus, many of them are held 
as sacred, or as evil spirits which can be propitiated by food. 
It is therefore a crime to destroy a Tiger ; and the teeth and 
claws are worn as charms against their ravages. Similar ideas 


26 LLOYD'S N@#MURAL HISTORY. 


prevail in a great part of the East Indian Archipelago, and 
precautions are scarcely ever taken against a wild beast. In 
Sumatra, according to Sir Stamford Raffles, when a Tiger enters 
a village, the foolish people frequently prepare rice and fruits, 
and placing them at the entrance, conceive that, by giving him 
this hospitable reception, he will be pleased with their attention, 
and pass on without doing them harm. 

Bringing the history of our knowledge of these wild animals 
to a still later period, we find them in Britain at the courts 
of our own kings. Henry the First, for instance, had, at his 
manor at Woodstock, a royal menagerie, where he kept Lions 
and Leopards, Lynxes, Porcupines, and other animals. From 
Woodstock these animals were transferred to the Tower, and 
formed the foundation of that establishment. ‘But in all 
these immense collections,” continues Jardine, “ we have only 
seen them as accessories of eastern magnificence, or delighting 
a barbarous people by their still more barbarous contests. It 
is true, certainly, that one of the greatest original works de- 
rived a great part of its accuracy and value from the numbers 
of animals which Alexander remitted during the progress of his 
conquests, and the Natural History of Pliny was partly supplied 
from the Roman shows; but these are the only instances of 
great men making use of the advantages which these collections 
afforded.” And it was not till a much later epoch that regular 
Zoological Gardens were established to promote the study of 
animals in their living state. 


I. THE RETRACTILE-CLAWED CATS. GENUS FELIS, 
felis, \inn., Syst, Nat. ed. 12,-vol.1. p: 60x 17.06). 


Characters.—Claws of toes completely contractile within their 
investing horny sheaths; inner tubercle of the upper carnas- 
sial tooth well developed. 


This genus includes the whole of the existing members of 


a ees 
We ce) ees 
Cad 0 pe 


‘9gND GNV SSUNOTT 


COS, 


anu 


THE LION, 27 


the Family, except the Hunting-Leopard ; and has, therefore, a 
geographical distribution coéxtensive with that of the Family, as 
_ given above, 


I. THE LION... FELIS LEO. 


Felis leo, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. i. p. 60 (1766) ; Elliot, 
Monograph of Felidz, pl. 1. (1878-83) ; Blanford, Mamm. 
Brit. India, p. 56 (1888). 

Felis spelea, Goldfuss, Nova Acta Ac. Czs. Leop.-Car. vol. x. 
p. 489 (1821) ; Owen, Brit. Foss. Mamm. p. 161 (1846). 

Felis leo goojratensis, Smee, Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. i. p. 165(1833). 

Leo africanus, Jardine, Naturalist’s Library, Feline, p. 118 
(1834). 

Leo astaticus, Jardine, op. cit. p. 121. 

Leo barbarus, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 39 (1843). 

Leo nobilis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 263, and Cat. 
Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 9 (1869). 


(Plates I. and II.) 


Characters.— Distinguished from all the other members of the 
Family by the presence of a massive mane, of variable length, 
depending from the neck and sides and crown of the head of 
the adult ; the female and young being mane-less. Tail about 
half the length of the head and body, with a large tuft of long 
hair at the extremity, among which is concealed a small nail-like 
horny appendage. Pupil of the eye circular when contracted. 
Colour uniform pale yellowish-brown (tawny), except the tuft 
at the extremity of the tail, the basal portion of the external 
surface of the ears, and frequently the tips of the hairs of the 
mane during middle life, all of which are black. Young cubs 
usually marked with small dark transverse bands, and a longi- 
tudinal stripe down the middle of the back, but these mark- 
ings occasionally breaking up into spots. Faint spots some- 
times observable on the flanks and under-parts of the adult, 


28 LLOYD’S MMTURAL HISTORY. 


especially in the Lioness. Skull connected with the arch of 
the hyoid bone (supporting the base of the tongue) by a pair 
of long ligaments. In the Lion the superior extremities of 
the nasal bones do not extend so far backwards as the frontal 
processes of the maxilla, or upper jaw-bones ; whereas in the 
Tiger the former reach far behind the latter. In the Lion’s 
skull, again, the fronto-parietal suture is separated by a much 
shorterinterval from the post-orbital process ; so that the former, 
as Mr. W. L. Sclater remarks, may be termed a short-waisted 
skull, as compared with that of the Tiger. A further difference 
between the two animals is to be found in the smaller develop- 
ment of the inner tubercle of the upper carnassial tooth of the 
Lion, as compared with that of the Tiger. The total length 
reached by large full-grown males is about ten feet, of which 
rather more than three feet is occupied by the tail. 

In the male Lion the mane commences to grow at about 
three years of age, and does not attain its full dimensions till 
the completion of the sixth year. The mane in specimens 
kept in menageries attains a far greater development than it 
ever reaches in the wild state ; the fringe of hair on the middle 
of the lower surface of the body, so commonly found in mena- 
gerie Lions, being peculiar to them. Unlike the majority of 
the Family, Lion cubs are born with their eyes open. 

As regards coloration, the Lion may be regarded as a more 
specialised animal than the Tiger, which it otherwise very 
closely resembles; while the mane of the male and the tail- 
tuft of both sexes are likewise specialised features. There is 
some considerable degree of variation in the colour of the 
coat, as well as in the degree of blackness and length of the 
mane. As arule, specimens kept in menageries have a marked 
reddish tinge in the coat ; whereas many wild specimens have 
a very pale yellow or even a silvery-grey hue. In South Africa, 
Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington remark that in some instances 


THE LION. 29 


full-grown males have been found “ of a fawn-colour so light 
as to be little removed from dirty-white, and with scarcely any 
appearance of mane; while others in the same district, although 
not so advanced in age, may be ornamented with full-flowing 
manes and dark brown coats, and wice versd. It is in these 
Lions with the largest manes that the tips of the hairs of the 
latter show the most blackness ; whereas in the poorly-maned 
specimens the colour is almost wholly tawny.” Hence we hear 
of “black” and of ‘‘yellow” Lions; but since cubs of both 
kinds may be met with in a single litter, it is quite certain that 
not even racial, let alone specific, differences can be founded 
on such variations. Neither is it true that the Indian Lion 
differs from the African in the absence of a mane. There does, 
however, seem to be a certain amount of local difference in 
the development of this appendage, some South African and 
all Somali-land and Algerian Lions being characterised by 
their full manes. 

Distribution. At the present day, Africa from Algeria to the 
Cape ; Mesopotamia, on the west flanks of the Zagros Range ; 
Persia, south of Shiraz, but not on the tableland ; and India. 

Regarding its occurrence in India, Mr. W. L. Sclater, in the 
** Catalogue of the Mammalia in the Indian Museum,” writes 
that the Lion was much more widely spread formerly than it is 
at the present day. ‘‘The districts in which it occurs or has 
occurred, are Guzerat in the extreme west of India, Central 
India, and Bundelcund. Blanford gives accounts of a Lion 
shot near Rewah in 1866; and also of a Lion stoned to death 
by a Mr. Arratoon, of the Police at Sheorajpur, twenty-five 
miles west of Allahabad. In the Aszan newspaper of June 
zoth, 1885, Colonel Martin, of the Central India Horse, men- 
tions that General Travers and himself in 1860 killed two Lions 
on a hillto the west of Guna in Gwalior ; and in 1862, with 
Colonel Beadon, the Deputy Commissioner, he turned out and 


7 


30 LLOYD’S WMTURAL HISTORY. 


killed no less than eight Lions at a place called Patulghar, 
seventy miles north-west of Guna. The last Lion killed in 
Central India, of which I can find any record, was shot by 
Colonel Hallnear Gunain 1873. . . . Ihave heard too ot 
a Lion being killed in 1888 in Guzerat, so that it is evident 
that the animal is not yet extinct in India, although it seems 
probable that it soon will be.” Since this passage was written, 
the present writer has been informed that Lions still exist in 
Kattiawar (a district of Guzerat), where they are now strictly 
preserved by the Indian Government. His informant also 
states that during the Mutiny-time (that is to say, early in the 
“ fifties”) Colonel George Acland Smith killed upwards of 
three hundred Indian Lions, fifty of which were bagged in the 
Delhi district. 

In South Africa, where these animals formerly abounded, 
Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington write that a few Lions “still 
remain in the extreme northern confines of the Zoutpansberg 
district of the Transvaal, and about Delagoa Bay. In British 
Bechuanaland their presence is now and then reported from 
the extreme westwardly course of the Molopo river, before its 
waters become absorbed in the waters of the southern 
Kalahari. But northward, without mentioning any particular 
locality, throughout South-Central Africa, wherever large game 
is plentiful, they are more or less numerous, particularly so in 
the low-lying countries along the East Coast, and the presence 
of Burchell’s Zebras in quantities is a sure indication that 
Lions are to be found in the vicinity.” 

Very similar testimony is given by Mr. H. A. Bryden, who, 
after mentioning that only occasional traces of their presence 
are to be met with in British Bechuanaland, states that “not 
many Lions are nowadays heard of until Khama’s country 
is reached and Palachwe left behind. Along the Botletli they 
are still numerous, expecially in the busier parts nearing Lake 


THE LION. 31 


Ngami. And round the lake, in the Mabebi veldt, and about 
the Chebi and Zambesi they are always to be found. In other 
places, too, between Palachwe and the Zambesi, Lions’ spoor 
is pretty sure to be seen in the vicinity of water. In the true 
Kalahari country there are few; here water is scarce, and 
Lions cannot exist without water. In the south-eastern part 
of Khama’s country, along the Limpopo, and near the Shashi 
and Macloutsi rivers, they are still (or were till very lately) 
occasionally heard of.” At the time that Mashonaland was 
opened up by the Chartered Company in 1890, Lions were 
not only extraordinarily abundant, but likewise remarkable 
for their boldness and audacity, despatch-riders being often 
followed by small troops of them at night, while there are 
several instances of their having pursued men in broad day- 
light. Cattle and mules were likewise carried off in numbers, 
in defiance of all ordinary means of protection. With regard 
to other parts of Africa, our information is not so full. Lions 
are, however, still abundant in Somali-land, where, as already 
mentioned, the males, as a whole, are characterised by the fine 
development of their manes; although, according to Mr. Selous, 
none of the Lions from that district equal in this respect the 
very finest specimens from the Cape, where the average size of 
the mane is less. From lower Egypt the Lion has, we believe, 
disappeared, although it is still to be met with in considerable 
numbers in the Sudan, as well as in Algeria and Morocco. In 
the wooded regions of Senegal it is likewise abundant; and 
. regarding its occurrence in Angola and the Congo district, 
Professor Barboza du Bocage, in a paper published in the 
journal of the Lisbon Scientific Society for 1883, writes as 
follows : “‘The Lion appears everywhere where large Ungulates, 
such as Antelopes and Zebras, abound. To the north of the 
Zaire its range seems confined to the upper Congo, above 
Stanley Pool. In Angola it seems to have disappeared from 


32 LLOYD'S WgetURAL HISTORY. 


the inhabited districts lying between the Zaire and the Quanza. 
In the district of Benguela it is sufficiently common at 
Quillengues and Caconda, and during its wanderings fre- 
quently comes down to the sea-coast. In the district of 
Mossamedes its presence has been indicated at Capangombe, 
and more especially on the high plateau extending westwards 
from the mountain-range of Chella; while in the southern 
part of this district it has been met with in the littoral zone on 
the banks of the Rio Coroca.” 

Turning once more to Asia, it may be mentioned that a few 
years ago Lions were still numerous in the reedy swamps on 
the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris ; while in Persia, to the 
south of Shiraz, they haunt a reed-clad valley, from which they 
make forays on the swine kept in numbers in the neighbouring 
woods and thickets. Within historic times the western range 
of the Lion was, however, much more extensive, and while it 
is known to have ranged over Syria and Arabia, it is probable 
that it was likewise found in Afghanistan and Baluchistan, 
whereby its present Indian and Persian habitats would have 
been connected. It is well-known how Herodotus records 
that the baggage-camels of the army of Xerxes were attacked 
by Lions in the country of the Pzonians, one of the races of 
Macedonia ; and there is evidence that these animals formerly 
ranged over a considerable portion of South-eastern Europe, 
including Roumania and Greece. 

Many years ago the fossilised remains of a large species 
of Lion were discovered in the ossiferous deposits of the 
German caves and described under the name of eds sfelea ; 
‘the opinion then being that they indicated a species now 
extinct. Similar remains have been subsequently obtained 
from the caverns and superficial river-deposits of other parts 
of Europe, such as France, Italy, Spain, and England ; but 
careful examination and comparison has led to the conclusion 


THE LION. 33 


that the animal to which they belonged cannot be separated 
from the existing Lion, whose range was, therefore, formerly 
very extensive. It is, however, very noteworthy that there is 
no evidence of the Lion having ever inhabited the countries 
to the eastwards of the Bay of Bengal, where the Tiger is so 
abundant ; and it may thus be concluded that while the one 
is a western and southern form, the other is an eastern and 
northern animal; the meeting-place of the two being on the 
plains of India, as the Tiger, as already mentioned, is not 
improbably a recent immigrant. 


Habits.— Distinguished from the majority of the members of 
the Cat tribe by its inability to climb, the Lion is essentially a 
noisy animal, its well-known roar being in undisturbed districts 
frequently uttered at intervals, from early evening, throughout 
the night. Even the Lion, however, learns prudence, and in 
places where they are much molested and harassed by Man, 
they roar much less frequently than elsewhere. As is well- 
known, Livingstone had no very high estimate of the impres- 
siveness of the Lion’s roar ; but his opinion is not shared by the 
majority of more recent observers. Mr. F. H. Jackson, for 
instance, in the volumes of the “ Badminton Library ” devoted 
to big game, observes that, when heard on a still night at a 
short distance, the Lion’s roar is decidedly grand, especially 
when two or more animals are uttering the sound in concert: 
Later on in the same volume, Mr. Selous writes that “there 
is no more magnificent sound in nature than the volume of 
sound produced by a party of Lions roaring in unison, that is, 
if one is fortunate enough to be very near to them. It is, 
however, a rare occurrence to hear Lions roar loudly within a 
short distance of one’s camp, and in all my experience, tho gh 
I have heard these animals roaring upon hundreds of different 
occasions, I can count the nights on the fingers of one hand 
when, all unconscious of my near vicinity, a party of several 

7 D 


34 LLOYD'S NgpuRAL HISTORY. 


Lions has roared freely within a hundred yards of where [ was 
lying.” 

Although when lying at rest in one of the spacious open 
cages at the “Zoo” a well-mained male Lion has certainly an 
imposing and majestic appearance, those who have had an 
opportunity of observing the animal in its native haunts are 
not, for the most part, impressed with the dignity of its bear- 
ing and carriage. General Paget, however, informs me that, 
whereas Tigers are always sneaking and Cat-like in their gait, 
old Lions are bold and deSiant, holding up their heads as if to 
challenge an attack. But this, is not the experience of Mr. 
Jackson, who says that Lions as a rule carry their heads low 
down, and below the line of the back ; and as they slouch 
along, their hind-quarters sway from side to side in an inele- 
gant manner, so as to give a general appearance of weak- 
ness and general looseness of build. When standing broad- 
side on, or facing the intruder with head erect, however, he 
is fain to confess that an adult male Lion is a grand-looking 
beast. 

Mainly nocturnal in their habits, Lions are very generally 
found in more or less open sandy districts, with the hue of which 
their tawny hides so well harmonise ; but in certain districts 
they are found in thorn-jungle, or even forest ; while, as we 
have seen, in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates they 
frequent reed-covered swamps. It has been thought that the 
nature of the country they inhabit has something to do with 
the degree of development of the mane—this appendage being 
alleged to be smaller in Jungle Lions; but this requires con- 
firmation. Although usually met with in pairs, in some parts 
of Africa Lions associate in parties commonly comprising up 
to as many as ten individuals, which may represent at least 
two or three generations. Mr. Selous states, however, that on 
one occasion he has counted eleven Lions together, and on 


j THE JLION. a 


a second, upwards of twenty-three. Not unfrequently these 
parties combine to pull down large animals, as in the well- 
known instance narrated by Vardon and Oswell, where three 
males united their forces to attack a Buffalo. At the time 
when Lions where abundant in India, their prey was chiefly 
composed of Deer, Antelopes, Pigs, Horses, Donkeys, and 
Camels ; and on the Euphrates they live chiefly on the swine 
in the oak-forests adjoining their haunts. In South and East 
Africa, on the other hand, their favourite game is Zebra and 
Buffalo ; and wherever large herds of the former animals are 
found, there Lions may confidently be expected. Numbers of 
the larger Antelopes, suchas Hartebeests and Elands, are, how- 
ever, killed ; while the Giraffe more rarely falls a victim. Old 
Lions will, moreover, take to killing Goats and other domestic 
animals ; and it is probable that many of these would turn into 
confirmed Man-eaters, were it not that when a Lion exhibits 
this propensity, the bold natives of Southern Africa promptly 
turn out and destroy him—no matter at what cost of life. 
The old idea of the Lion being a clean and dainty feeder has 
been completely dissipated by modern observers, some of 
whom state that these Cats will scarcely ever pass by the 
carcase of a slain animal, even though it be in an advanced 
state of decomposition, without stopping to make a meal of its 
flesh. And it is related that where Elephants have been shot 
and left to fester in the sun, Lions will stay by the decompos- 
ing carcases, till the bones are picked clean, despite the fact 
that there may be herds of their favourite Zebras in the im- 
mediate neighbourhood. Moreover, the Lion is not free from 
an occasional charge of cannibalism. 

Although the Lion generally prefers to creep silently up to 
its victim by night, it will occasionally attack in broad day- 
light, Mr. Jackson relating two instances where men have been 
‘thus attacked without provocation. Equally rare are attacks 
D 2 


36 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


by night on camps, the writer last mentioned stating that only 
one such instance has come under his personal observation. 
With regard to the danger of tracking up a wounded Lion, 
there seems to be some difference of opinion among experts, 
Mr. Jackson stating that he has only known of two instances 
where Lions thus followed up have charged home; one of these 
being a Lioness which attacked Sir Robert Harvey. On the 
other hand, Mr. Selous speaks very emphatically as to the 
danger attending such a proceeding ; while Messrs. Nicolls and 
Eglington write “that following up one of these wounded 
animals in thick bush without the assistance of dogs can only 
be attended by extreme peril.” . 
On the subject of the manner in which the Lion strikes 
down its prey, Mr. Jackson writes: “ Although I have care- 
fully examined the carcases of several Buffaloes and Zebras, 
I have never been able to discover anything about them to 
warrant my expressing an opinion as to how they had actually 
been killed by the Lions. The most noticeable thing about © 
two freshly-killed Buffaloes and one Zebra was the terrible way 
in which they were lacerated on the hind-quarters, evidently by 
the Lions at their first spring and during the subsequent des- 
perate struggle before they actually killed them. In every 
case where I found a fresh kill, the stomach had been torn 
open, and the liver, heart, and entrails had formed the first 
meal.” Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington express a more decided 
opinion on this subject, stating that although Lions have 
different modes of seizing and killing their prey, yet that the 
method “usually adopted in the case of the Ox or the Eland, 
when springing on to the back of one of these animals, is to 
snsert the claws deep into the flesh of the victim, those of the 
left hind-foot low down on the near flank, almost at the 
stomach, those of the right hind-paw higlt on the rump, the 
right fore-paw in the centre of the off shoulder, and, with the 


f 


THE LION. cu, 


purchase so obtained, to bite into the nape of the neck, 
simultaneously wrenching the head round by grasping the nose 
with the claws of the left fore-paw. As one of the numerous 
evidences in support of this assertion as to how they kill their 
quarry, it may be mentioned that some years ago four Oxen 
out of a span were killed by Lions on the Botletli river in one 
night, every one of which on careful examination had its neck 
broken exactly in the manner described.” Although Mr. 
Selous states that many large animals, such as Oxen, when 
killed by Lions, undoubtedly have their necks dislocated, yet, in 
his-opinion, the method of attack is frequently very different 
from that described above. In such a case deep claw-marks 
will be found on the muzzle of the victim; and he believes 
that the animal is seized, while grazing, by the Lion, from the 
left side, the muzzle being struck by the left front paw of the 
ageressor, and the head of the Ox pulled beneath its body. 
The victim being at the same time firmly gripped on the 
shoulder by the right paw of the Lion, whose hind-feet rest on 
the ground, it at once plunges forward, with the result that it 
topples headlong over, and thus breaks its own neck. When 
several Lions combine to attack a large Buffalo or Ox, they 
kill it in a less artistic manner, biting and clawing it all over, 
Zebras, as well as Horses and Donkeys, according to the same 
intrepid hunter, are killed by being bitten either at the back 
of the neck immediately behind the ears, or in the throat ; 
whilst Giraffes are probably seized and bitten high up in the 
throat, whilst lying down. On the other hand, the late Sit 
Samuel Baker, whose experiences were derived from North 
Africa, held the opinion that Lions killed their victims by a 
crushing blow of the paw. From this somewhat conflicting 
evidence itis quite clear that the last word has not yet been 
said as to the manner in which the Lion kills its victims. It 
is, however, evident that the neck of the larger animals is 


o 


35 LLOYD'S g@TURAL HISTORY. 


very generally dislocated ; and it may be suggested, that, as a 
possible solution of the discrepancy, while in some instances 
the victims are killed in the manner described by Messrs. 
Nicolls and Eglington, in other cases the aggressor may 
employ different tactics and go to work in the way in- 
dicated by Mr. Selous. 

By the older hunters in Africa stories were told of Lions 
taking the carcases of animals of the size of Oxen in their 
mouths, and, thus burdened, springing over the palisades with 
which kraals in South Africa are surrounded. In spite, how- 
ever, of its enormous strength, those most capable of forming 
a judgment on the subject are of opinion that the Lion is 
utterly incapable of performing any such feat, and that the 
body of its victim, be it large or be it small, is invariably held 
in the mouth by the head or neck and dragged along the 
ground by the side of its slayer. According to Mr. Selous, on 
the rare occasions when Lions do break into the kraals, they but 
seldom leap over the fence, not even when it is low, preferring 
to make their way through the interstices at the bottom; and 
they will at times walk round and round an enclosure until 
they find an interval between two poles, which they enlarge by 
thrusting the latter apart, and thus manage to squeeze their 
bodies through. When once inside, if suddenly disturbed or 
fired at, they will often make a speedy exit by leaping the 
fence. 

It is ascertained that a Lion will live for at least thirty years, 
and there are some reasons for believing that the duration of 
life will sometimes reach as much as forty years. A Lion and 
Lioness pair for life; and while, in the wild state, the number of 
cubs in a litter is generally but two or three (the latter number 
being the most usual in South Africa), in captivity as many as 
six are not uncommonly produced. Even in the wild condi- 
tion many cubs die at a very early age; and it is therefore not 


THE LION, 39 


surprising that many should perish in captivity. Although Lions 
generally breed preity freely in captivity, there is a great differ- 
ence in this respect, as also with regard to the rearing of the 
cubs in different menageries. The most successful results 
have of late years been obtained in the Zoological Gardens, 
Dublin ; and the foilowing record of this breeding, compiled 
by Professor Valentine Ball, the Honorary Secretary to that 
establishment, will be read with interest. Mr. Ball writes 
that the breeding of Lion cubs commenced in the Gardens in 
the year 1857, and has been continued through an unbroken 
descent to the end of 1893, or for thirty-seven years; from 
which, if we subtract the five years from 1874 to 1878, in- 
clusive—when there was no breeding Lioress in the Gardens, 
and no cubs were born,—the actual period of breeding lasted 
only thirty-two years, during which the average number of 
births has been 5°3 per annum. 


PARENTS OF THE CUBS. 


MALES. FEMALES, 
Number of Number of 
Cubs, Cubs. 
NATALIE (1857-59) ... 10 
NaTAL (1857-64) 42 ) ANONYMA (1861-64) ... 20 
OLD GIRL (1862-73)... 55 
Sire Unknown (1869) «. 3 —NELLIE (1860) ... 
iiss Oi bse eee 
OLD CHARLEY (1866-74) ... 47 | Vicrorta (1879-81) ae 
ZENOBIA (1879-83) ... I7 
Younc CHARLEY (1879-84) 27 ous (1884-91) Toe 
Pappy (1883-91) ___... » 31 ( MINNIE (1884-86) apie 
Romeo (1899- . . 19 (JULIET (1890-93) 14 
(690-93) c (PORTIA (1892)) cn) nS 


169 169 


40 LLOYD'S NAMZ#BRAL HISTORY, 


SEXES OF THE CUBS. 


Males ee t: x Ms e's) 
Females ce a ac or aun dr SSO 
Unknown _s... ee aa Ame va a I 

169 


Percentage of males to females 52°4 to 47°6, or a majority 
of 4°8 males out of every 100. 

When captured sufficiently young, the Lion is one of the 
most easily-tamed of all the Ae“de—differing very markedly in 
this respect from its near ally the Tiger—and some of the speci- 
mens exhibited in menageries have shown a most extraordinary 
degree of docility. Jardine writes that a Lion exhibited in 
the early part of the century in Wombell’s travelling menagerie, 
known as Nero, ‘‘ was of a remarkably mild disposition, and 
allowed his keepers every liberty; strangers were frequently 
introduced into the den, and when in Edinburgh, this was a 
nightly exhibition, the visitors riding and sitting on his back. 
Nero, during the wuile, preserved a look of magnanimous com- 
posure, and on the entrance or exit of a new visitor, would 
merely look slowly round. 

“But the most docile Lion which has occurred to our own 
observation, was one in a travelling menagerie at Amster- 
dam, where, it may be remarked, all the animals showed a 
remarkable degree of tameness and familharity. The Lion 
alluded to, after being pulled about and made to show his 
teeth, &c., was required to exhibit ; two young men in fancy 
dresses entered the spacious cage, and in the meantime, the 
Lion, apparently perfectly aware of what he had to do, walked 
composedly rou:d. He was now made to jump over a rope 
held at different heights; next through a hoop and a barrel, 
and again through the same covered with paper. All this he 
did freely, compressing himself to go through the narrow space, 


da 


THE LION, 41 


and alighting gracefully. His next feat was to repeat the leaps 
through the hoop and barrel with the paper set on fire; this he 
evidently disliked, but with some coaxinz went through each. 
The animals were now all fed, but the Lion had not yet com- 
pleted his share in the night’s entertainment, and was required 
to show his forbearance by parting with his food. The keeper 
entered the cage and took it repeatedly from him, no further 
resistance than a short clutch and a growl was expressed. His 
countenance had, however, lost its serenity, and how long his 
good temper would have continued, is doubtful.” 

The following account of Lions in Gujrat, in pre-Mutiny 
days, is given by General W. Rice, in his book entitled ‘“ In- 
dian Game.” The General writes that on one occasion ‘ when 
passing a village near which we had hunted the previous year, 
the people begged me earnestly to wait while their young men 
ran off to mark down any sleeping Lions. It seems that after 
killing several cattle belonging to the place, an old Lion would 
every evening come out of the forest and lie down, stretched 
out on a large piece of flat stone or sheet-rock close to the vil- 
lage ; presently he would look round, when a Lioness used to 
follow and lie down by his side; she again was followed by 
another young half-grown Lion, and there the three would 
wait. At last one of the men, with the rest of the populace 
behind him, took a steady kneeling shot with a matchlock 
at the old Lion, but somehow missed or merely grazed him, 
for the Lion thereupon bounded forward, and after nearly 
pulling the marksman’s head off, retreated to the woods with 
his mate and cub. 

“ Formerly Lions were far more plentiful in this part of the 
country, and used to live more in the open plains. A cavalry 


‘officer a good many years ago told me he had shot eighty Lions 
in this province in three years, using well-trained horses for the 
purpose, and following them over the open country. 


42 _ LLOyp’s NMTURAL HISTORY, 


“From being so constantly hunted, Lions have almost left 
the open plains, and betaken themselves chiefly to the forests, 
where the numerous thorn-bushes must drag out the best part 
of their manes, until all, except the very old Lions, cease by 
degrees to have any mane left. This is supposed to be the 
reason of the ‘ Maneless Lion of Guzerat’ being considered a 
distinct species. 

“Lions wander considerably, travelling all night, and lying 
up in the daytime at certain, to them, well-known resting- 
places. They often go in company, as many as six or more 
being at times together, and seem to keep to the same rounds 
in travelling. From this cause the above-named friend told me 
that his shikari used to watch over a few well-known halting- 
places of the Lions, and bring him news of a fresh arrival, 
when he would ride out to the spot, shoot the Lion, and again 
in a few days another Lion would be reported as having taken 
up its quarters in the self-same bush or den, where it also 
would be killed. Once he described how his hunter, while 
they were following up the fresh prints of a Lion, knelt down 
to look under a thick bush. After a very long silent pause, 
the man withdrew his head from the bush, when his counten- 
ance was observed to be green. The poor fellow had all 
this time been staring at a Lion asleep, face to face, at almost 
kissing distance ; having been stricken dumb and dazed, he 
could merely make a few signs by pointing at the bush, where 
the Lion was shot while asleep. 

“When travelling and wandering over the country in this 
manner, Lions will put up for the day under any kind of 
shelter, for I have known two turned out from under a hay- 
stack, while cane-fields form a temporary refuge. ‘Their usual | 
course is through large patches of dry grass, extending often | 
for many miles, and preserved for feeding cattle. ‘These ex- 
tensive tracts help to hide the Lions in their journey from | 


THE” LION. 43 


one set of hills or jungles to some far distant range or fresh 
hunting-grounds.” 

Our account of the present species may be fitly concluded 
with the description of a Lion-hunt in South Africa, taken from 
“Thompson’s Travels,” at a time when repeating rifles and ex- 
plosive bullets were things undreamt of. After stating that his 
party consisted of several Europeans, enforced by a company 
of the so-called Bastaard Hottentots, the narrator writes: “The 
first point was to track the Lion to his covert. This was 
effected by a few of the Hottentots on foot. Commencing 
from the spot where the horse was killed, we followed the spoor 
through grass, and gravel, and brushwood, with astonishing 
ease and dexterity, where an inexperienced eye could discern 
neither footprint nor mark of any kind; until, at length, we 
fairly tracked him into a large bosch, or straggling thicket of 
brushwood and evergreens, about a mile distant. 

“The next object was to drive him out of this retreat, in 
order to attack him in a close phalanx, with more safety and 
effect. The approved mode in such cases is to torment him 
with dogs till he abandons his covert, and stands at bay in the 
open plain. The whole band of hunters then march forward 
together, and fire deliberately one by one. If he does not 
speedily fall, but grows angry, and turns upon his enemies, they 
must stand close in a circle, and turn their horse’s rear out- 
ward ; some holding them fast by the bridles, while the others 
kneel to take a steady aim at tts Lion as he approaches, some- 
times up to the very horses’ heels, couching every now and 
then, as if to measure the distance and strength of his ene- 
mies.” 

After some hours spent in searching, the Lion was event- 
ually found “couched among the roots of a large evergreen, 
but with a small space of open ground on one side of it ; and 
they fancied, on approaching, that they saw him distinctly lying 


44 LLOYD’S NMPURAL HISTORY, 


glaring at them under the foliage. Charging the Bastaards to 
stand firm, and level fair, should they miss, the Scottish cham- 
pions let fly together, and struck—not the Lion, as it after- 
wards proved, but a great block of red stone, beyond which he 
was actually lying. Whether any of the shot grazed him is 
uncertain ; but, with no other warning than a furious growl, 
forth he bolted from the bush. The rascally Bastaards, in 
place of pouring in their volley upon him, instantly turned and 
ran, helter-skelter, leaving him to do his pleasure upon the de- 
fenceless Scots, who, with empty guns, were tumbling over each 
other, in their hurry to escape the clutch of the rampant savage. 
In a twinkling he was upon them, and, with one stroke of his 
paw, dashed the nearest to the ground. The thing was terri- 
fic! There stood the Lion, with his foot upon his prostrate 
foe, looking round in conscious pride upon the bands of his 
assailants, and with a port the most noble and imposing that 
can be conceived. It was the most magnificent thing I ever 
witnessed. The danger of our friends, however, rendered it at 
the moment too terrible to enjoy either the grand or the ludi- 
crous part of the picture. We expected every instant to see 
one or more of them torn in pieces ; nor, though the rest of the 
party were standing within fifty paces, with their guns cocked 
and levelled, durst we fire for their assistance. One was lying 
under the Lion’s feet, and the other scrambling towards us, in 
such a way as to intercept our aim upon him. All this passed 
far more rapidly than I have described it; but, luckily, the 
Lion, after steadily surveying us for a few seconds, seemed 
willing to be quit on fair terms, and, with a fortunate forbear- 
ance, turned calmly away, and driving the snarling dogs like 
rats from among his heels, bounded over the adjoining thicket, 
like a Cat over a footstool, clearing brakes and bushes, twelve 
or fifteen feet high, as readily as if they had been tufts of grass, 
and, abandoning the jungle, retreated towards the mountains, 


“UsoiL-NOTT 


mm Wbtwitt 


THE LION-TIGER. 45 


“ After ascertaining the state of our rescued comrade, who 
fortunately had sustained no other injury than a slight scratch 
on the back, and’a severe bruise on the ribs, from the force 
with which the animal had dashed him to the ground, we re- 
newed the chase, with Hottentots and hounds, in full cry. In 
a short time we again came up with the enemy, and found him 
standing at bay under an old mimosa-tree, by the side of a 
mountain-stream, which we had distinguished by the name of 
Douglas Water. The dogs were barking round, but afraid to 
approach him, for he was now beginning to growl fiercely, and 
to brandish his tail in a manner that showed he was meditating 
mischief. The Hottentots, by taking a circuit between him 
and the mountain, crossed the stream, and took a position on 
the top of a precipice overlooking the spot where he stood. 
Another party occupied a position on the other side of the 
glen, and, placing the poor fellow thus between two fires, 
which confused his attention, and prevented his retreat, we 
kept battering at him, without truce or mercy, till he fell, 
unable again to grapple with us, covered with wounds and 
glory.” 

LION-TIGER HYBRIDS. 
(Plate IIL.) 


Although there is no record that such cross-breeding occurs 
in a state of nature, Lions and Tigers will occasionally breed 
together in captivity; but it is remarkable that the only recorded 
instances of such interbreeding took place between a single 
Lion and a Tigress. Attempts have, indeed, recently been 
made in the Zoological Gardens at Dublin, where, as men 
tioned above, Lion-breeding is carried on with remarkable 
success, but hitherto without any successful result. 

The history of these hybrids has been very carefully worked 
out by Professor Valentine Ball, Director of the Science and 


46 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Art Museum, Dublin, from rece papers the following account 
is taken. ‘The parents of these hybrids were in a travelling 
menagerie owned at first by Mr. Thomas Atkins, and subse- 
quently by his son Mr. John Atkins; and a total of six litters 
of hybrids were produced between the years 1824 and 1833. 
The parent Lion was bred in the menagerie from a Barbary 
Lion and a Senegal Lioness; while the Tigress was born in the 
collection of the Marquis of Hastings at Calcutta, and was pur- 
chased when about eighteen months old from a ship’s captain, 
to whom she had been given by her original owner. Being of 
the same age as the Lion, she was placed with him in the same 
cage ; and in the course of two years proved to be in cub. 
The following is a record of the six litters produced by the 
union of this pair. 


First Litter—Born October the 24th, 1824, at Windsor, and 
comprising two males and a female. ‘They were nourished by 
a female terrier, but all perished within a year of their birth. 
These cubs were exhibited to King George the Fourth, at the 
Royal Cottage, Windsor, on the first of November, by whom 
they were christened Lion-Tigers. 


Second Litter —Born April 22nd, 1825, at Clapham Common ; 
there were three cubs, sexes not recorded. Reared by the 
mother, as also were all the subsequent litters. They only 
lived a short time. 


Third Litter—Born December 31st, 1826 or 1827, at Edin- 
burgh; one male and two females. Mr. Ball states that 
the year is given as 1827 in the handbill of the menagerie from 
which he quotes, and the other references seem to support that 
date; but Mr. John Atkins says it is given as 1826 in a printed 
catalogue in his possession. ‘These only lived a few months. 
The skin of one of them, forming the subject of Plate IIL. is 
preserved in the Science and Art Museum at Edinburgh, and a 


THE LION-TIGER. Ay 


- Second is in the British Museum. Sir William Jardine remarks 


that ‘‘the colour was brighter than that of the Lion, and the 
bands were better marked than they generally are in the young 
of the true breed.” Indeed, from his figure, the animal has 
more the appearance of a Tiger than of a Lion. Writing of 
the cubs of the first litter in the “Library of Entertaining Know- 
ledge,” where one of them was figured, Griffith observes that 
“our mules, in common with ordinary Lions, were born with- 
out any traces of a mane, or of a tuft at the end of the tail. 
Their fur in general was rather woolly; the external ear was 
pendant towards the extremity ; the nails were constantly out, 
and not cased in the sheath, and in these particulars they 
agreed with the common cubs of Lions. Their colour was 
dirty yellow or blanket-colour; but from the nose over the 
head, along the back and upper side of the tail, the colour was 
much darker, and on these parts the transverse stripes were 
stronger, and the forehead was covered with obscure spots, 
slighter indications of which also appeared on other parts of 
the body. ‘The shape of the head, as appears by the figures, is 
assimilated to that of the father (the Lion); the superficies of 
the body on the other hand is like that of the Tigress.” 


Fourth Litter—Born October 2nd, 1828, at Windsor; one 
male and two females. 


Fifth Litter— Born May, 1831, at Kensington, three cubs; 
sexes not recorded. They were shown to the Queen, then 
Princess Victoria, and to the Duchess of Kent. The whole 
group performed in a specially constructed cage at Astley’s 
Amphitheatre, and in 1832 were taken by Mr. Atkins for a 
tour in Ireland. 


Sixth Litter.—Born July roth, 1833, at the Zoological Gardens, 
Liverpool ; one male and two females. One, the male, lived 
for ten years in the Gardens. The young male Lion-Tigers 


48 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


when about three years off had a short mane, something like 
tbat of an Asiatic Lion; and the stripes became very indistinct 
at that age 

Mr. J. Atkins informed Professor Ball that there was a badly 
stuffed specimen of one cub which was about a year old in the 
Museum at Salisbury ; and there is another in the Cambridge 
Museum. From an account quoted by Mr. Harmer it would 
seem improbable that that particular specimen, had it survived, 
could have bred. Asa matter of fact, it appears, indeed, that 
none of the cubs ever did breed, though there is no known 
reason why most of them should not have done so. 

Mr. Atkins thinks that the cubs of the earlier litters died 
from over-feeding, as when he adopted a different treatment he 
had no difficulty in rearing them. 


Il. THE TIGER. FELIS “TIGRIS, = 
Felis tigris, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. 1. p. 62 (1766); Elliot, 
Monograph of Felide, pl.iil.(1878-83); Blanford, Mamm. 
Brit. India, p. 58 (1888). 
Tigris regalis, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 40 (1843); 
id., Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. ro (1869). 
(Plate IV.) 

Charasters.—Size approximately the same as that of the Lion. 
Fur on the body and limbs of Indian and Malayan specimens 
short, but that on the cheeks from behind the ears round the 
sides of the neck elongated in full-grown males to form an im- 
perfect ruff; in Siberian examples the whole fur longer and 
rougher. ‘Tail tapering gradually to the tip, which is devoid 
of a tuft; equal in length to about half the head and body. 
Pupil of the eye round. Skull differing from that of the Lion 
by the features noticed on page 28. Ground-colour of the 
fur of the upper-parts varying from pale rufous to brownish- 
yellow ; under-parts white ; the whole of the head and body 


‘AT DLW Id 


THE TIGER. 49 


marked by parallel vertical black stripes, and the tait ringed 
with black. Ears black externally, with the exception of a 
large white spot. Usual length of large males varying from 
8% to 9% feet, of which 3 feet is occupied by the tail; but 
specimens measuring 9 feet 11 inches and 10 feet 2 inches are 
on record. 


As a rule, old Tigers are less brightly coloured than young 


‘ 


Tiger and Cubs. 


ones ; while those inhabiting forests appear to have the ground- 
colour of the fur darker and redder than in those from grass- 
jungles. Although neither black nor white Lions appear to 
have been recorded, both these colour-variations have been 
observed in the Tiger. A black example was found dead at 
Chittagong, North-eastern India, in the year 1846; whilea pale 


| E 


C LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Ca 


whitish specimen, in which the stripes were very opaque and 
only visible in certain lights, was exhibited alive many years 
ago at Exeter "Change, and has been figured in Griffith’s 
“ Animal Kingdom.” Another nearly white specimen, from 
Northern India, is recorded by Mr. Howard Saunders in the 
‘“‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society” for 1891. 

In Central Asia, Siberia, and Amurland the Tiger assumes 
a more woolly and longer fur—noticeable even in specimens 
from Afghanistan, while the ground-colour of the fur is richer, 
and the stripes of a more jetty blackness. A specimen 
of the Siberian Tiger, apparently the first brought alive to 
Europe, was exhibited recently in Hagenbeck’s menagerie at 
Amsterdam. Although an immature animal, with the winter- 
coat only commencing to grow at the time of its arrival, the 
hair on the neck was so elongated as to give almost the ap- 
pearance of a mane; while the tail was almost double the 
thickness it bears in Indian Tigers. Although apparently less 
than three years old, this Tiger stood three feet three inches at 
the shoulder ; in the course of three months it grew two inches 
more, and it was considered likely to rise yet another four 
inches in stature. As Indian Tigers usually stand from three 
feet to three feet six inches at the shoulder, it thus seems 
probable that the Siberian variety attains larger dimensions. 
Although ferocious in appearance, Hagenbeck’s Tiger was in 
reality of a remarkably gentle disposition, and had probably 
been reared from infancy by hand. 

A certain amount of variation occurs locally even among 
Indian Tigers; and it appears to be well ascertained that the 
Bengal animal is larger and more lanky than the race inhabiting 
the Central Provinces and Southern India; although, according 
to Mr. Sterndale, the Tiger from the last-mentioned region 
sometimes has the advantage in an all-round measurement. 


Distribution—From the Caucasus, through Northern Persia, 


THE TIGER. cy 


Se 


Turkestan, Afghanistan, India, Assam, Burma, the Malay Pen- 
insula, Sumatra, Java, and China, to Manchuria and Amurland. 
In India found almost everywhere, from the Himalaya (where 
‘t ascends to the height of 6,000 or 7,000 feet above the sea- 
level) to Cape Comorin ; but unknown in Ceylon. As men- 
tioned above, its absence from the latter island leads to the 
inference that the Tiger is a comparatively recent immigrant 
into India from the east or north. It has frequently been 
stated that the Tiger is found in Borneo; but according to a 
list of the Mammals of that island published by Mr. Everett in 
the ‘‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society ” for 1892, this is 
not the case. Sumatra and Java seem, therefore, to mark the 
limits of its eastern range in this region: a circumstance 
strongly in favour of its no:thern origin. Associated with 
those of the Mammoth, fossilised remains of the Tiger have 
been discovered in the New Siberian Islands, situated some 
to within the Arctic Circle, and only slightly to the south of 
the parallel of the North Cape. 
_-Habits.—Fully equal, if, indeed, not superior to the Lion in 
strength, activity, and courage, the Tiger is likewise one of the 
few non-climbing Cats; but it is specially distinguished from 
its near cousin by its much more silent habits, as well as by its 
marked partiality for water, in the near neighbourhood of which 
its lair is always situated. It is this partiality for water that 
makes Tigers so numerous in the Sandarbans and on Saugor 
Island, at the mouth of the Hughli, where some of the finest 
specimens are to be met with. As nocturnal in its general 
habits as the Lion, the Tiger is a much less sociable animal 
than the latter, the males generally going about alone, and the 
sexes only coming together during the breeding-season. Oc- 
casionally, however, five or six Tigers have been seen in 
company ; and it appears that these are family-parties which 
have remained together, instead of dispersing after the usual 
ne 


52 LLOYD'S aa HISTORY. 


custom. Like the Lion, the Tiger selects but a single partner; 
although it does not appear to be ascertained whether the union 
between them is lifelong—like that of the Lion and Lioness— 
ormerely temporary. Breeding takes place apparently at almost 
any season of the year, since young cubs have been taken in 
India both in March and October, the Tigress generally pro- 
ducing from two to five in a litter, although the number may 
occasionally reach as many as six. “She is a most affectionate 
and attached mother,” writes Sir Joseph Fayrer, in his volume 
on “The Royal Tiger of Bengal,” ‘and generally guards and 
trains her young with the most watchful and attentive solicitude. 
They remain with her until nearly full-grown, or till about the 
second year, when they are able to kill for themselves, and 
begin life on their own account. Whilst they remain with her, 
the Tigress is particularly vicious and aggressive, defending 
them with the greatest courage and energy, and when robbed 
of them, terrible in her rage; but she has been known to desert 
them when pressed, and even to eat them when starved. As 
soon as they begin to require other food than her milk, she 
kills for them, and also teaches them to slaughter for them- 
selves by practising on small animals, such as deer and young 
calves or pigs. At these times she is wanton and extravagant 
in her cruelty, killing apparently for the gratification of her 
ferocious and bloodthirsty nature, and perhaps to excite and 
instruct the young ones; and it is not until they are thoroughly 
capable of killing their own food that she separates from them. 
The young Tigers are far more destructive than the old. They 
will kill three or four cows at a time; whilst the older and more 
experienced rarely kill more than one, and this at intervals of 
from three or four days to a week.” In this account it is stated | 
that the cubs reach their full development in the second year, 
when they generally leave their parent; but according to later 
observers, the period is nearer three years. Tigresses do not 


ies 


THE TIGER. 53 


appear to breed, at the most, more frequently than once in 
every two or three years; and it appears that a pair, of which 
one is a female and the other a male, is by far the most usual 
number of cubs in a litter. It would seem, however, that a 
far smaller proportion of males attain maturity than is the case 
with the opposite sex, since in India adult Tigresses are vastly 


_ more numerous than are Tigers. 


As mentioned above, it is not uncommon for Tigresses, when 
pressed or nearly starved, to kill, and even occasionally to devour, 
their offspring. ‘Tigers, however, appear to kill the cubs still 
more frequently, and without adequate reason. Although can- 
nibalism appears to be rare, the following instance is recorded 
by Colonel W. Scott in the ‘ Journal of the Bombay Natural 
History Society ” for 1892. ‘The Colonel writes that on the 
17th of April in that year he received news “of a Tigress and 
two fine cubs on a small hill about three miles from my camp, 
and going out with a friend we had a beat for her, and she was 
duly shot. The cubs did not appear in the beat at all, but I 
ascertained from some Bhils that they were about the size of 
Panthers, and so thinking them too small to be shot at, and too 
large to be caught alive, we determined to leave them alone, 
although a congregation of chattering Monkeys round some 
rocks, half way up the hill, showed very plainly where they 


_were. On the 22nd, my shikari sent in word that he had 
‘marked down a Tiger in the same place in which the Tigress 


had been found. I started as soon as I could collect men for 
a beat, and at the first sound of music out came the Tiger 
straight for the place where I was posted, giving me an ex- 
cellent shot. My shikari coming along with the beaters, when 
he reached the place where he had marked the Tiger down, 
went to have a look at it, and in a sort of hollow under a rock 
close by, he came on a dead Tiger-cub, evidently killed that 
morning, of which the whole of the right hind leg and quar- 


54 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


- 


ter had been eaten. There was not a trace of it left any- 
where ; and the cub had evidently been killed by the Tiger, for 
there were the marks of its fangs in the throat. On looking 
about, my shikari found, behind a rock close by, the half-eaten 
remains of a Goat, and we afterwards found the tracks of the 
cub having dragged the Goat up the side of the hill to its 
hiding-place. ‘The theory is that the cub returned to the hill 
early in the morning, bringing the Goat with him, and whilst he 
was eating it, the Tiger put in an appearance, and a row ensued 
which ended in the death of the cub.” 

Whereas, in the Nipal Terai and the Dehra Dun, Tigers are 
found in gigantic grass-jungles, which can only be entered on 
Elephants, in Central and Southern India they frequent densely 
wooded ravines, of which the banks are often high and precipi- 
tous, where they often repose during the daytime on rocky 
ledges. Insuch a situation on the Narbada, a Tiger was seen 
lying by a friend of the writer, who had peered over the edge 
of the cliff to ascertain its geological structure; needless to 
say, he promptly selected another site for the continuation of 
his researches. ‘Tigers are also very fond of the jungle-clad 
islands and sand-banks in the larger Indian rivers; and in 
the Sandarbans of Lower Bengal may not unfrequently be seen 
swimming from island to island. Indeed these animals are 
never averse to entering the water, in which they have been 
known to swim very long distances. Whatever be the nature 
of the country they inhabit, Tigers, like the Indian Elephant, 
are exceedingly averse to expose themselves to the direct 
rays of the sun during the hot season, always endeavouring to 
select the most secluded and shady spot for their daily repose ; 
this trait indicating in the case of both animals that their 
ancestors were probably inhabitants of a less burning climate 
than that of the plains of India. Certain localities seem to be 
permanently inhabited by Tigers ; and when the denizen of 


THE TIGER. 55 


one of these favoured spots has been killed, or has died in the 
ordinary course of nature, his place is promptly taken by a new- 
comer. Preying generally upon animals killed by themselves, 
although frequently making a meal from any carcase that may 
lie in their way, and often resorting again and again to their 
kill till it is in an advanced stage of decomposition, ‘Tigers may 
be roughly divided, according to the nature of their food, into 
-game-killers, cattle-lifters, and man-eaters ; although, of course, 
there is no hard-and-fast division between either of these classes. 
The game-killer preys chiefly upon Deer, Pigs, and Antelopes, 
although it will also kill Monkeys, Peafowl, and even Porcu- 
pines, together with many others of the smaller Mammals ; 
while in populated districts its makes an occasional onslaught 
oncattle. While young Buffaloand Gaur not unfrequently fall 
victims to Tigers of this class, adults of both species are com- 
monly left alone; although at times a Tiger will screw up his 
courage to attack even one of the latter, mostly with success- 
ful results. Cattle-lifters are always Tigers inhabiting the 
neighbourhood of villages ; and as they find such animals easy 
victims, they generally confine their attention to these alone. 
From the cattle-lifter, a Tiger may develop into a man-eater ; 
and as a human prey is still more easily killed and carried off 
than a Cow or an Ox, a Tiger which has once taken to this kind 
of livelihood, never forsakes it. The superstitious dread of 
Tigers, and especially man-eaters, entertained by many Hindu 
tribes, coupled with the timid nature of many of these tribes, 
is one reason why so many man-eaters are allowed to carry 
off their toll of victims with impunity, until a term is put 
to their existence by the rifle of the European sportsman. 
Should, however, such aid be not forthcoming, and the ravages 
of the man-eater become intolerable, it not unfrequently 
happens that the inhabitants will desert their village, rather 
than turn out ez masse and encompass the destruction of their 


56 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


persecutor. Some reference to the enormous destruction of 
human life by Tigers, and likewise the loss inflicted by them 
on cattle-owners, is made under the head of the Leopard. 

A Snake seems a rather extraordinary meal for a Tiger, but 
in the “Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society ” for 
1893, Mr. J. D. Inverarity writes that on opening the stomach 
of a Tigress ‘‘he found in it the tail-end of a Snake that the 
Tigress had bitten off and swallowed whole; the portion 
swallowed measured two feet three inches in length. Though 
quite fresh, the pattern of the skin was rather spoiled by diges- 
tion, and I am not sure what kind of snake it was, but it 
appeared to me to be a Rock-Snake. There were no teeth 
marks on it, nor was there any breakage of the bones. It 
seems somewhat remarkable that a piece of this length should 
be bolted whole. The natives thought that the Tigress had 
caught it in the water when she went to drink. I should estimate 
the piece bitten off at about one third of the Snake’s length.” 

Cattle are killed generally by the Tiger seizing the fore- 
quarters with his fore-paws, one of which is generally thrown 
across the animal’s shoulders, while the throat is gripped from 
below by the jaws ; a sudden upward wrench, during which the 
destroyer sometimes springs to the off side of his victim, results 
in causing the dislocation of the neck of the latter. Occa- 
sionally, however, cattle are seized by the neck ; while it is 
possible that on rare occasions a blow from the powerful paw 
may be the immediate cause of death. Still more rarely, large 
animals, such as Gaur and Buffalo, are hamstrung by Tigers. 
In devouring its prey, a Tiger invariably, or almost always, 
commences its meal on the flesh of the hind-quarters. 

Although, as already mentioned, uttered much less frequently, 
the roar of the Tiger is very similar to that of the Lion ; and 
it has been well described as a prolonged moaning, thrilling 
sound at the commencement, which is repeated two or three 


"oe 


THE TIGER. yi 


times ; it then becomes louder and mcre rapid, and finishes 
with three or four repetitions of the latter portion. When the 
animal is suddenly disturbed or surprised, it utters a loud, sharp 
wuf ; when provoked, a growl is emitted ; while, in charging, it 
gives vent to a peculiar gutteral sound, repeated two or three 
times. It iscommonly supposed that when a Tiger is suddenly 
disturbed by the sportsman, it promptly goes for him forthwith. 
This, however, is a mistake; and if a Tiger has time to collect 
its thoughts and see a way of escape, it will promptly avail 
itself of the same. Generally, however, the animal is as much 
surprised as the intruder, or even more so; and as the way by 
which the latter has entered is usually the most obvious road 
of escape, the Tiger rushes headlong, with a cry of rage, along 
the path, not unfrequently with only too disastrous results to 
the unfortunate sportsman. 

In the work already quoted, Sir J. Fayrer observes that ‘‘ the 
Tiger seems to be particular about the state of his claws; they 
are always kept sharp and polished, carefully protected within 
the sheath of integument, and are kept from contact with the 
ground, and thus remain pointed and clean, being very formid- 
able weapons, with which fearful wounds are inflicted. Probably 
it is to keep them in order, clean and bright, that the Tiger is 
so fond of scratching the bark of trees ; and their deep vertical 
scorings, up to a height of ten or twelve feet, are often seen on 
the Indian fig or other tree. They have favourites which they 
select or set apart for this purpose, and the scorings are very 
deep and numerous. I remember a /icuws venosa by the side 
of a nutswamp in Parneah, under whose shade I have often 
rested in the middle of a hot day’s Tiger-shooting. It stood 
alone, and was evidently a favourite resort of the Tigers, for it 
was deeply and numerously scored by their claws. 

“Tigers do not, as a general rule, climb trees; but when 
pressed by fear, as during an inundation, or when no other 


58 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


means of escape offers from real or imaginary danger, they 
have occasionally been known to do so. They have also been 
seen to clamber up or even spring to a certain height, where 
they have seen a man, and whence they thought the shot came, 
and pull him down. I have heard of authentic instances 
where this happened. Nor are they wont to spring to any 
great height from the ground; though an instance occurred 
recently, reported by an eye-witness, where a Tiger pulled a 
native, in one spring, out of a tree at a height of eighteen feet 
from the ground. The Tiger’s usual attack is a rush accom- 
panied by a series of short deep growls or roars, in which he 
evidently thinks he will do much by intimidation. When he 
charges home, he rises on the hind-feet, seizes with the teeth 
and claws, endeavouring, and often succeeding, in pulling down 
the object seized. Tigers do occasionally leave the ground 
with a spring, clear a fence or ditch, or even alight on the 
Elephant’s head, his pad, or hind-quarters ; but this probably 
happens in the case of Tigresses or young and active males. 
The heavy o!d Tiger seldom, if ever, is so energetic in spring- 
ing up heights ; though he will take a good broad ditch or wall 
in a bound.” 

As an instance of the enormous muscular power of the ‘Tiger, 
the same writer goes on to say that on one occasion one of 
these animals sprang from an elevation at a single bound 
among a herd of cattle, striking down simultaneously on each 
side a Cow with his fore-paws. Both Cows were disabled, but 
whereas the Tiger proceeded to kill and devour the one, the 
other was left lying with her back broken. 

In many districts in India, Tigers were (and in some in- 
stances still are) extraordinarily numerous and audacious, and 
the following account by an anonymous author, taken, with 
some verbal alteration, from the Aszax newspaper of August 
3rd, 1894, of their habits and vagaries in the Cherrapunji 


i 


THE TIGER. 59 


Hills, on the north-eastern frontier, will be found of more than 
common interest. “The station of Cherrapunji,” writes the 
narrator, “stands upon a plateau overlooking the plains, sur- 
rounded on the three sides by well-wooded ravines, the slopes, 
or rather cliffs, of which are so precipitous that Deer are sel- 
dom found there, and though the Black Bear now and again 
turns up he generally prefers other lines of country. The 
visitor to Cherra, in the cold weather, would have been puzzled 
to account for Tigers patronising the place, but that is easily 
explained. As the rains set in, almost the whole of the graz- 
ing-grounds along the foot of the hills are submerged, though 
the houses, when not built on piles, are raised on mounds of 
mud some three to four feet in height, but it would be im- 
possible to keep cattle in the limited area of the raised daree. 
As the rains approached, therefore, the cattle were driven up 
to Cherra, upon whose desolate plateau a few inches of rain 
effects a wonderful transformation scene. ‘These herds were 
increased by the return of the garrisons of the outposts and 
stockades for the rains, who also brought their Cows with 
them, and, as most of the Sepoys owned at least two head, the 
number of cattle that came up for the benefit of the grass that 
sprouted so magically after the first shower could not have 
been far short of 1,200 to 1,500. Hence, washed out of his 
lair below, and the hillsides being barren, the Tiger has no 
alternative but to follow his commissariat supplies up the 
mountain ; and numerous as these brutes were, it is a marvel 
that they did not show up in greater force, considering the 
ample supply of provisions available. The area of the plateau 
is restricted, and as the central portion was occupied by 
houses, the grazing-grounds were mostly on the edges of the 
ravines. On the east side Tigers would lie just below the 
level, and creeping to the summit with the mists that roll up 
from the valleys when the hot sun shone down on the sodden 


60 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 
a 

vegetation, scarce a day passed without one or more Cows 
falling victims. The western side of the flat had long been 
abandoned as a grazing-ground, for the coal-mine hill was not 
only covered with thick second growth but honeycombed with 
limestone caves and coal-galleries, in which the marauders 
established their quarters ; and so many at one time occupied 
these refuges that the coal-carriers had to go for their require- 
ments in a body, while, when coal was needed for the mess or 
officers’ bungalows, a guard had to be sent with the coolies. 
Not that the animals were aggressive in the oper, but in the 
dark recesses of the coal-tunnels, they were apt to resent in- 
trusion, being run into a cul de sac. In addition to the cover 
named, there were several spots within the station, such as rifts 
in the sandstone and under slabs, where the brutes could skulk 
the whole day long, issuing forth in the gloaming to intercept 
the cattle wending their way home for the night. A Tiger had, 
indeed, every advantage in Cherra; he fought shy of the traps 
erected for his special behoof, and, as no trees can be induced 
to grow on this storm-swept, rock-strewn heath, and machans 
would be too conspicuous unless you could manage a potshot 
from the houses, it was difficult to bag one. In the dead ot 
the night people took the yelling of saises from the well-secured 
stables, as matters of course; and though the roofs of all 
houses were pitched low on account of the wind, the poaching 
Tigers were instinctively chary of exposing themselves against 
the skyline on the ridges ; while, owing to the almost incessant 
rain, clear moonlight nights were the exception ; and though 
few houses were without a trophy in the shape of a hearthrug 
or two from the hide of the beasts, nearly the whole of these 
had either been trapped or shot by sheer luck from the bed- 
room windows or glass-enclosed verandas. 

“Many tales have been told of these chance shots, and, 
though well authenticated, would, to those who had never 


THE TIGER. 61 


visited Cherra in its prime, be inclined to imagine the relator 
was drawing freely on his imagination. The sentries, although 
kept well under cover, were always ordered to load at sunset, 
for though few people knocked about after dark, unless at 
dinner-parties, when all went in a body, the native doctor on 
one occasion, when returning from a sudden call to the 
hospital, was knocked down opposite the main guard. It 
being a pouring wet night he, fortunately, had one of those 
stout Sylhet chatfas which saved him, while the sentry let 
drive through a window, and, though missing, frightened the 
brute off. The man had a torch in full blaze, but it seemed 
to have no effect, and as many people imagine that fire will 
invariably scare a Tiger, I may relate two instances that will 
prove such is by nomeansthe case. The Officer Commanding 
the 44th (then the Sylhet L.I.) occupied a house on the very 
edge of the £Aud. The place was notorious for being a 
prowling-ground, as not only were there four Horses and a 
couple of Cows in the stables, but not far off was the Sheep- 
house of the station, far too stout a stone building to be 
burglared ; and the shepherds moreover were well armed, 
having besides their weapons, a pretty good stock of bombs 
and other fireworks, with a display of which they frequently 
had to enliven those whose windows commanded a view of 
the premises. Well, one night in August, when the rain was 
coming down, as it only knows how to in Cherra, a gentleman 
was reading in bed, the lamp being ona teapoy placed between 
his couch and a low window that opened into an unenclosed 
veranda on the leeside of the house. On the opposite side of 
the room a bright fire was burning, throwing a strong glare all 
over and through the window, which had the usual half 
horizontal curtain. Once or twice the reader’s attention was 
drawn to a slight noise, but on looking up from his book and 
noticing nothing he resumed his reading, until a most pro- 


62 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


F 


nounced bump against the upper panes caused him to start 
up, when, to his no small perturbation, there, with his nose 
pressed against the glass, which the narrow frame prevented his 
cheek from breaking, stood a full-grown tiger. How long the 
brute had been there, and what his ultimate intentions may 
have been, it is impossible to divine, but that the lamp, which 
was within two feet of him, and the glare of the window full upon 
him had no deterrent effect upon the gratification of his curiosity 
is certain. Although the occupant was not quick enough to 
seize them, guns ready loaded stood against the mantelpiece. 
So extraordinary was the occurrence deemed that the marks of 
the animal’s paws were allowed to remain on the window-sill 
until the whole station had seen them; and though most of 
those who could testify to the correctness of this story have 
passed away, there are, I think, three still in India who, besides 
myself, can bear witness to the truth of this statement. The 
other instance of a Tiger facing fire was at the burning of a 
Manipuri village near the station of Silchar. We hurried out 
on ponies to see what assistance we could render; a good 
many people were about, running to and fro and making 
the usual hubbub; and the blaze from the burning houses 
threw a lurid light around for a considerable distance. In the 
full glare of it were the village cattle, tethered under a shed, 
when in the midst of the uproar, a Tigress, as it was afterwards 
found to be, crept up a zu/a at the back of the shed, bounded 
in, and made off with a full-grown heifer. But to return to 
Cherra. Though not aggressive in the daytime the Tigers 
were rather more familiar than was pleasant, and if, as is 
mostly the case during the rains, the days were dull and misty, 
the roads deserted, and your business, or inclination, led you 
anywhere near the kAwz, ten to one but what you would see 
some sneaking cattle-lifter dodging from rock to rock or peeping 
cautiously from some deep rift. People perambulating their 


a 


: THE TIGER. 63 


own compounds were often stalked, but from their being no 
recorded instance of accidents, I fancy that Tigers, like the 
rest of the Cat-tribe, are imbued with that insatiable curiosity 
that housewives lament in the domestic puss. The compounds 
were one ard all surrounded with stone walls, some three or 
four feet in height, and one evening, leaning up against the 
outside of one of these below the messhouse, while talking to 
the adjutant and a young civilian, our conversation was brought 
toan abrupt termination by the former officer suddenly taking 
to his heels, bolting up the messhouse hill as fast as his legs 
enabled him. Left behind we gazed on each other in blank 
amazement, looked about us and were about to resume our 
conversation when our friend, having reached his goal, turned 
round, and though far too exhausted to utter a word, pointed 
apparently straight at us. ‘Something round the corner, may 
be,’ said my companion, but as we did not know what it might 
be, we vaulted inside the wall and peeped over, just in time to 
see a Tiger creeping stealthily along under cover of the wall 
towards a deep gully. 

**A shout soon quickened his movements. It turned out 
that our friend while talking had caught sight of the brute’s 
face as he peered round the angle of the wall, taking stock of 
us. Why he did not warn us at the time he started on his 
flight, he did not seem inclined to explain, but the construction 
we put on his behaviour was that he preferred saving his own 
skin at the expense of one or other of us. Dining at the mess 
was, from its exposed position, rather an infliction, unless you 
sent your bedding and passed the night there. The com- 
pound-wall was rather higher than usual, and as the house 
occupied a commanding, though solitary, position, with a ruir. 
between it and the other station-houses, many a startle have 
people had when leaving the hospitable roof. One night on 
coming out, I found a Tiger crouched on the walls of the ruin 


64 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


aforementioned, and as, instead of bolting, he retained his 
position, I had to run back. The sentry, a Ghoorka, was in 
the enclosed portico, but as it was raised some six feet above 
the beast’s lair, he could not see him. With the inherent pluck 
of his race, however, and heedless of the sin of leaving his 
post, he accompanied me to the gate from which the animal 
could be plainly detected in the same position; resting his 
piece on the coping, and drawing as fine a bead as the uncer- 
tain light admitted, the man let fly. A tremendous howl 
followed, and the wounded beast scuttled off down the very 
road I had to go. The party residing at the Mess had come 
out at the report of the sentry’s rifle and endeavoured to dis- 
suade me from leaving, but I lighted a torch and sallied forth 
on my walk of barely 400 yards, waving the torch round and 
round, thus keeping it in full glow. Nothing occurred on the 
road, but as I turned into the gateway I almost fell over the 
prostrate body of the wounded animal, who, as he lay in the 
lest mortal throes right in the path, was qui‘e capable of mis- 
chief had I got within his reach. MHastily jumping aside I 
gained the door and so was safe. ‘The next morning we ex- 
amined the dead creature, whose lungs were torn to shreds, the 
bullet lodging in the left hind-leg, yet he had run the above 
distance in that condition—another instance of the vitality of 
the Cat-tribe. 

‘‘ As before said, this house, or rather its environs, was in- 
fested by Tigers, and during a residence of nine months, 
though we caught sight of seven, certainly no dark night 
passed without unmistakable evidence in the morning of the 
premises having been visited. Only once did the occupant 
succeed in bagging an animal from the house ; and then only 
after three previous failures. ‘Twice the visitor put in an ap- 
pearance at dawn on some rocks well within range, but on 
both occasions the opening of a door, though the hinges had 


3 


THE TIGER. 65 


« 


been well oiled, and every precaution taken to avoid attracting 


attention, the slight creaking, or the mere exposing a gap in 


the wall, was enough to send the Tiger off his coign of vantage 
down the £/ud, amid the brushwood, in which it would have 


_béen impossible to detect him, even could one have followed 


him up quick enough. At length, as he seemed attached to 
these rocks, we took out one of the panes from the bath-room 
window, and three mornings after I was roused a little after 
dawn, and hurried to the scene of action. The rain was 
coming down heavily, but the animal did not seem to mind it; 
he certainly presented an unique picture, standing to full 
height, lashing his sides with his tail, and gazing towards the 
road down which the cattle from the lines usually came to 
their grazing-grounds. As he presented his broadside to us, 
and was certainly not more than thirty yards off, the selection 
of the vital part was easy enough; the Major fired, while I 
went to the bedroom window to note the shot. The aim 
proved true, the ball entering behind the shoulder and lodg- 
ing in the right shoulder-blade. With a tremendous bound 
into mid-air, but without any sound so far as we could hear, 
the Tiger appeared to turn a complete summersault, falling 
over out of sight. Allowing half an hour to pass, we went 
down and found him quite dead. Mr. Inglis, a resident in the 
station, had a pet Sambhar Stag, which was chased all round 
the house in the most audacious manner in broad daylight by 
a half-grown male Tiger, and though Mr. Inglis and two guests 
quickly snatched up guns, it was impossible to fire, as the 
chased and chaser ran in and out among the outbuildings. 
Eventually the Deer dashed into the main entrance, when the 
Tiger made off, still keeping among the buildings until he had 
secured a good ‘ offing,’ then turning round to look at his would- 
be destroyers. 

“‘T do not know whether the story has ever been related be- 


a F 


66 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


fore, but the most comieff episode in connection with Cherra | 
Tigers happened, I think, in 1859. Saturday night’s dinner at | 
Inglis’ hospitable board had grown into an institution. Coming | 
away from these entertainments, which we did in a body for | 
mutual protection, was rather good fun on account of occasional 
scares, and as the major portion of the guests lived on the way 
to the Mess, we saw each other home. The Assistant Com- | 
missioner, however, had his house away from all, so left us a | 
few yards from our entertainer’s gates, and, being of a some- 
what timorous disposition, generally brought with him, in ad- | 
dition to his table-servant, a torch bearer for further security, | 
travelling in one of the old-fashioned sedan-chairs carried by a | 
couple of Khasias—a cavalcade sufficient, one would imagine, 
to frighten the life out of any Tiger. His house was round a | 
bend, and about half a mile distant. One night we parted | 
with him at the junction, where he got into the ancient con- 
veyance, and we each pursued our way, reaching our respective ! 


houses in due course. Not so the magistrate, who had scarce } 


reached the bend of the road, when away fled retainers and | 
chairmen, having come suddenly upona Tiger. The poor man | 
was in fix, for though the chair was stout enough to resist all | 
attempts to open it, the wind was beginning to rise and might 
not only topple it over, but smash in the panels. ‘The occu- 
pant yelled and shouted, but to no purpose ; he was far too 

frightened to come out and make the best of his way home, | 
and at that time of night there was not the remotest likelihood | 
of anyone passing along the lonely road. ‘The best had to be 
made of matters, and so he passed the night in a dress-sult, | 
expecting every moment that the enemy would put in an ap- | 
pearance. Daylight released him at last, but he contracted an 
attack of rheumatism that lasted his lifetime. ‘Traps were | 
placed all over the station, and a goodly number of Tigers | 
caught in this way, though there is always a feeling of repug- | 


THE TIGER, 67 


hance to resorting to these contrivances on the part of the 
sportsman. Poisoning the kill had to be very carefully carried 
_ out, for Khasias eat both the Tiger and remains of his prey.” 

Regarding its behaviour in captivity, Jardine, in the original 
issue of this volume of the “ Naturalist’s Library,” writes that | 
“the Tiger is readily tamed when taken young, but its temper 
may be said to be scarcely so much depended upon as that of 
the Lion. Keepers enter the cage and caress them, but they 
never venture upon those annoying liberties which are generally 
so freely taken with the Lion; and strangers, I believe, have 
never attempted to venture within their reach, It may also 
be remarked, that there is only one instance upon record 
where the Tiger allowed a Dog to become an inmate of his den, 
With the Lion it is frequent, and great affection is displayed. 
On the contrary, however, the inhabitants of India appear to 

_ have great power in the management of the Tiger, and it is 
more frequently seen tame in that country than any of the 
other /eide. The tame Tigers of the fakirs exhibit great 

gentleness and confidence, which may in part be attributed to 

_ the ample way in which they are fed.” 

Although many adventurous Indian sportsmen track Tigers to 
their “kill” or their lair on foot, while others have the patience 
to endure a long night’s watch over a kill or tethered Cow, 
perched on a machan, or stage, built in some convenient tree, 

_ Tiger-shooting is more generally pursued on Elephants, which 
method, indeed, in the long grass-jungles is the only practic- 
able one. There are, of course, many modern accounts of 
Tiger-shooting in this manner ; but we content ourselves with 

“quoting one given in the early part of the century by Captain 

-Mundy—at that time a well-known Indian sportsman. 

After stating the preliminary preparations for the hunt, and 

the start, the narrator writes that “on clearing the wood, we 

entered an open space of marshy grass not three feet high; a 


Be 


68 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


large herd of cattle was ding there, and the herdsman was 
sitting under a bush; when, just as the former began to move 
before us, up sprang the very Tiger to whom our visit was 
intended, and cantered off across a bare plain, dotted with 
~small patches of bush-jungle. He took to the open country 
in a style which would have more become a Fox than a Tiger, 
who is expected by his pursuers to fight and not to run; and 
as he was flushed on the flank of the line, only one bullet was 
fired at him ere he cleared the thick grass. He was unhurt, 
and we pursued him at full speed. Twice he threw us out by 
stopping short in small strips of jungle, and then heading back 
after we had passed ; and he had given us a very fast trot of 
about two miles, when Colonel Arnold, who led the field, at 
last reached him by a capital shot, his Elephant being in full 
career. As soon as he felt himself wounded, the Tiger crept 
into a close thicket of trees and bushes, and crouched. ‘The 
two leading sportsmen overran the spot where he lay, and as I 
came up I saw him, through an aperture, rising to attempt a 
charge. My mahout had just before, in the heat of the chase, 
dropped his ankors, or goad, which I had refused to allow him 
to recover; and the Elephant, being notoriously savage, and 
further irritated by the goading he had undergone, became 
consequently unmanageable ; he appeared to see the Tiger as 
soon as myself, and I had only time to fire one shot, when he 
suddenly rushed with the greatest fury into the thicket, and 
falling upon his knees, nailed the Tiger with his tusks to the 
ground. Such was the violence of the shock, that my servant, 
who sat behind, was thrown out, and one of my guns went 
overboard. The struggles of my Elephant to crush his still 
resisting foe, who had fixed one paw on his eye, were so ener- 
getic that I was obliged to hold on with all my strength to | 
keep myself in the howda. The second barrel, too, of the gun 
which I still retained in my hand, went off in the scuffle, the | 


THE TIGER. 69 


ball passing close to the mahout’s ear, whose situation, poor 
fellow, was anything but enviable. As soon as my Elephant 
was prevailed upon to leave the killing part of the business to 
the sportsmen, they gave the roughly used Tiger the coup de 
grace. It was a very fine female, with the most beautiful skin 
I ever saw.” 

Although in this instance the whole party escaped scot-free 
from the Tiger’s charge, such encounters are decidedly risky, 
and should be avoided when possible. On this subject Colonel 
R. H. Percy writes as follows in the ‘‘ Badminton Library”: 
‘To hear of Tigers making good their charges and springing on 
to Elephants’ heads sounds very nice and exciting, but nothing is 
more demoralising to the Elephants, especially at the beginning 
of a trip, and every precaution should be taken to save your 
Elephants from getting mauled ; for, if injured, many of them 
never recover confidence, and become absolutely worthless for 
Tiger-shooting afterwards. Forsyth mentions an instance of 
an Elephant dying of wounds received from a Tiger. It is all 
very fine for a sportsman to take a charge, standing in a howda 
perched on the back of a large tusker ; but it is a very different 
thing for the opium-sodden nerves of an unarmed mahout 
riding a small timid pad-Elephant. Close order is the only 
safe formation for pad-Elephants, and should invariably be 
adopted. If the Tiger is marked into a particular bush, the 
line may be halted, and the howda-Elephants alone be taken 
up to engage him; but until the mahouts have thorough con- 
fidence in the guns, a fight is better avoided.” 

Our account of the Tiger may be brought to a conclusion 
with an extract from Dr. John Anderson’s narrative of the 
expedition to Western Yun-nan, relating to the boldness of a 
man-eater. ‘‘ While we were at dinner one evening at Bhamo,” 
writes the narrator, ‘a cry was raised that a Tiger was in the 
town, and we at once started with our rifles, and were met by 


70 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


aman who informed us i a woman had been killed; we 
hurried on, and in a hollow, below a clump of bamboos, 
came upon the body of the poor woman, over which her niece 
was crying bitterly. The back of the skull was completely 
smashed, and part of the scalp torn off. The woman had 
been sitting in the low veranda of a ground-hut, making thatch, 
and had evidently been whisked off by one fell swoop of the 
Tiger's paw, for no marks of the teeth could be discovered. 
A number of people were seated close beside her, talking 
loudly ; but this only verifies what I have heard about the 
boldness of man-eating Tigers, that they rather take advantage 
than otherwise of a noise to secure their prey ; and this one, a 
Tigress, had a decided partiality for human flesh, for she had 
carried off another woman a year before, when the townspeople 
attested that she cleared the stockade, nine feet high, with 
the woman in her mouth. In the present instance she had 
dragged her prey about fifty yards, but whenever the people 
discovered what had happened, they rushed from their houses 
with torches, and, shouting, drove her off. When we arrived, 
there were fifty men, all armed with spears and guns, and 
many carried torches, while fires had been lit in every 
direction, to frighten the brute away. The scene was a most 
exciting and effective picture ; we had the body removed, and 
beat the thickets, but could discover no trace of the Tigress. 
The woman was buried the same night, in accordance with 
the Burmese custom, followed in all cases of persons killed by 
Tigers. On the following morning we found the tracks of the 
animal clearly imprinted on fresh bricks laid out to dry, and 
its sex indicated by the footprints of her cub.” 

In spite of our having declared the preceding anecdote of 
Tigers to be the last, we cannot resist quoting a telegram sent 
some years ago by the Bengali station-master of a small up- 
_country railway station in India, where a Tiger had taken pos- 


PLATE YV. 


LEOPARD 


THE LEOPARD. aa 


session of the establishment, to the headquarters in Calcutta. 
The message ran as follows: ‘Tiger on platform ; am safe on 
roof; have put signal-man in charge ; please arrange.” 


Ill. THE LEOPARD, OR PANTHER. | FELIS PARDUS. 


ens pardus, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. i. p. 61 (1766) ; 
Elliot, Monogr. Felidz, pls. vi., vii. (1878-83) ; Blanford, 
Mamm. Brit. India, p. 67 (1888). 

Felis leopardus, Erxleben, Syst. Regn. Animal, p. 509 (1777). 

Felis panthera, Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. vol. i. p. 18 (1811). 

Felis melas, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 233 (1820). 

Leopardus varius, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 40 (1843). 

Felis tuliana, Valenciennes, Comptes Rendus, vol. xlili. p. 
1039 (1856). 

Leopardus japanensis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. 262; id, 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 11 (1869). 

Felis fontaniert, Milne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool. ser. 5, 
vol. viii. p. 375 (1867); id., Recherches Mammif. p. 208 
(1868-74) ; Anderson, Sci. Res. Yun-nan Expedition, p. 
162 (1878); Bateson, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1892, p. 106. 

Leopardus chinensis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 264; id., 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 11 (1869). 

Leopardus pardus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 263; id., 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 10 (1869). 

(Plate V.) 

Characters.—Size large, but very variable, the total length 
ranging from 5 to 8 feet; ground-colour of fur normally yellow, 
upon which are numerous distinct black spots or rosettes ; 
pupil of eye circular ; length of tail varying from rather more 
than half to nearly three-fourths that of the head and body. 
General ground-colour of upper-parts varying from rufous to 
yellowish-white, or pale brownish-yellow ; spots or rosettes on 
upper-parts and superior surface of tail black externally, and 


12 LLOYD’s NATURAL HISTORY. 


pale-coloured within, very@riable in form, size, and number, 
the external ring being generally interrupted, and the central 
area usually of the same hue as the ground-colour of the fur, 
although occasionally darker. On the head, lower portions of 
limbs, under-parts, and extremity of tail, the spots without 
light centres ; those at the tip of the upper surface of the tail 
taking the form of transverse bars. Young brownish, with 
the spots indistinctly defined. Skull with broad nasal bones, 
and the hyoid arch connected with it by ligaments, instead of 
by a series of small bones. 


Distribution—Africa generally, Asia Minor, Persia, Baluchi- 
stan, India, Assam, Ceylon, Burma, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, 
Java, and China. During the Pleistocene period the Leopard 
ranged into Western Europe, where its remains are met with 
in caverns and superficial formations. 


Much discussion has taken place as to whether there is 
more than a single species of Leopard in India, although all 
writers seem to be agreed that there is but one in Africa.* It 
may be mentioned before proceeding farther that the names 
‘“‘Pard ” and “ Panther” were applied by the ancients to these 
Spotted Cats, but whether indifferently to these animals in 
general, or as distinctive specific terms, is not apparent. It 
does not, moreover, seem at all clear as to whether one or 
both of these names were first applied to the African or to the 
Asiatic forms, although it is highly probable that they origin- 
ally referred to the former. 


In addition to the Pard or Panther, the ancients were also 
acquainted with the animal now commonly known as the 
Hunting-Leopard ; and as this creature was then considered 
to be a hybrid between the Lion and the Pard it was appro: 


* The gist of this discussion on the nomenclature and varieties of Leo- 
pards originally appeared as an article in ‘‘ Land and Water.” 


THE LEOPARD. V5 


priately designated the ‘‘ Leopard.” By a curious misappli- 
cation of terms, the name ‘‘ Leopard” has, however, now been 
transferred to the Spotted True Cats, and has thus quite dis- 
placed the old word ‘‘ Pard.” It would, of course, be utterly 
hopeless to attempt to reintroduce the latter term, and to 
restore the term ‘‘ Leopard ” to its original owner; and we are 
all accordingly agreed to call the True Spotted Cats either 
Leopards or Panthers. 

This transference of the name “‘ Leopard” of course left the 
animal to which it was originally applied without a distinctive 
title. To remedy this want, the Hindustani term “ Chita” was 
brought into use in this country to designate the animal which 
we prefer to call the Hunting-Leopard. Sucha use of the term 
Chita is, however, totally unjustifiable, since that name is applied 
in India both to the Leopard, or Panther, and the Hunting- 
Leopard, its meaning being merely “spotted.” Sometimes, 
indeed, the Leopard, or Panther, is especially distinguished 
as the Chita-Bagh (Spotted Tiger), but the simple term Chita 
is the common attribute of all these animals. It is on this 
ground that we prefer to reject the Hindustani term altogether, 
and to employ the English title of ‘“‘ Hunting-Leopard.” Atten- 
tion may be directed here to a statement in the late Mr. G. P. 
Saunderson’s book on the wild beasts of India which we are 
greatly surprised to meet with in a writer of his Indian experi- 
ence. It is there written that ‘‘of the handsome spotted skins 
that grace many Indian bungalows, and which are generally 
referred to as Cheeta skins, at least ninety-nine out of every 
hundred are those of the Panther or of the Leopard.” Now, 
no one in their senses ever thought that Chita skins in India 
meant anything else than Leopard or Panther pelts, and we are 
surprised that Mr. Saunderson actually went out of his way in 
an earlier sentence of the paragraph quoted to say that the 
name Chita was incorrectly applied to the Leopard, or Panther. 


74 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


As we shall have no more@® say with regard to the Hunting- 
Leopard, we may dismiss this part of our subject with the 
following table, showing the various usages of the above-men- 
tioned names :— 


Hindustani. Ancient. Modern. Scientific. 


Chita Pard ... Leopard 


(rat ... Ilunting-Leopard .... Cyaelurus jubatus 
Panther, -... -Panther 


ay ; Felts pardus. 


This, however, by no means exhausts the subject of the 
confusion of nomenclature, for there is an equal discrepancy 
in the use of the terms Leopard and Panther. As we have 
already mentioned, there is but one type of these animals in 
Africa to which it would appear that the name of Panther is 
probably strictly applicable. In India, on the other hand, two 
forms are generally recognised. ‘Thus there is, firstly, a large 
kind, characterised by the tail being shorter than the head 
and body, by the long head, and by the spots being large 
and clearly defined, on a pale ground-colour. Secondly, 
we have a smaller animal, in which the tail is as long as 
the head and body, the head is short, and the spots are 
less distinctly defined, of smaller size, and placed closer 
together. 

Now, the latter smaller form was identified by Temminck 
with the African animal, and accordingly termed the Panther 
(F. pardus), while the larger kind was called the Leopard (7 
leopardus). ‘This usage is followed by Mr. Sterndale in his 
work on Indian Mammals, and appears undoubtedly to be 
the right one if we regard the smaller Indian form as indistin- 
guishable from the African animal. On the other hand, we 
find Jerdon, following the lead of Indian sportsmen, applying 
the term Panther to the larger form, and Leopard to the 
smaller one, this usage being adopted by Mr. Saunderson and 
most other sporting writers. We thus have two diagrammati- 


THE LEOPARD. a5 


cal opposite uses of the terms Leopard and Panther, which 
may be epitomised as follows :— 


Temminck. Sterndale, Jerdon. 
African form... ive (CESMEREE vse (?) oe (?) 
Smaller Indian form ... Panther... Panther’ ... Leopard. 
Larger Indian form ... Leopard ... Leopard. ... Panther. 


Now it is admitted on all hands that the larger and smaller 
Indian forms are very close indeed to one another, Mr. Blan- 
ford observing that he finds it frequently impossible to “ de- 
termine to which of the two supposed forms an Indian skin 
should be referred.” On the other hand, an African skin is, 
as a tule, distinguished by the spots being very much smaller, 
and many of them without light centres. 

This being so, it may be submitted that if the two Indian 
forms are regarded as distinct, the African animal is at least 
equally entitled to distinction. ‘This being admitted, as well 
as the right of the latter to the title of Panther, it follows that 
if we take (as appears probably right) the term Leopard as ap- 
plicable to the larger Indian form, the smaller Indian animal 
has no name at all! 

It is far from our intention to further complicate matters by 
proposing any new name, or, indeed, for that matter, deciding 
as to the proper application of the terms Leopard and Panther; 
our object being merely to show the different senses in which 
they are commonly used. 

We may accordingly pass on to the question as to whether 
there is really any specific distinction between any or all of the 
animals above-mentioned. The late Mr. Blyth seems to have 
been the first of modern naturalists to come to the conclusion 
that all of them formed but a single species. He was followed, 
in a somewhat half-hearted way, by Jerdon, and this half- 
heartedness is even more conspicuous in Mr. Saunderson’s 
book, wherein, while the two Indian forms are spoken of as 


76 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


merely varieties of a sing]@®pecies, they are alluded to under 
separate specific names. On the other hand, Mr. Sterndale is 
as firmly convinced that there are two distinct Indian species, 
which he names as above. 

With the advantage of all the information accumulated by 
his predecessors before him, Mr. Blanford—our best and latest 
authority on Indian Mammals—fully adopts the views of Blyth 
as to the specific unity of all these forms. We have already 
alluded to his opinion as to the impossibility of distinguishing 
between the skins of the larger and the smaller varieties found 
in India, and he adds the suggestion that even such distinction 
as there is between these two varieties may, in some cases, be 
largely due to differences of age. Here it may be mentioned 
that there is yet another variety, found in Persia, the so-called 
F. tulliana, characterised by the great length of the fur and 
the thickness of the tail, this form being, in fact, intermediate 
in this respect, and also in the shape of its spots, between the 
ordinary Indian Leopard and the Ounce, or Snow-Leopard. 
Mr. Blanford sums up the whole question by showing that 
both the African and the Persian varieties pass by insensible 
gradations into the ordinary form, and states that he cannot 
find any difference in the skulls, or evidence to satisfy him 
that there is any constant distinction between different races 
of Leopards, Pards, or Panthers. In this conclusion, so far 
as our own experience admits of our forming a judgment, we 
fully agree ; and we also consider it advisable to adopt the 
name of Leopard (Ze/is pardus) for the species of Spotted Cat 
common both to Africa and Asia. At the same time, we 
must guard ourselves against it being supposed that we adopt 
the views of the late Sir Samuel Baker, who seems to consider 
that every Spotted Cat may be included under the name of 
Leopard. Thus, when writing on the Leopard, he observes 
that ‘‘ different countries adopt special names for the varieties 


THE LEOPARD. "7 


which inhabit the localities; the Leopard may be termed a 
Panther, or Cheetah, or Wild Cat, or even a Jaguar, but it 
remains a Leopard, differing in size, colour, and form of spots, 
but, nevertheless, a Leopard. I shall therefore accept that 
name as including every variety.” This, of course, is driving 
the principle of ‘lumping ” to an absurdity, and if we include 
a Jaguar under the title of Leopard, we might as well at once 
class a Tiger and a Puma under the same name. 

Leaving, then, those who believe in the distinction between 
a Leopard and a Panther to assign those terms in the manner 
which seems to them best, we pass on to consider the chief 
varieties of these animals. 

We have already seen that Asiatic Leopards are charac- 
terised by the large size of the spots on the body, which 
assume a more or less well-defined rosette-like form with a 
light centre. It appears that the smaller variety of the Asiatic 
Leopard is the one generally found on the plains of Peninsular 
India, and is characterised by the small size of the spots and 
the paler tint of the ground-colour of the fur ; these features 
being generally accompanied by a greater length of tail, 
and a proportionately short head. On the other hand, the 
larger Asiatic Leopard, in which the spots are large and 
distinct, the ground-colour of the fur tending to reddish, and 
the tail short, more generally frequents the damp forests of 
Bengal, Assam, the Himalaya, and Burma. A large series of 
specimens will, however, show a complete transition between 
these two types. 

Occasionally, and more especially in forest-districts at con- 
siderable elevations above the sea-level, there is found a black 
variety of the Asiatic Leopard. These black Leopards, which 
appear to be more common in Southern India and the Malay 
Peninsula than elsewhere, were formerly regarded as indicat- 
ing a distinct species, but the occurrence of both black and 


78 LLOYD S NATURAL HISTORY. 


spotted cubs in one and fe same litter clearly shows that 
they are merely a variety. In certain lights the spots on the 
skin of a black Leopard can be distinctly seen, owing to the 
fact that they are of a deeper tinge than the rest of the fur. 
A white Asiatic Leopard seems to be a very rare creature, 
although a figure of such an animal is extant. 

Secondly, we have the long-haired Asiatic Leopard, of which 
the leading features have already been indicated ; this variety 
being found not only in Persia, but likewise in the neighbour- 
ing district of Baluchistan, and in the mountains of Sind. 

Thirdly, there is the African Leopard, readily distinguished 
by the small size of the body-spots, some of which are often 
solid, and thus resemble those on the head and limbs of its 
Asiatic cousin. Curiously enough, it was thought for a long 
period that there were no black Leopards throughout the 
length and breadth of Africa. ‘That there are none entirely 
black seems to be undoubtedly the case; but Dr. Giinther 
has described Leopard-skins from the Albany district, which 
exhibit a kind of incipient blackness, or melanism. In one 
of these specimens the blackness takes the form of a broad 
black stripe, extending from the upper part of the head to 
the loins; while the tail has an extraordinary number of very 
small black spotsand a black tip. It does not appear that any 
trace of the spots can be detected in the deep black band 
on the back. In a second example the blackness was of 
much larger extent, embracing almost the whole of the skin, 
with the exception of the under parts of the head and body | 
and the inner surfaces of the limbs. ‘The tail, although not 
black, is uniformly dark-coloured above. The black portion 
of the skin presents a beautiful gloss, without the faintest in- 
dication of spots. 

Writing of the specimen first received, Dr Gunther observes 
that “it is a well-known fact that the Asiatic Leopard ex- 


> 


THE LEOPARD. 79 


hibits a decided tendency to melanism; and it is stated that 
the black Leopards are found chiefly in forest-districts of 
considerable elevation. So far, the conditions under which 
melanism appears in the Asiatic Leopard seem to be similar 
to those under which our specimen was reared. On the other 
hand, the abnormal coloration affects the ornamental pattern 
of the Asiatic Leopard in a different fashion from that ob- 
servable in our specimen. In the former the black colour 
is equally diffused over the whole body, the rosettes retaining 
their shape and number, and shining with a more intense 
black through the ground-colour.” It is added that the black- 
ness of these African Leopards may perhaps be considered as 
an incipient stage of the total melanism of the Asiatic form. We 
have, however, yet much to learn as to the nature of melanism, 
and of what advantage (if any) it can be to the individuals in 
which it is developed. 

Since the former of these specimens (which will be found 
described and figured in the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological 
Society” for 1883, p. 244, pl. xvi.) is so entirely unlike an or- 
dinary Leopard that it might well be taken for a distinct species, 
or a hybrid, it may be well to quote the original description 
im extenso. ‘Vhe ground-colour of the fur, writes its describer, 
“is tawny, with a rich orange gloss about the shoulders. Of 
the rosettes only a few faint indications are preserved, namely 
on the haunches, where two are visible on the right side, 
whilst they form an irregular confluent pattern on the left. 
Remains of rosettes are also visible on each shoulder, close to 
the whorls of hairs usually developed in the Leopard and Lion 
in this place. ‘Two pairs of similar rudimentary rosettes suc- 
ceed these at intervals of about ten inches. The remainder 
of the rosettes are broken up into, or replaced by, innumer- 
able small separate spots, which are most distinct on and be- 
hind the region of the shoulder, and on the outer sides of 


80 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. - 


the limbs. They are mo#® diffuse on the flanks, where they 
mix with the ground-colour, producing a brownish tinge. 
Finally, on the back, from the forehead to the sacral region, 
they are more or less confluent, so that the whole back appears 
to be of a black colour, which is most intense above the lumbar 
region. A few black spots on the upper lip, a conspicuous 
black spot surrounded by a light yellowish ring above each 
eye, and a large one on the back of each ear, are present, as 
in Leopards with typical coloration. On the other hand, the 
tail differs. in a remarkable manner, being fulvous for its first 
two-thirds, this colour gradually changing into pale grey, and 
the whole tail being sprinkled with very small and clearly 
defined spots, while the extreme tip is black. Chin, chest, 
belly, and inside of the legs white, with large black spots, as 
in the ordinary Leopard. Whiskers and claws white; hair 
between the foot-pads black. The hairs are about of the 
ordinary length, with a very thick under-fur on the sides of 
the body.” 

Lastly, we have a very aberrant variety from China known as 
Fontanier’s Leopard (/ fvntanieri), regarded by some writers 
as a distinct species. Not improbably this form is really in- 
separable from the earlier / japanensis of Gray, founded on 
a tanned skin procured from a Japanese trader, but which 
probably came originally from China. Concerning this Chinese 
Leopard, Dr. J. Anderson, who has devoted great attention to 
the subject, writes that it ‘is characterised by the confluence 
of the black spots, which form rather large complete rings in 
the adult, asin the Jaguar, but without the central black spot. 
The fur is also long, soft, and dense. This latter character is 
also assigned by Swinhoe to the northern race of Chinese 
Leopards, the fur of which, he states, is confusedly spotted 
and marked with black rings. Gray also states that the coat of 
his /. japanensis is distinguished by its rounded and unequal- 


THE LEOPARD. 81 


sized spots, and by black rings with no central black spot, 
distributed over the shoulders, back, and sides, while Milne- 
Edwards describes those rings as very distinct on the scapular 
region, the upper parts of the sides, and the back.” 

It is added that Professor Milne-Edwards “has pointed 
out certain characters by which he considers F. fontaniert 
to be distinguished from the Leopards of India and Africa, 
and also from the skull figured by Gray as Leopardus chinensis. 
He attaches great importance to the short muzzle of the 
northern Leopard, and states that the distance between the 
alveolar border of the canine and the summit of the fronto- 
nasal process of the maxilla equals the breadth between the 
external borders of the infra-orbital foramina, while in #, 
pardus the former measurement considerably exceeds the 
latter; and he records that the relative proportion between 
these parts is equally observable in the young as in the 
adult of “F. fontantert. I have examined a series of five 
skulls of / pardus from India, all with reliable histories 
and of different ages, but without any record of their sex; 
and although they support the generalisation of the French 
professor regarding the greater length of the first interval as 
compared with the second in / fardus, measurements suggest 
that considerable changes take place with advancing age in the 
proportions between these two areas of the face in / pardus, 
because in the youngest example they are nearly equal, as in 
F. fontanieri, so that these measurements are not very reliable 
guides to separate the two forms in youth. At the same 
time, there can be no doubt that in the adult / pardus of 
India the muzzle is not so deep, but is more elongated than in 
F. fontanieri, in which the frontals are more arched, with the 
nasals in the same curve. In Leofardus chinensis, Gray,—a 
fully adult animal,—there is the same short muzzle as in & 
tontanteri.” 


7 G 


85 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 


e 
As the result of this comparison, Dr. Anderson is led to 
conclude that the northern Chinese Leopard, if not entitled 
to rank as a distinct species, is at least a very well-marked 
race. 


In conclusion, it may be mentioned as not a little remarkable, 
that the only two skulls of this form preserved in the collection 
of the British Museum, both, as pointed out by Mr. Bateson, 
exhibit an abnormality in the dentition; the one having a 
supernumerary last molar on the left side of the upper jaw, 
while, in the other, the last right lower pre-molar has an 
additional cusp on its hinder border. 


Habits.—In spite of their marked difference in coloration, the 
three great Cats of the warmer regions of the Old World, 
namely the Lion, Tiger, and Leopard, are structurally very 
closely allied to one another. Whereas, however, the two 
form2r are not climbers, the third is essentially an arboreal 
animal, resembling in this respect the majority of the smaller 
members of the Family. Moreover, according to information 
kindly supplied by General Paget, there is a marked difference 
between the Leopard and the Tiger, in the manner in which 
they commence to devour their prey, the former always begin- 
ning on the shoulder of its “kill,” whereas the latter invariably 
takes the first bite at the hind-quarters. Leopards, in common 
with several others of the larger Cats, attack an animal by 
springing on its neck. Mr. A. Whyte, who was recently col- 
lecting animals in Nyasaland, mentions, however, an instance 
where a Leopard killed a full-grown denkey by attacking it in 
the flank and disembowelling it. Headds that ‘‘another most 
unusual occurrence in this case was that the Leopard returned 
to the carcase, and was shot dead on the third night, after 
having been wounded on the chest the second night with a 
charge of small shot, which was afterwards found under its 
skin.” The proximity of water is far less essential to Leopards 


—————————— 
I 


THE LEOPARD. 83 


than it is to Tigers ; and, as a rule, the former animals resort to 
hilly and more or less broken districts, especially when well- 
wooded; and, although in many parts of India and Africa 
numerous in such districts, they are, from their purely noc- 
turnal habits, but seldom seen. Occasionally, however, the 
traveller on a mountain-path, if accompanied by a Dog, may 
be surprised by the sudden dash of a Leopard in pursuit of 
his canine companion, Dogs being a favourite prey of these 
animals. Capable of hiding completely in a very small 
amount of cover, Leopards always attack very stealthily, with- 
out giving any warning of their proximity by preliminary 
growls ; but when once the attack is determined on, it is made 
with great suddenness and rapidity, and these animals are said 
to charge home more frequently than Tigers. Messrs. Nicolls 
and Eglington write that in South Africa, ‘except when hunt- 
ing in couples, it is unusual for them to attack the very large 
Antelopes, but they are extremely destructive to the smaller 
varieties, and the young of all, including the Giraffe. When 
pressed by extreme hunger, Man himself is not free from as- 
sault.” The victim is invariably seized by the throat. Domestic 
animals of the smaller kinds are terribly harried by Leopards, 
and from the ravages inflicted on the flocks of the settlers, 
these marauders have been pretty well exterminated from those 
districts of South Africa which have been long settled. A few 
still remain, however, in the hills and mountains of the Trans- 
vaal and Bechuanaland, while farther in the interior they are 
much more numerous. 

When wounded, a Leopard will fight to the last gasp; and on 
this account the animal is regarded as even more dangerous 
than the Lion. It is stated, however, that although more men 
are wounded by Leopards than by either Tigers or Lions, the 
fatalities caused by the former are less numerous than those 
due to the latter. 


84 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


In addition to Dogs, Goats and Sheep, Leopards killa large 
number of Jackals, while they are determined foes to Mon- 
keys and Baboons, pursuing the former in India into their 
haunts in the trees, while the latter they attack among the 
rocks. 

Whatever may be the case in Africa, it is well ascertained 
that, in India, Leopards not unfrequently take to man-eating, 
and there are many instances on record of the fearful destruc- 
tion of human life inflicted by such individuals. The following 
account of one of these man-eating Leopards, which haunted the 
district of Rampur Bauleah, was recently published in an Indian 
newspaper. On a certain night the creature broke through the 
mat-wall of a native hut, and made its way into the interior. 
Inside the hut were sleeping a man, his wife, two or three 
women, a goat, and a girl nine years of age. The Leopard 
seized the girl by the throat, and attempted to drag her through 
the hole. Being seized tight by the throat, the girl could not | 
scream, but was almost suffocated. ‘The hole was not big 
enough to allow the girl’s body to pass out while the brute held 
her by the throat, and the Leopard, thereupon, let go his hold | 
upon her throat, and seized her by the foot and dragged her | 
through. Assoonashe had let go his hold on her throat, she 
screamed loudly, awaking the inmates of the hut, and the man, 
thinking that the goat was being carried off, rushed out witha 
big stick. ‘The Leopard had, however, carried the girl about 
a hundred yards before the man came up with her. He then | 
belaboured the animal with his big stick, when the Leopard let | 
go his hold and fled into the jungle. The girl was brought to | 
the medical missionary, but though everything that surgical and | 
medical skill could effect had been done, she was not likely to | 
survive, as her wounds were of a terrible nature. About a year | 
previously the Collector of the same district, with twelve Ele- ! 
phants and a party of Europeans, succeeded in killing another | 


THE LEOPARD. 85 


man-eating Leopard that had killed about 150 people, some 
thirty miles from Rampur Bauleah. 

Leopards are also not free from the charge of occasionally 
eating one another, as proved by the following note contributed 
by Major H. D. Olivier to the “Journal” of the Bombay 
Natural History Society for 1893. The letter runs as follows: 

“In 1884 I was staying with D., a forest-officer in the Panch 
Mahals, near to Sodhra. Whilst we were sitting out one even- 
ing on the side of a hill, where we had been for a walk, a Pan- 
ther came along and stood within ten yards of us. D. hada 
rifle with him, but on my whispering to him that there was a 
Panther close by him, he turned round so quickly that the 
Panther saw him and disappeared. We decided to tie upa 
couple of Goats, but nothing came that night except a Hyzena, 
which D. shot. The next evening, however, D. wounded a 
Panther, but it was too late to follow it up. During the night 
we heard one calling for its mate all over the hill, and next 
morning, whilst searching for tracks, our attention was called 
by one of the men to something in the fork of a large tree close 
by, and on nearer inspection this turned out to be the body of 
the wounded Panther, whose hind-quarters were half-eaten, and 
the skin, of course, worried. The ‘gallant husband’ who had 
_ performed this act of cannibalism had left the marks of his 
claws on the tree, where some five feet above the ground he 
had sprung up on to the trunk. 

““Most sportsmen will remember having, in the course of 
their shooting expeditions, come across trees which, from the 
marks of blood on some large fork, were evidently regular 
resorts to which the resident Panther of the neighbourhood 
was in the habit of taking its prey for consumption, and this — 
tree was a case in point.” 

To give some idea of the ravages committed by Leopards 
and Tigers, we may quote from the Government Report for the 


26 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. ' 


year 1893, where it is statedg#hat the number of cattle destroyed 
by wild animals and Snakes was 90,253, compared with 81,6538 
in the previous year. ‘The total figures are not, probably, of 
much value, as such occurrences are frequently not reported, 
or are ascribed to the wrong cause ; but the figures for damage 
done by wild beasts are probably more reliable than those 
regarding Snake-bite. Out of the number (85,131) of cattle 
reported as destroyed by wild animals, the great majority 
were killed by Tigers and Leopards, the figures (33,526 and 
34,404 respectively) showing a considerable increase on those 
of 1892 in each case. ‘Tigers appear to be specially destructive 
to cattle in Assam, where the number of head destroyed was 
reported as 12,840, the next highest figure being 8,716 in 
Bengal. Leopards destroyed 10,359 cattle in Bengal and 
7,765 in Madras. 

The number of wild beasts destroyed is returned as 15,3009, 
as compared with 15,988 in 1892. The amount paid in re- 
wards for their destruction was Rs. 1,04,810, against Rs. 
1,07,974 in 1892. Rs. 37,024 were paid for destroying 1,267 
Tigers, and Rs. 41,236 for destroying 4,088 Leopards. 

Unlike both the Tiger and the Lion, the Leopard is a com- 
paratively silent animal; but when surprised, or in a charge, it 
utters a roar not very dissimilar to that of the former. The cry 
of the Leopard, which is but very seldom heard, is stated, how- 
ever, to be quite peculiar. In India the female gives birth to 
her cubs, which vary from two to four in number, during the 
months of February and March. 

In India, while large numbers of Leopards are captured by 
the natives in traps, by Europeans they are either shot from 
machans (platforms supported by poles or built up in trees), being 
hunted with dogs, when they not unfrequently take to trees, or 
are beaten out from covert. The following narrative, some- 
what abbreviated and amended, by an anonymous author, of 


THE LEOPARD, 87 


an exciting Leopard-hunt, is taken from the As/am newspaper 
of August 25th, 1893. On the occasion in question, says the 
writer, he was sitting in his office, when there rushed in a 
party of Burmese, with the information that “about a mile 
‘away, close to a village, two men had been coming across the 
fields, when on passing through a small patch of jungle left as 
‘a hedge, one of them had been sprung on by a Leopard, and 
the other bad thereupon cut at the animal with his da una 
(chopper) and wounded it. The two men had themselves 
come ; they were scratched about, but not bitten or very badly 
hurt. I gave them a letter to the Doctor, and then issued in- 
vitations to those in the station whom I thought would like to 
share in the fun. These were McG., B., and J. It was hot, so 
we got steeds, and arrived on the scene. Open fields enclosed 
with thorn-hedges, where the hedges met patches of jungle 
which ran along here and there as a hedge—such was the spot 
where the villagers had been mauled. We sent the beaters 
round on to the other side, and posted ourselves, two on one 
side, two on the other, a thin thorn-hedge running from the 
jungle in question between us. The first beat in the jungle 
was unsuccessful, and as the villagers then came along beating 
the small thorn-hedge, in which one would not have great 
hopes of finding a hare, we thought there was no chance of 
finding our Leopard. The villagers thought so too, and came 
along shouting and jeering, poking about in a desultory sort of 
way, some getting brave under the circumstances. One ot 
these, on coming to a bit of bush in the hedge which made it 
look a little more likely, poked his head down and gave a jeer 
and a prog, and was considerably surprised to hear a reply in 
the shape of a roar, and still more so, I fancy, to find himself 
warmly embraced. All the beaters surrounded ‘Spots’ and laid 
into him vigorously in the most plucky but confused manner. 
Poor ‘Spots’ turned his attention from one to the other and 


88 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY, 


hada most exciting time, by#they were at him like ants. This 
was on the opposite side of the hedge to McG. and myself. __B. 
and J. were the men that side, and the former, on hearing the 
roar and seeing the Leopard come out, stalked up, ready to 
bag him as soon as the villagers had done with him. This 
soon happened. ‘Spots,’ finding things too warm, charged out 
of the mé/ée, and it so happened straight at B., who promptly 
turned and fled. He was about six feet two inches, and legs in 
proportion, and through a gap in the hedge I saw first B. 
flying hard, long legs at their full stride, and the Leopard a 
good second, with ears back and tail curved. It looked such 
a close thing for first place that I thought I had better try and 
handicap ‘Spots,’ so had a snap shot at him as he flew by. I 
did nothithim. B. had fled to where J. was ensconced behind 
a small tree, and when he got there turned at bay and fired 
with his Snider-carbine in the Leopard’s face. He missed 
him, but it apparently had the effect of turning the Leopard 
off, and he flew by B. and J. behind their tree. 

“The moment B. had fired, he turned tc J. and implored to 
be informed as to the mechanism of his intricate weapon, the 
Snider-carbine. Poor J., with ‘how do you open this?’ dinned 
into his ears, said he could have almost kicked the Leopard 
as it went by, but was so put off by B. that he missed. The 
Leopard then disappeared, and we accordingly collected the 
villagers and followed the tracks, which, thanks to open ground 
and mud, we were able to do. We tracked him for two fields, 
a considerable distance from the scene of action; and the 
tracks led into a small hedge of growing bush, which got 
thicker and thicker till it joined two other hedges and formed 
a small clump of bush at the junction. I could plainly smell 
him, and the tracks evidently did not lead out. This time the 
beaters thought they would like a gun with them, and accord- 
ingly I went with them. After scrutiny, we decided ‘Spots’ 


THE LEOPARD. 89 


was in the corner, and so I took up my post about four yards 
from it, in a direct line. The beaters did not come right 
_ between me and the spot, but along the hedge, and threw 
rocks and mud, and shouted. Behind me I had an ex-dacoit 
with my tulwar, a great curved thing that would behead an Ox, 
as I thought it might assist me to bag my enemy and prevent 
him bagging me. I myself was armed with my Martini-Henri 
sporting rifle. Another of my entourage, a tall big Burman, 
who has stuck to me ever since, had got mixed up with the 
beaters. He carried his own da. After a little persuasion, 
out came ‘Spots,’ very angry, showing sideways to me and 
towards the beaters, who vanished. The tall Burman, how- 
ever, seemed to have made up his mind not to fly, and stood 
his ground almost directly in front of me, and on the very 
edge of the bush in which the animal was, and as it jumped 
out it passed him in its spring. He held his da with both 
hands and gave a blow with no apparent effect, and then, 
instead of clearing out of the way, bent down on his hands 
and knees in a stooping posture. The Leopard, on landing 
from his spring and seeing all fled before him, and receiving 
the blow, turned round and promptly sprang on him. All 
this, however, passed like a flash almost, as I stood at full 
tension ready to get a clear shot. There presented to my eye 
was the Burman, doubled up, with the Leopard resting one 
paw on his head, another across his shoulders, his mouth wide 
open as if to seize him by the back of the neck, and his hind- 
legs on the ground. My mind was made up in a moment; as 
quick as my eye could take it in I up and let fly. Bang— 
smoke, and Leopard rolling over the man’s head sideways, 
kicking ; the man rising slowly, not quite sure whether he was 
whole or not. To make matters sure, as poor ‘Spots’ did not 
seem as dead as might be, I stuck my dagger into his throat. 
The Leopard was hit in the head, just about the joining of the 


90 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


jaw, and I am not sure whether he was dying, or only uncon- 
scious, although probably done for.” 

In captivity, writes Jardine, Leopards “have in a few in- 
stances bred in this country ; but not so frequently as either 
the Lion or Tiger. The pair which were in the Tower in 1829 
were of very different dispositions ; and in this they resembled 
their congeners, for scarcely two are found which can be equally 
trusted. The male, notwithstanding very kind treatment, con- 
tinued sullen and savage, while the female suffered herself to 
be patted and caressed by the keepers. She possessed a sin- 
gular propensity, however, for the destruction of umbrellas, 
parasols, muffs, hats, and such other articles of dress as hap- 
pened to come within her reach, seizing them with the greatest 
quickness, and tearing them into pieces, almost before the 
astonished visitor had become aware of his or her loss.” 

Although it has been several times quoted, the following 
account of a tame Leopard at Coomassie, communicated by 
Mrs. Bowditch, is sufficiently interesting to bear, in an abbre- 
viated form, one more repetition. The animal in question was 
sent to Mr. Hutchison, then resident at Coomassie, who, ‘‘ob- 
serving that the animal was very docile, took pains to tame 
him, and, ina great measure, succeeded. When he was about 
a year old, Mr. Hutchison returned to Cape Coast, and had 
him led through the country by a chain, occasionally letting 
him loose when eating was going forward, when he would sit 
by his master’s side, and receive his share with comparative 
gentleness. Once or twice he purloined a fowl, but easily gave 
it up to Mr. Hutchison, on being allowed a portion of some- 
thing else. On the day of his arrival, he was placed in a small 
court, leading to the private rooms of the Governor, and, after 
dinner, was led bya thin cord into the room, where he received 
our salutations with some degree of roughness, but with perfect 
good-humour. On the least encouragement, he laid his paws 


Q 


THER LEOPARD. gI 


upon our shoulders, rubbed his head upon us, and his teeth 
and claws having been filed, there was no danger of tearing our 


clothes. He was kept in the above court for a week or two, 


and evinced no ferocity, except when one of the servants tried 
to pull his food from him ; he then caught the offender by the 
leg, and tore out a small piece of flesh ; but he never seemed 
to owe him any ill-will afterwards. He one morning broke his 
cord, and, the cry being given, the castle gates were shut, and 
a chase commenced. After leading his pursuers two or three 
times round the ramparts, and knocking over a few children by 
bouncing against them, he suffered himself to be caught, and 
led quietly back to his quarters, under one of the guns of the 
fortress. 

“By degrees the fear of him subsided ; and orders having 
been given to the sentinels to prevent his escape through the 
gates, he was left at liberty to go where he pleased ; and a boy 
was appointed to prevent him from intruding into the apart- 
ments of the officers. His keeper, however, generally passed 
his watch in sleeping ; and Sai, as the Panther was called, after 
the royal giver, roamed at large. On one occasion he found 
his servant sitting on the step of the door, upright, but fast 
asleep, when he lifted his paw, gave him a blow on the side of 
his head, which laid him flat, and then stood wagging his tail, 
as if enjoying the mischief he had committed. He became 
exceedingly attached to the Governor, and followed him every- 
where like a dog. His favourite station was at a window of the 
sitting-room, which overlooked the whole town; there, standing 
on his hind-legs, his fore-paws resting on the ledge of the 
window, and his chin laid between them, he appeared to amuse 
himself with what was passing beneath. The children also 
stood with him at the window; and one day, finding his pre- 
sence an incumbrance, and that they could not get their chairs 
close, they used their united efforts to pull him down by the tail, 


92 ~ LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


‘This interesting animalgwas well fed twice every day, but 
never given anything with life in it. He stood about two feet 
high, and was of a dark yellow colour, thickly spotted with 
black rosettes ; and from the good feeding, and the care taken 
to clean him, his skin shone like silk. The expression of his 
countenance was very animated and good-tempered, and he 
was particularly gentle to children. He would lie down on the 
mats by their side when they slept, and even the infant shared 
his caresses, and remained unhurt. During the period of his 
residence at Cape Coast, I was much occupied by making ar- 
rangements for my departure from Africa; but generally visited 
my future companion every day, and we, in consequence, be 
came great friends before we sailed. He was conveyed on 
board the vessel in a large wooden cage, thickly barred in the 
front with iron. Even this confinement was not deemed a 
sufficient protection by the canoe-men, who were so alarmed 
at taking him from the shore to the vessel, that, in their con- 
fusion, they dropped cage and all into the sea. For a few 
minutes I gave up my poor Panther as lost; but some sailors 
jumped into a boat belonging to the vessel, and dragged him 
out in safety.” 

After having safely survived the long voyage to England, 
Sai was eventually deposited in the menagerie at Exeter 
‘Change, where he unfortunately died after a few weeks’ con- 
finement. 


IV. THE OUNCE. FELIS UNCIA. 


Felis uncia, Schreber, Saugethiere, vol. ili. p. 386 (1778) ; 
Elliot, Monog. Felide, pl. iv. (1878-83); Blanford, 
Mamm. Brit. India, p. 71 (1888). 

Felis irbis, Ehrenberg, Ann. Sci. Nat. vol. xxi. p. 394 
(1830). 

Leopardus uncia, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 41 (1843). 


TA, S.L0 Te 


4, 
Vie, 
s 
*o 
SS. 
Fea, 
Mf 
WDE]: Ke 
fa 
ki “ 
rae 
Pee 
Se 
Sree o/h 


MA Beas 


THE OUNCE. 93 


Uncia irbis, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, vol. xiv. p. 
394 (1854); id. Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 9 


(1869). 
Felis unctoides, Horsfield, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, vol. 


Xvi. p. 105 (1855). 
(Plate VT.) 


Characters.—Although in respect of coloration and the length 
of the pelage, the light coloured variety of the Leopard (7 
tuliiana) is somewhat intermediate, the Ounce, or Snow- 
Leopard, may be distinguished from the Leopard by the 
following characters. 


Ground-colour white, with the spots larger and not well 
defined, except on the head. Skull with a more swollen palate, 
flatter tympanic bulla, and the nasals shorter and more like 
those of the Lion. 


Tail thick, scarcely tapering, and about three-quarters the 
length of the head and body. ‘‘'The spots on the back, sides, 
and tail are large black interrupted rings or rosettes of rather 
irregular shape, much larger than in Leopards, the space inside 
each ring being usually rather darker than the ground-colour ; 
spots on the head, limbs, and terminal portion of the tail with- 
out pale centres ; those on belly few in number and rather in- 
distinct. From near the middle of the back to the root of the 
tail is a median dark band. Ears black, each with a large 
yellowish spot.” (Llanford.) 


Distribution.—All the high ranges of Central Asia, includ- 
ing Gilgit, Hunza, Turkestan, Trans-Baikalia, Amurland, and 
Western China; generally at elevations of over 8,000 feet, 
although in Gilgit descending as low as 6,o00 during the 
winter. It is also supposed to occur in Persia. 

Habits——From the arid and inaccessible nature of the country 
where it dwells, not much is known of the mode of life of the 


94 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 


Ounce; and the creature is fi seldom even seen by European 
sportsmen. It is known, however, to prey largely upon the 
smaller kinds of wild Sheep, such as the Bharal and the Sha, 
a well as upon Ibex; and from its partiality for the flesh of 
the first-named of these three animals, in the Simla district the , 
Ounce is commonly known as the Bharal-Hay, or Bharal- 
Tiger. Domestic Sheep, Goats, and even Ponies, also fall 
victims to the Snow-Leopard ; and Colonel R. H. Percy relates 
that a farm belonging to the Moravian mission at Kailing, in 
Lahul (where the present writer once enjoyed a welcome rest 
on his return from the desert altitudes. of Tibet), was much 
harassed by a pair of these Leopards, one of which was 
eventually shot by an officer of the Royal Artillery. The 
writer last mentioned states that in 1874 a sportsman in the 
Pangi district, on the Chinab, came across the bodies of five 
or six male Ibex lying within a few yards of each other; all of 
which had doubtless been killed by Snow-Leopards. From 
the number of Ibex destroyed in this instance, it is highly prob- 
able that the Ounce hunts in couples. 

Till within the last few years the Ounce was known to 
European naturalists only by skins and skulls; but recently 
importers have been successful in bringing this fine Carnivore 
to Europe. The first living example brought to England was 
a young animal from Bhutan, purchased by the Zoological 
Society in 1891. In spite, however, of every care and attention 
it did not long survive its arrival at the Gardens in the Regent’s 
Park. A second and older specimen was, however, received 
in the same menagerie at the beginning of 1894. During the 
voyage to England this Leopard became a favourite of the 
ship’s cook, by whom it was taught to drink tea and milk; 
although its favourite food was mutton-broth. A third Snow: 
Leopard was living in the Zoological Gardens at Amsterdam 
during 1893. 


‘tA ALVId 


THE JAGUAR. 95 


A specimen killed by Captain Dawkins in 1884 measured 
5 feet 114% inches in total length ; of which 36 inches was 
occupied by the tail. In this instance, therefore, the length 
of the tail was a fraction in excess of that of the head and 
body. Another specimen, in which the tail also measured 
36 inches, had a total length of 6 feet 4 inches; while 
Sterndale gives the total length of a very large individual as 
» feet 4 inches, out of which 3 feet were taken up by the tail. 


V. THE JAGUAR. FELIS ONCA. 


mes onca,~Linn., Syst. \Nat..ed. 12,: vol. i. p. 61 (1766); 
Elliot, Monograph of Felidz, pl. v. (1878-83). 

Leopardus hernandesit, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1857, p. 278. 

Leopardus onca, Gray, op. cit. 1867, p. 264, and Cat. Carniv. 
Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 11 (1869). 

Uncia onca, Cope, American Naturalist, vol. xxl. p. 143 


(1889). 
(Plate VIT.) 


Characters.—Size equal to, or perhaps rather superior to, that 
of the Leopard. Colour and markings generally similar to 
those of the latter, but the dark rings larger and arranged 
more definitely in groups, each ring generally enclosing one or 
more dark spots, and its enclosed light area being of the same 
hue as the general ground-colour of the fur, which is typically 
of a rich tan. On the sides of the body the rosettes are 
usually arranged in seven or eight more or less definable 
longitudinal rows. Considerable variation exists, however, 
in the coloration, specimens having been described in which 
the fur is blackish-brown, with the markings of a still deeper 
shade, while other individuals are completely black. These 
dark specimens appear to be most common in the northern 
parts of South America, whereas, in the southern portions of 
the animal’s range, a yellow or even whitish tinge not un: 


96 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


frequently occurs; one @@mple described by Azara being so 
pale-coloured that the rosettes were only visible in certain 
lights. 

Pupil of the eye round. Skull distinguished from that of 
either of the preceding species by the presence of a distinct 
tubercle of variable size in the middle of the inner side of the 
rim of the orbit. Length usually about 6 feet 2 inches, of 
which about 2 feet 1 inch are taken up by the tail. 

Our illustration is taken from the skin of a very fine speci- 
men, in which the markings were of a deep chocolate-brown, 
upon a yellowish ground, and were remarkable for their clear- 
ness. Along the middle line of the back there was almost a 
line of open spots, only occasionally interrupted, and the next 
two lines were of an oval or diamond shape, producing a very 
beautiful appearance. Upon the sides the rings became more 
defined and distinct, and many of them possessed the small 
spot or spots in the centre, forming one of the characters of 
the species. 

The skin forming the type of Leopardus hernandesit came 
from Mexico, and indicates a variety or local race of the 
species distinguished by the distance at which the small spots 
are placed from one another, so that it is only here and there 
that they form anything like a distinct ring or row. 


Distribution—America; from Louisiana, Texas, and Northern 
Mexico to about the Rio Negro, on the northern confines of 
Patagonia, in latitude 4o° S. 

Habits.— Although in the greater part of its range the Jaguar 
is an inhabitant of vast primeval forests, where it climbs among 
the branches with the facility and agility of a Monkey, yet it 
was formerly found in considerable numbers on the open 
grassy pampas of Argentina, where, however, it has now been 
well nigh exterminated. Throughout South America, the 


THE JAGUAR. 97 


Jaguar is commonly known as the Tiger (Zigré of the 
Spaniards). 

In Paraguay, writes Darwin, “‘ the wooded banks of the great 
rivers appear to be the favourite haunts of the Jaguar; but 
south of the Plata I was told that they frequented the reeds 
bordering the lakes: wherever they are, they seem to require 
water. Their common prey is the Capybara,* so that it is 
generally said, where Capybaras are numerous, there is little 
danger from the Jaguar. Falconer states that near the 
southern side of the mouth of the Plata there are many 
Jaguars, and they live chiefly on fish ; this account I have 
heard repeated. On the Parana they have killed many wood- 
cutters, and have even entered vessels at night. There is a 
man now living in the Bajada, who, coming up from below 
when it was dark, was seized on the deck; he escaped, how- 
ever, with the loss of the use of one arm. When the floods 
drive these animals from the islands, they are most dangerous. 
I was told that a few years since a very large one found its way 
into a church at Santa Fé, two padres entering one after 
another were killed, and a third, who came to see what was 
the matter, escaped with difficulty. The beast was destroyed 
by being shot from a corner of the building, which was un- 
roofed. They commit also, at these times, great ravages 
among cattle and horses. It is said that they kill their prey 
by breaking their necks. If driven from the carcase, they 
seldom return to it. The Gauchos say that the Jaguar, when 
wandering about at night, is much tormented by the Foxes yelp- 
ing as they follow him. . . . The Jaguarisa noisy animal, 
roaring much by night, and especially before bad weather.” 

In Uruguay trunks of trees were observed by the same 
traveller to be marked with scorings made by the claws of 


* An aquatic Rodent, the largest living representative of its Order, and 
the sole member of the genus Hydrocherus. 


7 H 


93 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Jaguars. In reference to (yggestatement as to the former abun- 
dance of these animals in the neighbourhood of the Rio de La 
Plata made in the foregoing account, it may be observed that 
the Rio Tigré, a short distance from Buenos Aires, probably 
derives its name from the numbers of Jaguars which once 
haunted the beautiful willow-woods with which its valley is 
fringed. Although from Darwin’s account, it would look, at 
first sight, as if the attacks on the woodcutters and the man 
on board ship were unprovoked, yet the general testimony of 
observers is to the effect that, unless when pressed by hunger, 
as in the case of the priests in the church at Santa Fé, the 
Jaguar does not generally make unprovoked attacks on human 
beings. Indeed, from the fact that in the Argentine, where 
many individuals used to be seen with their backs lacerated 
from such attacks, the Jaguar allows himself to be attacked 
and beaten by its smaller cousin the Puma, we may regard it 
as somewhat of a cowardly creature than otherwise. 

As confirming the fishing propensities of the Jaguar referred 
to in Darwin’s account, we may quote the following passage 
from Humboldt’s narrative of his experiences on the Orinoco, 
where he writes that “we were shown large shells of Turtles 
emptied by the Jaguars. These animals follow the arraus 
towards the beaches, when the laying of eggs is to take place. 
They surprise them on the sand ; and in order to devour them 
at their ease, turn them in such a manner that the under shell 


is uppermost. In this situation the Turtles cannot rise, and as — : 


the Jaguar turns many more than he can eat in one night, the 
Indians often avail themselves of his cunning and malignant 
avidity. When we reflect on the difficulty that the naturalist 
finds in getting out the body, without separating the upper and 
under shells, we cannot enough admire the suppleness of the 
Tiger’s paw, which empties the double armour of the arraus 
as if the adhering parts of the muscles had been cut by means 


THE JAGUAR, 99 


ofa surgical instrument. The Jaguar pursues the Turtle quite 
into the water, when not very deep. It even digs up the eggs; 
and, together with the Crocodile, the Herons, and the Galli- 
nago Vulture, is the most cruel enemy of the little Turtles 
recently hatched.” Jaguars have also been known to prey on 
Alligators and Caimans., 

In another part of his narrative the traveller last-mentioned 
relates how “two Indian children, a girl and a boy, the one 
about seven, the other about nine years old, were at play on 
the outskirts of the same village, when a large Jaguar, about 
two o’clock in the afternoon, came out of the woods and made 
towards them, playfully bounding along, his head down and 
his back arched, in the manner of a cat. He approached the 
boy in this way, and began to play with him; nor was the 
latter even sensible of his danger, until the Jaguar struck him 
so hard on the head with his paw as to draw blood, whereupon 
the little girl, with a small switch, which she had in her hand, 
struck him, and he was already bounding back again, not at 
all irritated, to his retreat, when the Indians of the village, 
alarmed by her cries, came up to them.” 

Regarding the strength of the Jaguar, a remarkable account 


_ is given by Azara, and as the statements of this naturalist are 


in general thoroughly trustworthy, it may, in all probability, be 
regarded as true. He states that on one occasion when shoot- 
ing on the plains of Paraguay or the Argentine, he was in- 
formed that one of these animals had just killed a Horse. 
Proceeding to the spot indicated, he found the victim partially 
devoured, but no trace of the Jaguar, and the carcase was 
accordingly dragged near a tree, to which Azara proposed to 
return. Scarcely, however, had he gone half-a-mile, when he 
was overtaken by the man left to keep watch, with the in- 
formation that the Jaguar, after swimming a broad river, had 
taken up the carcase in his mouth, and, after dragging it along © 

H 2 


100 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


without apparent effort for ggme seventy paces, re-entered the 
river, and swam with the burden to the opposite bank. Azara 
states that although he did not follow across the river, he saw 
the marks where the Horse had been dragged down to the bank. 

By night, especially during the breeding-season, the Jaguar’s 
roar is constantly to be heard, and it has been compared to the 
syllables Au, pu, pw, very frequently repeated, and uttered in a 
very deep and hoarse tone. ‘The cubs are born about Decem- 
ber, and vary from two to four in a litter, the percentage of 
females being greater than that of males. The fur of the cubs 
is longer and less smooth than that of the adults, with the 
markings ill-defined. It is said that they will follow their dam 
when only about a fortnight old, at which age they are about 
the size of an ordinary Cat. When irritated, the cubs mew and 
snarl like a Cat, wrinkling the forehead, opening the mouth, 
and moving the tip of the tail slowly from side to side. Ac- 
cording to Azara, a Jaguar never ascends a perpendicular tree- 
trunk ; neither does he descend from those which are inclined 
by a spring, but walks or runs down, in the same manner as he 
ascended, like a Cat. 

In the wooded districts of Paraguay and the neighbouring 
countries, Jaguars were formerly hunted with large packs of 
Dogs, by whom they were generally driven up a tree, where 
they could easily be shot. On the open pampas the animal is 
more generally lassoed, the Gaucho who has first lassoed it 
setting off at a gallop, and dragging the animal after him, until 
a comrade can succeed in throwing another noose round the 
hind-limbs, when the unfortunate creature is killed by the two 
men pulling in opposite directions. 

When these animals were abundant on the Argentine pampas, 
Mr. W. H. Hudson relates that at Saladillo, a ‘‘ Gaucho had so 
repeatedly distinguished himself by his boldness and dexterity 
in killing Jaguars, that he was by general consent made the 


THE PUMA. TO! 


leader in every Tiger-hunt. One day the Commandante of the 
district got twelve or fourteen men together, the Tiger-slayer 
among them, and started in search of a Jaguar which had been 
seen that morning in the neighbourhood of his ‘ estancia.’ The 
animal was eventually found and surrounded, and as it was 
crouching among some clumps of tall pampas-grass, where 
throwing a lasso over its neck would be a somewhat difficult 
and dangerous operation, all gave way to the famous hunter, 
who at once uncoiled his lasso and proceeded in a leisurely 
manner to form the loop. While thus engaged, he made the 
mistake of allowing his horse, which had grown restive, to turn 
aside from the hunted animal. The Jaguar, instantly taking 
advantage of the oversight, burst from its cover and sprang 
first on to the haunches of the horse, then seizing the hunter 
by his poncho, dragged him to the earth, and would no doubt 
have quickly despatched him, if a lasso, thrown by one of the 
other men, had not closed round its neck at this critical 
moment. It was quickly dragged off, and eventually killed.” 

The same writer tells that on another occasion a party of 
Gauchos started a Jaguar on the pampas, which took refuge in 
a patch of dry reeds. Being unable to lasso the animal, they 
set fire to the reeds, in the natural expectation that it would 
break covert. To their astonishment and disgust, the Jaguar, 
however, whose eyes could be seen glaring among the reeds, 
preferred to perish miserably in the flames and smoke, rather 
than face an encounter in the open. 


VI. THE PUMA. FELIS CONCOLOR. 
Felis concolor, Linn., Mantissa Plantarum, p. 52 (1771); Elliot, 
Monogr. Felidz, pl. ii. (1878-83); Mivart, The Cat, p. 
397 (1881); True, Rep. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1888-89, pp. 
591-608 (1891). 
felis couguar, Lesson, Man, Mamm. p. 190 (1827). 


La eagecar (err, A Me hes ae 


ay, 


ic 


15). 


102 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Felis unicolor, Lesson, Joc. cit, 

Leopardus concolor, Gray, Lue Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 43 (1843); 
id., Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 12 (1869) 

Uncia concolor, Cope, American Naturalist, vol. xxiii. February, 


Pp: 193 (1889). 
(Plate VIII.) 


Characters.—Size somewhat inferior to that of the Jaguar. 
General colour of fur tawny, tending to whitish on the under- 
parts; but the summer coat tending more to a reddish, and 
the winter one to a greyish hue. Middle line of back darker 
than the sides, and the end of the tail dusky-brown. Ears 
black externally, with a central whitish area ; upper lip white 
from the nostrils to the middle of the mouth, where there is a 
conspicuous black spot ; nostrils flesh-coloured. Pupil of eye 
circular when contracted. Skull of great vertical depth, con- 
nected with the arch of the hyoid bone by a chain of bones, 
as in the Domestic Cat. ‘Total average length about 7 feet 
1 inch, of which 2% feet are taken up by the tail. Cubs with 
the upper-parts and limbs marked with large blackish-brown 
spots, and the tail ringed with the same colour ; these markings 
disappearing in about six months after birth. 

There is considerable individual variation in the coloration 
of the Puma, but this has not yet been correlated with local 
distribution. Burmeister, in his ‘‘ Description of the Argentine 
Republic,” remarks that ‘ very rarely individuals of this species 
of a brown or nearly black colour have been found; while 
variations between yellowish-brown and yellowish-grey are not 
uncommon. I am aware that individuals nearly white, and 
others nearly black, have been observed, but I hav. aot seen 
them myself.” 

With regard to the coloration of the young, Mr. True 
observes that although the markings disappear more or less 
completely about the period indicated above, yet they persist 


ae 
Ci = 
hi Peon OR 


TWA WiLv'Td 


THE PUMA. 103 


more or less indistinctly until the animal has attained its full 
dimensions, or possibly in some cases throughout life. Never- 
theless, the term ‘“‘spotted” cannot be applied to the Puma in 
the same sense as to the Jaguar or Leopard. It is added that 
in some instances Lions, which to the eye appear of a perfectly 
uniform colour, come out spotted in photographs. 

Distribution.—America ; from British Columbia and Maine 
in the North to the Straits of Magellan in the south. 
Stragglers may, however, occasionally range as far north as 
the sixtieth parallel of latitude. In the Andes it is reported 
to range as high as 9,000 feet above the sea-level. 


Regarding its distribution in North America, Mr. True 
writes that “on the Atlantic coast the Puma has not apparently 
been found in the States of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, 
New Jersey, or Delaware. On our northern boundary I find 
no mention of its having been found in Michigan or Indiana. 
In Ohio it was extirpated prior to 1838, and probably more 
recently in Illinois and Indiana. I find no record of its 
occurrence in Nevada, but, as it has been found in the surround- 
ing States, it seems improbable that it should be entirely 
absent here. With these exceptions, there are recorded in- 
stances, more or less numerous, of the occurrence of the Puma 
in every State and Territory of the Union, dating from the 
beginning of the century. Like many other large American 
animals, however, the Puma has retired before the advance of 
civilisation, and in many of the more thickly populated States 
it is improbable that even stragglers could be found at the 
present day.” In Minnesota, according to Mr. Herrick, the 
last Puma was killed in 1875. 

Over the greater part of South America there appears to bea 
dearth of information as to the distribution of this animal. 
Writing in the “ Proceedings of the Zoological Society” for 
1894, Mr. Aplin observes that in Uruguay “the Puma is now 


104 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


extinct in many parts of the country, but in the monte along 
the Uruguay River it is stl found. An estanciero living at 
Cordova in Argentina tells me he had seen both Pumas and 
Jaguars coming down the big river on tree-trunks. In this 
way stray examples might very well turn up in a district long 
after the native breed was extinct. I heard that it was still 
found, although very rarely, in the monfe of the Rio Negro on 
that part of the coast of the river which I visited in the Depart- 
ment of that name; but all I could hear of it in South Soriano 
was a report that one had been seen on the Arroyo de Monzon 
some years ago.” 

On the pampas of Argentina where it was formerly very 
numerous, it is now extremely scarce, although more common 
in the wooded chaco-country of the interior. On the Rio 
Negro, in Upper Patagonia, Mr. Hudson states that a few years 
ago they infested the settlements. ‘ At all seasons a few of 
these sly but withal audacious robbers haunt the river-side ; 
but in winter a great many lean and hungry individuals come 
down from the uplands to slay the Sheep and Horses, and it is 
extremely difficult to track them to their hiding-places in the 
thorny thickets overhanging the valley. I was told that not les: 
than a hundred Pumas were killed annually by the shepherds 
and herdsmen.” Further south they appear even at the pre- 
sent day to be equally numerous. 3 


Habits.—As the Jaguar in South America has usurped the 
name of the Tiger, so the Puma is commonly called by Euro- 
peans in the same country the Lion (Zeon of the Spanish), 
although the natives always call it by its proper name of Puma, 
in which, by the way, the w~ should be pronounced as goo. 
Although frequently termed in the States the American Lion, 
the animal is there more commonly known as the Panther, 
generally corrupted into “painter”; although the native Indian 
name “‘ Cougar” is likewise in common use, When the natural 


. 


SS 


THE PUMA. 105 


products of North America were first made known to the Old 
World, the Puma was indeed believed to be specifically iden- 
tical with the Lion, and the early explorers were accordingly 
puzzled to account. for the absence of maned individuals. 
Thus, in the second edition of the “ Description of the New 
Netherlands,” published in 1656, Van der Donck writes as 
follows: ‘‘ Although the New Netherlands lay in a fine climate, 
and although the country in winter seems rather cold, never- 
theless Lions are found there, but not by the Christians, who 
have travelled the land wide and broad and have not seen one. 
It is only known to us by the skins of the females, which are 
sometimes brought in by the Indians for sale, who on enquiry 
say that the Lions are found far to the south-west, distant fifteen 
or twenty days’ journey, in very high mountains, and that the 
males are too active and fierce to be taken.” 

From its extensive geographical range, probably greater in a 
north and south direction than that of any other member of 
the class to which it belongs, the Puma may be regarded as par 
excellence the characteristic Mammal of the New World; while 
for the same reason the creature is remarkable for its power of 
adapting itself to different climates and surroundings. Thus, 
whereas in the more northern portion of its range it inhabits 
the depths of the impassable forest-glades of Florida, it is some- 
times found on the open prairies of Texas ; while in mountain- 
ous regions it dwells amongst the most rocky and barren peaks. 
‘‘ He endures,” writes Mr. True, “‘severe cold during the winter 
in the Adirondack Mountains, and other parts of our northern 
frontier, and tracks his prey in the snow. He is equally at 
home in the hot swamps and cane-brakes along the river- 
courses of our southern States. In South America he inhabits 
the treeless grass-covered pampas as well as the forests. Inthe 
Rocky Mountains he ascends to the high altitudes in which the 
Mountain Sheep are found. Mr. Stone saw tracks of the Puma 


106 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


on the summit of Mount Pggsephone, in California, at an ele- 
vation of 3,000 feet. Similarly, Darwin states that he saw the 
footprints of the Puma on the Cordillera of Central Chili at 
an elevation of at least 10,000 feet. According to Tschudi, 
the Puma is found in Peru in the highest forests, and even to 
the snow-line, although seldom at the latter level.” And it has 
been stated that the animal is still common in the forests of 
Central America at a height of from 8,000 to 9,000 feet above 
_ the sea-level. 

Wherever it be situated, however, the Puma always selects 
for its lair the most sheltered and solitary situations; in wooded 
districts generally frequenting thick bushes and copses, rather 
than tall forests. Such spots as have rocks, with crevices and 
caverns well-suited for the maternal requirements, are, however, 
those most favoured. Although occasionally hunting its prey 
by day, the Puma is mainly nocturnal in its habits, especially 
in thickly populated districts, where constant persecution has 
taught it the prudence of caution ; and its favourite times for 
being on the prowl are evening and early dawn. When sup- 
plies are abundant, it is stated to drink only the blood of its 
victims, although this statement stands, perhaps, in need of 
confirmation, and it will frequently kill far more than it can 
possibly consume, a case being recorded where no less than 
half-a-hundred sheep were destroyed in the course of one night 
by a single Puma. With such a bloodthirsty and destructive 
disposition, it is little wonder that the animal is detested by all 
settlers in the districts it frequents, and persecuted by them 
with unrelenting pertinacity. The cubs, which in the wild 
state vary from two to five in number, although in captivity 
there are generally two, but occasionally one, are produced in 
soine secure and sequestered situation, varying locally accord- 
ing to the nature of the country. In the Adirondack Moun- 
tains of New York, for instance, the breeding-lair is generally 


THE PUMA. 107 


situated in a cave on the face of some almost inaccessible cliff 
or ledge of rock; whereas in the Southern United States it is 
usually in a dense thicket or cane-brake, while in the Argen- 
tine a mass of tall pampas-grass may form the shelter. In the 
Southern States the lair consists of a rude kind of bed, formed 
of sticks, leaves, twigs, grasses, or mosses, frequently protected 
from rain by the long, pointed leaves of the overarching canes. 
In the more northern United States the cubs are brought forth 
at the close of winter, or the beginning of spring ; but in South 
America during the summer, that is to say, towards the latter 
part of December. In North America, at least, it is believed 
that the female Puma does not breed more frequently than 
once every two years. 

As regards food, in North America the Puma preys chiefly 
upon the various kinds of Deer, but also kills and eats many 
of the smaller Mammals, such as Raccoons and Skunks, 
together with Porcupines, and such birds as it may be able to 
capture. Writing of its habits in South America, Mr. W. H. 
Hudson, in the “Proceedings of the Zoological Society” for 
1872, observes that ‘‘to the insatiable, bloody appetite of this 
animal nothing comes amiss ; he takes the male Ostrich (2/ea) 
by surprise, and slays the wariest of wild things on its nest ; he 
captures little birds with the dexterity of a Cat, and hunts for 
diurnal Armadillos; he comes unaware upon the Deer anc 
Guanaco, and springing like lightning on them, dislocates ¢) 
necks before their bodies touch the ground. Ofte: 
has slain them he leaves their bodies untouched for the Cara- 
caras and Vulture to feast on, so great a delight does he take 
in destroying life. ‘The Viscacha falls an easy victim to this 
subtle creature, and it is not to be wondered at that it be 
comes wild to excess and rare in regions hunted over by such 
an enemy, even when all other conditions are favourable to its 
existence.” 


108 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Throughout its range, be it north or be it south, the Puma 
is a terrible foe to stock-ratf@fng of all kinds; and, although in 
North America it is reported only to attack such adult Horses 
and cattle as are maimed, feeble, or mired, the number of 
colts and calves it will destroy, to say nothing of Sheep, is 
almost incredible. In South America, however, Mr. Hudscn 
states that it not unfrequently kills full-grown Horses and 
cattle. Pigs are likewise killed in great numbers by these 
insatiate marauders. In certain districts, indeed, as in the 
Shasta County Hills of California, horse-breeding became at 
one time practically impossible owing to the ravages of Pumas ; 
and much the same state of affairs has been reported from parts 
of Patagonia. The enmity existing in South America between 
the Puma and the Jaguar, and how the latter is either killed or 
terribly mauled by its less powerful but more active antagonist, 
has been already alluded to under the heading of the species 
last named. 

In spite of its otherwise ferocious and bloodthirsty nature, 
the most curious trait in the habits of the animal under con- 
sideration is the rarity with which it attacks human beings, 
unless driven into a corner or otherwise provoked ; this being 
fully attested by observations made both in North and South 
America. This, however, is not all; for in the latter country, 
according to Mr. Hudson, it not only never attacks Man, but 
has been known to defend him against the assaults of other 
animals. In countries where trees and rocks abound, it is the 
general habit of the Puma to spring upon his prey from an 
elevation ; and if it fails to strike its victim at the first bound, 
the pursuit is generally atonce abandoned. From an elevation 
of twenty feet, one of these animals has been known to spring 
upon a Deer upwards of sixty feet distant at one bound ; the 
impetus knocking the quarry a distance of several yards 
farther. During the winter in the Northern United States, Dr, 


THE PUMA. tog 


Hart Merriam observes that “ under certain conditions of the 
deep snows the Deer cut in so deeply that the poor animals 
can make but slow progress, At such times a Puma, by 
spreading the toes of his great broad paws, simulates a man 
on snow-shoes, and sinks but a short distance in the snow. ° 
He then gains a vital advantage over his prey, and will now 
give chase to and capture one that he missed at his first spring. 
Under no other circumstance will a Puma pursue a Deer, for 
he is too well aware of the uselessness of an attempt to over- 
take so fleet an animal. Immediately upon killing one, he 
drags it bodily into some dense thicket or windfall, where he 


_ will not be likely to be observed. He has thus been observed 


to drag a full-grown Deer considerably over a hundred feet 
before reaching a satisfactory covert.” 

In North America, except when pursued by dogs, or in 
ascending precipitous cliffs, it appears that Pumas do not 
frequently climb trees ; and when hunted by hounds, they 
generally spring straight from the ground into the branches, 
instead of climbing up the trunk. In Paraguay, however, 
these animals are much more arboreal in their habits ; and, 
like the Jaguar, have been reported to chase Monkeys from 
tree to tree without once descending to the ground. Like the 
Jaguar, the Puma is in the habit of scoring the bark of tree- 
trunks with its claws. 

Regarding the disputed question as to the cries of the 
Puma, Mr. True, in the monograph quoted above, writes as 
follows: ‘Many reliable authorities are agreed that the Puma 
does not ordinarily emit loud cries or screams, but Kennerly, 
one of the naturalists of the Mexican Boundary Survey, states 
that on one or two occasions the cry of the Puma was heard 
at a distance, and Scholt writes as follows: ‘ After dark his 
mournful note is heard resounding through the solitudes of 
the desert. The note, listened to once attentively, is apt to 


rtd LLOYD’s NATURAL HISTORY. 


make a deep, lasting impression. ‘The different native names, 
as pronounced in SpaniePeound very appropriately to the 
note, and it is likely that the cry of the animal forms the 
base of its names. The note itself is often several times re- 
peated, with intervals of from two to four minutes. As night 
advances, the cry is heard but rarely.’ He also writes: ‘A 
Puma was killed on the Rio Brava, between Fort Duncan and 
Laredo. During his struggles with the hunters and Dogs he 
raised a terrible cry, twice or thrice, to express his rage, and 
perhaps also to give his family the notice of danger.’ Dr. J. 
A. Allen reports that he once heard the Puma’s cry near his 
camp in Montgomery, Colorado. Elliot likewise states that he 
heard the cry of the Puma at night, whilst camping on the St. 
John’s River, Florida. He did not, however, se> the animal.” 
Darwin writes that the Puma “‘is a very silent animal, utter- 
ing no cry, even when wounded, and only rarely during the 
breeding-season.” 

In captivity, the Puma, when pleased, purrs after the manner 
of the Domestic Cat ; and the female has been heard to utter 
a kind of mewing noise. The Puma is one of the most easily 
tamed of the Cat tribe, becoming not only perfectly harmless, 
but even much attached to its owner. A wonderfully tame 
individual formerly in the possession of Kean the actor, used 
to follow its master about like a Dog, and was often introduced 
into the company of strangers. Writing of the specimen de- 
picted in Plate VIII. of the present volume, Jardine observes 
that “fit was extremely gentle and playful, and showed no 
symptoms of ferocity to the strangers who came to see it. Its 
motions were all free and graceful, and it exhibited the greatest 
agility in leaping and swinging about the joists of a large 
unoccupied room in the old college of Edinburgh.” For the 
following additional particulars we are indebted to the account 
given by Mr. Wilson. ‘It rejoices greatly in the society of 


THE PUMA. | Oe ie | 


those to whose company it is accustomed, lies down upon its 
_ back between their feet, and plays with the skirts of their 
garments, entirely after the manner of a kitten. It shows a 
great predilection for water, and frequently jumps into and 
out of a large tub, rolling itself about, and seemingly greatly 
pleased with the refreshment. While in London, it made its 
escape into the street during the night, but allowed itself to 
be tuken up by a watchman, without offering even a show of 
resistance. It was brought from the city of San Paulo, the 
capital of the district of that name in the Brazilian Empire.” 
Pumas are generally hunted with packs of Dogs, and, when 
brought to bay, fight with the most determined ferocity, biting 
and clawing at their antagonists till the last breath. The fol- 
lowing account of a Puma-hunt is taken from Audubon, who, 
after detailing the preparations for the sport, writes that— 

‘“‘ Few words were uttered by the party until we had reached 
the edge of the swamp, where it was agreed that all should 
disperse, and seek for the fresh track of the Painter, it being 
previously settled that the discoverer should blow his horn, 
and remain on the spot until the rest should join him. In 
less than an hour, the sound of the horn was clearly heard ; 
and, sticking close to the squatter, off we went through the 
thick woods, guided only by the now and then repeated call 
of the distant huntsman. We soon reached the spot, and ina 
short time the rest of the party came up. The best Dog was 
sent forward to track the Cougar, and in a few minutes the 
whole pack were observed diligently trailing, and bearing in 
their course for the interior of the swamp. ‘The rifles were 
immediately put in trim, and the party followed the Dogs, at 
separate distances, but in sight of each other, determined to 
shoot at no other game than the Panther. 

““The Dogs soon began to mouth, and suddenly quickened 
their pace. My companion concluded that the beast was on 


—— 


112 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


the ground ; and putting Horses to a gentle gallop, we 
followed the curs, guided by their voices. The noise of the 
Dogs increased, when, all of a sudden, their mode of barking 
became altered, and the squatter, urging me to push on, told 
me that the beast was treed, by which he meant that it had 
got upon some low branch of a large tree, to rest for a few 
moments, and that should we not succeed in shooting him 
when thus situated, we might expect a long chase of it. As 
we approached the spot, we all by degrees united into a body ; 
but on seeing the Dogs at the foot of a large tree, separated 
again, and galloped off to surround it. 

“Each hunter now moved with caution, holding his gun 
ready, and allowing the bridle to dangle on the neck of his 
Horse, as it advanced slowly towards the Dogs. A shot from 
one of the party was heard, on which the Cougar was seen to 
leap to the ground, and bound off with such velocity, as to 
show that he was very unwilling to stand our fire longer. The 
Dogs set off in pursuit with great eagerness, and a deafening 
cry. The hunter who had fired came up, and said that his 
ball had hit the monster, and had probably broken one of his 
fore-legs, near the shoulder, the only place at which he could 
aim. <A slight trail of blood was discovered on the ground ; 
but the curs proceeded at such a rate, that we merely noticed 
this, and put spurs to our Horses, which galloped on towards 
the centre of the swamp. One bayou was crossed, then 
another still larger and more muddy; but the Dogs were 
brushing forward, and, as the Horses began to pant at a furious 
rate, we judged it expedient to leave them, and advance on 
foot. ‘These determined hunters knew that the Cougar, being 
wounded, would shortly ascend another tree, where, in all 
probability, he would remain for a considerable time, and 
that it would be easy to follow the track of the Dogs. We 
dismounted, took off the saddles and bridles, set the bells 


TIE CLOUDED LEOPARD 113 


attached to the Horses’ necks at liberty to jingle, hobbled 
the animals, and left them to shift for themselves. 

‘“‘ After marching for a couple of hours, we again heard the 
Dogs. Each of us’ pressed forward, elated at the thought of 
terminating the career of the Cougar. Some of the Dogs were 
heard whining, although the greater number barked vehe- 
mently. We felt assured that the Cougar was treed, and that 
he would rest for some time to recover from his fatigue. As we 
came up to the Dogs, we discovered the ferocious animal lying 
across a large branch, close to the trunk of a cotton-wood tree. 
His broad breast lay towards us ; his eyes were at one time 
bent on us, and again on the Dogs beneath and around 
him ; one of his fore-legs hung loosely by his side ; and he lay 
crouched, with his ears lowered close to his head, as if he 
thought he might lay undiscovered. Three balls were fired at 
him, at a given signal, on which he sprang a few feet from the 
branch, and tumbled headlong to the ground. Attacked on 
all sides by the enraged curs, the infuriated Cougar fought 
with valour ; but the squatter, advancing in front of the party, 
and almost in the midst of the Dogs, shot him immediately 
behind and beneath the left shoulder. The Cougar writhed 
for a moment in agony, and in another lay dead.” 

By some of the Indians of South America, as well as by 
certain native tribes in the northern half of the New World, 
Puma-flesh is largely eaten ; and Darwin, who essayed the same 
dish, reported of it favourably. 

Fossil remains of the Puma have been discovered in the 
Pleistocene deposits of several parts of North America. 


VII. THE CLOUDED LEOPARD. FELIS NEBULOSA. 


Felis nebulosa, Griffith, Descript. Vert. p. 37 (1821); Blanford, 
Mamm. Brit. India, p. 72 (1888) ; Hose, Mamm. Borneo 


p- 17 (1893). 


If4 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Felis diardi, Cuvier, Oss. Fggsiles, 2nd ed. vol. iv. p. 437 (1823) ; 
Elliot, Monogr. Felidee, pl. viii. (1878-83). 

Felis macrocelis, Horsfield, Zool. Journ., vol. i. p. 542 (1825). 

Felis macroceloides, Hodgson, Calcutta Journ. Nat. Hist. vol. 
iv. p. 286 (1844). 

Uncia macrocelis and U. macroceloides, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. 
Hist. ser. 2, vol. xiv. p. 394 (1854). 

Leopardus brachyurus, Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. 352 

Felis brachyura, Blyth, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 183. 

Neofelis macrocelis and WV. brachyurus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 
1867, p. 266 ; id., Cat; Carniv. Mamm. Brit.’ Mus: ppr 13; 


14 (1869). 
( (Plate IX.) 


Characters.—Size that of a small Leopard; markings clouded, 
that is, in the form of large blotches or patches exceeding a 
couple of inches in diameter. Ground-colour of fur pale 
yellow to grey, with blackish cloudings. ‘Tail very long and 
thick, measuring from 2 feet 2 inches to 3 feet 10 inches. 
Skull long and narrow, with the upper tusks, or canines, rela- 
tively longer than in any other Cat, their length equalling half 
that of the palate ; anterior upper pre-molar tooth frequently 
wanting. Pupil of eye oval and vertical. Total length, from 
6 to 6% feet. 

The under-parts of the body, as well as the inner sides of 
the limbs, are white or pale tawny. On its upper surface the 
head is spotted ; two broad black streaks, separated by nar- 
rower bands or elongated spots, start at the ears and run 
backwards to the shoulders, whence they are continued as 
more or less ill-defined bands of oval markings along the 
middle of the back. As a rule the sides of the body are 
ornamented with a number of large irregularly-shaped, ovoid, 
or quadrangular dark blotches or patches, frequently edged 
in places, especially on their hinder borders, with black ; in 


‘devdogl GaaNnOTO 


THE CLOUDED LEOPARD. 115 


old animals the blotches tending to disappear, and thus leav- 
ing only the darker borders. The tail is marked by numerous 
dusky rings, frequently interrupted on the sides, and on the 
upper surface near the body traversed by a longitudinal band. 
The black outer surface of the ear is frequently marked with 
a grey spot in the middle; and there are two black horizontal 
stripes on the cheek, the uppermost of which runs from the 
eye ; while in some instances the margin of the upper lip may 
be likewise black. In addition to these markings, an irregular 
black band traverses the chin, while another crosses the throat. 
In the Formosan variety—the so-called Leopardus brachyurus— 
the tail is shorter than usual; although such a difference does 
not seem of specific importance. 


Distribution—The Himalaya, from Nipal to Sikhim and 
Assam ; the hill regions of Burma and Siam; the Malay Pen- 
insula ; Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Formosa. 


Habits—The Azmau-Dahan (Tree-Tiger), as this animal is 
termed by the Malays, is the last of the more typical Old 
World members of the Family entitled to rank among the 
large Cats. Beyond the fact that it is an arboreal species, 
living on birds and smaller mammals, practically nothing is 
known as to its habits in the wild state; such accounts as 
have appeared being derived from native sources, and thus 
of the usual untrustworthy character. ‘Three specimens (all 
males) had been exhibited in the London Zoological Gardens 
up to 1883, the first of which was obtained in 1854, and the 
third in 1875. These are said to have been tamed without 
difficulty ; and passed most of their time in sleep, 


Writing of some specimens in captivity, Sir Stamford Raffles 
observes that they were remarkable for their good-temper and 
playfulness, “no domestic kitten could be more so ; they were 
always courting intercourse with persons passing by, and in 

I 2 


116 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


the expression of their couygenance, which was always open 
and smiling, showed the a delight when noticed, throw- 
ing themselves on their backs, and delighting in being tickled 
and rubbcd. On board ship there was a small Musi Dog, 
who used to play round the cage with the animal, and it was 
amusing to observe the playfulness and tenderness with which 
the latter came in contact with his inferior-sized companion. 
When fez with a fowl that had died, he seized the prey, and 
after sucking the blood and tearing it a little, he amused him- 
self for hours in throwing 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, and the natives assert that, when wild, the Leopards 
live principally on poultry, birds, and the smaller kinds of Deer. 
They are not found in any numbers, and may be considered 
rather a rare animal, 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 generally found 
in the vicinity of villages, and are not dreaded by the natives, 
except as far as they may destroy their poultry. The natives 
assert that they sleep and often lay wait for their prey on trees ; 
and from this circumstance they derive the name of Daan, 
which signifies the fork formed by the branch of a tree, across 
which they are said to rest, and occasionally stretch them- 
selves. 

‘¢ Both specimens constantly amused themselves in jumping 
and clinging to the top of their cage, and throwing a somerset, 
or twisting themselves round in the manner of a Squirrel when 
confined, the tail being extended, and showing to great advan- 
tage when so expanded.” 

One of these animals, upon its arrival in this country, was 
sent to Exeter Change, where the noise and novelty of the 


THE MARBLED CAT. EDT 


menagerie appear to have rendered it very intractable for a 
few days ; but it soon became perfectly familiar, and fond of 
the persons who were employed about it. It was rather less 
voracious than a Leopard, and was fed with beef and the heads 
of fowls. 

Mr. Hose, who found this species on the Baram River, on 
Mount Dulit up to 5,000 feet, and on Mount Batu Song to 
2,000 feet, writes that “this animal is constantly procured 
by the natives of Borneo, the canine teeth being used by the 
Kayans and Keniahs as ear-ornaments, and the skin for the 
purpose of a war-coat. It is found both in the low country 
and on the mountains to a height of 5,000 fect.” 


VIII. THE MARBLED CAT. FELIS MARMORATA. 


Felis marmorata, Martin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1836, p. 107 ; Elliot, 
Monogr. Felidz, pl. ix. (1878-83) ; Blanford, Mamm. Brit. 
India, p. 74 (1888) ; Hose, Mamm. Borneo, p. 18 (1893). 

Felis diardi, Jardine, Naturalist’s Library, Feline, p. 221 
(1834 ; ec Cuvier). 

Felis longicaudatus, De Blainville, Ostéographie, vol. ii. Zedzs, 
p- 47 (1839-64). 

Leopardus marmoratus, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 42 


(1843). 

felis charltont, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. xvili. p. 44 
(1846). 

Lelis ogilbyt, Hodgson, Calcutta Journ. Nat. Hist. vol. viii. p. 
44 (1846). 


Uncia marmorata, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, vol. xiv. 
Pp. 394 (1854). 

UOncia charltoni, Gray, loc. cit. 

Leopardus dorsul, Gray, Cat. Hodgson Coll. 2nd ed. p. 3 


(1863). 


118 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Catolynx marmoratus and Cggfarltoni, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 
1867, pp. 267, 268; id., Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. 


p. 16 (1869). 
(Plate X.) 


Characters.—From the preceding species the Marbled Cat may 
be distinguished not only by its inferior size (somewhat exceed- 
ing that of an ordinary Domestic Cat), but by the much shorter 
upper tusks, or canines, which are less than half the length of 
the palate ; and likewise by the shorter and more rounded 
skull, in which the nasal bones are very broad and flat, while 
the orbit, or socket of the eye, is generally surrounded by a com- 
plete bony ring. Moreover, the anterior upper pre-molar tooth 
is almost always wanting. Externally, the characters are very 
similar to those of the Clouded Leopard, the long tail being 
of the same bushy nature, and the ground-colour of the fur 
varying from fulvous to grey, with black cloudings and 
mottlings ; the under-parts being paler. Length of head and 
body, from 18% to 23 inches; of tail, from 14 to 15% inches, 


The coloration is described by Blanford as follows : ‘Sides 
divided by narrow pale streaks into large, irregularly-shaped 
darker patches, black on the hinder edges. Along the back 
are angular black blotches or irregular rings, arranged more 
or less in longitudinal bands. There are black spots on the 
outside of the limbs, the upper surface of the tail, and usually 
on the lower-parts ; but those on the belly are very variable, 
being sometimes large and distinct, sometimes almost imper- 
ceptible. The inside of the limbs and the chest are banded 
or spotted, and there are the usual cheek-stripes. ‘T'wo inter- 
rupted bands, one from the inner corner of each eye, over the 
head are continued as well-marked black stripes on the hind- 
neck, spots or bands intervening between them on the head, 
but not on the neck. The under-fur is rich brown.” 


Distribution The Eastern Himalaya, from Sikhim to Assam ; 


‘xX WhV Id 


a EE 


THE TIBETAN TIGER-CAT. 11g 


Burma to the Malay Peninsula ; N. Borneo*; Baram River, 
Sarawak ; Sumatra ; and perhaps Java. 


Habits.—Nothing definite is known as to the habits of this 
prettily-marked Cat, although, like the last species, it is prob- 
ably arboreal. Mr. Hose says that it frequents the clearings in 
Sarawak, and is more often found in the low country than on 
the mountains. It is very fierce, when caught, and will not 
live long in captivity. 


IX. THE TIBETAN TIGER-CAT. FELIS SCRIPTA. 


Felis: scripta, Milne-Edwards, Nouv. Archiv. Mus. Bull. vol. 
vii. p. 92 (1876); id., Recherches des Mammif. p. 341 ; 
Mivart, The Cat, p. 400 (1881). 

Characters—As suggested by Mr. W. L. Sclater in his 
Catalogue of Mammals in the Indian Museum, Calcutta (part 
ii, p. 221), it is not improbable that this form will prove to be 
identical with the last. Its general colour is described as pale 
g-ey, with reddish-brown spots margined more or less completely 
with black. In the region of the shoulders these markings take 
the form of longitudinal wavy bands, with a distant resemblance 
to Chinese letters. The largest of these dark lines commences 
near the inner corner of the eye, then passes above the ear to 
the withers, after which it widens out as it descends obliquely ; 
and a similar, but more highly-placed band extends from the 
forehead to the shoulder. On the sides of the body are large, 
irregularly-shaped blotches, forming bands and bars at the 
hinder parts, and incomplete rings on the tail; and there are 
likewise black spots and bars on the outer sides of the limbs. 
A portion of the cheeks, as well as the chest, are white, with 
transvers2 black murkings ; and_the yellowish under-parts like- 


* A. H. Everett, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1893, p. 495. 


120 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


wise carry longitudinal black, streaks. Length of head and 
body of type, 2124 inches; oF tail, 10% inches. 
Distribution Moupin, Eastern Tibet. 


X. FONTANIER’S CAT. FELIS TRISTIS. 


Felis tristis, Milne-Edwards, Recherches Mammif. p. 223 
(1868-74); Elliot, Monogr. Felidz, pl. xxii. (1878-83) ; 
Mivart, The Cat, p. 400 (1881). 


This is also a little-known species, distinguished from the 
other Cats of the regions it inhabits by its large size, whitish- 
grey ground-colour, large spots, and rather short tail. It is 
described as having soft and long fur, of a whitish-grey ground- 
colour, upon which three or four blackish-brown lines, com- 
mencing on the head between the ears, run the whole length 
of the back, the remainder of the upper-parts, as well as the 
flanks and limbs, being marked with large dark brown solid 
spots. Chest with two bars of rufous-brown running across it. 
Tail bushy, less than half the length of the head and body ; 
rufous-brown above, and yellowish-brown below ; with a series 
of obscure dark brown bars on the upper surface. Length of 
head and body, 33% inches ; of tail, 16 inches. 


Distribution.— The interior of China; the skin of the type 
specimen having been purchased in Pekin. 


XI. THE GOLDEN, OR BAY CAT. FELIS TEMMINCKI. 

Felis temminckt, Vigors and Horsfield, Zool. Journ. vol. iii. p. 
451 (1828); Elliot, Monogr. Felidz, pl. xvi. (1878-83) ; 
Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 75 (1888); Hose, 
Mamm. Borneo, p. 19 (1893). 

felis moormensis, Hodgson, Gleanings in Science, vol. iii. p. 
177 (1831). 

Leopardus moormensis, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 41 


(1843). 


—— 


THE FLAT-HEADED CAT. 121 


felis aurata, Blyth, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. 185 (nec Tem- 
minck). 
felis nigrescens, Gray, Cat. Hodgson Coll. 2nd ed. p. 4 (1863). 
Leopardus auratus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 265 ; id., 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 12 (1869). 
Characters.— Distinguished from all the Asiatic Cats described 
above by its medium size (rather less than that of Zé/’s nebulosa) 
and uniformly-coloured fur, devoid of either distinct spots or 
stripes. General colour varying from bright ferruginous red 
to dark brown ; tail short and not bushy ; cheeks and forehead 
horizontally streaked with white and brown ; indistinct vestiges 
of spots occasionally apparent on the flanks and under-parts. 
Length of head and body in a male, 31% inches; of tail, 19 
inches. 


Distribution.—The Eastern Himalaya, at moderate elevations, 
from Nipal and Sikhim to the Tippera Hills; Burma; Malay 


_ Peninsula ; Borneo ; and perhaps Sumatra. 


Habits.—In Borneo, Mr. Charles Hose says that this species 
is very rare. Nothing has been recorded of its habits. 


XII. THE FLAT-HEADED CAT. FELIS PLANICEPS. 


felis planiceps, Vigors and Horsfield, Zool. Journ. vol. iii. p. 
450 (1828); Elliot, Monogr. Felidz, pl. xvi. (1878-83) ; 
Mivart, The Cat, p. 417 (1881); Hose, Mamm. Borneo, 
p. 20 (1893). 

Ailinura planiceps, Gervais, Hist. Nat. Mamm. vol. ii. p. 87 
(1855). 

Viverriceps planiceps, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 269. 

Ailurogale planiceps, Fitzinger, S.B. Ak. Berlin, 1869, p. 249. 


Characters.— General coloration similar to that of the Bay Cat, 


but of about half the size, and having the skull of different 
shape, with the nasal bones forming a ridge, as in the under- 


122 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


mentioned Fishing Cat, and the anterior upper pre-molar tooth 
unusually large and furnis#®d with two roots; orbit of eye 
completely encircled by bone. The body is much elongated ; 
and the tail and limbs are very short. In colour, the fur, 
which is soft, thick, and long, is dark reddish-brown on the top 
of the head, with two yellow lines extending from between the 
eyes to the ears, while on the body it is dark brown, gradually 
lightening on the sides, each hair having a white tip, which 
communicates a silvery-grey tinge to the entire coat. Face 
below the eyes light reddish, with two narrow dark lines 
running across the cheeks to beneath the ears. Chest and 
under-parts white ; the latter spotted and streaked with rufous. 
Inner surfaces of limbs rufous-brown, becoming lighter near the 
feet ; tail reddish-brown. Length of head and body, from 21 
to 24 inches; of tail, from 6 to 8 inches. 

Distribution.—Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo; on the 
Baram River, Sarawak ; Mount Dulit, at 2,000 feet. 


Habits.—Of the habits of the little Fire-Cat, as this species 
is sometimes called, little is known; although, from the 
similarity in the anterior pre-molar tooth, it has been suggested 
that they may be similar to those of the Fishing Cat. Mr. 
Hose writes that in Borneo “this Cat is common in the low 
country, and is often very destructive in the gardens. It is 
very fond of fruit, and has constantly been known to dig up 
and eat the sweet potatoes which are grown by the natives.” 


XIII. THE BORNEAN BAY CAT. FELIS BADIA. 


Felis badia, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. 322; Elliot, 
Monogr. Felide, pl. xiv. (1878-83); Mivart, The Cat, p. 

419 (1881); Hose, Mamm. Borneo, p. 20 (1893). 
Characters—A small, uniformly-coloured Cat readily dis- — 
tinguished from the preceding by the small size and single 


—_ ae 


THE FISHING CAT. 123 


root of the anterior upper pre-molar tooth, as well as by the 
incomplete closure of the socket of the eye by bone. ‘The fur 
of the type specimen is described as being of a bright chestnut 
hue, becoming paler on the under-parts, while the limbs and 
tail are both redder and paler. The elongate and tapering tail 
has a whitish median streak down the terminal half of its lower 
surface, this streak expanding and becoming pure white at the 
tip, which is marked by a small black spot. The rounded ears 
have short blackish-brown fur on the outer side, while internally 
they are pale brown, with narrow pale margins. ‘The sides of 
the upper lips, as wellas a spot at the front angle, and another 
at the edge of the eyelid are pale brown ; while the chin, the 
margin of the lower jaw, and the gullet are whitish. 
Distribution. Borneo. 


Originally described by the late Dr. Gray upon the evidence 
of a very imperfect skin preserved in the British Museum, 
this Cat is now known from several specimens obtained by 
Mr. Everett, and another procured by Mr. Hose on the Suai 
River in Sarawak. Nothing seems to have been recorded of 
its habits. 


XIV. THE FISHING CAT. FELIS VIVERRINA. 


Felis viverrina, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 68; Elliot, 
Monogr. Felide, pl. xxii. (1878-83); Blanford, Mamm. 
Brit. India, p. 76 (1888). 

Felis himalayana, Jardine, Naturalist’s Library, Felinze, p. 230 
(1834). 

Felis viverriceps, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. v. p. 
232 (1836). 

Leopardus viverrinus, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 43 
(1843). 

Felis celidogaster, Blyth, Cat, p. 61 (1863 ; zec Temminck). 


124 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Viverriceps bennettit, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 268; id., 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 16 (1869). 
(Plate XJ.) 


Characters,—Coming under the denomination of a “spotted ” 
Cat, this species may be distinguished from the larger Indian 
forms with the same general type of coloration by its inferior 
dimensions, and the sharp ridge formed by the nasal bones of 
the skull. Superior in size to the undermentioned Leopard- 
Cat and Rusty-spotted Cat, it differs from both by the grizzled 
grey fur of the upper-parts being marked with dark brown spots 
formed by broken-up longitudinal lines, passing into small 
blackish spots on the hind-quarters. The short and thick tail 
is marked above with dark brown bars, and is about one-third 
the length of the head and body. The nasal region of the 
skull is remarkably narrow, and the socket of the eye gener- 
ally completely surrounded by bone. The anterior upper 
pre-molar tooth is very small. Length of head and body, from 
30 to 32 inches; of tail, 9 to 12 inches. Specimens are occa- 
sionally met with in which the ground-colour of the fur is 
reddish-grey. 

The specimen herewith figured, which was described by 
Jardine under the name of feds himalayana, ai 4 has the spots 
more confluent into streaks than is generally the case, was 
identified by Dr. Gray with his so-called Pardalina warwichi. 
The latter, although really identical with the South American 
Geoffroy’s Cat, described in the sequel, was supposed to come 
from Asia; and the similarity between the coloration of the 
present species and that of the latter is not a little remarkable. 


Distribution.—India, Ceylon, Lower Burma, Tenasserim, — 
Formosa, and Southern China. In India the species has been 
recorded from the valley of the Indus, the outer ranges of the 
Himalaya, the Nipal Terai, Assam, Bengal, and it, perhaps, 


WLVO-SNIHSIA 


Ket 


ey 
—_ 
<= Sy 


— 


——~ — See 


aNNC SLi hij See 


TX @LV Id 


| 
4 
yy 


~ 


THE FISHING CAT. 125 


inhabits the Malabar and Travancore coasts ; but in Central 
India it appears to be unknown. 


Habits. —-A dweller in the thickets and jungles, on the borders 
of marshes, rivers, and tidal creeks, this Cat differs remarkably 
from the great majority of its kindred by its habit of preying 
upon fish; although the manner in which it catches them 
appears to be quite unknown. This trait has given rise to its 
popular name, while its scientific title has been derived from 
its somewhat Civet-lik> coloration and general appearance. 
In addition to fish, this Cat is stated to feed largely on the large 
amphibious snails known as Ampullariz, to be met with in 
thousands in every marsh or “jhil” in Lower Bengal ; but’ 
here, again, we have no information as to how the succulent 
morsels are extracted from their somewhat solid shells. 
Probably also small mammals, birds, and reptiles contribute to 
the diet of this Cat; while, in spite of its comparatively small 
size, it is known to be in the habit of killing sheep and calves. 
Extreme ferocity is, indeed, a distinctive trait of the Fishing 


Cat, although, somewhat curiously, when captured, this species 


is stated to be tamed with facility. 

An observer, quoted by Mr. Sterndale in his work on the 
Mammalia of India, writes: ‘A pair of these Cats broke one 
night into a matted house, and went off with a brace of ewes, 
which had a half-a-dozen lambs between them, born only a 
short time before their mothers met their end. I have caught 
this species in traps, and when let loose in an indigo-vat with 
a miscellaneous pack of Dogs, they have invariably fought hard, 
and at times proved too much for their canine adversaries, so 
that I have had to go to their rescue, and put an end to the 
fight by a spear-thrust or a heavy blow on the back of the head 
with a stout stick. Some years ago one got into my fowl-house 
at night, and as I opened the door to go inside, it made a 
fierce jump at me from a perch on the opposite side.” 


126 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


XV. THE es FELIS BENGALENSIS. 

Felis bengalensis, Kerr, Linn. Anim. Kingdom, p. 151 (1792) ; 
Elliot, Monogr. Felidz, pl. xxi. (1878-83) ; Blanford, Proc. 
Zool. Soc. 1887, p. 627; id., Mamm. Brit. India; pe7e 
(1888) ; Hose, Mamm. Borneo, p. 19 (1893). 

Felis gavanensts, Desmarest, Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. vol. vi. 
p. 115 (1816); Elliot, Monograph of Felidee, pl. xxviii. 
(1878-83). 

Felis sumatrana, Horsfield, Zool. Research. pl. xxiii. (1821). 

Felis minuta, Yemminck, Monogr. Mamm. vol. 1. p. 130 (1827). 

Felis nipalensts, Vigors and Horsfield, Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 
382 (1829). 

Felis chinensis, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 577 (1837); 
Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 629. 

Leopardus eliioti, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. x. p. 260 
(1842). 

Leopardus horsfieldi, Gray, loc. cit. 

Chaus servalinus, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 45 (1843). 

Leopardus javanensis, L. sumatranus, L. chinensis, Gray, op. 
tp. A (1843). 

Leopardus reevest, Gray, op. cit. p. 44. 

Felis pardochrous, Hodgson, Calcutta Journ. Nat. Hist. vol. 
iv. p. 286 (1844). 

Felis jerdoni, Blyth, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 185. 

Felis servalina, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 401. 

Felts tenasserimensis, Gray, op. cit. p. 400. 

Fe is wagati, Gray, loc. cit. 

Viverriceps elliott, Gray, op. cit. p. 269. 

Felis herschellt, Gray, Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 28 


(1869). 
(Pinte 2d ATs.) 


Characters—Generally slightly smaller than a _ well-grown 
Domestic Cat, but with relatively longer legs, this spotted 


TNE 


aLW Td 


“LWO-duvdoat 


THE LEOPARD-CAT, 127 


Asiatic species is inferior in size to the last. With the mark- 
ings extremely variable, the ground-colour of the fur on the 
upper-parts shades from yellowish-grey to bright yellow, while 
on the under-parts it is white, the ornamentation taking the 
form of dark brown markings. ‘Tail long and spotted ; its 
length being about half that of the head and body. Skull shorter 
and rounder than in the last, with the nasal region only slightly 
narrowed, the orbits incomplete behind, and the anterior upper 
pre-molar tooth present. Ears moderate, and rounded at the 
tips ; pupil of the eye generally circular. 

The spots extend over both the upper- and under-parts, 
but towards the end of the tail usually assume the form of 
transverse bars. According to Mr. Blanford, “there is almost 
always a white band running up to the forehead from the inside 
of each eye. Four longitudinal black bands commence on the 
forehead, and are continued over the head to the hind-neck, 
breaking up into short bands and elongate spots on the shoul- 
ders ; less distinct bands of spots occasionally come in between 
the two median head-stripes on the forehead and shoulders, 
but these two stripes frequently coalesce on the back of the 
neck, diverging again between the shoulders, and being con- 
tinued as rows of spots to the tail. There are generally two 
well-marked horizontal cheek-stripes, the lower of which is often 
_ joined to a transverse stripe across the throat ; other transverse 
stripes, sometimes broken into rows of spots, cross the lower 
neck and breast. There are the usual two dark bands inside 
the fore-arm, and a large whitish spot on the black outer sur- 
face of each ear.” Length of head and body, from 24 to 26 
inches ; of tail, from 11 to 12 inches, or more. 

Nearly allied to the under-mentioned smaller Indian species 
known as the Rusty-spotted Cat (Feds rubiginosa), the Leopard- 
Cat is one of the most variable, and, therefore, one of the 
most difficult species the zoologist has to deal with. That it 


128 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 


can be divided into several more or less well-defined local 
races may be considered uf€oubted ; but whether to regard 
such races as species or sub-species may be open to ques- 
tion, although personally we prefer to follow Mr. Blanford 
in adopting the former view. Other writers have, however, 
thought differently ; Professor Mivart, for instance, in addition 
to the perfectly distinct / vubiginosa, regards the forms de- 
scribed under the names of / chinensis, F. gavanensis, F. jer- 
dont, F. minuta, and F, wagati, as entitled to specific rank. 

On this subject Mr. Blanford writes: ‘ Leds rubiginosa is 
classed by all as distinct, and of its distinctness there can be 
no question. ‘The anterior upper pre-molar is always wanting, 
at all events in adults, and the bony orbit in the skull is com- 
plete behind. In / dengalensis and its varieties, on the other 
hand, out of more than forty specimens examined, I have only 
seen two in which the anterior upper pre-molar is absent on 
both sides, and the orbit is never complete behind. There 
is also a character in the external coloration by which every 
specimen I have examined of both forms can be at once dis- 
tinguished. In all these Cats a variable number of interrupted 
dark lines pass from the forehead over the head and hind-neck 
to the interscapulary tract. Usually there are four well-marked 
bands on the head. Of these, the two innermost are continued 
between the shoulders in /. xudiginosa by two long, straight, 
slightly-diverging dark lines or spots between them. In 
F. bengalensis and its allies, there are never these two lines 
alone ; either the markings are all broken and interrupted, or 
other lines and spots intervene between the continuations of 
the two inner frontal bands. The tail, too, in / rudiginosa is 
unspotted above; in all forms of the Leopard-Cat distinctly 
spotted. 

“ There is in the Natural History Department of the British 
Museum a very fine series of these Indian and Malayan Spotted 


THE LEOPARD-CAT. 12g 


Cats; no less than six specimens of é/is rubiginosa, all but 
one of which are from Ceylon, and the remaining specimens 
from Nellore in Southern India ; and forty-two skins of 
fF, bengalensis and-its allies. In going through the latter, 
while I have been struck by the great variety exhibited, I 
have been unable to trace a single character, external or 
cranial, by which the various races can be distinguished. 
There are doubtless several races, and, except that I cannot 
see how F. jerdont is to be separated, even as a variety, from 
fF javanensis of Horsfield, those accepted as kinds by Professor 
Mivart are fairly recognisable. ‘There is perhaps one to be 
added, the true Wagati of Sir W. Elliot, not the form that was 
_ (I believe erroneously) described under that name by Dr. Gray. 
The variation in dimensions is not nearly so great as in the 
Leopard, and that in the markings is less than in the Ocelot. 
“Accepting, then, the view that all the forms of Leopard-Cat 
are varieties of one species, which must be called 7e/is dengal- 
ensis, the next question for determination is, whether the Cat 
called # jerdont by Blyth is a distinct form, as it has been 
considered by Blyth and Mivart ; whether, as Jerdon sug- 
gested, it is a small race of / dengalensis, or whether, as 
stated by Mr. D. G. Elliot, it is identical with a form of 
F. rubiginosa, F. jerdont was founded by Blyth upon three 
specimens, as he writes that, ‘I first detected an adult male 
and a kitten of this species in the Museum at Madras, and 
find that there is an adult specimen also in the British 
Museum.’ There is now a second specimen in the latter 
Museum, obtained from the East India Museum, and labelled 
fF. jerdont in Mr. Blyth’s handwriting. On the stand of the 
original specimen the name /. 7erdounz has also been written by 
Mr. Blyth. The two specimens are precisely similar, and that 
first in the Museum may be taken as the type of the species. 
“The markings of this specimen, as already mentioned, 


7 K 


130 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY, 


are scarcely distinguishabl@gfrom those of Horsfield’s type of 
F. javanensis. In both the characteristic points mentioned— 
the marks in the interscapulary region, and the spots on the 
tail—the two skins agree with / dengalensis, and not with 
F. rubiginosa. ‘To complete the evidence, Mr. Thomas has 
had the skull of one of the skins of # jerdoni extracted, and it 
proves to possess the anterior upper pre-molar and imperfect 
orbit of / dengalensis. I have, therefore, not the least hesita- 
tion in assigning / jerdoni, as a variety, to that species, and 
I believe it to be identical with the form commonly known 
as F&F. javanensis. ‘The locality of neither specimen of /. jer 
doni in the National Collection is known ; but, considering, 
that so closely similar a form has been described from Java, 
whilst there is no evidence as to the derivation of the Madras 
Museum specimens, it is far from improbable that Mr. Blyth 
was mistaken in his supposition [as to their Indian origin], and 
that these skins were really brought originally from Malacca or 
the neighbourhood.” 

In the Himalayan variety of this species (/ pardochroa), as 
represented in our first illustration, the ground-colour of the 
upper-parts is pale rufescent, with the spots usually more or 
less angular in form, and with their front border brown and the 
hinder margin black. Whereas, however, in some examples 
the spots are large and almost triangular, with the apex 
directed backwards, in others they take the form of small | 
elongated ovals. The so-called Nipal Cat (/ zipalensis) was 
founded on a grey phase, which there is some reason for be- 
lieving may have been a hybrid. In another Indian variety 
the black spots tend to form longitudinal lines, enclosing rich 
bands of rufous-brown between them ; the bands being broken 
up more or less completely into large rosettes, dark brown at 
the centres, with imperfect black rings on the margins. This 
form is perhaps the handsomest and most striking of all, 


LAT VA NVAVT | ‘LVO-CuUYvdO at 


Soy. 


RS RESSS ay 


THX BLVTd 


s 


& 


THE LEOPARD-CAT, E31 


In the Malayan region, as well as the Philippine Islands, 
we meet with the smaller races described as /. minuta and 
fF. sumatrana, in which the spots are more numerous and 
rounded than ordinary ; while in some, although not all, cases 
the tail is shorter than usual. The Javan race (/ javanensis) 
is a well-marked local form, easily recognised by its small size, 
grey ground-colour of the fur, and small spots, those on the 
back being elomgate in form and blackish-brown in colour, 
while those on the sides are brown. As already mentioned, 
the so-called / jerdoni seems indistinguishable from this 
variety, and probably came from some Malayan locality. 

Distribution.—India, from the outer Himalaya to the extreme 
south, but exclusive of Ceylon, Assam, Burma, the Malay 
Peninsula ; the islands of Java, Sumatra, and Borneo; the 
Philippines, Formosa, China, and Amurland. 


Habits.—With a geographical distribution almost as extensive 
as that of the Tiger, the Leopard-Cat, with its numerous varieties, 
is essentially a forest-dwelling species, subsisting on the smaller 
mammals and birds, which it captures with the stealth and 
agility of all its kind. In disposition, it displays the usual Cat- 
like ferocity ; Mr. Blyth observing that of many specimens kept 
by himself in confinement, none ever displayed the slightest 
dispositicn to become tame and confiding. None of these 
examples were, however, captured at a very early age. Fre- 
quently taking up its residence in the hollow trunk of a decayed 
forest-tree, the Leopard-Cat prowls forth at night to commit 
depredations on the nearest poultry-roost, and is consequently 
destroyed by the natives whenever an opportunity occurs. The 
young, of which there are either three or four in a litter in In- 
dia, are born during the month of May, the breeding-lair being 
generally either in a cavern or beneath the protection of some 
overhanging mass of rock. Dr. J. Anderson describes this 
Cat as essentially arboreal in its habits, and was told by the 

ae 


132 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


natives that its prey eS of Squirrels and Trce- 
Shrews (Zifaza). 

“In Sarawak,” writes Mr. Hose, “this pretty little Cat is 
found in the low country, and on the mountains up to 3,000 
feet. It is constantly trapped by the natives, and is very fond 
of stealing fowls, going into the villages and taking chickens 
from beneath the houses. The Dyak name is ‘Kuching 
Batu.’ It usually lives amongst the rocks and in holes ot 
ireesi” 


XVI. BUSHY-TAILED RED-SPOTTED CAT. FELIS EUPTILURA. 


Fels euptiiira, Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 760.5 ads 
Monogr. Felidze, pl. xxvi. (1878-83) ; Mivart, The Cat, p 
416 (1881). 

? Felis microtis, Milne-Edwards, Recherches Mammif. p. 221 
(1868-74) ; Mivart, The Cat, p. 417 (1881). 


Characters—This is a pale-coloured spotted species from 
China, apparently allied to the Leopard-Cat, but with a shorter 
and more bushy tail. The type specimen is preserved in the 
British Museum, and is described as follows: ‘‘Ground-colour 
of the body light brownish yellow, strongly mixed with grey, 
covered with reddish-brown spots rather oblong in shape, and 
darkest and most conspicuous on the hind-quarters. Head 
grey, with a white line under the eyes and on the side next to 
the nose ; two dark brown st.pes in the centre, commencing 
at the tip of the nose, and one on each side, beginning at the 
eye, pass over the top of the head, and down the back of the 
neck to the shoulders ; a dark red stripe runs from the corner of 
the eye, across the cheek, to the base of the ear, and another, 
rather lighter in colour, starting below the eye, passes across the 
cheek and curves back under the throat. The centre of the 
back is much darker than the sides, with spots of dark brown. 
Under lip white,as are also the throat and under-parts. Across 


THE RUSIY-SPOTTED CAT. 133 


the upper part of the breast are four broken bands of foxy-red; 
belly covered with large brown spots, becoming rufous between 
the hind-legs. Inner sides of hind-legs buff, with cross-bands 
of foxy-red, and covered with small reddish spots to the toes. 
Tail thick, rather short, bushy, darker than the body, with 
several incomplete broken rings of blackish-brown. Inside of 
ear buff, behind black.” In the skull the nasal region is much 
narrowed, the orbit is slightly incomplete behind, and there is 
a small anterior pre-molar. 

The Felts microtis, from Pekin and Mongolia, is identified 
with this form by Mr. Elliot in his ‘‘ Monograph of the Felide,” 
although Professor Mivart regards it as not improbably distinct. 
Having the general coloration of the Chinese variety of the 
Leopard-Cat, it has very small ears, long, soft, and abundant 
fur, with reddish and somewhat confluent spots; the white spot 
behind the ear divided into two moieties by a dark vertical 
streak, and the tail is not distinctly spotted. 

Further evidence as to the unity or distinctness of these 
two forms is required, while the writer is by no means assured 
whether either are more than well-marked races of the 
Leopard-Cat. As in the case of other forms from the same 
region, nothing has been recorded in regard to the habits of 
this Cat. 


XVII. THE RUSTY-SPOTTED CAT. FELIS RUBIGINOSA. 


Lelis rubiginosa, 1. Geoffroy, in Bélanger’s Voyage Indes 
Orient. p. 140 (1834); Elliot, Monogr. Felide, pl. 
xxix. (1878-83); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 81 
(1888). 

Viverriceps rubiginosa, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 269; 
id., Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 18 (1869). 

Characters—This pretty little Indian Cat has had its dis- 
tinctive characteristics so fully noticed under the head of 


134 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


the Leopard-Cat that only very brief mention is necessary 
here. In size it is consideral¥ less than an ordinary Domestic 
Cat; the fur is grizzled grey, marked with reddish-brown elon 
gate spots ; tail without spots ; skull of the short and rounded 
type characterising the Leopard-Cat, but with the nasal bones 
more distinctly narrowed, the orbit of the eye completely en- 
circled by bone, and the anterior upper pre-molar wanting. 
Length of head and body, from 16 to 18 inches ; of tail, 9% 
inches, 

Distribution—India and Ceylon, in the former country thé 
species being recorded from the coasts of Madras, the hills of 
Southern India, Seoni, and perhaps Central India. The pecu- 
liarly restricted distribution of this Cat, which may be con- 
sidered essentially a Singhalese and Southern Indian form, when 
contrasted with the wide range of its cousin the Leopard-Cat, is 
very noteworthy. It is, in fact, suggestive that while the pre- 
sent species was an inhabitant of Ceylon and Southern India, 
when the latter was cut off by sea from the more northern part 
of the country, the Leopard-Cat is a comparatively recent im- 
migrant into India from the countries lying to the eastward 
of the Bay of Bengal, a view which would well account for the 
absence of the species from Ceylon. 

Habits—The smallest member of the Family inhabiting 
the Old World, the Rusty-spotted Cat, according to Jerdon, 
“frequents grass in the dry beds of tanks, and occasionally 
drains in the open country, and is said not to be a denizen of 
the jungles. I had a kitten brought to me, when very young, 
in 1846, and it became quite tame, and was the delight and 
admiration of all who saw it. When it was about eight months 
old, I introduced it into a room where there was a small fawn 
of the Gazelle, and the little creature flew at it the moment it 
saw it, seized it by the nape, and was with difficulty taken off. 
I lost it shortly after this. Sir Walter Elliot notices that he has 


“IVAA AS 


"AIX GLV Td 


THE SERVAL. 135 


seen several undoubted hybrids between this and the Domestic 
Cat, and I have also observed the same.” Later observations 
‘ndicate that this Cat does not invariably shun jungles, since it 
has been taken in the forests of Ceylon. The exceeding grace- 
fulness of the movements of the kittens in captivity has been 
noticed by all who have seen them, and their activity far sur- 
passes that of domestic kittens of the same age. 


XVIII. THE SERVAL. FELIS SERVAL. 

Felis serval, Erxleben, Syst. Régn. Animal, p. 523 (i777)3 
Elliot, Monogr. Felide, pl. xxvi. (1878-83). 

Felis capensis, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 81 (1788). 

Felis galeopardus, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 227 (1820). 

Felis senegalensis, Lesson, Mag. Zool. 1839, pl. x.; Mivart, The 
Cat, p. 407 (1881). 

? Felis servalina, Ogilby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, P. 94 3 Bocage, 
J. Sci. Lisb. ser. 2, vol. iii. p. 176 (1889). 

Leopardus serval, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 41 (1843) 

(Plate XIV.) 

Characters.—Size medium; legs long; tail short. General 
colour reddish-orange or tawny, approaching brown along the 
middle of the back, and paling to whitish on the under-parts. 
Body marked with black or dark brown spots, some of which 
are circular, and others irregularly shaped ; towards the middle 
of the back the markings tending to unite into two longitudinal 
stripes ; no dark streaks on the cheeks ; two strongly-marked 
transverse bars on the inner sides of the fore-legs ; tail ringed 
with black. Pupil contracting into an oblong vertical slit. In 
the skull the anterior pre-molar tooth present, and the second 
of unusually large size. Length of head and body reaching to 
4o inches ; of tail, to 16 inches. 

With regard to the Servaline Cat (F. servalina) of West 
Africa, there is some difference of opinion among zoologists as 


136 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


to whether it is a distinct species, or whether it is identical with 
the Serval. The latter vieg#is adopted by Mr. Elliot in his 
‘Monograph of the Felidz,” and he is followed by Mr. W. L. 
Sclater in his Catalogue of the Mammalia in the Indian 
Museum, Calcutta. On the other hand, Professor Mivart re- 
gards it as a distinct species, and this view is strongly advocated 
by Professor Bocage. The latter writer observes that in this 
form the height is considerably inferior to that of the Serval, 
while the spots on the body in place of being large, black, and 
widely separated, are small, dark brown, and approximated. 
The ground-colour of the fur is also different, being paler and 
greyer in the Servaline Cat. The comparison of two young 
individuals of both forms leaves no doubt in the mind of 
this writer of their specific distinctness. Whichever view be 
adopted depends largely on the personal bias of the observer 
as to the amount of difference necessary to constitute a species. 
F. senegalensis, from the same region, is believed to have been 
founded on a young Serval, but if the Servaline Cat be really 
distinct, it is probable that this is the name by which it should 
be known. 
Distribution.—Africa, from Algeria to the Cape. 


Habits—Writing of the Serval in “‘The Sportsman in South 
Africa,” Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington observe that “at the 
present time it is only on extremely rare occasions that this 
very pretty and graceful animal is found any considerable dis- 
tance south of the Tropic of Capricorn; northward throughout 
South-Central Africa it is fairly common, frequenting the thick 
bush in the vicinity of rivers. The avosses [mantles] made 
from its skin are only worn by the chiefs and the very high 
dignitaries amongst the native tribes, and are, in consequence, 
eagerly sought after, on which account the species runs a chance 
of rapid extermination. Its usual prey consists of the young 
of the smaller Antelopes, Francolins, and Guinea-fowls, to the 


THE RED TIGER-CAT. 137 


latter of which it is a most destructive enemy in the breeding- 
season. When obtained young, the Serval can be tamed with 
little trouble, and makes an exceedingly beautiful and docile 
pet ; but it is at first difficult to rear, and even in a state of 
domestication always bears a singular and most unaccountable 
aversion to black men, its otherwise even temper being at once 
aroused at the appearance of a native. When in anger, it is by 
no means a despicable antagonist, and very few Dogs will en- 
gage in a combat with it single-handed.” Like the majority of 
the /e/id@, the Serval is a completely nocturnal animal. To 
the Dutch it is known as the Zegree Cat, while by the natives 
of Bechuanaland it is termed Za/. 


XIX. THE TOGO SERVAL. FELIS TOGOENSIS. 

Felis (Serval) togoénsis, Matschie, S.B. Nat. Fr. Berlin, 1893, 
p. 109. 

Felis togoénsis, Matschie, M.T. deutsch. Schutz. vol. vi. art. 3, 
p. 10 (1893). 

Characters.—This form is described as of the size of a Wolf, 
with the upright black ears marked by a white spot on the 
backs. Tail one-third the length of the body. Upper-parts 
reddish-yellow ; the back marked with from five to seven rows 
of dark streaks broken up more or less into spots, and some- 
times seven rows of blacker and smaller spots on the flanks. 
Fore-limbs with small, and hind-limbs with larger spots. English 
naturalists have not yet had an opportunity of comparing this 
form with the Common Serval. 

Distribution.—Togo-land, West Africa. 


XX. THE RED TIGER-CAT. FELIS CHRYSOTHRIX. 

Lilis chrysothrix, Temminck, Monogr. Mamm. vol. i. p. 251 
(1827); Elliot, Monograph of Felide, pl. xxiv. (1878-83); 
Mivart, The Cat, p. 406 (1881); Matschie, M.T. deutsch. 
Schutz. vol. vi. art. 3, p. 10 (1893). 


138 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Felis aurata, Temminck, of. gg p. 120 (withdrawn). 
Felis rutila, Waterhouse, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1842, p. 130; Mivart, 
The Cat, p. 406 (1881). 

Characters—This may be characterised as a rather small, 
long-tailed Cat, with the upper-parts reddish-brown, marked on 
the sides with black spots ; under-parts white, with black spots ; 
tail reddish-brown above and white beneath, without either spots 
or bands ; no dark streaks on the face. 

Of rather smaller size than the next (with which it was iden- 
tified by Mr. Elliot), this species seems sufficiently distinguished 
by the reddish hue of the fur and the general absence of dis- 
tinct dark markings on the tail. The Ze/is rutila of Waterhouse 
was founded onan imperfect skin in the British Museum. It 
is described as reddish-brown, with indistinct small darker 
spots on the sides; back medianly dark brown ; under-parts 
white, with large dark brown spots ; tail reddish-brown, with a 
dark central line along its upper surface, while at each side it 
is pale, with obscure indications of darker bands. In the skull 
the orbit is incomplete behind, and the anterior pre-molar of 
very small size. Length of head and body, about 28 inches ; 
of tail, 16 inches. 


Distribution.—Interior of ‘Togo-land, West Africa. This 


species is frequently known by the name of the Golden-haired 
Cat. 


XXI. THE GREY TIGER-CAT. FELIS CELIDOGASTER. 


felis celidogaster, 'Temminck, Monogr. Mamm. vol. i. p. 140 
(1827), and Esquisses Zool. p. 87; Mivart, The Cat, pp. 
406, 407 (1881) ; Matschie, M.T. deutsch. Schutz. vol. vi. 
art. 3, p. 10 (1893). 

felis neglecta, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 27 (1838) ; 
id. Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 24 (1869) ; Mivart, 
Whe ‘Cat, -p. 407 (28s1)t 


AX ALVW'Id 


‘LOUTHIO 


Fie. 


THE OCELOT. 139 


Characters.—According to Herr Matschie, this rather slen- 
derly-made Cat is distinguished from the last by its slightly 
superior size, grey colour of the upper-parts, and distinctly 
ringed tail, the under-parts being white, and, like the back, 
spotted with black. With this form may doubtless be identi- 
fied the type of Felis neglecta, now preserved in the British 
Museum, which was originally described as follows: “Grey; 
head and body marked with numerous small darker spots ; spots 
of the lower parts of the sides rather larger ; belly white, with 
large blackish spots ; tail quite half the length of the body, 
with a dark line along the upper surface ; sides paler, with 
obscure indications of darker streaks.” It will be seen that so 
far as regards the markings on the tail, the description of this 
specimen does not differ from that of the type of Aedis rutila ; 
and it is not impossible that Mr. Elliot may be right in re- 
garding this form merely as a grey phase of the Red Tiger- 
Cat. If this eventually prove to be the case, the name & 


_celidogaster will have to be adopted for the species. 


Distribution The Gold Coast. 

As is the case with so many of the West African Mammals, 
which inhabit districts more or less inaccessible to Europeans, 
we have no information as to the habits of either the Red or 
the Grey Tiger-Cat. 


XXII. THE OCELOT. FELIS PARDALIS. 
felis pardalis, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. i. p. 62 (1766) ; 
Elliot, Monogr. Felidz, pl. xvii. (1878-83) ; Alston, in 
Godm. and Salv. Biol. Centr. Amer. Mamm. p. 60 (1880), 
felis ocelot and £. catenata, H. Smith, in Griffith’s Animal 
Kingdom, vol. v. p. 169 (1827). 
Felis canescens, Swainson, Anim. in Menag. p. 118 (1838). 
Leofardus pardalis and L. griseus, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. 
Mus. p. 42 (1843). 


Leopardus pictus, Gray, op. cit. p. 43. 


140 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Felis melanura, Ball, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1844, p. 128. 
Felis albescens, Pucheran, VO age Vénus, Zool. p. 137 (1855). 
Felis picta, Severtzoff, Rev. Mag. Zool. ser. 2, vol. x. p. 194 
(1858). 
Felts grisea, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 270. 
felis pardoides, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 403. 
(Plates XV., XVI.) 

Characters--Even more variable in coloration than the 
Leopard-Cat (to some varieties of which it approximates in 
hue and markings), the small South American species known 
as the Ocelot is one of the most difficult members of the 
whole family to describe adequately. The markings take the 
form of obliquely placed spots elongated into streaks; such 
spots being bordered with black, and having the enclosed area 
generally of a darker and richer hue than the general ground- 
colour of the fur. The effect thus produced is very rich and 
striking ; and it will not fail to be noticed that this type of 
coloration is only a modification of that obtaining in the 
Jaguar, the rosettes of the latter being elongated into streaks, 
and the bordering spots united into unbroken lines. 


Including some of the varieties, the ground-colour of the 
Ocelot may be described as ranging from tawny-yellow to red- 
dish-grey ; the dark markings running into chain-like streaks 
and blotches, generally forming oblique elongated spots, sever- 
ally bordered with black, and enclosing an area more or less 
darker than the ground-colour. The head and limbs are 
marked by small solid black spots, while there are two black 
stripes on the cheek, and one or two dark transverse bars on 
the inner surface of the fore-leg. The tail may be either 
ringed or marked with dark bars on its upper surface ; and 
the under-parts and inner surfaces of the limbs are whitish. 
The pupil of the eye contracts to a vertical slit ; and in the 
skull the ring of bone round the orbit is incomplete behind. 


THE OCELOT, 141 


In the more typical forms the length of the head and body 
ranges from 26 to 33 inches, and that of the tail, from 11 to as 
much as 15 inches. 

Of-the varieties, local races, sub-species, or whatever they 
may be called, the form described as / grisea takes its name 
from the grey hue of the ground-colour of the fur, which may 
even tend to whitish on the flanks. Another grey phase is 
presented by the variety 7 pardoides, which differs from the 
preceding in that the spots on the flanks are less ring-like, 
while the stripes on the neck are shorter and less distinct, the 
ground-colour in that region being redder. This form is of 
small size, the length of the head and body being 25 inches, 
and that of the tail, 15. In both these grey phases the charac- 
teristic tinge exists at birth. The Leopardus pictus of Gray 
has the coloration less brilliant than in the typical race, less 
closely approximated spots, and a smaller difference be- 
tween the shade of the central areas of the latter and the 
general ground-colour. On the other hand, the variety F. me- 
fanura is characterised by the intensity and brilliance of its 
coloration, the ground-colour being bright fulvous, the black 
markings very numerous and deep, and the white under-parts 
standing out in bold contrast to the rest. 

Lastly, we have the so-called Chained Ocelot (F- cazenata), 
described by Hamilton Smith in the following words: “It is 
about the size of a Wild Cat; the legs are, in proportion, 
shorter than in the Ocelot ; the head and body heavier; the 
mane, forehead, under the eyes, arms, shoulders, back, rump, 
hind-legs, and tail are of a reddish-yellow colour; the temples 
ochreous ; the cheeks, throat, belly, and inside of the legs white. 
Several rows of black spots from the ears converge on the fore- 
head. ‘There is a single streak from the outer angle of the eye 
to below the ear. On the shoulders, back, sides, rump, and 
hams there are long chain-like streaks of black and reddish- 


142 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


brown intermixed ; the belly and throat have black streaks, 
and the tail has imperfect Black annuli.” 

From the marked difference in these varieties, and the fact 
that they breed true, it is probable that each has a definite 
local distribution; and hence those zoologists who are inclined 
to rank every well-marked variation as of specific importance, 
would probably regard them as representing as many species. 

The specimen depicted in our first illustration was a female, 
measuring 2 feet 91% inches to the root of the tail, our plate 
being copied from Wilson’s “ Illustrations of Zoology.” In this 
example “the upper part of the head is deep tawny, streaked 
with blackish-brown. A blackish streak passes from the upper 
and inner canthus of each eye to the forehead, between the 
ears, in a converging manner; and between them there are 
several delicate lines of the same colour. Another strongly 
expressed stripe passes from the outer canthus of the eyes to 
the angles of the lower jaw, where an irregular blackish bar 
passes upwards, to within an inch of the outer edge of the 
ears. From the angles of the jaw, two stripes pass downwards, 
and meet in front of the throat. The- ears are thin,’ and 
blackish externally, with a spot of pure white on the back of 
each. ‘There is a patch of pure white at the angles of the 
mouth, beautifully speckled with three rows of black dots, 
which lie at the roots of the vibrissze ; chin and throat white, 
with blackish bars ; the ground-colour of the breast less pure ; 
that of the belly and insides of the legs dull grey. Around 
the eye are white marks, nearly enclosing the orbit, but inter- 
rupted by the blackish stripes above described. There are 
four chains of open lengthened spots on each side, more or 
less distinct, sloping down from the shoulder towards the 
flanks. The legs are irregularly marked with numerous black 
spots, differing in size and shape. The tail is barred with 
black on its sides and dorsal line, but is not annulated as in 
some of the varieties.” 


“TAX 


4adLV'Id 


| ALaIWA] LOAD 


THE OCELOT. 143 


Other specimens have the ground-colour of the fur paler, 
and of a tawny-yellow tinge. 


Distribution America, as far north as Arkansas, Louisiana, 
Texas, and Mexico; thence through Central America to South 
America east of the Andes, where it is said to extend south- 
wards into Patagonia. 


Habits.—Essentially a forest animal, and hence unknown on 
the open pampas of Argentina, the Ocelot is an excellent 
climber, and is said to be characterised by its ultra-fierce and 
bloodthirsty disposition, although in confinement it can be 
tamed without much difficulty. 


The following particulars of the habits of the female Ocelot, 
forming the subject of our first illustration, are taken from 
Wilson, who writes: “She is remarkably playful, much in- 
clined to climb up the legs of those who approach her (an 
inconvenient tendency, from the length and sharpness of her 
claws), and delights in being carried about in people’s arms 
like a Cat. She is an extremely powerful animal, but gentle 
through the influence of domestication, and attached to those 
who feed her. She one day seized a chamois-leather glove, 
which she tore to pieces, and swallowed immediately. The 
person to whom the glove belonged could not rescue it with 
the strength of both his hands. While young, this animal 
was fed on oatmeal-porridge and milk, and has been all along 
sustained chiefly by milk and vegetables, with occasionally a 
bit of boiled liver, or other offal. The nature of the diet has 
obviously a considerable influence on her disposition. When 
farinaceous food and milk prevail, she is certainly more tract- 
able than when animal food is given in any considerable quan- 
tity; and when treated with live birds or raw flesh, she is 
observed to assume greater fierceness in her aspect, and to 
strike more forcibly with her fore-paws at passing animals, — 


144 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


She has sometimes made her escape from confinement, and 
exhibited a power of climBffg trees with great ease and activity. 
She has occasionally committed considerable havoc in the 
poultry-yard, and has more than once greatly alarmed a horse 
by jumping on its back in the stable. In this last feat, how- 
ever, the Ocelot seemed to be actuated rather by a desire for 
society than the love of mischief, for she coiled herself up on 
the hind-quarter, evidently with the view of effecting a settle- 
ment for the purpose of repose ; but the plunging of the horse 
induced her to use her claws to render her seat more secure. 
Upon this the steed, as might be expected, redoubled his 
exertions to dislodge the enemy, and the Ocelot was at last 
thrown, receiving in her descent a kick which she never forgot, 
for it has been observed that, on seeing a horse, she immediately 
betakes herself to her den. . . . . A few days before her 
departure from Liverpool to London, she occasioned a serious 
alarm. Being secured by a long chain in front of a cottage 
door, she suddenly threw down a young girl of four years old, 
and, to the horror of the beholders, appeared to seize the child 
by the throat. This was, however, intended merely as play, for 
neither her sharp teeth nor crooked talons inflicted the slightest 
injury, and, after tumbling over each other more than once, 
the child was taken up severely frightened, but no way hurt.” 


XXIII THE TIGER-CAT. FELIS TIGRINA. 

Felis tgrina, Schreber, Saugethiere, vol. iii. p. 100 (1778); 
Elliot, Monogr. Felide, pl. xviii. (1878-83); Alston, in 
Godm. and Salv. Biol. Centr. Amer. Mamm. p. 61 
(1880); Mivart, The Cat, p. 409 (1881). 

Felis mitis, ¥. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. vol. ii. pl. 137 (1820); 
Matschie, S.B. Nat. Fr. Berlin, 1894, p. 59. 

Felis chati, H. Smith, in Griffith’s Animal Kingdom, vol. v. 


p. 479 (1827). 
Felis macrura, Neuwied, Beitr, Naturg. Bras. vol, ii. p. 371 (1836). 


LV) -U AOL 


TAX FZLV'TId 


i 


THE TIGER-CAT. 145 


felis margay, Azara, Nat. Hist. Quad. Paraguay, p. 237 (1838). 
Leopardus tigrinoides, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 42 
(1843). 
? Felis guttata, Hensel, Abhandl. Ak. Berlin, 1872, p. 73; 
Mivart, The Cat, p. 410 (1881 ; zee Hermann). 
(Plate XVIL.) 

Characters.—The Tiger-Cat, of which there are three more or 
less well-marked races, is another variable American species, 
distinguished from the last by the shorter and frequently solid 
spots, which are not aggregated into oblique chains. In the 
typical form, or Margay, the somewhat harsh fur is dull grizzled 
grey in ground-colour, ornamented with elongated black spots 
and rings; the tail being likewise marked above with black 
spots, which frequently coalesce into transverse bars, although 
not forming complete rings. The cheek is marked with three 
transverse black bars. In length the head and body measure 
rather more than 20 inches, and the tail 11 inches. 

The variety known as the Chati (/ mitis), which is the one 
represented in our illustration, is a somewhat larger animal, 
with soft, bright fulvous fur, and black-bordered short spots of 
variable size, in which the centres are sometimes pale-coloured. 
The Long-tailed Cat (/ macrura) is likewise a yellow-coloured 
form, characterised by the length of the tail. In these forms 
the length of the head and body may reach nearly 27 inches, 
while that of the tail varies from 14 to 19 inches. It does not 
appear that the Cat from Rio Grande do Sul, described by 
Hensel as / guttata, can be distinguished from the present 
species. 

According to Herr Matschie, in the wooded districts of 
Argentina there may be found in a single neighbourhood a 
complete transition as regards colour between specimens in 


which the ground-colour of the fur is greyish and the black- 


bordered spots are elongated, and those in which the ground- 
7 L 


146 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


colour is yellow and the spots are short. Both the late Mr. 
Alston, in the ‘‘ Biologia Cenggeli-Americana,” and Mr. Elliot, in 
his “ Monograph of the Felide,” are likewise of opinion that the 
three varieties above-mentioned cannot be regarded as species. 


Distribution, —America ; from Mexico southwards on the east 
side of the Andes as far as Paraguay and the wooded interior 
districts of Argentina. Perhaps Trinadad. 


Habits.—From the little that has been recorded, it appears 
that the Tiger-Cat is an inhabitant of warm, well-wooded dis- 
tricts, where it spends a considerable proportion of its time in 
climbing among the forest-trees. In parts of Paraguay the 
Indians are in the habit of hunting these Cats through the 
forest with Dogs till they take to a tree, when they are shot or 
shaken out. In captivity, if taken young, they readily become 
exceedingly tame and gentle; and it was from this trait that 
Cuvier gave the name of mits to the Chati.. Their prey is 
doubtless of the same nature as that of the other smaller 
Cats. 


Writing of the variety of the Chati, which he says is termed 
by the natives of Paraguay the Chibdi-guasu, or Great Cat, 
Azara states that in that country it was formerly so common 
that he knew of eighteen being captured in a couple of years 
at a single house. ‘“ Few persons, notwithstanding, are ac- 
quainted with it, nor can people penetrate into its lurking- 
places ; and I very much doubt whether any species of quad- 
ruped more effectually conceals itself. It passes the day in the 
most impenetrable fastnesses, and goes out to hunt after dusk, 
especially if the night be dark and stormy ; at such times these 
Cats enter boldly into the cora/s and courtyards, in all cases 
without being perceived by the watch-dogs, On moonlight 
nights they neither approach inhabited places nor fall into 
traps; and it is in vain to wait for them with a gun, since they 


es 
2 
> 


THE TIGER-CAT, 147 


are so vigilant as invariably to detect the hunter and flee before 
they can be approached. They climb trees in search of 
domestic fowls, and carry off as many as six in a night, some- 
times leaving several dead behind them. ‘They avoid menand 
Dogs with extreme caution, and each pair inhabits a separate 
district, as may be inferred from the fact of the male and 
female, and no more, being always caught on the same spot.” 
Referring to some specimens kept in captivity, the same 
author observes that ‘‘they spent almost the whole day rolled 
up in the shape of a ball, and the one which wished to stretch 
himself did not do so until he had first licked the “‘ Chibi-guazu ” 
at his side. Whenever we put straw into the den, or within 
their reach, so that they could seize it by putting their paws 
through the bars, we always found on the day following that 
they had placed it in a heap, after dividing it into chips a 
quarter of an inch long ; and on these they reposed. In the 
same manner they broke and tore in pieces all the small sticks 
or twigs with which the inside of their den was furnished. They 
spent the twilight and night in walking to and fro close to the 
sides of their den; and if another ‘‘Chibi-guazu” crossed or inter- 
rupted this exercise inany way, they puffed and made gestures 
like a Cat when irritated, without using their paws ; but they 
never quarrelled, except when very much irritated, and then 
they struck at each other with their fore-paws. When first 
caught, they devoured five pounds of flesh each day, although 
they were subsequently satisfied with three. We prepared a 
ration for each of the twelve or fourteen individuals, and each 
took it with its paws according to the length of time they 
had been in captivity, without the others offering the slightest 
molestation, but if the Cat, whose turn it was to receive a por- 
tion, disregarded, or did not devour it immediately, another 
snatched at it, and the lawful proprietor made no defence, save 
by sneezing, and occasionally by giving blows with its fore-paws 
E93 


148 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY, 


We made a walk for them, enclosed by a kind of hurdle, in 
which we could introduce Bats, Fowls, Ducks, or young Dogs, 
and upon opening their cage we found that usually only a single 
Cat came out in pursuit of each victim, and almost always in 
precedence, according to the length of time they had been in 
confinement. They caught Cats and Dogs by the nape of the 
neck in their mouths, and throwing them to the ground, over- 
laid them, without permitting any movement, until they were 
quite dead. Cat’s flesh seemed to produce the itch, which 
fretted them, making them mew like Domestic Cats, and finally 
leading to their death. They also ate Snakes—both innocuous 
and poisonous—and Toads, but these disagreed with them to 
such an extent that, after being reduced almost to skeletons, 
they perished in the course of a few days. If a Dog were 
as big as themselves they did not touch him, for they do not 
come to one another’s assistance; and if one alone cannot 
overcome any prey which may present itself, he leaves it. They 
catch birds by the head and neck, and thoroughly strip them 
of their feathers with their teeth before eating them. It appears 
that they are not unnecessarily cruel; my friend at least 
observed that one did not kill a fowl enclosed in his den till 
the third day. We frequently shut the doors of the yard and 
opened the den that they might leave it; those which had been 
most recently caught moved first, and on some occasions the 
old ones would not come out, even when the boy entered the 
den to sweep it out. We left them at liberty for several 
hours, during which time they examined every crevice and 
then lay down to sleep; on the boys persecuting them with 
sticks and canes they went back to the den without turning 
on their pursuers, although severely beaten. On a certain 
occasion, one of them becoming exceedingly lazy, on enter- 
ing the den he was abused and bitten by his female, as if she 
would punish him. ‘Their eyes shone at night like those of 
the Domestic Cat, which animal they resemble in form and 


GEOFFROY’S CAT. 149 


habits, in lying down, in licking and cleansing themselves, 

washing their faces with their paws, in puffing, sneezing, and 

all other particulars. My friend caught a young whelp, and it 
became so thoroughly domesticated as to sleep in the skirts of 
his clerical gown, and went about loose, and he affirmed that 
no animal could be more tractable ; the neighbours, however, 
killed it, as it destroyed their poultry.” 

XXIV. GEOFFROY’S CAT. FELIS GUIGNA. 

felis guigna, Molina, Saggio Storia Nat. Chili, vol. i. p. 295 
(1782); Mivart, The Cat, p. 410 (1881). 

felis geoffroyi, D’Orbigny, Voyage Amér. Mérid. vol. iv. pl. 
xil. (1847); Elliot, Monogr. Felidz, pl. xix. (1878-83) ; 
Matschie, S.B. Nat. Fr. Berlin, 1894, p. 59. 

Pardalina warwickit, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 267; 
Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 706, 1872, p. 203. 

? felis pardinoides, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 400, and 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 27 (1869); Mivart, 
The Cat, p. 411 (1881). 

Characters.—This species, which is sometimes known as the 
Spotted Tiger-Cat, has the ground-colour of the fur varying from 
yellowish-grey to grey, the chin and a streak on the crown of the 
head being white, and the under-parts paler. There are four 
black streaks on the crown of the head, two on each cheek, 
and one between the shoulders ; the forelimbs and body are 
covered with numerous small and nearly equal-sized solid 
black spots placed at equal distances from one another. The 
throat and chest, as well as the upper part of the limbs, are 
barred with black ; the tail is spotted at the base, and ringed 
towards the tip; and the black ears have a large white spot 
behind. 

There appear to be two races of this Cat, which some re- 
gard as distinct species. Firstly, the typical / guégna, extend- 
ing from Chili to Tucuman, in which the general colour is 
greyish, while the spots are small and show some tendency to 


150 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


aggregate in rosettes; andysecondly, the more southern and 
eastern F: geoffroyi of asa in which the colour is 
yellower and the spots are larger. The skull is remarkable for 
its shortness, width, and convexity, the orbit being open be- 
hind, and the anterior pre-molar very minute. 

Distribution.—South America, from Chili to Paraguay and 
Argentina. In Uruguay, according to Mr. Aplin, the Monte- 
Cat (Gato del monte), as it is locally called, is now becoming 
very rare, being trapped by the Sheep-farmers on account of 
the damage it inflicts on the lambs. In Tucuman the typical 
Chilian form is abundant; while in the wooded district of 
Tornquist, lying to the north of Bahia Blanca and south of 
the Sierra de la Ventana (Sierra de Curumalan), in the south 
of Argentina, it is replaced by the true / geoffroyt. ‘This 
form is also found on the Argentine pampas. 


XXV. BOGOTA TIGER-CAT. FELIS PARDINOIDES. 
Felis pardinoides, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 400; id., 
Cat. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 27 (1869); Mivart, The Cat, 
p- 411 (1881). 

Characters.—Originally described as of Indian origin, this Cat 
was identified by Mr. Elliot, in his “‘ Monograph of the Felidze,” 
with the preceding, but is regarded by Professor Mivart as 
distinct. It differs from the typical Geoffroy’s Cat in the 
larger size of the spots, which take the form of dark black- 
bordered blotches. Of the two known skins, one has the 
ground-colour greyer than the other. Length of head and 
body, about 18 inches ; of tail, 10 inches. 

Distribution.—Bogota, U.S. of Colombia. 

XXVI. THE JAGUARONDI. FELIS JAGUARONDI. 
Felis jaguarondi, Fischer, Zoognosie, p. 228 (1814); Elliot, 
Monogr. Felide, pl. xii. (1878-83). 
Felis mexicana, Desmarest, Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. vol. vi. p. 
112 (1816). 


THE JAGUARONDI. 151 


felis unicolor, Traill, Mem. Wern. Soc. vol. iii. p. 170 (1819). 

felis yagouaronat, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 230 (1820). 

felis yaguarunadt, Wagn. Suppl. Schreb. Saug. 11, p. 41, pl. 
cil. B ; Alston, in Godm. and Salv. Biol. Centr. Amer, 
Mamm. p. 63 (1880). 

felis darwinit, Martin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1837, p. 3. 

Leopardus yagouaronai, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 42 


(1843). 
felis calomitit, Baird, N. Amer. Mamm. pl. 74 (1859). 


Characters.—Of relatively small size, this species is readily 
distinguished by its uniform coloration, which is generally 
blackish- or brownish-grey, with a tendency to a reddish or 
greyish phase in some specimens; the lower parts of the 
limbs being blackish. The body is long, the limbs short, and 
the tail much elongated, the head being also long and low. 
Blackish-grey at their bases, the hairs are black in the middt 
and greyish at their extremities. Female skins are reported to 
be lighter and brighter in colour than those of males. Pupil 
of eye circular when contracted. Skull elongated and flattened, 
with the nasal region very strongly compressed. Length of 
head and body, about 30 inches; of tail, 25 inches. 


Distribution.— Brazil, Paraguay, Guiana, to North-eastern 
Mexico. 


Habits—According to Azara, the names “ Jaguarondi” (or 
“Vaouarundi”) and ‘‘Eyra” are applied indifferently in Paraguay 
to the present species and the one here described under the 
latter title; and it is accordingly merely a matter of con- 
venience that the two names are respectively assigned to the 
two species by naturalists. The same naturalist writes: “I 
have never seen the Yaguarundi except in Paraguay and the 
Guaranese missions, where I procured two specimens precisely 
similar ; experienced persons have assured me that they were 
adults, that the sexes only differed in the male being rather the 


152 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


larger, and that they brought forth only two young ones in a 
year. ‘They inhabit the borggrs of woods, thickets, enclosed 
cardales, and ditches, without Venturing into open places. They 
climb trees with facility, and remain long in them, subsisting 
in the same manner as other Cats; if they find an oppor- 
tunity, they also attack poultry in farmhouses. Their body is 
longer and their ears are shorter and smaller than thoze of 
the common Cat ; from which they also differ in havinga more 
bushy tail, and in the pupils of their eyes preserving the cir- 
cular form when exposed to the sun, as I observed in one of 
the females which, being caught young, allowed herself to be 
handled and scratched within twenty-eight days. The Yaguar- 
undi, it is said, pounces upon Deer, and does not loose his 
hold, although they gallop off at full speed, until he kills them ; 
but I believe this to be true only of young fawns.” 


XXVII. THE SMALL-FOOTED CAT. FELIS BRACCATA. 
felis braccata, Cope, American Naturalist, vol. xxiii. F ebruary, 
p- 144 (1889). 

Characters.—Closely allied to the preceding species, from 
which, according to its describer, it is distinguished by the 
following features: The feet are smaller, and the toes of more 
equal length than in & jaguarondi ,; while the claws are very 
much smaller. Both the inner and outer toes are relatively 
shorter in both limbs in & jagwarondi than in the present 
species. In &. draccata the tail is rather shorter than in the 
former, being less than the length of the body, and only an inch 
in excess of the hind-limbs when extended to their full length ; 
whereas in / jaguarondi it equals the body in length, and 
reaches two inches beyond the limbs. Finally, while the ears 
in /. gaguarondi are broadly rounded, in F& évaccata they are 
so prominently angulated as to present an apex less than a 
right angle. The fur of the muzzle has a truncate border, 


THE EYRA. 153 


while in / jaguaronadi the border presents an acute angle for- 
wards, as it follows the upper border of the nostrils above. 

As regards coloration, the hinder surfaces of the ears resem- 
ble the top of the head in / jaguarondi, whereas in &. braccata 
they are of two contrasting colours, both different from that of 
the head. In /& jaguarondi the internal surfaces are like the 
hinder ones; whereas in the present species they are totally 
different, resembling those of various spotted Cats. The legs 
of / jaguarondi are coloured on their outer surfaces like the 
back, and are black inferiorly ; whereas in the present form 
they are marked by cross-bands superiorly, and on their lower 
halves are totally black. 

After mentioning that the difference in the length of the 
tail in the two forms may prove to be a character of small 
importance, Professor Cope observes that ‘the aggregate of 
characters indicates the specific distinctness of / dbraccata 
from /. jaguwarondt. ‘The only approach to any of the peculiar 
characters of / draccata in descriptions of / jaguarondt, which 
I can find, is in that by Mr. Alston in the ‘ Fauna Centrali- 
Americana,’ who states that there are transverse bars on the 
inside of the legs.” 


Distribution.—South Brazil. The species was established on 
the evidence of a single skin, obtained either from Rio Grande 
do Sul or in Matto Grosso, the loss of the label having left 
the precise locality a matter of uncertainty. 


XXVIII, THE EYRA. FELIS EYRA. 

Felis eyra, Fischer, Zoogn. p. 228 (1814); Elliot, Monogr. 
Felide, pl. xiii. (1878-83); Alston, in Godm. and Salv. 
Biol. Centr. Amer. Mamm. p. 64 (1880); Mivart, The 
Cat, Pp: 412 {1881). 

felis unicolor, Baird, N. Amer. Mamm. pl. 74 (1859). 

(Piate XVIIL) 


154 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Characters.— Readily distinguished from all the other members 
of the Family by its extrent@fy elongated and Weasel-like body, 
short limbs, very long tail, and long and flattened head, this 
South American species is also one of the comparatively few 
uniformly-coloured forms. In colour the soft fur is uniform 
reddish-yellow or chestnut, with a whitish spot on each side of 
the upper lip. Pupil round. Skull much elongated and flat- 
tened, with the nasal region somewhat compressed laterally, 
and the anterior upper pre-molar present. In size the species 
may be compared to a rather small Domestic Cat, but with the 
limbs proportionately much shorter, and the body longer. 

Distribution.—Brazil, Guiana, and Paraguay, extending north- 
wards to the Rio del Norte between Mexico and Texas ; but 
much more rare to the north than to the south of the Isthmus 
of Panama. 

Habits —Information is still required as to the habits of this 
Cat in a stateof nature. It is, however, known to bea denizen 
of forests, and is extremely fierce in disposition, while its move- 
ments are extremely active and lithe. Five specimens had 
been exhibited in the London Zoological Gardens up to 1883, 
the first of which was purchased in 1860. ‘The latter was ex- 
tremely gentle in disposition, although one of the others proved 
untameable. Azara writes: ‘‘I had one nearly full-grown 
which had been captured young, and was as gentle and playful 
as any kitten could be; but I kept it chained, as it was a great 
enemy to poultry. It slept in the skirt of my garments, purr- 
ing, or making the zw7w of the Cats; Rats were an easy prey 
to it, and no one of the nine Paraguayan species could surpass 
it in the certainty with which it captured, or the promptitude 
with which it despatched, the largest Rats, as well as birds of 
all kinds.” 

With regard to the restriction to the name Eyra to the present 
species, the reader is referred to the Jaguarondi, on page 151. 


PLATE XIX. 


CAT 


CAPFRE 


THE CAFFRE CAT. I55 


XXIX. THE CAFFRE CAT. FELIS CAFFRA. 

Felis caffra, Desmarest, Mammalogie, Suppl. p. 540 (1822) ; 
Elliot, Monograph of Felidz, pl. xxxi. (1878-83). 

Felis obscura, Desmarest, of. cit. p. 230. 

felis nigrifes, Burchell, Travels, vol. ti. p. 592 (1824). 

felis maniculata, Cretzschmaer, in Rippell’s Atlas, vol. i. pl. i. 
(1826). 

Felis pulchella, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 577 (1837). 

Chaus caffer, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 45 (1843). 

Leopardus inconspicuus, Gray, op. cit. p. 44. 

felis caligata, 1. Geoffroy, Jacquemont’s Voyage, p. 49 (1844). 

Felis lybica, 1. Geoffroy, of. cit. p. 56. 

felis margarita, Loche, Rev. Maz. Zool. ser. 2, vol. x. p. 49 
(1858). 

felis tnconspicua, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 273. 


(Plate XTX.) 


Characters.— With this species we once more revert to the Cats 
of the Old World. Somewhat larger than an ordinary Domestic 
Cat, it may be characterised as follows: Colour varying from 
pale fulvous to grey or pale yellowish, with dark transverse 
markings on the limbs and towards the end of the tail, and 
two transverse bars of the same colour on the cheek; tip of 
tail black. Frequently the hinder part of the soles of the hind- 
feet black ; but in the paler varieties this part not darker than 
the back. In some specimens from South Africa there are 
indistinct traces of transverse stripes on the back. ‘Tail and 
limbs relatively long. Length of head and body, from 24 to 
30 inches ; of tail, 14 to 15 inches. 


Distribution.—Africa, from Egypt and Algeria to the Cape; 
Syria and Arabia. 


Habits——This is the common Wild Cat of most parts of 
Africa; and although it is now well nigh exterminated in the 


156 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


more populated districts of the Cape Colony, it is still abun- 
dant in the interior. As if@ habits appear to be generally 
similar to those of the common Wild Cat, they require no 
detailed notice. 

This Cat was tamed by the ancient Egyptians, and vast . 
numbers of its remains embalmed and preserved. Although 
some writers hold a different view, the black sole of the foot 
suggests that the Caffre Cat is the chief stock from which the 
Domestic Cats of Europe have been derived; but in different 
countries there has been more or less subsequent crossing 
with the various indigenous species. On this subject more 
will be said under the heading of Domestic Cats. 

It is noteworthy that the fossilised remains of the Caffre 
Cat have been obtained from the cavern-deposits of the rock 
of Gibraltar, in company with those of various kinds of ex- 
tinct Mammals, and it may be inferred that at the time when 
these creatures flourished, Spain was still connected by land 
with Africa. 


XXX. DOMESTIC CATS... FELIS DOMESTICA, 


Felis domestica, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. vol. 1. p. 80 (1788). 

Felis torquata, F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pl. 54 (1826); 
Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 85 (1888). 

Felis megalotis, Muller, Verh. Nat. Gesch. Zool. pp. 29, 54 
(1839-44); Sclater, Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. pl. u. p. 233 
(1891). 

Felis huttont, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xv. p. 69 
(1846). 

Although Domestic Cats are commonly spoken of as con- 
stituting a “species,” yet this term must be used in quite a 
distinct sense from that in which it is employed when speak- 
ing of the wild members of the Family. For instance, if all 
the breeds of Domestic Cats were descended from the Caffre 


DOMESTIC CATS. 167 


Cat just described, they could not be specifically separated 
from that form, and one name should be applied to both. As 
a matter of fact, it is, however, much more probable that 
Domestic Cats have a complex origin, and that the Wild Cats 
of each country have had more or less to do with the origin 
of the domesticated breeds found there. Consequently, when 
we speak of Domestic Cats as forming a species, such species 
must be regarded as being what may be termed a convergent 
one. 

That the African Caffre Cat, together with the Leopard-Cat, 
Rusty-spotted Cat, and Desert Cat of India, will freely breed 
with Domestic Cats has been well ascertained; and the same 
is true of the Wild Cat of Europe. It has been already men- 
tioned that the Caffre Cat was tamed by the ancient Egyptians, 
and that from the dark colour of the sole of the hind-foot, and 
the comparatively long tail, this species was probably the chief 
ancestral stock of the domesticated Cats of Europe. The 
Domestic Cats of China, have, however, been regarded as 
originating from an exclusively Asiatic source, and the same 
has been suggested for those of India. It may be remarked 
here that in Europe, before the introduction of a Persian 
strain, “ Tabby” Cats, that is, those with dark trans- 
verse markings, were the most common in Western Europe, 
whereas in India they are quite unknown. This suggests 
most strongly that whilst in Europe, the original stock has 
been largely crossed with the Wild Cat, in India, where 
Domestic Cats are generally spotted, it is more probable that 
the Desert Cat (F: ovata), described in the sequel, has been, 
to a great extent, or entirely, the parent stock. That the 
European Wild Cat was not the direct descendant of the 
domesticated breeds of the western part of that continent is 
rendered pretty evident by its short and clubbed tail, to say 
nothing of the absence of dark soles to the hind-feet. 


158 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 


The late Mr. Blyth distinguished two races of Domestic 
Indian Cats, namely, the spgtted and the fulvous types. In 
the former the spots tend to aggregate into streaks, especially 
on the front regions of the body, while the tail is slender, of 
uniform thickness, and marked with dark rings. Cats of this 
type are frequently met with, which have reverted to a wild 
state, and it seems probable that it was from the skin of such 
a feral Cat that the so-called Waved Cat (/edis torguata) of 
Frederic Cuvier was named. Consequently, following the 
lead of Mr. W. L. Sclater, that name, which Mr. Blanford, in 
his ‘Mammals of British India,” provisionally allowed to 
stand as indicative of a wild species, is here included as a 
synonym of /. domestica. As already said, it is highly prob- 
able that this spotted type was largely evolved from the 
Desert Cat, with more or less crossing with the Rusty-spotted 
and Leopard-Cat. 

The second, or fulvous type, was termed by Blyth the 
‘‘ Chaus-coloured”’ Cat, and this breed he believed to have 
been derived from the other domestic type by crossing with the 
Jungle Cat (/ chaus), to be described later on. This breed 
is of a uniform fulvous colour, with barred legs and a ringed 
tail; and thus far it closely resembles the Jungle Cat. In its 
proportions it is, however, considerably different, the legs and 
ears being much shorter, and the tail considerably longer 
than in the latter. 

As the subject of the origin of the domestic breeds is a 
very complex one, and also one in which there is still much 
diversity of view among zoologists, we leave it with the fore- 
going brief observations, to pass in review some of the better- 
known and more noteworthy types. Before doing so we may, 
however, quote from an American newspaper the following 
very remarkable instance of the adaptability of Cats to ab- 
normal and changed conditions, since such capacity for change 


st 


[ DOMESTIC CATS. 159 


must largely have affected the domesticated breeds of widely 
different climates. 

From the account referred to, it appears that in the cold- 
storage warehouses of Pittsburg there were originally no Cats 
or Rats. The temperature in the cold rooms was too low. 
The keepers soon found, however, that the Rat is an animal 
of remarkable adaptability. After some of these houses had 
been in operation for a few months, the attendants found that 
Rats were at work in the rooms where the temperature was 
constantly kept below the freezing-point. They were found 
to be clothed in wonderfully long and thick fur, even their 
tapering, snake-like tails being covered by a thick growth of 
hair. Rats whose coats have adapted themselves to the con- 
ditions under which they live, have thus become domesticated 
in the sterage warehouses in Pittsburg. The prevalence of Rats 
in these places led to the introduction of Cats. Now, it is well 
known that Pussy is a lover of warmth and comfort. Cats, too, 
have a great adaptability to conditions. When Cats were turned 
loose in the cold rooms they pined and died because of the 
excessive cold. One Cat was finally introduced into the rooms 
of the Pennsylvania Storage Company which was able to with- 
stand the low temperature. She was a Cat of unusually thick 
fur, and she thrived and grew fat in quarters where the 
temperature was below 30°. By careful nursing, a brood of 
seven kittens was developed in the warehouse into sturdy, 
thick-furred Cats that love an Icelandic climate. They have 
been distributed among the other cold-storage warehouses of 
Pittsburg, and have created a peculiar breed of Cats, adapted 
to the conditions under which they must exist to find their 
prey. These Cats are short-tailed, chubby pussies, with hair 
as thick and full of under-fur as the Wild Cats of the Canadian 
woods. One of the remarkable things about them is the 
development of their “feelers.” Those long stiff hairs that 


160 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


protrude from a Cat’s nose and eyebrows are, in the ordinary 
domestic feline, about thygg inches long. In the Cats cul- 
tivated in the cold warehouses the feelers grow to a length of 
five and six inches. This is probably because the light is dim 
in these places, and all movements must be the result of the 
feeling sense. ‘The storage people say that if one of these 
furry Cats be taken into the open air, particularly during the 
hot season, it will die in a few hours. It cannot endure a 
high temperature, and an introduction to a stove would send 
it into fits. 

Of the more ordinary varieties of the Cat, the best known 
and most common in England, before crossing with the Per 
sian breed was introduced, was undoubtedly the Tabby ; this 
type of coloration consisting of a grey ground-colour, with sub- 
concentric vertical black bands on the body and thighs, longi- 
tudinal streaks of the same on the top of the head, a black 
stripe down the back, and bars on the upper surface of the 
tail. In some individuals the whole fur is of deep black, 
with the markings visible only in certain lights. From this 
type there is a transition to Black Cats, in which the coat 
shows no trace of markings in the adult, although stripes 
are more or less distinctly displayed in the kittens. Even 
these Cats are, however, seldom totally black, there being 
usually some white hairs on the throat. The eyes of Black 
Cats are of a peculiar clear yellow, standing out in striking 
contrast to the sable fur. As mentioned above, it is probable 
that Tabby Cats owe their stripes to crossing with the Wild 
Cat. . 

A Domestic Cat, brought home by Darwin from South 
America, is remarkable, according to Gray, for its striking 
resemblance to the Caffre Cat. From that species it chicfly 
differs in the tail being more slender and tapering, the colours 
more intense and defined, and the throat pure white. In 


4 DOMESTIC CATS. 161 
colour, it is dark grey, grizzled with black streaks and spots; 
the streaks on the limbs being broad, and those on the fore- 
legs more or less confluent. The tail is grey for two-thirds its 
length, with black rings, of which the hindmost is the broadest ; 
while the terminal third is black with a small white tip. In- 
stead of having the sub-spiral arrangement of the ordinary 
Tabby, the stripes on the loins are straight and parallel ; and 
the streaks on the cheeks, of which the lowermost is indistinct 
and interrupted, are black. 

Grey Cats, which are very rare, may be regarded as Tabbies 
from which the stripes have disappeared, save for two black 
bars on the fore-limbs; these being very constant among the 
smaller wild species of the family. 

Tabbies, again, are met with, in which the coat is varied with 
a larger or smaller amount of white ; and from these there is 
a transition to pure White Cats, which form, however, a breed 
by themselves. That these White Cats are not albinos, is 
evident from their eyes, which may be either blue, or the 
usual greenish-yellow tinge. In some instances one eye may 
be blue and the other greenish-yellow ; and in white Persian 
Cats this peculiarity is highly admired by the natives of the 
Ixast. As mentioned in the portion of this work devoted to 
the consideration of Cats in general, White Cats with blue eyes 
are generally deaf, although this is not invariably the case. 

Another well-marked breed is characterised by the male being 
usually sandy, and the female of the so-called “ tortoise-shell ” 
colour ; although at least one instance of a true “ Tortoise-shell 
Tom” has been recorded. ‘The true Tortoise-shell should be 
a mixture of fawn-colour and black; but there are numerous 
parti-coloured Cats, such as white, fawn, and black, and greyish- 
white and sandy, which are frequently termed “ tortoise-shell ” : 
and it is probable that the majority of so-called ‘Tortoise-shell 
Toms” belong to this class. 


7 M 


162 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


The Carthusian or “Blue” Cat is a very. beautiful long 
and soft-haired breed with fur of a dark greyish-blue colour, 
the lips and the soles of the feet retaining, however, the normal 
black hue. 

Mention having been already made of the ordinary Domestic 
Cats of India, we pass on to what is known as the Siamese Cat, 
characterised by its uniformly fawn-coloured fur, which becomes 
darker on the muzzle, its blue eyes, and the occasional presence 
of two bare spots on the forehead. 

More esteemed than all is the beautiful Angora or Persian 
Cat. Characterised by their large size, the length and softness 
of the fur—especially that of the under-parts,—and the bushy 
tail, these Cats are generally either uniform white, yellowish, 
or greyish in colour, with the lips and soles of the feet fre- 
quently flesh-coloured. It has been suggested that this breed 
is descended from the wild Pallas’s Cat of Central Asia. 

In Gray’s ‘Catalogue of Carnivorous Animals in the 
British Museum,” it is stated that in some Chinese Cats the 
ears are pendulous, but subsequent observers have been led to 
doubt the truth of this statement. 

The Malay Cat, from Siam and Burma, is characterised by 
the tail being only half the usual length; while in some speci- 
mens, owing to a deformity in the bones, it is twisted up into 
a kind of knot, from which it cannot be uncurled. 

More remarkable than all are the Tail-less Cats of the Isle 
of Man, a breed with the same peculiarity being recorded 
from the Crimea. Bell states that Tail-less Cats were likewise 
common in his time in Cornwall; while a small village in Dor- 
setshire also possessed a breed lacking the same appendage. 
In the latter case it was stated that the race was known to be 
descended from a Cat accidentally deprived of its tail; and as 
another instance is on record of a Cat, whose tail had been 
amputated, giving birth to stump-tailed kittens, it is not im- 


DOMESTIC CATS. 163 


probable tnat the origin of the Manx Cats is due to the same 
cause. At the present day, probably owing to crossing with 
Cats introduced from the mainland, Cats with tails of all 
lengths are to be met with in the Isle of Man. 

The Mombasa Cat, from the eastern coast of Africa, near 
Zanzibar, is reported to have the fur short and stiff, instead of 
the ordinary structure. 

Finally, we have the Paraguay Cat of South America, which 
is but one-fourth the size of the ordinary domestic breed, and 
is further characterised by its elongated body, and its covering of 
short, shiny, and close-lying hair, more especially on the tail. 
In the same continent there is stated to be another breed lack- 
ing the discordant nocturnal cries which render the ordinary 
Cat such an unmitigated nuisance in all parts of the world. 

With regard to the date of the introduction of Domestic 
Cats into Europe, there is a considerable amount of uncer- 
tainty ; and it has been considered that the so-called “Cat” of 
the ancient Greeks was really the Marten. Be this as it may, 
“there can be no question,” writes Professor Mivart, ‘‘as to 
the Cat having been domesticated in Europe before the 
Christian era. There are signs that it was domesticated 
amongst the people of the Bronze period, and the supposition 
that it was first introduced into Western Europe by the Cru- 
saders, is of course an altogether erroneous one. They may, 
however, have introduced a distinct race, for if it be true that 
our Domestic Cats have mainly descended from the Egyptian 
Cat, it does not follow that blood from other sources may not 
have mingled with that of the Egyptian breed. Pope Gregory 
the Great, who lived towards the end of the sixth century, is 
said to have had a pet Cat; and Cats were often inmates of 
nunneries during the Middle Ages. The great value set upon 
the Cat at this period is shown by the laws which in Wales, 
Switzerland, Saxony, and other European countries, imposed 


M 2 


164 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


a heavy fine on Cat-killers. As compensation, a payment of 
as much wheat was requirgd as was needed to form a pile 
sufficient to cover over the body of the animal to the tip of 
the tail, the tail being held up vertically, with the Cat’s muzzle 
resting on the ground.” 

Habits—With regard to the habits of Domestic Cats, Jar- 
dine, in the original issue of this volume of the ‘‘ Naturalist’s 
Library,” writes as follows:—‘“‘There is perhaps no animal 
that so soon loses its cultivation, and returns apparently to a 
state nearly wild. A trifling neglect of proper feeding or 
attention will often cause them to depend on their own re- 
sources ; and the tasting of some wild and living food will 
tempt them to seek it again, and to leave their civilised home. 
They then prowl about in the same manner as their wild con- 
geners, crouching among covert, and carefully concealing them- 
selves from all publicity. They breed in the woods or thickets, 
and support themselves upon birds or young animals. Fewexten- 
sive Rabbit-warrens want two or three depredators of this kind, 
where they commit great havoc, particularly among the young 
insummer. They sleep and repose in the holes, and are often 
taken in the snares set for their prey. I once came upon a 
Cat, which had thus left her home; she had newly kittened 
in the ridge of an uncut corn-field. Upon approaching, she 
showed every disposition to defend her progeny, and beside 
her lay dead two half-grown Leverets. We have also known 
Cats, which, though they sought their prey in the woods and 
fields, regularly carried it home before devouring it, and in this 
way various young game and Hares were brought in. 

“Cats are also particularly fond of fish, and in a few instances 
have been known to catch them from shallow streams. ‘There 
is generally, however, a dislike to water, and the examples of 
this departure from their general habits are rare. They will 
often pursue and feed upon some of the larger insects, There 


DOMESTIC CATS. 165 


is one mentioned by Bingley, who was a great enemy to Cock- 
roaches ; and we have often seen them catch the common 
Cricket, and the white Ghost-Moth, which may be seen flying 
about a foot from the ground in the summer evenings. One 
individual used to hunt these insects regularly, and about dusk 
might be seen looking along the lawn for them ; when one was 
perceived, she crouched and approached rapidly, and when 
within a proper distance, always sprung, and generally brought 
the insect to the ground with her paws or breast. 

“The Domestic Cat is capable of great attachment to, and 
long recollection of, those who have been kind to it, but not 
more so than many of its congeners ; for the very limited number 
of those which are subjected to the care and tuition of Man, 
have in many instances shown as strong feelings towards their 
keepers. | 

“One of the most singular instances of attachment or fancy, 
in the common Cat, took place with one which we have often 
seen in attendance upon the watchman in St. James’ Square, 
Edinburgh. When the man commenced his rounds, the Cat 
was as regularly at his post, and continued walking with him 
during the whole night. ‘This continued, we believe, for nearly 
two years ; and when we last saw the man, the Cat was in his 
company. Upon the approach of any person, the Cat would 
run up to the guardian of the night, and rub against his legs 
until the individual had passed. In the quieter hours, towards 
morning, he ventured to a greater distance, but would always 
appear at the call or whistle of his protector.” 

Fond of warmth, and generally ensconcing themselves in the 
cosiest corner near the fire, Cats are very light sleepers, awaken- 
ing and becoming alert at the slightest sound. In spite, how- 
ever, of their partiality for warmth, they are not deterred from 
setting forth on their nocturnal wanderings by the coldest winter 
night, when their screams and “‘caterwaulings” are only too well- 


166 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


known. During such excursions they are fond of rolling in beds 

of certain highly-scented pithts, such as valerian and cat-mint , 
and will then work themselves up into an extraordinary degree 
of excitement. The purring sound uttered by a contented 
Cat when caressed is known to all ; but the contrast between 
the animal when in this state, and when standing with arched 
back, ruffled tail, and exposed teeth, spitting and snarling at 
a Dog, is perhaps more marked than in the case of almost 
any other creature. It is scarcely necessary to allude to the 
stealthy, creeping movements of a Cat stalking its prey, when 
the tail is held stiffly, with only its tip moving ina curiously 
worm-like manner, since these traits are exhibited by nearly 
all the wild members of the genus. 

Notwithstanding that they seldom eat those animals (except 
when very young), Cats are most determined foes to Rats, and 
will watch a Rat-hole for hours; while, when they have seized 
their victims, they will not unfrequently deposit them at their 
owner’s feet with a triumphant and self-satisfied air. Their 
mousing qualities need no mention. The female usually 
breeds two or three times in the course of a year, the number 
of kittens in a litter generally varying from five to six. Gilbert 
White relates an instance where a Cat deprived of her kittens 
suckled and brought up three young Squirrels ; and there are 
several cases known where young Rats have been similarly 
treated. 

The following anecdotes of Cats are taken from Jesse’s 
‘ Gleanings in Natural History.” In the first case, a gentle. 
man in Jamaica being in want of a Cat, “one was given him 
which was not full-grown. It was put into a canvas-bag, and 
a man on horse-back brought it a distance of five miles from 
the place where it was bred, and from which it had never been 
removed before. In doing so, he had to cross two rivers, one, 
named the Mino, which was about eighty feet wide and two and 


DOMESTIC CATS. 167 


a half feet deep, running strong. The other, called Thomas 
River, was wider and more rapid, but less deep. Over these 
rivers there are no bridges. The Cat, when it arrived, was 
shut up for some days, and when supposed to be reconciled to 
her new dwelling, she was allowed to go about the house. 
The next day, however, she was missing, and was found 
shortly afterwards at her old abode. 

“A family residing at Newcastle-on-Tyne went one summer 
to Tynemouth, leaving their house in the care of two female 
servants. One evening, when the servants were sitting to- 
gether in the kitchen, their attention was attracted by a Cat, 
which went up into a laundry over the kitchen, and then 
returned to them and mewed. The Cat did this so often that 
the servants were induced to go upstairs to see what she 
wanted. When they got into the laundry, they found a man 
concealed in the chimney. 

“A favourite Cat, much petted by her mistress, was one 
day struck bya servant. She resented the injury so much, 
that she refused to eat anything given her by him. Day after 
day he handed her dinner to her, but she sat in sulky in- 
dignation, though she eagerly ate the food as soon as it was 
offered her by another individual. Her resentment continued 
undiminished for upwards of six weeks. The same Cat, having 
been offended by the housemaid, watched for three days, until 
she found an opportunity for retaliation. The housemaid was on 
her knees, washing the passage, when the Cat flew at her, and 
left indubitable proofs on her arms that no one could ill-use 
her with impunity. It is, however, but fair to record the good 
qualities of this Cat as well as her bad ones. If her resent- 
ment was strong, her attachment was equally so, and she took 
a singular mode of showing it. All the tit-bits she could steal 
from the pantry, and all the Mice she could catch, she in- 
variably brought and laid at her mistress’s feet. She has been 


ié8 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


known to bring a Mouse to her door in the middle of the 
night, and mew till it waggopened, when she would present it 
to her mistress.” 

Cats not unfrequently make friends with other animals, 
notably Horses ; but perhaps the most curious instance of such 
a friendship is one related by the author just quoted. An 
engineer in the United States once caught a young Alligator, 
which he took home with him, and made so perfectly tame, 
that 1t would follow him about like a Dog. “Its great favourite 
however, was a Cat, and the friendship was mutual. When 
the Cat was reposing herself before the fire, the Alligator would 
lay himself down, place his head upon the Cat, and in this 
attitude go to sleep. If the Cat was absent the Alligator was 
restless ; but he always appeared happy when the Cat was near 
him.” So far as the present writer is aware, this is the only 
instance on record of the existence of an attachment between 
a Mammal and a Reptile. 

Commercial Value-—The pelage of the Cat forms an article of 
considerable commercial importance; and the following par- 
ticulars in regard to the trade in Cat-skins are taken from Mr. 
Poland’s valuable work on ‘ Fur-bearing Animals.” ‘The fur, 
which is stated to be one of the warmest, is extensively em- 
ployed for coat-linings, muffs, trimmings, and rugs. Black 
skins are the most valuable; the best examples coming from 
Holland. American skins, of which some three thousand are 
annually imported into England, are generally white, blue, 
black, or tabby, but are of rather inferior quality ; the price 
varying from threepence to eighteenpence per skin. Austra 
lian skins, which are generally red-tabby, are the least esteemed 
of all. ‘There is considerable annual fluctuation in the market- 
value of Cat-skins ; but the very best black Dutch pelts some- 
times command as much as from six to eight shillings each 
As is well-known, when rubbed, the fur of the Cat 1s highly 


CAT-SKINS IN COMMERCE. 169 


electrical, giving off sparks which in a dark room are easily 
visible. 

In this place a few particulars, taken from the same work, 
may be given in regard to the commercial value and uses of 
the skins of some of the species of Cats already noticed. In 
the case of the Lion, a fine black-maned skin may be worth 
from £50 to £70; whereas yellow-maned, or menagerie, 


skins will not fetch more than from £5 to £30; those of 


Lionesses selling at from tos. to 30s. The value of a Tiger- 
skin is much less, a good Bengal specimen being obtainable at 
from £4 to 46; while the claws vary in value from od. to 5s. 
Some idea of the enormous numbers in which these animals 
exist, may be gathered from the statement that in the year 
1886 no less than 1,464 Tigers are reported to have been 
killed in British India alone. The Siberian Tiger is, however, 
much more valuable, Mr. Poland stating that skins will fetch 
from £10 to 440; while as much as £66 has been paid for 
an unusually fine specimen. Upwards of 135 of these skins 
were imported into this country in 1891. 

Leopard-skins, of which a few thousands are annually im- 
ported into England, vary in value from 12 to 52 shillings 
each. They are extensively used as housings by some of our 
cavalry regiments, while they are also made into rugs, foot- 
muffs, wrappers, slippers, &c. Ounce-skins are more valuable ; 
the price generally ranging from £2 to £6 tos., although £7 
has been paid for a particularly fine one. Black Leopard-skins 
are always highly prized. No details are given by Poland 
regarding Jaguar-skins ; but he states that Puma-skins are only 
worth about five shillings each, their chief use being for 
wrappers or rugs. The handsome skins of the Clouded 
Leopard, on the other hand, sell for between 43 and £4 
each ; while those of the Ocelot vary from 2s. to 4s. 6d. 
None of the other smaller Cats are of much commercial im- 


170 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


portance, the comparatively small number of skins sold realis- 
ing small prices. oe 


AAAL LAE. WILD. CAT... FEEIS CATUS;: 


Felis catus, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. i. p. 62 (1766) ; Elliot, 
Monograph of Felidze, pl. xxx. (1878-83). 
felis sylvestris, Schreber, Saugethiere, vol. iii. p. 397 (1778). 
(Plate XX.) 

Characters.*—General colour yellowish-grey, with an inter- 
rupted longitudinal dark stripe down the back, two dusky 
bands on the cheeks, and numerous obscure transverse stripes 
of the same colour on the body and limbs ; tail of equal thick- 
ness throughout, less than half the head and body in length, 
and ringed and tipped with black. Length of head and body 
of male, about 34 inches ; of tail, 114 inches. 

In general aspect, form, and coloration, the Wild Cat re- 
sembles large ‘’Tabbies” of the domestic breed ; from which 
it differs in the proportionately longer body and limbs, and 
the shorter and thicker tail; the fur being also more abundant 
than in the original English breed. Conforming in its general 
external configuration and appearance to the type characteristic 
of the great majority of the members of the family to which it 
belongs, the Wild Cat has the general ground-colour of its 
soft and long fur yellowish-grey, tending in some individuals to 
pale reddish-brown. In addition to some black spots near the 
muzzle, the face is marked with two black stripes, commencing 
between the eyes, and gradually increasing in width, and 
diverging as they pass backwards between the ears to the 
hinder part of the neck. Commencing between the shoulder- 
blades, a broad irregular black or blackish longitudinal stripe 
traverses the whole length of the back, from which diverge 
numerous paler transverse bands, gradually becoming lighter in 


* Our account of the Wild Cat is abbreviated from the one already pub- 
lished in ‘‘ British Mammals.” 


VD TIM 


XX FLV Id 


THE WILD CAT. te 


tint as they descend the flanks, until they are finally lost in the 
nearly white area of the under-parts. Usually the tail is ringed 
with nine black bands upon a grey ground, the first five of 
these bands being the narrower, and not meeting inferiorly, 
while the terminal black area is the largest of all, being often 
as much as two inches in length; it is at the same time the 
deepest in tint. Barred externally with horizontal bands of 
black, the limbs have their inner surface yellowish-grey, like 
the upper surfaces of the feet, while the soles of the latter are 
black. The claws are yellowish-grey. 
Ranging over a considerable portion of Con- 
tinental Europe, namely, France, Germany, Poland, Switzer- 
land, Hungary, Southern Russia, Spain, Dalmatia, Greece, 
and part of Turkey, and thence extending eastwards into the 
forest regions of Northern Asia, the Wild Cat was formerly 
widely distributed in Britain, although it appears never to have 
been a native of Ireland. At the present day it is restricted 
only to the northern districts of our islands, and is there be- 
coming year by year more rare. This sole British representa- 
tive of the feline family is proved, both by tradition and by the 
discovery of its fossilised remains in cavern and superficial de- 
posits, to have originally ranged over the whole of such parts 
of England as were suited to its habits. Such remains have 
been discovered in the Pleistocene brick-earths of Grays, in 
Essex, in company with the remains of Mammoths, Hippo- 
potami, Rhinoceroses, and other Mammals now either totally 
extinct, or long since banished from Britain to warmer climates. 
They also occur, in association with similar creatures, in the 
caves of Bleadon (in the Mendips), Cresswell Crags (Derby- 
shire), Kent’s Hole (near Torquay), Ravenscliff (Glamorgan- 
shire), Uphill (in the Mendips), and the Vale of Clywd, while 
quite recently they have been discovered in a fissure in the 
Wealden rocks near Ightham, in Kent. 

Habits Like the rest of its family, truculent and savage in 


Distribution. 


172 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


its disposition, and endowed with, in proportion to its size, 
singular strength and activgggy of body, the Wild Cat is now the 
only really formidable wild animal to be met with in the 
British Islands, where it always inhabits wooded, and generally 
mountainous, districts. Inthe most secluded and inaccessible 
parts of such regions the Wild Cat makes its lair, which may 
be situated either in some dense thicket, in the hollow stem of 
a decayed tree, or in a cleft or crevice of the rocks, and rears 
its young. Sometimes, however, the female selects in pre- 
ference the deserted hole of a Badger or Fox in which to 
litter ; and we have heard of the nest of one of the larger birds 
being chosen as a nursery. The young, which are born during 
the early summer, are usually five or six in number, and closely 
resemble ordinary domestic kittens. After being suckled by 
the female till such a period as milk no longer satisfies the 
needs of their appetites, they are fed by her on Mice and 
small birds until they are capable of taking care of themselves 
and capturing larger prey, when they are freed from parental 
control. 

Those who have had experience of game and game-pre- 
serving are well acquainted with the enormous amount of 
damage that an ordinary Domestic Cat, which has taken 
either to occasional poaching or to a thoroughly wild life, will 
inflict on the denizens of their coverts, moors, or warrens. 
From its larger size and more powerful build, the Wild Cat is 
a still more serious enemy to game of all kinds; while in the 
neighbourhood of human habitations it is likewise a foe to 
poultry and pigeons. No wonder, therefore, that gamekeepers 
wage incessant war against the Wild Cat, shooting and trap- 
ping it whenever the opportunity presents itself; indeed, the 
marvel is that the creature has managed to survive as long as 
it has. From the extreme boldness and ferocity of its dis- 
position, an angry and wounded Wild Cat, when brought to 


THE WILD CAT. 173 


bay, is no mean antagonist, even for an armed man; and 
several instances are on record where these creatures have 
inflicted considerable harm on their assailants before finally 
succumbing. 

One of the most vivid descriptions of the habits of the Wild 
Cat is given by St. John, in his ‘‘ Natural History of the High- 
lands,” who writes as follows :—‘In the hanging birch-woods 
that border some of the Highland streams and lochs, the Wild 
Cat is still not uncommon, and I have heard their wild and 
unearthly cries echo far in the quiet night as they answer and 
call each other. I do not know a more harsh and unpleasant 
cry than that of the Wild Cat, or one more likely to be the 
origin of superstitious fears in the mind of an ignorant High- 
lander. ‘These animals have great skill in finding their prey, 
and the damage they do to the game must be very great, owing 
to the quantity of food they require. When caught in a trap, 
they fly without hesitation at any person who approaches them, 
not waiting to be assailed. I have heard many stories of their 
attacking and severely wounding a man when their escape has 
been cut off. I was once fishing in a river in Sutherlandshire, 
and, in passing from one pool to another, had to climb over 
some rock and broken kind of ground. In doing so, I sank 
through some rotten heather and moss up to my knees, almost 
upon a Wild Cat, who was concealed under it. I was quite as 
much startled as the animal herself could be, when I saw the 
wild-looking beast so unexpectedly rush out from between my 
feet, with every hair on her body standing on end, making her 
look twice as large as she really was. I had three small Skye- 
Terriers with me, who immediately gave chase, and pursued 
her till she took refuge in a corner of the rocks, where, perched 
in a kind of recess, she stood with her hair bristled out, spit- 
ting and growling like a Common Cat. Having no weapon 
with me, I laid down my rod, cut a good-sized stick, and pro- 


174 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


ceeded to dislodge her. As soon as I was within six or seven 
feet of the place, she sprang straight at my face, over the Dogs’ 
heads. Had I not struck her in mid-air as she leaped at me, 
I should probably have got some severe wounds. As it was, 
she fell with her back half-broken among the Dogs, who, with 
my assistance, despatched her. I never saw an animal fight so 
desperately, or one so difficult to kill.” 


XXXII. PALLAS'S CAT. FELIS MANUL. 

Felis manul, Pallas, Reise, vol. iii. p. 692 (1776); Elliot, 
Monogr. Felide, pl. x. (1878-83); Blanford, Mamm. 
Brit. India, p. 83 (1888). 

Felis nigripectus, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xi. 
Pp. 270 (1ed2). 

Characters.—Somewhat smaller than the domestic species, 
Pallas’s Cat is easily recognised by the abundant coat of long 
and soft hair with which it is clothed, the short ringed tail, and 
the few transverse dark bars on the hinder part of the body. 
General colour of fur pale whitish, with some slight black 
markings on the chest and upper parts of the limbs; a few 
narrow black transverse bars, widely separated from one 
another across the loins; tail ringed with black. <A white 
streak, bordered both above and below with black, runs 
obliquely downwards and backwards from behind the eye; 
while there is also a black mark behind each ear. Skull very 
broad, and much elevated in the region of the eyes; nasal 
bones very narrow posteriorly, and suddenly expanded at their 
terminal third ; anterior pre-molar apparently wanting. Length 
of head and body, about 21 inches ; of tail, ro inches. The 
hairs are yellowish-grey at the base, yellowish in the middle, 
and white at the tips. 

Distribution. Tibet, extending westwards into Ladak, and 
northwards through Mongolia to Siberia. In beds of Pleisto- 


? 
t 


cene age in Central Europe remains of this species have been 
discovered by Dr. Nehring, of Berlin, and described by him 
(S.B. Nat. Fr. Berlin, for 1889, p. 109). 

Habits——An inhabitant of the deserts of Central Asia, Pallas’s 
Cat lives among rocks, where it preys on the smaller Mam- 
mals and birds. From the rigours of the severe climate of 
these regions, it has an ample protection in its abundant coat 
of hair; and the fact of its remains occurring in the Pleisto- 
cene deposits of Europe associated with those of other desert 
Mammals, has led to the inference that at that epoch steppe- 
like conditions prevailed over portions of the Continent. In 
Siberia the chief food of this species is stated to consist of 
Picas, or Tail-less Hares (Zagomys). 


THE PAMPAS CAT. be a 


XXXII]. THE PAMPAS CAT, FELIS PAJEROS. 

Lelis pajeros, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 231 (1820) ; Elliot, 
Monograph of Felide, pl. xi. (1873-88) ; Mivart, The Cat, 
p. 423 (1881) ; Matschie, S.B. Nat. Fr. Berlin, 1894, p. 60. 

Paeros pampanus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 269; id 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 18 (1869). 

felis passerum, Sclater, List Vert. Anim. Zool. Gardens, p. 40 
(1872); Aplin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1894, p. 298. 


Mp 


Characters.—Curiously similar in general appearance, as well 
as in the length of its hair, to the preceding species the South 
America Pampas Cat, Grass-Cat, or Paja-Cat (Gato pajero of 
the Portuguese) may be distinguished as follows: Size about 
equal to that of the Wild Cat, but the build more robust, the 
head smaller and the tail shorter. The long hair yellowish- 
grey in colour, marked with transverse bands of yellow or 
brown, running obliquely from the back to the flanks. From 
the eyes two bars cross each cheek to meet beneath the throat; 
legs and tail marked with darkish bands ; under-parts whitish. 
Skull very convex and short; the nasal region much com- 


176 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


pressed, and the nasal bones very narrow superiorly ; anterior 
upper premolar absent. Length of head and body, 25 inches; 
of tail, 12 inches. al 

According to Herr Matschie, specimens obtained from 
Tornquist, in Argentina, lying north of Bahia Blanca and 
south of the Sierra de la Ventana, were almost uniformly 
yellowish-grey, with scarcely any traces of dark banding; the 
inner sides of the limbs showing a single band; while the 
under-parts were white, and the legs and ears yellowish. 
Some examples showed elongated spots like / colocolo. 

Mr. Aplin observes that two kittens of this species brought 
to him in Uruguay “were spotted on the legs and lower-parts, 
and it was suggested that they might be the result of a cross 
with the Monte-Cat (7. guigna); but as the skins of two more 
kittens, brought in with that of the old female a few days 
before, were just the same, the spotted dress in youth is 
evidently natural to this species. Exactly the same thing 
happens in the case of the Puma.” 

Distribution.—South America, on the east side of the Andes 
from Uruguay through the Argentine pampas to Patagonia, 
canging as far south as the Straits of Magellan. In many of 
the wilder parts of the Argentine, as in Patagonia, this species 
is still common; but in the more settled districts of the former 
country, as in those of Uruguay, systematic trapping has 
greatly diminished its numbers. 

Habits. Except that its ferocity is extreme, little definite has 
been recorded of the habits of this Cat. In the Argentine it 
lurks among the pampas- or paja-grass. Azara writes that 
“the natives call this animal Ga/o pajero, because it lives 
on the plains, concealing itself in the jungles, without entering 
into the woods and thickets which the Eyra inhabits. I know 
not, nor have I heard, that it exists in Paraguay, although it 
may formerly have been seen there ; but as the country be- 


VLOVO LOYD 


TXX ALVId 


THE COLOCOLO. 177 


came tolerably well peopled, and there are fewer plains, it 
was probably exterminated by the inhabitants. I caught four 
on the pampas of Buenos Aires, between the 35th and 36th 
parallels of latitude, and three others on the Rio Negro, 
without any of them retreating to caves. I know not whether 
this was owing to there being none at hand, or that they have 
a natural dislike to them. On one occasion in April, I took 


from the uterus of a female Paja-Cat a single young one, with | 


hair just commencing to grow; it is said, notwithstanding, 


that they bring forth two, and even three, at a birth. They — 


subsist on the same food as the other species, principally on 
Apereas (Cavies).” 


XXXIV. THE COLOCOLO. FELIS COLOCOLO. 


felis colocolo, A. Smith, in Griffith’s Animal Kingdom, vol. ii. 
p- 479 (1827); Mivart, The Cat, p. 413 (1881); Matschie, 
5.B. Nat. Fr. Berlin, 1894, p. 60. 

felis strigtlata, Wagner, in Schreber’s Saiigethiere, Suppl. vol. 


li. p. 546 (1841). 
(Plate XXT.) 


Characters.—Although by previous writers the Colocolo of 


the western side of South America has been widely sundered 
from the Pampas Cat, the two are, according to Herr Matschie, 
very closely related. Indeed, that observer considers that the 
relationship between the two is similar to that obtaining be- 
tween the typical 7e/is suzgna of Chili and the so-called & 
geofroyt of the eastern side of South America. As we have 
considered the two latter as mere local races of a single species, 


» 


it would perhaps have been more logical to follow the same ~ 


course in the present instance ; especially since, as noted above, 
specimens of the Pampas Cat have been described as having 
markings like the Colocolo. Nevertheless, for the present at 
least, it seems preferable to allow the latter to rank asa species. 


7 N 


£78 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Of the approximate size of a large Domestic Cat, the Colo- | 
colo has the fur of a Whitigh-grey colour, with elongated dark | 
spots or streaks on the upper-parts, and a black mark extend- | 


ing from the eye to the jaw. The tail is partially ringed; 
and the lower portions of the limbs are dark. 


Although the anterior upper pre-molar is wanting, and the | 
nasals are narrowed superiorly, the description of the skull of | 
the Colocolo given by Professor Mivart does not accord in all | 


respects with that of the Pampas Cat. 


Distribution.—North-eastern and Western South America; | 
the species being recorded from Guiana and Chili, and doubt- | 


less occurring in the intermediate countries. 
The typical specimen was obtained in Guiana, and is thus 


described by Hamilton Smith, who observes: “ The head was — 
remarkably flat and broad; the ears large and. round; the > 


body slender; the tail just touched the ground when the 
animal was standing ; the legs were very strong ; the colour of 
the neck and back was whitish-grey ; the head, throat, shoulders, 
sides, belly, and inside of limbs white. ‘The back was marked 
with lengthened streaks of black, edged with tawny; and to- 
wards the shoulders and thighs, with streaks of tawny. There 
was a black streak from the corner of the eyes to the jaws, and 
some bar-like marks on the forehead. The outside of the ears 
were dark grey, the insides pink and naked as well as the nose. 
The tail was semi-annulated with black, having a black tip, and 
it exhibited a great pecularity in the legs, which were all of hem 
of a very dark grey colour up to the knees. 

“During his journey down country, the gentleman by whom 
the animal had been shot, placed the skin on the awning of 
the boat to air, as he was descending the river Paramaribo. 
The boat often passed under the branches of large trees, which 
overhung the river, and on which were the resting-places of 


THE DESERT CAT. 179 


fumerous Monkeys, sometimes hanging to the extremest 
branches above the water. Although the vessel would on 
‘other occasions excite but little attention, no sooner was the 
‘stuffed specimen in sight, that the whole community would 
feooP off with prodigious screams and howlings. It was of 
“course surmised, from the excessive terror of these animals, 
‘that this species of Cat must be an active enemy to them.” 
Practically nothing is known as to the habits of the Colocolo 
‘in a state of nature ; although it is evident that it must differ 
from the Pampas Cat in being an arboreal, instead of a purely 
terrestrial species. 


XXXV. THE DESERT CAT. FELIS ORNATA. 
Felis ornata, Gray, Ill. Indian Zool. vol. i. pl. ii. (1830) ; 
Elliot, Monograph of Felidz, pl. xxxii., (1878-83); Blan- 
ford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 84 (1888). 
felis servalina, Jardine, Naturalist’s Library, Felinz, p. 232 
(1834). 
Chaus pulchellus, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 45 (1843). 
Chaus servalinus, Gray, loc. cit. 
Chaus ornatus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 275. 
(Plate XXII.) 
Characters.—With the present species we come to the first 
representative of what may be termed the Lynxine group of 
Cats, which includes the whole of the remaining members of 
the genus. Asa group, theyare characterised by the presence 
of a larger or smaller pencil of hair at the tip of the ear; while 
the tail is short; and in the skull the orbits are always incom- 
_ plete behind, and the anterior pre-molar is generally wanting. 
In the present species the tail reaches the hocks; the ground- 
colour of the fur is pale yellow, upon which there are small 
round black spots ; while the pencils on the ears are reduced 
_ toa few short brown hairs. Skullasin J chaus (infra, p. 182). 
N 2 


180 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Length of head and Pog” 18 to 22 inches ; of tail, g to 10 | 
inches. ‘The species may be compared in size to an ordinary | 
Domestic Cat. | 
The coloration is described by Mr. Blanford as follows :— | 
“Very pale sandy (fulvescent grey or light isabelline), with | 
numerous small black roundish spots on the body, and still | 
smaller elongate spots on the crown and nape, those on > 
the crown having a tendency to form longitudinal bands | 
Fur of back dusky-grey near the base, thence to the end | 
pale rufescent, tip still paler. ‘There are some narrow black | 
cross-lines outside the limbs, and two distinct black bars inside | 
each fore-arm ; also the usual cheek-stripes, which are brown. | 
The lower-parts are pale rufescent, with a few black spots; the 
chin, throat, and front of the breast white and unspotted, the | 
fore-neck rufescent. Ears externally the same colour as the 
back, with a few elongate brown hairs at the end. ‘Tail with | 
some black transverse bands above, which form rings towards | 
the end; the tip being black. Paws black beneath.” | 
This and the four next forms, namely, Shaw’s Cat, the Jun- | 
gle Cat, the Pale Cat, and the Steppe Cat, are all very closely | 
allied, being distinguished by the slight pencil of hairs at the 
summit of each ear. Felis chaus, writes Mr. W. L. Sclater in 
the “Catalogue of Mammals in the Indian Museum, Calcutta,” | 
“can be distinguished at once by its black pencil, and its 
pepper-and-salt colour, with no trace of lines or spots on the 
body.  caudata is very indistinctly spotted, but has a long 
tail, twice the length of that of & chaus. FE. ornataand #. shaw- 
tana seem to resemble each other in every respect, although 
Mr. Blanford distinguishes the latter from the former by its 
shorter tail, its more rufous coloration, and the presence of 
distinct black spots on the tail. With regard to the first dis- | 
tinction, the tails of the two known specimens of /: shawiana | 
are certainly shorter than those of the specimens of & ornata; 


us ¥ kr WTA OU 


pe 
oY ats Y 


“f 


i 


‘TXX WLV1d 


THE DESERT CAT. 181 


_but the former are furriers’ skins, having been bought in the 
bazaars at Yarkand and Kashgar, and the tails in both cases 
“seem mutilated. ‘The tails, too, of & ornata in the Museum 
collection vary considerably in length, and range from eight to 
thirteen inches in specimens of approximately the same size. 
‘With regard to the second point, that of colour, the difference 
of shade is so slight that it is only perceptible in a strong light. 
Finally, there are in the Museum collection many specimens of 
_£. ornata with quite as distinct spots on the abdomen as in & 
shawiana. With regard to the skulls of & ornata, FE. chaus, 
and &: shawiana (there is no skull in the only known skin of 
fF. caudata), there does not seem to be any real substantial dif- 
ference. Although there are minor points of distinction which 
have been indicated by Mr. Blanford, yet it does not appear 
that any of these differences are sufficiently important to be due 
to anything but individual variations.” 
_ Distribution—India; confined to the dry rocky districts of the 
north-west from Banda, through the North-west Provinces to 
Agra, Sambhar, and Sind, where the species is very common. 


Habits.—As its name implies, the Desert Cat is an inhabitant 
of open sandy districts (with the colour of which its spotted 
yellow coat admirably harmonises), never resorting to forests, 
and being to a considerable extent diurnal in its habits. As 
already mentioned, it breeds freely with Domestic Cats, and is 
probably the parent. form of the spotted breed of India. A 
correspondent of Jerdon writes that in the district of Hurriana 
it is very common, “frequenting open sandy plains where the 
Field-Rat [ Gerdillus hurriane| must be its principal food. I 
hardly ever remember seeing it in what could be called jungle, 
or even in grass. One of these spotted Cats lived for a long 
time under my haystack, and I believe it to have been the pro- 
duce of a tame Cat by a wild one. The wild one I have seen 
of half a dozen shades of colour, and you frequently see a ten- 


nme reel 4 


182 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 


dency in these Cats to runes stripes, especially on the limbs.’ 


It was on such a half-breed that the so-called Waved Cat (£ 
torguata) was named. Jerdon observes that at Hissar the 
Desert Cat is almost always found among the low sand-hills, 
although occasionally in bare fields, frequently in company with 
the Desert Fox. 


XXXVI. SHAW’S CAT. FELIS SHAWIANA, 
felis shawiana, Blanford, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xlv. 
Pp. 49 (1876) ; id., Scientific Results 2nd Yarkand Mission 
Mamm, p. 17, pls. 1.0, 1.¢ (1870). 

The distinctive features of this species or variety having 
been already given under the heading of the Desert Cat, it will 
suffice to mention that is is known only from a few skins and 
a skeleton, mostly purchased in the bazaars of Kashgar and 
Yarkand. 


Distribution. 


3 


Eastern Turkestan (Yarkand and Kashgar), 


XXXVII. THE JUNGLE CAT. FELIS CHAUS. 

felis chaus, Guldenstadt, Nov. Comm. Ac. Petrop, vol. xx. p. 
483 (1776); Elliot, Monograph of Felidae, pl. xxxiii. 
(1878-83); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 86 (1888). 

felis catolynx, Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. vol. i. p. 83 (1811). 

Lynx chaus, Fischer, Zoognosie, p. 230 (1814). 

felis kutas, Pearson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. i. p. 75 
(1832). 

felis affinis, Gray, Illustrations Indian Zool. vol. i. pl. iii. 
(1832). 

felis erythrotis, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. y. p. 
233 (1836). 

felis inconspicua, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 577 
(1837). 

Chaus libycus, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 45 (1843). 


| 
| 


THE JUNGLE CAT, 183 


Felis gacquemonti, Geoffroy, in Jacquemont’s Voyage, p. 58 
(1844). , 

Chaus jacquemonti, Gerrard, Cat. Bones Mamm. Brit. Mus. 
p. 66 (1862); Gray, Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 34 
(1869). 

felis libycus, Loche, Explor. Scient. Alger. Mamm. p- 42 
(1867). 

Characters.—F'rom the two preceding forms the present spe- 
cies may be distinguished by the colour of the adult being 
generally of a uniform tawny, without spots, while the ears 
are yellow, with very small pencils of black hairs ; limbs with 
faint indications of dark transverse bars. In the skull the 
anterior upper pre-molar may be present or absent; while in 
the upper carnassial tooth the tubercle on the inner side is 
well developed. Tail short, varying from one-third to two-fifths 
the length of the head and body. Pupil of the eye circular. 
In Indian specimens the fur is variable in length, being short 
in those from the plains, and long in Himalayan examples. 

The coloration of the upper-parts varies from sandy or 
yellowish-grey to greyish-brown, the back being darker or even 
dusky, with, in some cases, a shade of red, while the under- 
parts are fulvescent or reddish-white. The individual hairs 
are fulvescent white till near the tips, where they become 
greyish-white, the tips themselves being black. In some cases 
the under-fur is brown. Although the aforesaid dark bars are 
generally present on the limbs, they may be wanting. The 
under surface of the foot and ankle is brown, while the tail 
has black rings near the extremity, the tip being also black. 
Occasionally pale ferruginous stripes on the cheeks, and a band 
on the chest may be present ; while in some specimens more or 
less distinct vertical rows of spots or wavy lines may be de- 
tected on the sides, and a black variety has been recorded from 
Ind'a. The ears are pale rufous externally, with the tips gener- 


184 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


ally black or blackish. Lenggh of head and body, from 22 to 26 
inches ; tail, with the hair at the end, 10 to 11 inches ; height at 
shoulder, 14 to 15 inches. 

Distribution.—The Jungle Cat is one of the few Cats common 
to Africa and India, and has the following extensive range : 
North Africa, inclusive of Egypt, Nubia, and Barbary ; South 
Africa, at least as far as the Orange River ; Asia Minor and 
Palestine ; shores of the Caspian, and West and Southern 
Persia ; Afghanistan, Candahar, India, Ceylon, Assam, and 
Burma. In India the species is universally distributed from 
the Himalaya and Sind to the extreme south. Neither by Mr 
Blanford, in his ‘“‘ Mammals of British India,” nor by Mr. W. L. 
Sclater, in his ‘‘ Catalogue of Mammalia in the Indian Museum,” 
is the Jungle Cat spoken of as from Southern Africa. It is, 
however, recorded from that region by Messrs. Nicolls and 
Eglington, in the “The Sportsman in South Africa,” who write 
as follows :—“ This species, which is rarely found south of the 
Orange River, but is common within the tropics, seems to 
be often confounded with the Booted Lynx (felis caligata), 
which does not appear to be known south of the Zambesi.” 
Although their description accords exactly with that of the 
present species, it is a little difficult to determine the animal 
referred to as the Booted Lynx, Ze/is caligata being a 
synonym of £&. caffra, and that species being recorded by the 
authors from the Cape district. During the Pleistocene period 
the Jungle Cat appears to have ranged into Western Europe ; 
remains from Germany having been assigned to this species 
by Professor Nehring of Berlin. 

Habits.—In South Africa, where it is known as the Reed 
Cat (fet-Kat of the Dutch), the Jungle Cat, according to 
Messrs, Nicolls and Eglington, may “be found frequenting low 
marshy ground in which there is plenty of cover in the shape 
of reeds, or in the thick bush bordering the rivers and lakes ; 


TIIE JUNGLE CAT, 185 


its food consisting not alone of such water-fowl as can be 
snatched by it when they are resting on the margin of the 
water, but also of fish; and its spoor may be constantly ob- 
served imprinted on the soft mud surrounding such pools in 
the periodical watercourses which are constantly becoming 
desiccated, and in which many of the finny tribe may probably 
be imprisoned without the possibility of escape.” Evidence of 
the crab- or fish-eating propensities of this species in Burma is 
afforded by a statement of General MacMaster, to the effect 
that when shooting he killed a Jungle Cat walking in deep 
black mud, as though in pursuit of fish or crabs. 

In India, where it is known to the natives by the name of 
Jangli-bilti (Jungle Cat), this species is very common. Jerdon 
writes that it is the common wild Cat “from the Himalayas to 
Cape Comorin, and from the level of the sea to 7,000 or 8,000 
feet of elevation. It frequents alike jungles and the open 
country, and is very partial to long grass and reeds, sugar-cane- 
fields, corn-fields, &c. It does much damage to game of all 
kinds—Hares, Partridges, &c.,—and quite recently I shot a 
Peafowl at the edge of a sugar-cane-field, when one of those 
Cats sprang out, seized the Peafowl, and after a short struggle 
(for the bird was not dead) carried it off before my astonished 
eyes, and, in spite of my running up, made good his escape 
with his booty. It must have been stalking these very birds, 
so immediately did its spring follow my shot. It is occa- 
sionally very destructive to poultry. 

i ‘It is said to breed twice a year, and to have three or four 
young ata birth. I have very often had the young brought to 
me, but always failed in rearing them, and they always evinced 
a most savage and untameable disposition. I have seen num- 
bers of Cats about villages in various parts of the country, 
that must have been hybrids between this Cat and tame 
ones.” 


186 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


The domestic breed of Mian Cats showing evidence of a 
cross with the Jungle Cat has already been alluded to under 
the heading of Domestic Cats. 

In Southern Persia, where it is very common, the late Sir _ 
O. B. St. John writes that he has shot the Jungle Cat “at 
Shapur (3,000 feet), in a ravine of the hills near Borajun 
(500 feet), and on the Karagatch, more than 6,000 feet above 
the sea, showing that this Cat is not particular about climate. 
In the last-mentioned place I found three kittens, so young as 
to be unable to drink milk. I reared them with some difficulty 
till about three months old, by which time they became very 
tame and playful, climbing up on to my knees when at break- 
fast, and behaving very much like ordinary domestic kittens. 
Unfortunately one was killed by a greyhound and another by 
a scorpion, within a few days; on which the survivor be- 
came morose, and refused to be comforted, even by the 
society of a kitten of his own age, which I procured as a 
companion to him. When I left Persia, in 1867, he was a 
year old, and very large and powerful. Two English Bull-Ter- 
riers I had, who made short work of the largest Domestic Cat, 
could do nothing with my wild Cat. In their almost daily 
battles, the Dogs always got the worst of it.” 

Again, Blyth writes that ‘‘in India the Chaus does not shun, 
but even affects populous neighbourhoods, and is a terrible de- 
predator among the tame ducks and poultry, killing as many as 
it can get at; but I have not known it attack geese, of which I 
long kept a flock out day and night, about a tank where ducks 
could not be left out at night on account of these animals. 


XXXVIIL THE PALE CAT. FELIS PALLIDA. 
Felis pallida, Biichner, Bull. Ac. St. Petersburg, ser. 2, vol. 
lil. p. 433 (1893) ; id., Wissensch. Result. Reis. Przewalski, 
p. 228 (1894). 


THE STEPPE CAT. 187 


Characters.—Nearly allied to the Jungle Cat, this species is 
stated to be distinguished by the following differences. Where- 
as in the Pale Cat the colour of the outer surface of the ear is 
similar to that of the back, being brownish-yellow, thickly mingled 
with black, in the Jungle Cat the outer surface of the ear is 
almost invariably rusty-red or reddish-yellow, with the short 
pencil of hairs black; the pencil in / fa/dida being brownish- 
yellow mixed with black. Then, again, the present species is 
characterised by the generally pale yellowish-grey hue of the 
fur ; from which the rufous tinge—most conspicuous on the 
head, under-parts, and limbs—of / chauws is entirely absent. 
Indeed, those parts of the body of the latter which are rufous 
or reddish-yellow, in the Pale Cat are whitish or grey. The 
tail of & pallida is also longer and more bushy than in & 
chaus. 

For a detailed account of the coloration of this form, the 
reader may refer to the original description ; but the foregoing 
is sufficient to indicate its extremely close relationship with 
the Jungle Cat. Indeed, it is probable that many zoologists 
would regard it merely as a pale-coloured local race of the 
latter. 

Distribution Kansu, N.W. China. 


XXXIX. THE STEPPE CAT. FELIS CAUDATA. 


Chaus caudatus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. 31. 
Felis caudata, Elliot, Monograph of Felidae, pl. xxxiv. (1878-83). 
Felis caudatus, Mivart, The Cat, p. 421 (1881). 
Characters.—As mentioned under the heading of the Desert 
Cat, this species may be distinguished from the Jungle Cat by 
being very indistinctly spotted, and by the tail being con- 
siderably longer. 
The type specimen is described as follows :—Fur close, soft, 
pale yellowish (the hairs blackish-brown at the base), with very 


188 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


indistinct spots. The spots fe roundest and smallest on the 
middle line of the back, oblong on the sides, and forming in- 
terrupted lines on the shoulders and thighs, these lines being 
most distinct on the outside of the fore-legs, while there are 
four well-marked broad cross-streaks on the front edge of the 
thighs. ‘Tail cylindrical, reaching to the ground, spotted at 
the upper part of the base, and with eight or nine interrupted 
rings on the upper part of the remaining portion, with a black 
tip. Nose brown, with short hair. Forehead and cheeks like 
the back, but with smaller spots, and without any distinct dark 
streaks from the back edge of the eye. The ears ovate, acute, 
pale brown externally, with a terminal pencil of blackish hairs, 
and whitish on the edge within. Chin, hinder parts of the 
upper lip, under parts of the head, throat, chest, belly, inside 
of legs, and hind-feet whitish-brown ; the chin being whitest, 
and the inside of the hind-legs and feet darkest. There is a 
large blackish spot on the upper part of the inside of the fore- 
legs, as well as two small cross-bars on the front edge of the 
inside of the thighs, the hinder part of the hind-feet being 
blackish. In the one described skull, the anterior pre-molar, 
although small, is present. Jength of head and body, 23% 
inches ; of tail, 12% inches; height at shoulder, 12 inches. 

Distribution.— Transcaspia, eastwards to Afghan and Russian 
Turkestan. 


XL. THE CARACAL, FELIS -CARACAL: 


Felis caracal, Gildenstadt, Nov. Comm. Ac. Petrop. vol. xx. 
p. 500 (1766) ; Elliot, Monograph of Felidee, pl. xli. (1878- 
83); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 88 (1888). 

Lynx caracal, Fischer, Zoognosie, p. 200 (1814). 

Caracal melanotis, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 46 (1843). 

Caracal berberorum, Matschie, 5.B. Nat. Fr. Ges. Berlin, 1292, 


p- 144. 
(Plate XX IIT.) 


aLvid 


Pe Meri fty 


Mise) 


“TWOVEV)D 


— 


THE CARACAL. iS9g 


Characters.—With this species we come to the first of the True 
Lynxes, all of which are characterised by the long and well- 
marked pencil of hairs at the tip of the ears, the absence of the 
anterior upper pre-molar tooth, and the slight development of 
the tubercle on the inner side of the upper carnassial tooth. 
Were it not for their connection with the more typical members 
of the family by means of the Jungle Cat and its allies, there 
would be much to be said in favour of referring them to a 
genus apart. Asit is, however, such a course cannot be justi- 
fied, especially when we recall the fact that in its greater length 
of tail the Caracal connects the other Lynxes with the Jungle 
Cat. 

From the other Lynxes the Caracal is at once distinguished 
by the greater length of its tail, which reaches down to the 
hocks ; while it is further characterised by its uniform red 
colour and long and pointed black ears. In point of size it is 
intermediate between the Jungle Cat and the common Lynx ; 
the build is slender, the limbs are relatively long, and the tail 
equals one-third the length of the head and body. 

Mr. Blanford describes the colour of the upper parts as vary- 
ing from rufous-fawn to brownish-rufous, “ generally the former 
in Indian specimens, unspotted ; below paler rufous or white, 
often with indistinct rufous spots. Fur nearly the same colour 
throughout, slightly paler near the roots, some white tips inter- 
mixed on the back, and in dark specimens black tips also, 
giving a peculiar grizzled appearance. Limbs and tail the same 
colour as the body, the tip of the tail being sometimes, but 
not always, black. Ears outside black, often mixed with white ; 
inside white. A blackish spot on each side of the upper lip, 
and others, not always distinct, above each eye and on each 
side of the nose. A white or pale spot inside, and another 
below each eye.” Length of head and body, 26 to 30 inches ; 
of tail, from 9 to ro inches; height, 16 to 18 inches. 


190 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY, 


Distribution,— Africa genegplly, Palestine, Arabia, Syria, 
Taurus, Mesopotamia, Persia, Transcaspia, and India. Gener- 
ally distributed in the latter country, it is found more abun- 
dantly in the west, especially in Sind, Kach, Dehra Dun, and 
the Nipal Terai. 

The Caracal of Northern Africa has recently been separated 
by Herr Matschie under the name of Caracal berberorum, but 
further evidence is required before its right to specific distinc- 
tion can be definitely accepted. 

Habits.—The Caracal is believed to be the animal which gave 
origin to the term “‘ lynx-eyed,” although there does not appear 
to be any evidence that it is more keen of sight than other 
members of the Family to which it belongs. In South Africa, 
where it is pretty well exterminated in the regions lying to the 
southward of the Orange River, the Caracal, according to Messrs. 
Nicolls and Eglington, is generally found in open country at 
considerable distances from water, thus differing markedly from 
the Serval. Rapid in its movements, and an excellent climber, 
its strength and activity make it a match for the best Dog ; and 
instances are on record where females with young have boldly 
attacked natives, by whom they have been with difficulty driven 
off. Indeed, for its size, the Caracal is held in this part of Africa 
to be the most savage of allthe Cats. ‘ Even when obtained 
young and brought up by hand,” write the observers last 
named, “it gradually develops a character, so to speak, of pure 
‘cussedness,’ that any attempts to tame it have invariably proved 
unsuccessful. The Boers hold to the belief—which is often 
treated with ridicule—that the skin of this Lynx, when made 
into and used as karosses [mantles], is a sovereign remedy 
against an attack of rheumatism. Whether they really possess 
any Curative virtues, it isnot within our province to determine, 
but their general use is greatly favoured in South Africa ; and 
it is certainly a fact that the fur of the dead animal is highly 
electrical.” 


THE LYNX. 1gl 


In India but little has been recorded as to the habits of the 
Caracal in a wild state. Apparently resorting to low bushes 
and tall grass, it avoids dense forests, and is reported to prey 
on Gazelles, the smaller kinds of Deer, Hares, and other small 
animals, as well as Peafowl, Florican, &c. So active are its 
movements, that the Caracal is actually able to capture birds 
flying over it, springing up toa height of six or eight feet from 
the ground, and striking them down with a blow from one of 
its fore-paws. 

Being easily tamed, the Caracal in some parts of India was 
formerly (and, for all we know to the contrary, may be still) 
trained to chase and capture various wild animals, such as 
small Deer, Gazelles, Hares, Foxes, Peafowl, or Cranes; while 
another pastime was to pit two or more against one another to 
kill pigeons out of a flock. As the birds are feeding on the 
ground, the Caracals are suddenly loosed in the midst of them, 
when each will not unfrequently strike down as many as ten or 
a dozen before the pigeons can make their escape. According 
to Vigne, the number of Caracals kept by some of the Indian 
princes in the first half of the present century was very large ; 
and, in proportion to their size, their speed is described as 
exceeding even that of the Hunting-Leopard. 

Although agreeing with the typical Lynxes in general 
characters, the Caracal lacks the ruff of long fur round the 
throat so distinctive of the form ; while its short and close fur 
is better adapted to the climate of the regions it inhabits. In 
allusion to its black ears, the Caracal is known in Persia by the 
name of Szya-gush, while in Turkish the name Xarakal has 
the same signification. 


ALI. THE LYNX. FELIS LYNX, 


felis nx, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. i. p. 62 (1766) ; Elliot, 
Monograph of Felidz, pl. xxxix. (1878-83); Blanford, 
Mamm. Brit. India, p. 8) (1888). 


192 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


felis lupulina and F&F. op mvs, Thunberg, Denkschr. Ak. 
Munchen, vol. ix. p. 189 (1825). 

Felis virgata, Nilsson, Illum. Fig. till. Faun. pls. iii. iv. (1829). 

felis borealis, Temminck, Monogr. Mamm. vol. i. p. 109 
(1827); Keyserling and Blasius, Wirbethiere Europ. p. 
63 (1840). 

Lyncus vulgaris, Gray, Cat. Hodgson Coll. p. 7 (1846). 

felis tsabellina, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xvi. p. 
1178 (1847). 

Lyncus lynx, Severtzoff, Rev. Mag. Zool. ser. 2, vol. x. p. 385 
(1858). 

Lyncus tsabeliinus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 267. 

Lyncus borealis, Gray, loc. cit. 

(Plate XXTV.) 

Characters.—Readily distinguished from the Caracal by the 
shortness of the tail, which is less than one-fourth the length 
of the head and body, and does not reach the ankle; by the 
abundant ruff cf long hair round the throat, as well as by the 
more or less distinctly spotted coat. 

Build strong ; limbs relatively long; the long and pointed 
ears surmounted by a large tuft of black hairs; fur soft and 
thick, that of the hinder part of the cheeks being lengthened 
so as to form a ruff partially encircling the throat; pads of 
feet more or less completely covered with hair. Pupil of eye 
circular. Skull much vaulted, with a short and broad facial 
region, the orbit incomplete behind, and the anterior upper 
pre-molar absent in the adult. 

The colour varies from pale sandy-grey, or isabelline, to 
rufous-fawn with a tinge of grey, and in some European 
specimens even to ferruginous-red; the under-parts being 
white. In the summer coat the upper-parts are marked with 
small black spots, which, at least in young individuals, are 
also persistent through the winter in the European race; but 


“XNA 


AIXX FLV Td 


THE LYNX 193 


in the Asiatic form these spots disappear, except on the 
flanks and limbs, and even there they may te wanting in 
some examples. ‘Towards their roots the individual hairs are 
brownish ; and the tips of the longer ones are whitish, some 
of those on the middle of the back being often black at the 
extremity. Ears externally grey, with black margins, tips, 
and terminal tufts; terminal portion of tail black; a varia- 
ble number of black hairs intermingled with the ruff; in 
some cases an imperfect dark band across the throat, and 
occasionally blackish or black spots on the under-parts. 
Length of head and body, 33 inches; of tail, 734 inches. 

The Lynx is very variable as regards coloration, and more 
especially in respect to the spots; and the pale-coloured Lynx 
of Ladak and Tibet was long regarded as a distinct species, on 
account of its lighter-coloured fur and the shorter hairs on 
the toes, under the name of / ¢sade/lina. On this subject, 
Mr. Blanford, in his “‘ Mammals of British India,” writes that 
“both these differences are probably due to the Tibetan Lynx 
living in open ground among rocks, whilst the common Lynx 
of Europe dwells chiefly among forests. The Lynx of Gilgit, 
where there is some forest, is intermediate in coloration, and 
I can find no constant character of importance by which 
fF. tsabellina is distinguishable from the common Lynx. Some 
skins procured from Tibet are indistinguishable from Gilgit 
and Turkestan specimens.” 

Distribution.—Northern Europe, Siberia, Baikal, Amurland 
and Saghalien, Eastern and Western Turkestan, Gilgit, and 
Western and Eastern Tibet. As mentioned in the sequel, it 
is by no means certain that the Canadian Lynx is anything 
more than a local race of this species. Still far from un- 
common in Northern Scandinavia, Russia, and Northern Asia, 
the Lynx also lingers in some of the mountainous districts of 
Central Europe, although in the lowlands it has been pretty 

$4 O 


to4 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


well exterminated. In BMden the last Lynx was killed in 
1834; but an example was shot in Wurttemberg so late as 
1846. Another Lynx was killed in the Department of Haute- 
Loire, France, in the year 1822. The species never inhabited 
Britain during the historic period. In Tibet the Lynx lives at 
great heights, its cubs having been taken in Spiti at an eleva- 
tion of between 14,000 and 15,000 feet; but at Gilgit it de- 
scends as low as 5,000 feet above the sea. 

Internal Structure—It is worthy of mention that the Lynx 
differs from all the species of Cats described above, in the 
relative shortness of its intestine, which is only twice the 
length of the body. As in the common Cat, the arched bone, 
supporting the base of the tongue, is connected with the under 
surface of the hinder part of the skull by a continuous chain 
of small bones. 

Habits—Although generally inhabiting forest-clad districts, 
where it captures much of its prey by climbing the trees, the 
Lynx, as we have seen, in Tibet, dwells in the open, among 
rocks. ‘That it is by no means a common animal is not to be 
regretted, seeing that in the wild state it is one of the most 
bloodthirsty and rapacious of the /e/zde, frequently killing 
more than it can devour, and thus being detested by the 
owners of Sheep and Goats. In Tibet it preys chiefly upon the 
Hares that are so abundant in the patches of bush along the 
watercourses; but it also kills Pigeons, in addition to Sheep and 
Goats, In Europe it subsists upon the smaller mammals and 
birds ; but the reports of its onslaughts on Red Deer are not to 
be credited. An excellent climber, the Lynx frequently lies 
stretched out at length on the bough of a tree, from whence 
it springs suddenly on its unsuspecting prey ; and the writer 
has witnessed the extraordinary rapidity with which a tame 
individual would spring on Pigeons on the roof of a house in 
Leh. The female produces two or three young in a litter, 


i 


« 


lem 


TUE CANADIAN LYNX. 195 


which are usually concealed either in a cave, in a crevice 
among fallen rocks, or in the hollow trunk of a large tree. In 
| spite of their ferocity, Lynxes, if taken sufficiently young, can 


be readily tamed, and are susceptible of showing much attach- 
ment to their owners. 


XLII. THE CANADIAN LYNX. FELIS CANADENSIS. 

Felis canadensis, Desmarest, Nouv. Dict. Hist. Nat. vol. vi. 
p. 108 (1816) ; Elliot, Monograph of Felide, pl. xxvii. 
(1878-83) ; Mivart, The Cat, p. 425 (1881). 

Lynx canadensis, Rafinesque, Amer. Month. Mag. vol. ii. p. 46 
(1817). 

Lyncus canadensis, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 46 (1843). 

Lyncus borealis, De Kay, New York Zool. p. 5 (1842). 

Characters—As already mentioned, it seems highly probable 
that this Lynx can only be regarded as a local race of the 
preceding ; but since it is generally recognised by American 
zoologists as a distinct species, it is provisionally allowed to 
retain that rank in the present work. Professor Mivart, who 
regards the Canadian Lynx merely as a variety, states that its 
skull is indistinguishable from that of the common Lynx; and 
that the chief difference from the spotted variety of the latter 
consists in the inferior size of the American form, the length 
of the head and body being about 30 inches, and that of the 
tail 5 inches. Some writers are, however, of opinion that the 
spotted /e/is borealis of ‘Temminck, from the north of Europe, 
should be separated from the typical # Zyzx, and united with 

F. canadensis, which would then have a circumpolar distribu- 

tion.* 

Distribution North America, as far south as Pennsylvania 
and California. 

Habits.—In habits the Canadian Lynx apparently agrees in 


* See W. L. Sclater, Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. pt. ii. p. 233 (1891). 


=), 
© 2 


196 LLoYD’s NATURAL HISTORY. 


all respects with its relatite In his “‘Mammals of the Adiron- | 
dack Region,” Dr. Hart Merriam writes that “it preys upon 
the northern Hare and such other small animals as it can | 
catch, and upon the Ruffed Grouse and Spruce-Partridge. It | 
has also been known to devour pigs, lambs, and young fawns, | 
but the accounts of its attacking full-grown Deer are not to be 
credited. Its haunts are in the deep forests and burnt dis- | 
tricts, remote from the paths of Man; and consequently it 


rarely intrudes upon the barn-yard. Its ordinary gait when in J. 


a hurry is a long gallop, like that of the Hare; and it is said 
to swim well. The female commonly has two young at a birth, 
her lair being usually located in a cavern or hollow tree.” 
After mentioning that it is found on the Mackenzie River | 
as far north as latitude 66°, Sir John Richardson writes that 
this Lynx “is a timid creature, incapable of attacking any of 
the larger quadrupeds, but well armed for the capture of the 
American Hare, on which it chiefly preys. Its large paws, 
slender loins, and Icng but thick hind-legs, with large buttocks, | 
scarcely relieved by a short thick tail, give it an awkward, | 
clumsy appearance. It makes a poor fight when it is surprised 
by a hunter on a tree, for though it spits lke a Cat, and sets 
its hair up, it is easily destroyed by a blow on the back with 
a slender stick, and it never attacks a-man. Its gait is) bye! 
bounds, straightforward, with the back a little arched, and 
lighting on all the feet at once. It swims well, and can cross 
the arm of a lake two miles wide, but it is not swift on land. 
It breeds once a year, and has two young at a time. The | 
natives eat its flesh, which is white and tender, but rather 
flavourless, much resembling that of the American Hare.” 
Every two to four years there appears a sudden increase in | 
the number of Lynxes in parts of North America; these animals | 
associating at such times in troops, and forsaking their favourite 
haunts te follow the Wood-Hare (Lepus sy/vaticus); and it is — 


pares 


. 


% 


TIE RED LYNX. 197 


further stated that whenever the latter animals are unusually 
plentiful, Lynxes will be sure to be proportionately numerous. 

Pelaze.—Lynx-skins, according to Mr. Poland, are a rather 
important article in the fur-trade, the Hudson Bay Company 


usually selling from 8,000 to 40,000 annually, although in 1887 


the number was swelled to over 70,000. Many skins are dyed 
black, and others brown or grey, while others, again, are sil- 
vered. The long fur of the under-parts is much used for boas 
and muffs, when these articles are in fashion, as it is for trim- 
mings to coats and jackets; while officers’ busbies in the English 
Hussar regiments are made of Lynx-skin dyed dark brown. The 
price varies considerably according to the demand, fine skins 
realising from forty to forty-two shillings each, while those of 
inferior size and quality sell at about from four to fifteen 


shillings. 
XLII. THE RED LYNX. FELIS RUFA. 


Telis rufa, Giildenstadt, Nov. Comm. Ac. Petrop. vol. xx. p. 
499 (1776); Elliot, Monograph of Felidee, pl. xl. (1878-83). 

Felis carolinensis, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 234 (1820). 

Lynx floridanus, Rafinesque, Amer. Month. Mag. vol. il. p. 46 
(1817). 

Lynx montanus, Rafinesque, Zoc. cit. 

Lynx rufus, Rafinesque, loc. cit. 

Lynx aureus, Rafinesque, Coc. cit. 

Lynx fasciatus, Rafinesque, loc. crt. 

Felis maculata, Vigors and Horsfield, Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 
381 (1829). 

Lyncus rufus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. outs 3G 
Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 38 (1869). 

Characters—This more southern form, which is likewise re- 

garded by Professor Mivart as a mere variety of the ordinary 

Lynx, is distinguished by the American zoologists on account 

of the rufous tinge assumed by the whole pelage in summer. 


198 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Commonly known in Aggerica by the name of “ Wild Cat,” 
the Red Lynx was long ago described from Minnesota by | 
Carver as follows: “The Cat of the Mountains. This creature 
is in shape much like a Cat, only much larger. The hair or | 
fur resembles also the skin of that domestic animal ; the colour 
however, differs, for the former is of a reddish or orange cast | 
but grows lighter near the belly. The whole skin is beautified 
with black spots of different figures, of which those on the back 
are long, and those on the lower-parts round. On the ears are 
black stripes. The creature is nearly as fierce as a Leopard, 
but will seldom attack Man.” 

With this somewhat vague description may be contrasted the 
detailed one given by Mr. C. I. Herrick, in his ‘ Mammals of 
Minnesota” (1892), which runs as follows :—‘“ The base of the 
fur is tawny-black, the middle buffy-yellow ; terminal portion 
white, or white followed by a longer or shorter black band. 
Ear-tips black ; pencil well developed. Below, the terminal 
white portion is long, concealing the others. Thighs externally 
spotted and lighter, obscurely barred within. The upper arm 
is slightly barred externally, while internally there are several 
wide black bars. In the middle of the back the whole base of 
the fur is black, the tips only being white. The tail is tipped 
with white. The ruff is moderately long, and composed of 
rather stiff harsh hairs. The above description applies to the 
winter pelage. As early as February the whole skin takes on 
the rufous tint before nearly confined to the flanks. In spring 
specimens the base of the fur is pale Vandyke-brown. In the 
yearling the head is of nearly the same size as in the adult. 
The colour seems independent of sex.” Length of head and 
body, 30 inches ; of tail, 6 inches. 

Distribution.—North America, as far south as Mexico. More 
common southwards than to the north, and probably unknown 
in the extreme north, 


THE RED LYNX, 199 


Habits—From the account given in Dr. Hart Merriam’s 
** Mammals of the Adirondack Region,” it would appear that in 
habits this Lynx differs to a certain extent from the preceding, 
a circumstance which, so far as it goes, is in favour of its right 
‘to specific distinction. Frequenting rocky hills and ledges, the 
Red Lynx does not exhibit that antipathy to the neighbourhood 
‘of human habitations which is such a characteristic trait of the 
Canadian Lynx; and it is accordingly quite common in thickly 
populated districts, where it carries off lambs, young pigs, and 
poultry from the farmyard. In the wilds its food consists, how- 
ever, of Rabbits, Squirrels, Mice, Grouse, and such small birds 
as it can contrive to capture. The young, generally three in 
number, although there may be as few as two and as many as 
four in a litter, are generally produced in some hollow tree or 
log, where a moss-lined cradle is prepared by the mother for 
their reception. When enraged, the Red Lynx hisses, spits 
and snarls in the most menacing manner. 

“An anecdote quoted under the head of the Jungle Cat is 
paralleled by the following experience of Dr. Merriam. ‘In 
1873 or 1874,” writes this naturalist, ‘I shot a Grouse as it was 
flying along the north side of Mount Tom, in Massachusetts. 
Scarcely had it touched the rocky slope when a Wild Cat 
sprang upon it from behind a neighbouring bush, and, in a 
succession of rapid leaps, started up the side of the mountain 
with the Grouse in its mouth. The contents of the other 
barrel of my gun caused him to change his mind as well as 
direction.” 

Mr. Herrick relates that in Minnesota “ during severe 
weather the Wild Cat is often forced to feed upon the Porcu- 
pine, and it is of no unfrequent occurrence that she pays for 
her temerity with her life. I have several times secured them 
with the head and throat filled with the spines, rendering 
the animals helpless. Such specimens were invariably poor 


200 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 


and emaciated.” We haveffeard of other kinds of Cats taking 
to the same kind of prey. 

Although we are not generally disposed to regard the flesh 
of carnivorous animals as affording a palatable dish, yet Dr. 
Merriam assures us that Red Lynx flesh is most excellent eat- 
ing, resembling veal both in appearance and taste. 


XLIV. THE PLATEAU LYNX. FELIS BAILEYI. 
Lynx baileyi, Merriam, North American Fauna, No. 3, p. 79 
(1890). 
Felis baileyi, Lydekker, Royal Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 441 (1893). 

Characters.—Said to differ from the Red Lynx of the Eastern 
United States in being uniformly paler on the upper-parts, as 
well as by its shorter tail and softer fur. The upper-parts are 
everywhere suffused with a buffish tint, and the dark markings 
are either smaller or altogether wanting. Thus, the blackish 
marblings of the face and forehead of the Red Lynx are obso- 
lete ; and the black band on the upper surface of the tip of the 
tail has not half the width it has in the latter. On the other 
hand, the anterior border of the ear is distinctly whitish, in 
marked contrast to the black immediately behind it, while in & 
rufus the same border is dark tawny-brown. The white hind- 
toes so conspicuous in the latter are also wanting. 

In spite of certain not very important differences in the 
skulls of the two forms, the writer finds it difficult to regard the 
features above described as entitling the Plateau Lynx to rank 
as a distinct species. 

Distribution —Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. 


XLV. THE SPANISH LYNX. FELIS PARDINA. 

Felis pardina, Temminck, Monogr. Mamm. vol. 1. p. 116 
(1827); Elliot, Monogr. Felide, pl. xxxvili. (1878-83); 
Mivart, The Cat, p. 426 (188r). 

Lyncus pardinus, Gray, List Mamm, Brit. Mus. p. 46 (1843). 


THE HUNTING-LEOPARD. 201 


Characters—This southern Old World Lynx, of which the 
colour is rufous on the upper-parts and white beneath, with 
numerous rounded black spots on the body, limbs, and tail, 
appears to bea well-marked species distinguished from all the 
preceding forms by the characters of the skull. According 
to Professor Mivart, when the skull is viewed in profile, it will be 
seen to differ from that of the common Lynx and its allies by 
being raised and convex between the orbits; while a further 
difference is to be found in the more backward extension of 
the nasal bones. 

Distribution—Southern Europe, including Turkey, Greece, 
Sicily, Sardinia, and Spain. ‘That it is a very ancient inhabti- 
tant of the latter country is proved by the occurrence of its 
~ fossilised remains in the ossiferous deposits of the caverns of 
Gibraltar, in association with those of extinct Mammals. 

I have not come across any good accounts of the habits 
of the Spanish Lynx, but it is probable that these differ in no 
essential degree from those of the other representatives of the 
group. 

II. THE NON-RETRACTILE-CLAWED CATS. GENUS 

CYNAILURUS. 
Cynailurus, Wagler, Syst. Amphib. p. 30 (1830). 

Characters.—Claws only partially retractile, their extremitics 
being always protruded from their sheaths ; the tubercle on 
the inner side of the upper carnassial tooth rudimental. Body 
slender, and limbs relatively longer than in the retractile- 
clawed cats. Skull with the foramen below the socket of the 
eye very small, and frequently represented by two or more 
minute apertures. 

The genus is at the present day represented solely by the 
under-mentioned species, although it is probable that an ex- 
tinct form occurs in the Pliocene rocks of the Siwalik Hills in 
the north of India, 


202 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


I. THE HUNTING-LEOMM®RD. CYNALURUS JUBATUS. 

Felis jubata, Erxleben, Syst. Regn. Anim. p. 510 (1777). 

Felis guttata, Hermann, Observ. Zool. p. 38 (1804). 

Cynailurus jubatus, Wagler, Syst. Amphib. p. 30 (1830); 
Elliot, Monogr. Felidze, pl. xliii. (1878-83). 

Cynofelis jubata and C. guttata, Lesson, Nouv. Table. Régn. 
Anim. p. 49 (1842). 

Gueparda guttata, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 277; id., 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 39 (1869). 

Felis megaballa, Heuglin, Zeitschr. Allgem. Erdkunde, vol. iii. 
p- 53 (1868). 

Felis lanea, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 532; Mivart, 
The Cat, p. 429 (1881). 

Cynelurus jubatus and C. ldaneus, Blanford, Mamm. Brit. 
India, pp. 90, 91 (1888). 

(Plate XX V.) 

Characters.—Size about the same as that of the Leopard, but 
form more slender, and limbs longer. Ears short and rounded ; 
fur coarse, hair of neck somewhat lengthened, and that of the 
under-parts rather long and shaggy; tail more than half the length 
of head and body. Ground-colour of upper-parts varying from 
tawny to bright rufous-fawn, becoming paler beneath ; marked 
almost throughout with small solid black spots; chin and 
throat buffish-white without spots; a black streak from the 
outer corner of each eye to the lip, and another (or a line of 
spots) from the inner corner to below the ear; ear black ex- 
ternally, with tawny base and margin; tail spotted on upper 
surface, the spots towards the tip passing into imperfect rings. 
Cubs covered with uniformly grey long hair, but-with spots show- 
ing on the under-fur. Pupil of eye circular when contracted. 
Skull vaulted and broad, very convex at the crown, and the 
facial portion short with the nasals broad and wide ; orbits in- 
complete behind; anterior upper pre-molar tooth generally 


“CeVdOuw'l ONILLNAH 


TAG 
aay, DPS fe 


AXX WLV'Id 


THE HUNTING-LEOPARD. 203 


present. Length of head and body, about 41% feet ; of tail, 2%4 
feet ; height, about 2% feet. 

Distribution.—Africa and South-western Asia, excending from 
Persia to Western Turkestan and the countries east of the 
Caspian, and eastwards into India. In the latter country 
ranging over a considerable portion of the peninsula, from the 
Punjab, through Rajputana and Central India, to the confines 
of Bengal ; unknown on the Malabar Coast and in Ceylon, as 
well as to the north of the Ganges. In Africa the species is 
reported to be probably exterminated in Natal, and nearly so 
in the Cape Colony, although a few individuals still linger in 
the extreme north-western districts. Some also remain in the 
more remote unsettled parts of the Transvaal; but in the 
waterless portions of the Kalahari, as well as in parts of 
Bechuanaland, and throughout South Central Africa, it is less 
uncommon. 

The so-called Woolly Chita (C. /aniger) of Africa appears to 
be merely a variety in which the fur is more woolly and dense 
than in the typical form, with the spots taking the shape of 
blotches of a dark fulvous tint. As mentioned under the 
heading of the Leopard, the name Chita is properly no more 
restricted to the present than it is to the latter species, and it 
is accordingly preferable to adopt the term ‘‘ Hunting-Leopard.” 

Habits.— While in South Central Africa this animal usually 
haunts flat bush-clad districts, in India its favourite resorts are 
low, isolated, rocky hills. In the former country its prey in- 
cludes the smaller Antelopes and the fawns of the larger kinds, 
together with Hares, the Cape Jumping-Hare (Pedeées), and 
Guinea-fowl ; while in India it subsists chiefly upon Black 
Buck, although it also kills Gazelles, Nilgai, and probably Deer 
and other large Mammals. Although in both continents it 
occasionally carries off a stray Sheep, Goat, or Calf its depre- 
dations on domesticated animals are not very serious ; and it 


204 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 


has never been known to @@tack human beings. Indeed, its 
disposition cannot in any way be said to be ferocious or 
sanguinary ; and when the natives of South Africa meet with a 
Hunting-Leopard, they have no hesitation in closing with it, 
armed only with a club. Fora short spurt, the speed of this 
animal far surpasses that of any other member of the Family ; 
and it also differs from the other species, in that it generally 
hunts in pairs or small family parties. After a meal, it usually 
rests for a couple of days, and then repairs to a particular 
tree, where it cleans and sharpens its claws in the manner 
characteristic of the Family, preparatory to another foray. It 
can be tamed with great facility, all the individuals employed 
in hunting in India being captured when full-grown, the natives 
asserting that it is essential for the cubs to be trained in 
capturing their prey by their parents. 

Regarding the employment of these animals in the chase, 
Jardine writes that at an early period of the Mogul Empire 
it is stated that Leopards and Lynxes were kept for chasing 
Deer, and Tigers for seizing Boars. ‘‘Although it is not likely 
that it was the real Tiger which was employed, it is evident 
that there were at least three animals so distinct as to entitle 
them to various denominations. It is said that some of the 
emperors, in their great hunting expeditions, were accompanied 
to the field by a thousand Hunting-Leopards. 

“‘ At the present period this sport is confined entirely to India 
and Persia, and the Hunting-Leopard alone is employed in it. 
These animals are so tame and gentle, as to be led about in a 
leash like Greyhounds, but when brought to the hunting-field, 
they are carried either on an Elephant or on horseback on a 
pad behind the rider, but more generally ona cart made for the 
purpose, and drawn by oxen. ‘This carries both the sports- 
man and his attendants, and upon approaching the game, the 
animal is unhooded and slipped. But tke description of a 


THE HUNTING-LEOPARD. 205 


chase by one who has enjoyed the sport, wiil give the best idea 
of the manner in which it is conducted. 

“Just before we reached our ground, the camel-courier, 
who always moved on our flanks in search of game, reported a 
herd of Antelopes about half a mile out of the line of march, 
and the Chitas being at hand, we went in pursuit of them. The 
Leopards are each accommodated with a flat-topped cart, with- 
out sides, drawn by two bullocks, and each animal has two 
attendants. ‘They are loosely bound by a collar and rope to 
the back of the vehicle, and are also held by the keeper by a 
strap round the loins. A leathern hood covers the eyes. The 
Antelopes being exceedingly timid and wild, the best way to 
enjoy the sport is to sit on the cart alongside the driver ; for 
the vehicle being built like the carts of the peasants, to the 
sight of which the Antelopes are accustomed, it is not difficult, 
by careful management, to approach within two hundred yards 
of the game. On the occasion in question there were three 
Chitas in the field, and we proceeded towards the spot where 
the herd had been seen, in a line, with an interval of a hundred 
yards between each cart. On emerging from a cotton-field, 
we came in sight of four Antelopes, and my driver managed to 
get within a hundred yards of them, ere they took alarm. The 
Chita was quickly unhooded and loosed from his bonds; and 
as soon as he viewed the game, he dropped quietly off the cart, 
on the opposite side to that on which they stood, and approached 
them at a slow crouching canter, masking himself by every bush 
and inequality which lay in his way. As soon, however, as 
they began to show alarm, he quickened his pace, and was in 
the midst of them ina few bounds. He singled out a doe, 
and ran it close for about two hundred yards, when he reached 


it with a blow of his paw, rolled it over, and in an instant was 


sucking the life’s-blood from its throat. One of the other 
Chitas was slipped at the same time, but after making four or 


206 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


five enormous bounds, by @hich he nearly reached his prey, 
suddenly gave up the pursuit, and came growling sulkily. 
back to his cart.’ 

“As soon as the Antelope is pulled down, a keeper runs up, 
hoods the Chita, cuts the victim’s throat, and securing some of 
the blood in a wooden ladle, thrusts it under the Leopard’s nose. 
The Antelope is then dragged away, and placed in a receptacle 
under the cart, while the Chita is rewarded with a leg for his 
pains.” 


Il. THE CIVETS. FAMILY VIVERRIDZ. 


This extensive Family, which includes not only the typical 
Civets, but likewise the Palm-Civets, Mungooses, &c., may 
be distinguished from the Zé/de by two leading characteristics. 
In the first place the auditory bulla of the skull is marked bya 
transverse external constriction, indicating the position of the 
internal bony partition ; and, in the second, the middle incisor 
tooth on each side of the lower jaw is raised above the level of 
the other two. From all existing 7e/de the Viverride are fur- 
ther distinguished by the greater number of pre-molar teeth in 
the lower jaw, these varying from three to four pairs. Asa 
tule, the teeth of the cheek-series differ considerably from those 
of the Cats ; but as the genus Cryftoprocta forms a connecting 
link between the two groups in this respect, dental characters 
cannot be relied on to distinguish between them. The num- 
ber of pre-molar teeth varies from three to four pairs in each 
jaw, and there are generally two pairs of molars in each, 
although in a few instances these may be reduced toa single 
pair. In most cases the feet, which may be either digitigrade 
or partly plantigrade, are each furnished with five toes ; but the 
number may be reduced to four in either the front or the hind 
pair, or in both. The degree of retractility of the claws varies 
in the different genera, as does the extent to which the hair 
extends on to the hinder part of the sole of the foot. 


q 
. 


THE CIVETS, 207 


Although they are approached to a certain degree in these 
respects by the Eyra, the Civets and their allies differ from the 
Cats in the more elongate form of the head and body, the 
sharper muzzle, and the shorter limbs; the skull being also 
elongated and narrowed in conformity with the shape of the 
head. The majority of them have scent-glands situated be- 
neath the tail. In the predominance of spots and stripes on 
the fur, these animals resemble the Cats; a few of them, 
however, have continucus longitudinal stripes on the whole of 
the upper-parts—a feature unknown in the latter,—while the 
peculiar “‘pepper-and-salt” coloration of the typical Mun- 
gooses is likewise a peculiarity. A few forms, such as the 
Fossa and Miller’s Mungoose, have uniformly tawny or reddish 
fur. Unlike the Weasel tribe (AZustelide), the Viverride are of 
no commercial value on account of their pelts ; such furs as 
are used at all selling at very low prices, and being employed 
for common articles. 

The members of the Family do not present that striking 
general similarity so conspicuous among the Cats, and they 
are consequently divided into numerous genera, which may be 
grouped in three Sub-families. Unknown both in Australasia 
and America (so far as can be ascertained, not only at the pre- 
sent day, but likewise in past epochs of the earth’s history), the 
Civets and their allies are confined to the warmer regions 
of Africa, Madagascar, and South-eastern Asia; one species 
extending, however, into Spain, and a second into France. 
Some of the most peculiar and aberrant forms are confined to 
Madagascar ; and it may be noticed that nearly all the species 
from that island pertain to peculiar genera. During the Ter- 
tiary epoch Civet-like animals were extremely abundant in 
Europe in strata antecedent to the Pliocene age, their down- 
ward range extending to the Oligocene period, at which date 
their remains are met with in great numbers in the Quercy 
Phosphorites of Central France. 


208 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Many of the Family are@@ss completely carnivorous in their 
feeding than the Cats; but their habits may be more con- 
veniently noticed under the various groups. Since these 
animals are, for the most part, less generally interesting than 
the Cats, they will be treated of more briefly than the latter. 

I. THE FOSSAS. GENUS CRYPTOPROCTA. 
Cryptoprocta, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 46. 

This genus is the sole representative of a Sub-family charac- 
terised by the absence in the skull of the channel known as 
the alisphenoid canal, by the auditory bulla being somewhat 
intermediate between that of the Civets and Mungooses, by 
the feline structure of the teeth, and by the sharp and com- 
pletely retractile claws, of which there are five to each foot. 
As regards the teeth, there are four pairs of pre-molars and 
a single one of molars; but the anterior pre-molar in each 
jaw is shed at an early period. ‘The upper carnassial tooth 
has a three-lobed blade, like the Cats, and a small inter- 
nal tubercle, while the lower carnassial differs from that of 
the Fe/ide solely in having a small ledge or heel on its hinder 
border, the rudiment of such a heel being found in the corre- 
sponding tooth of the Lynxes. The upper molar is a small, 
transversely elongated tooth, placed internally to the carnassial. 
Although generally resembling that of the /e/:de, the skull is 
proportionately longer and narrower, its orbit not being com- 
pletely closed by bone behind. ‘The feet are sub-plantigrade, 
with the tarsus and metatarsus naked, and the nose and upper 
lip have a median groove. = 

That the genus constitutes a distinct Sub-family is perfectly 
certain, the only question being whether it should not be 
assigned to a Family apart. It is represented solely by 

I. THE FOSSA. CRYPTOPROCTA FEROX. 
‘Cryptoprocta ferox, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 46; id., 
Trans. Zool, Soc.:vol. i. p. 137 (1833) ; Mivart, “Bro 
Zool, Soc. 1882,. p..19A- 


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‘TAXXY ALV Id 


| 


THE FOSSA, 209 


Cryptoprocta typicus, A. Smith, S. African Quart. Journ. vol. ii. 


P- 134 (1835). | 
(Plate XX VI.) 


Characters.—Size about twice that of an ordinary Cat; ears 
moderate ; tail long and cylindrical ; fur short, close, and erect. 
Colour nearly uniform pale sandy-brown. Total length, about 
B.tect. 

Distribution Madagascar. 

.Habits—The largest Carnivore in its native island, the 
Fossa is noted for the ferocity of its disposition, frequently 
carrying off Goats and kids, and fighting desperately when 
wounded. Beyond the fact that it is purely nocturnal, we 
have, however, scarcely any definite information with regard to 
its habits ; the following account, sent by an orchid-hunter 
named Hamelin to his employers, being apparently somewhat 
highly coloured. Monsieur Hamelin, writing of the Fossa, 
states that ‘‘ during the daytime it is extremely dangerous, for 
it crouches in the forks of trees, hidden among the rich tropica 
foliage and climbing plants, and watches for its prey. It is 
exceedingly agile, and the moment its victim approaches, it 
slides silently down, and in one bound is on top of it—a pic- 
ture of horrible ferocity. At night big fires had to be con- 
stantly kept up, and men had to take the watch, as we were thus 
exposed to the observation of no less savage human enemies. 

“The favourite haunt of the Cryffoprocta seemed to me to 
be amongst the masses of foliage where the Hulopfiella grew. 
Here they were numerous, and I was happy to be able to cap- 
ture two young ones. This animal is not big, but extremely 
ferocious. ‘The capture of these two cubs was attended by a 


- terrible adventure—no less than the death of the brother-in- 


law of the king, a fine, handsome, well-built man. It came 


about in this wise. Whilst we were busy with the young ones 


the mother returned, and, maddened with rage, pounced on 


the shoulders of the king’s brother-in-law, rending the flesh 


7 _ 


210 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


from back and shoulders#&nd mangling him in a frightful 
manner. ‘Tsiampohé fell as if struck by lightning. The next 
moment thirty ‘zagaies’’ were quivering in the carcase of the 
fierce creature that had wrought such mischief.” 


Il. THE TRUE CIVETS. GENUS VIVERRA. 
Viverra, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. 1. p. 63 (1766). 

This, together with several other genera, constitutes a second 
Sub-family ( Viverrine), distinguished by the following features: 
Skull with the auditory bulla conically oval in form, its hinder 
border being broad, truncated, and non-everted, while in front 
it is narrow and compressed, its anterior chamber being very 
small and flat. An alisphenoid canal generally present. 
Usually glands in front of the scrotum. Claws curved and 
generally more or less retractile. Teeth more or less Dog- 
like ; there being always four pairs of pre-molars, and generally 
two pairs of molars in each jaw. ‘The upper carnassial tooth 
has only two lobes to the blade and a large internal tubercle ; 
while the corresponding lower tooth consists of a blade and a 
large tubercular posterior heel. ‘The upper molars are triangu- 
lar in form ; the anterior one being placed entirely behind the 
carnassial. 

The present genus is distinguished by the upper lip being 
medianly grooved; the tail is of considerable length, and 
marked by dark and light rings; the feet are completely 
digitigrade, the tarsus and metatarsus being entirely hairy ; 
and the ears are without tufts. There are two pairs of upper 
molar teeth; the throat is marked by a black gorget; and 
there is generally an erectile crest of elongated hairs down the 
back; the whole fur being long and loose. The claws are 
rather short, blunt, and only partially retractile ; and the pupil 
of the eye contracts to a circle. 

The Civets include the largest representatives of the Sub- 


” 


“TAXX 


WL Td 


“LAAIO 


NVOTHAV 


THE INDIAN CIVET. 291 


family, and have comparatively short, stout, and somewhat 
compressed bodies, and the limbs relatively longer than in 
some of the allied genera. They are all highly odoriferous ; 
one of their secretions being employed in perfumery. Mainly 
an Oriental group, they are represented only bya single species 
in Africa. 
I. THE AFRICAN CIVET. VIVERRA CIVETTA. | 

Viverra civetta, Schreber, Sdugethiere, vol. iii. pl. cxi. (1778) ; 

Gray, Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 46 (1869). 
? Viverra poortmanni, Pucheran, Rev. Mag. Zool. vol. vii. p. 

154 (1853). 
Viverra orientalis, Matschie, Mittheil. deutsch. Schutzgebieten, 

vol. vi. pt. 3, p. 11 (1893). 

(Plate XX VII.) 

Characters.—Back with a strong erectile crest of black hairs, 
continued on to the tail; general colour of fur ashy-grey, marked 
with dark streaks and blotches; sides of neck marked by two 
dark streaks, separated by a white one, running backwards 
from the ear, and the black ones meeting to form a gorget 
under the throat. Tail roughly haired, with the rings well 
defined on the basal half, but the terminal half almost uni- 
formly black. Lower part of limbs uniformly dark. 

Distribution.— Africa ; apparently distributed widely over the 
tropical portions of the continent, having been recorded from 
Abyssinia, Fernando Po, Guinea, and the Gaboon, but seems 
unknown in the south, not even being recorded from Nyasaland. 

Habits.—So far as known, a non-arboreal species, this Civet 
probably agrees closely in habits with its Indian ally, and, 
therefore, need not be further noticed. 


Il. THE INDIAN CIVET. VIVERRA ZIBETHA. 
Viverra zibetha, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. i. p. 65 (1766) ; 
Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 208 (1888). 
P 2 


are LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Viverra undata, Gray, Spie™ool. p. 9 (1830). 

Viverra melanurus, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. x. 
Pp. 909 (1841). 

Viverra civetoides, Hodgson, Joc. cit. 

Viverra ashtont, Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 379. 

Characters.—-Size approximately equal to that of the last 
species, from which the present form may be readily dis- 
tinguished by the tail being marked with complete dark and 
light rings throughout its length ; general colour dark hoary- 
grey, often with a brownish or reddish tinge; crest black ; 
sides of the body generally without markings, but sometimes 
wavy, indistinct, transverse, cloudy stripes present ; front and 
sides of neck and upper part of chest white, crossed by a 
broad black gorget, with frequently another dark band in front 
and a third behind, the latter (when present) meeting a hori- 
zontal streak from behind the ear; outer surface of limbs in- 
distinctly barred superiorly, but the whole of the lower portions 
of the legs and feet uniformly dark brown or black. Length 
of head and body, about 32 inches; of tail, 8 inches. 

Distribution. Bengal, Assam, Burma, Siam, the south of 
China, and Hainan. In Sikhim and Nipal it ascends to a 
considerable elevation in the Himalaya. According to Mr. 
W. L. Sclater, it is not improbable that the alleged occurrence 
of this Civet in the Malay Peninsula is due to its having been 
confounded with an allied species. 

Habits.— Usually a solitary creature, this Civet, or Civet-Cat, 
generally skulks in woods, bushes, or thick grass during the 
daytime, and only issues out into the open in search of prey 
after dark. It is unable to climb trees; and probably does not 
burrow, although it not unfrequently takes possession of holes 
in the ground. It feeds largely on small Mammals and birds 
(including domestic ducks and poultry); but it will also con- 
sume snakes, frogs, insects, and eggs, as well as fruits and 


i 


THE BURMES# CIVET. 21.3 


certain roots. A good swimmer, it never has any hesitation 
in taking to the water. The young, in India, are born during 
the months of May and June; each litter including three or 
four cubs. 

The secretion from the glands placed in front of the scrotum 
of the male of this and other Civets, and in a corresponding 
position in the female, escapes by a number of small orifices 
into a kind of pouch with a long slit-like opening. From this 
receptacle the Civet of commerce is scraped out periodically 
by means of a kind of wooden spoon; the natives of many 
eastern countries keeping these animals in confinement for the 
sake of this product. ‘Two glands situated more posteriorly 
yield a secretion with a most noisome and offensive odour. 


III. THE MALABAR CIVET. VIVERRA CIVETTINA. 


Viverra civettina, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xxxi. p. 
332 (1862); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 98 (1888) ; 
Sclater, Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. pt. ii. p. 236 (1891). 

Characters.—Size nearly as in the last; black rings on tail 
complete, but the light ones partially interrupted by a broken 
longitudinal dark stripe on the upper surface ; sides of body 
distinctly marked with dark spots; dorsal crest commencing 
on the head. First upper molar more quadrangular than in 
the preceding species. General ground-colour of fur distinctly 
yellowish. 

Distribution—The Malabar Coast, and the Wynad and Curg 
districts of Southern India. 


Iv. THE BURMESE CIVET. VIVERRA MEGASPILA. 
Viverra megaspila, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xxxi. 
p. 331 (1862); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 99 
(1888); Sclater, Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. pt. il. p. 227 
(1891). 
Characters.—Size of the last ; a longitudinal black band down 


214 LLOYD’s NATURAL HISTORY. 


the tail continuous, and wnpletcly interrupting the light rings 
on its upper surface ; dark rings continuous below, and at first 
not wider than the light intervening spaces ; dorsal crest com- 
mencing between the shoulders; sides marked with large, 
distinct, and somewhat quadrangular dark spots, tending to 
form transverse bands on the flanks, and longitudinal stripes on 
the rump. General colour of fur grey, at times with a yellowish 
or brownish tinge ; feet brown. ‘The white front and sides or 
the neck marked with two or three black gorgets. 

Distribution Burma, Malay Peninsula, Cochin China, and 
Sumatra. 


V. THE JAVAN CIVET. VIVERRA TANGALUNGA. 


Viverra tangalunga, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 63; id., 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 47 (1869) ; Sclater, Cat. 
Mamm. Ind. Mus. pt. il. p. 237 (1891). 

Characters.—Smaller than the last ; longitudinal dark band 
on upper surface of tail very broad, and the dark rings, except 
a few near the end, interrupted on the lower surface ; sides of 
body marked by spots of somewhat smaller size than in V, 
megaspila. 

Distribution—Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, 
Amboyna, and the Philippine Islands ; the range of this species 
being more easterly than that of any other member of the 
genus. 

VI. THE RASSE. VIVERRA MALACCENSIS. 


Viverra malaccensis, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 92 (1788). 

Viverra leveriana, Shaw, Mus. Leverianum, pt. ii. p. 19 (1796). 

Viverra indica, Desmarest, Nouv. Dict. Hist. Nat. vol. vii. p. 
EVO TST): 

Viverra rasse, Horsfield, Zool. Researches, plate (1821). 

Viverra bengalensis, Gray, Ill. Indian Zool. vol. i. pl. iv. 


(1832). 


THE RASSE. 215 


Viverra pallida, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 63. 

Viverricula indica, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. x. 
Pp. 909 (1841). 

Viverricula malaccensis, Cantor, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. 
XV. p. 199 (1846) ; Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 100 
(1888). 

Viverra schlegelt, Pollen, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierkunde, vol. iii. 
p. 78 (1866) ; Flower, Cat. Osteol. Mus. Coll. Surg. pt. ii. 
Pp. 97 (1884). 

Characters.—Size small. Distinguished from all the preced- 
ing species by the absence of an erectile crest of elongated 
hairs down the back, and also the general want of an alisphenoid 
canal in the skull. The nails are also sharper and curved, 
and the first toe in each foot shorter and more separated from 
the others, while the muzzle is more pointed, and the whole 
build of the animal lighter. On account of these comparatively 
unimportant points of difference, the species is frequently 
referred to a distinct genus. 

General colour varying from brownish-grey to pale yellowish- 
brown, usually with several longitudinal black or dark brown 
stripes down the back, and longitudinally-arranged rows of 
spots on the sides of the body, but such markings, in some 
cases, are very indistinct, and the dorsal stripes even wanting. 
Markings on neck somewhat variable; but generally two dark 
stripes from behind the ears to the shoulders, and frequently 
a third in front, crossing the throat ; a dusky mark behind the 
ear, and another in front of the eyes; feet brown or black ; tail 
with complete black and whitish rings, numbering from seven 
to nine pairs. Length of head and body, from 21 to 23 inches; 
of tail, inclusive of the hair at the tip, from 15 to 17 inches. 

Distribution.—Socotra, Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Ceylon, 
India, Assam, Burma, Malay Peninsula, Java, Southern China, 
Hainan, and Formosa. With the possible exception of the 


216 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Punjab and Sind, this spe@fes seems to range over the whole 
of India. It has the widest geographical distribution of any 
member of the Family; and is also the only one common to 
Asia and Madagascar ; the latter feature in its distribution 
being a very remarkable one. 

Habits.—So far as has been ascertained, while all the other 
Civets are non-arboreal animals, the Rasse is said to be an 
expert climber, although it is generally found inhabiting holes 
in the ground, and does not appear to have been observed in 
thick forest. Not unfrequently resorting to the neighbourhood 
of human dwellings, it has been met with hiding in drains and 
outbuildings; and it is frequently kept in captivity in the East, 
in which condition it becomes perfectly tame. In addition to 
preying on such birds and small Mammalsas it can contrive to 
capture, the Rasse, like its congeners, varies its diet with fruit 
and roots. Four or five young are produced in a litter. 


HI. THE MADAGASCAR CIVETS. GENUS FOSSA. 
fossa, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 518. 

Nearly allied to the Rasse, the single representative of this 
imperfectly-known genus is distinguished from all the members 
of the preceding group by the presence of two small bare spots 
on the under surface of the metatarsus in the hind-limb ; while 
it is believed that there is no scent-pouch. ‘The limbs are re- 
markable for their slenderness ; and the absence of a dark line 
down the back, and also of a dark gorget, form other distinc- 
tive features of the genus. The one species is confined to 
Madagascar. 


I, DAUBENTON’S CIVET. FOSSA DAUBENTONI. 
Viverra fossa, Schreber, Saéugethiere, vol. iii. pl. cxiv. (1778). 
fossa daubentonit, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 518 ; Mivart, 
Proc. Zool. Soc: 1882, \p.-150, 


Characters.—General colour of fur greyish, which may be 


THE GENETS. 217 


marked only with some spots on the flanks, and a few indistinct 
stripes on the shoulders. Young distinctly striped, the median 
line of the back being of the general ground-colour bordered 
by two rows of small irregular spots, externally to which are 
three dark longitudinal stripes on each side; no throat-gorget ; 
tail spotted, with the spots tending to arrange themselves in 
rings. Length of head and body, about 16 inches ; of tail, 8 
inches. 

Distribution. Madagascar. 

Habits.— Unknown. 

IV. THE GENETS. GENUS GENETTA. 
Genetta, Cuvier, Regne Animal, vol. i. p. 156 (1817). 

Having the same number of teeth, and likewise five toes to 
_ each foot, the Genets differ from both the preceding genera by 
having a naked longitudinal line running up the middle of the 
under surface of the metatarsus; this bald strip being separated 
from the pads of the foot by an intervening hairy space. They 
are further distinguished from Viverra by the want of a scent- 
pouch, and from fossa by having a dark stripe down the middle 
of the back. All are comparatively small in size, and they 
may have a slight crest down the back, but lack a black gorget 
on the throat. The various species are exceedingly alike to 
one another, and further comparisons are required before their 
distinctive characters can be regarded as properly defined. In 
colour, their fur is brownish, yellowish, or greyish, marked with 
black or brown spots on the sides of the body and the above- 
mentioned dark line down the back; dark stripes extend 
backwards from behind the ears over the shoulders; above 
each eye is a light-coloured patch, and beneath the same a 
white spot; the under-parts are light coloured, sparsely spotted 
with a dark tint; the tail has dark and light rings; and the 
feet may be either blackish or whitish. In the skull the audi- 
tory bulla is less markedly triangular than in Viverra, while 


218 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


the last upper molar tootM™s relatively larger and more tri- 
angular than is generally the case in that genus, and the lower 
carnassial has a larger heel. 

The genus is essentially an African one, although the type 
species ranges into Southern Europe and Palestine. 


I. THE COMMON GENET. GENETTA VULGARIS. 
Viverra genetta, L.inn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. i. p. 65 (1766). 
Genetta afra, F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. li. (1825). 
Genetta vulgaris, Lesson, Man. Mamm. p. 173 (1827). 

Genetta bonaparti, Loche, Rev. Mag. Zool. ser. 2, vol. ix. p. 
385 (1857). 

Characters—General colour blackish-grey, marked with black 
spots and streaks and a black dorsal stripe ; tail relatively long, 
with the white and black rings of nearly equal length, and the 
tip whitish ; fore-limbs greyish, with black spots ; hind-legs © 
black posteriorly in the neighbourhood of the ankle-joint. 
Length of head and body, about 1934 inches ; of tail, 1534 
inches. 

Distribution—Southern Europe, namely, France, Spain, and 
Turkey; North Africa; and Palestine. This is one of the very 
few species of the Family common to Europe and Africa. 

Habits—In general habits the Common Genet (and the 
other species probably also) appears to be very similar to the 
Civets, living on the ground, and being found both in wooded 
and open country, and likewise on bush-covered mountains, 
Although rare in the south of France, it is stated to be com- 
moner in Spain, but even there is seldom seen. Small Rodents, 
birds, and their eggs form its chief nutriment ; and in pursuit 
of its prey the Genet is remarkable for the almost Snake-like 
manner in which it steals among the herbage, with its body 
elongated and depressed to the greatest possible degree. Its 
breeding-habits in the wild state are unknown, but in captivity 
only a single young one is produced ata birth. Genets are 


PLATE XXXVI. 


BLOTCHED GENET. 


fHE BLOTCHED GENET. 219 


easily tamed, and in some parts of Europe are kept for catch- 
ing Rats. 


Il, THE FELINE GENET. GENETTA FELINA. 

Viverra felina, Thunberg, K. Svensk. Ak. Handl. vol. xxxii. p. 
166 (1811). 

Genetta felina, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 63, and Cat. 
Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 50 (1869) ; Bocage, J. Sci. 
Lisboa, ser. 2, vol. i. p. 177 (18809). 

Characters.—Closely allied to the last, from which, according 
to Gray, it is chiefly distinguished by the blacker legs and feet, 
the darker head, and the more distinct black streak on the fore- 
head between the eyes. 


Distribution—South Africa, and, according to Bocage, West 
Africa (Gaboon). 


Ill. THE SENEGAL GENET. GENETTA SENEGALENSIS. 
Viverra senegalensis, Fischer, Synops. Mamm. p. 170 (1829). 
Genetta senegalensis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832; id., Cat. 

Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 50 (1869). 
Genetta aubryana, Pucheran, Rev. Mag. Zool. vol. vii. p. 154 
(1885). 

Characters.—General colour pale yellowish-grey, with brown 
spots and streaks ; dorsal stripe black ; the hairs elongated on 
the loins ; tail long and slender, ringed with black and yellow- 
ish, the light rings being the longer, and the tip light ; hinder 
surface of hind-limbs black or blackish. 

Distribution West, North, and East Africa. 


IV. THE BLOTCHED GENET, GENETTA TIGRINA. 
Viverra tigrina, Schreber, Saugethiere, vol. ili. p. 425 (1778). 
Genetta abyssinica, Ruppell, N. Wirbelthiere, p. 33 (1835). 
Genetta tigrina, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 49 (1843). 
Viverra abyssinica, Gerrard, Cat. Bones Brit. Mus. p. 71 (1862). 

(Plate XXVIII.) 


220 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Characters.—General col@@f greyish-brown, with large black 
ish spots or blotches, not unfrequently becoming brownish at 
the centre ; tail long and cylindrical, with the whitish rings 
shorter than the black ones, and the tip black ; hind-feet 
dark. 

Distribution.—South Africa, and northwards on the east coast 
through Natal and Mozambique to Abyssinia. 


V. THE PARDINE GENET. GENETTA PARDINA. 

Genetta pardina, Geoffroy, Mag. Zool. 1832, pl. viii. ; Gray, 
Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 51 (1869); Bocage, J. 
Sci. Lisboa, ser. 2, vol. i. p. 177 (1889). 

Viverra genettoides, Vemminck, Esquisses Zool. p. 89 (1853); 
Matschie, Mittheil. deutsch. Schutzgebieten, vol. vi. art. 
3, p. 11 (1393); 1d., Mittheil. Nat: Mus. Libeck,*sen 2 
vol. i. p. 133 (1894). 

Genetta servalina, Pucheran, Rev. Mag. Zool. vol. vii. p. 154 
(1855). 

Genetta feldiana, Du Chaillu, Proc. Boston Soc. vol. vii. p. 302 
(1860). 

Genetta angolensis, Bocage, J. Sci. Lisboa, vol. ix. p. 29 (1882). 

Characters.—Colour typically yellowish- or greyish-brown, with 
three or four longitudinal rows of black spots more or less 
brownish at their centres ; tail long and short-haired, with 
elongated reddish or black rings and short light ones, anda 
black tip ; feet and posterior surface of hind-legs brown. 

Gray remarks “that specimens vary considerably in the size 
of the spots; in some they are brown with black edges, in 
others almost uniformly black ; but I can see no characters by 
which they can be separated.” Herr Matschie, who appears 
to regard the dark form described as Viverra genettoides as a 
distinct species (with which Genetta servalina is probably iden- 
ical), states that specimens from the Cameruns show a long 


THE ORIENTAL LINSANGS, 221 


black tail-tip, on the under surface of which the last three light 
rings are indistinctly visible. A variety from Angola (G. angolen- 
sis) is described by Bocage as grey, grizzled with black and 
white, and marked with large black spots and streaks ; limbs 
totally black; tail short, inferior in length to the head and 
body, black, with grey rings near the base. Length of head 
and body, about 18 inches ; of tail, 1614 inches. 

Distribution.— West Africa (Senegal, Fernando Po, Guinea, 
Gaboon, the Cameruns, and Angola). 


VI. THE RUFOUS GENET. GENETTA RUBIGINOSA. 
Genetta rubiginosa, Pucheran, Rev. Mag. Zool. vol. vii. p. 154 
(1855); Bocage, J. Sci. Lisboa, ser. 2, vol. i. p. 177 (18809). 
Characters.—This Genet was provisionally identified by Gray 
with G. fe/ina, but black-tailed specimens obtained from Angola 
by Bocage are regarded as indicating a distinct species, which 
is probably the one described by Pucheran. ‘These specimens 
are described as follows :—Ground-colour of the fur greyish- 
white with a tinge of rufous; limbs of the same hue, and show- 
ing scarcely any trace of dark markings; dorsal stripe and 
streaks on the body bright rufous, with the exception of those 
of the last row, which are blackish. ‘The tail, which is of con- 
siderable length, generally has four rufous rings near the root, 
followed by four or five black rings, alternating with shorter 
rings of reddish-white ; tip black, formed by the coalescence of 
the last two or three dark rings. Length of head and body, 
about 19 inches; of tail, nearly the same. 
Distribution. West Africa (Angola). 


V. THE ORIENTAL LINSANGS. GENUS LINSANGA. 


Prionodontide, Horsfield, Zool. Researches, plate of Feds gra- 
cilis, as a “section” of Fe/is (1821); volume dated 1824. 
Linsang, S. Miiller, Verh. Nat. Gesch. p. 28 (1839). 


222 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY, 


Having the under surfaeg@0f the tarsus and metatarsus com- 
pletely clothed with hair, as in Viverra, the Oriental Linsangs 
differ from all the genera mentioned above by having only one 
(instead of two) pair of molar teeth in the upper jaw. The 
Linsangs are long-bodied and short-limbed animals, with the 
claws of the five-toed feet almost as completely retractile as in 
the Cats, and the fur short, soft, close, and erect. There are 
no scent-glands corresponding to those which produce civet 
in Viverra. The ground-colour of the fur is white or greyish- 
white, upon which are dark brown or black markings, taking 
the form either of a small number of large patches extending 
transversely across the body, or of such patches broken up into 
quadrangular spots; there are dark longitudinal streaks (some- 
times broken into spots) on the neck and shoulders, as well as 
smaller ones on the head; and the tail is ringed with dark and 
light. The pupil of the eye is circular when contracted ; and 
the skull is very similar to that of Gevetfa,; but the lower car- 
nassial tooth has its posterior heel smaller than in the latter. 

The genus is exclusively Oriental, ranging from North-eastern 
India to Borneo and Java, although unknown in the Malay 
Peninsula. It is represented by an allied type in Western 
Africa. 


I. THE BORNEAN LINSANG. LINSANGA GRACILIS. 
Viverra gracilis, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 539 (1820). 
Felis gracilis, Horsfield, Zool. Researches, plate (1824). 
Paradoxurus linsang, Fischer, Synops. Mamm. p. 159 (1829). 
Linsang gracilis, Miller, Verh. Nat. Gesch. p. 28 (1839); 
Gray, Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 53 (1869). 
Prionodon gracilis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 519. 
Characters.—Size small ; general coloration very similar to 
that of the next species, but the skull of a different type, 
being relatively shorter, and with a wider brain-case. Mr. 


ae 


THE BURMESE LINSANG. 223 


Blanford observes that in the present species the pale ground- 
colour prevails much more than in the next; the upper-parts 
of the former being marked by irregularly-shaped blackish spots 
on a pale ground, whereas the upper surface of the latter is 
dark, with afew white streaks dividing the colour into patches. 
On the tail of Z. gracif’s the dark rings, especially towards the 
tip, are shorter than the white ones, and there is a long white 
tip, whereas in the next species the dark rings are nearly 
double the length of the white ones, and the white tip is shorter. 
Length of head and body, about 1514 inches; of tail, 12% 
inches. 

Distribution.— Java, Borneo, and perhaps Sumatra. 

Nothing has been recorded of the habits of this species. 


II. THE BURMESE LINSANG. LINSANGA MACULOSA. 
Prionodon maculosus, Blanford, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. 
xvii. p. 152 (1878) ; id, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 104 (1888). 
Linsang maculosus, Thomas, Ann. Mus. Genova, ser. 2, vol. x. 
p. 9 (1892). 

Characters.—Size large ; upper-parts covered with large black 
patches; tail rather shorter than the head and body. Ground- 
colour of fur grey, marked with about six broad irregular trans- 
verse brownish-black bands across the back ; the light spaces 
being thus reduced to narrow stripes. On the sides of the 
body the dark bands broken up into interrupted longitudinal 
stripes, one of which passes across the shoulder to the side of 
the neck, and is continued as a line of spots to the eye. On the 
upper part of the sides of the neck a broader black stripe passes 
from a short distance behind the ear across the shoulder, where 
it merges into the transverse bands. A few spots between the 
upper stripes on the neck, and likewise on the fore-neck and 
outer surfaces of the limbs ; but the under-parts and feet uni- 


formly pale-coloured. ‘Tail with seven complete black rings, 


224 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


alternating with much shoffer light ones. Length of head 
and body, about 19 inches ; of tail (exclusive of hair at the tip), 
16 inches. 

Distribution. Tenasserim Provinces of Burma. This exceed- 
ingly handsome species is only known by two examples, one 
trapped in Southern Tenasserim, and a second taken near 
Moulmein. 


III. THE NIPALESE LINSANG. LINSANGA PARDICOLOR. 


Prionodon pardicolor, Hodgson, Calcutta Journ. Nat. Hist. vol. 
ii. p. 57 (1842); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 103 
(1888). 

Linsang pardicolor, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 49 (1843); 
id., Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 53 (1869). 

Viverra pardicolor, Schinz, Synops. Mamm. vol. i. p. 366 
(1844). : 

Characters—Smaller than the last, from which it is distin- 
guished by the back being marked by broad dark transverse 
bands broken up into squared spots forming longitudinal rows ; 
tail as long as the neck and body. Ground-colour of fur very 
pale brown, with large angulated black spots; under-parts and 
feet uniform ; head also uniform brown, frequently with a black 
spot behind each ear. Neck marked on each side with a pair 
of longitudinal stripes; the middle pair continued as rows of 
large rounded spots down the back, separated by a line of 
smaller irregular spots ; about three rows of squared or rounded 
spots along the sides of the body, which are also arranged in 
from six to seven transverse bands. Outer surfaces of upper 
portion of limbs spotted ; tail with from eight to ten complete 
dark rings, separated by intervening light spaces of approxi- 
mately the same width. Length of head and body, from 14 to 

15 inches; of tail, 12 to 13 inches, 

Distribution.—South-eastern Himalaya, extending thence east- 


; 


THE AFRICAN LINSANGS, 225 


wards to Yunan. It is stated to be not uncommon in the inte- 
rior of Sikhim, where it probably lives at moderate elevations. 
Habits.—This is the only one of the Linsangs of which we 
have any information in regard to habits, and even in this case 
_ our knowledge is of the scantiest. Hodgson writes that this 
animal ‘‘is equally at home on trees and on the ground. It 
dwells and breeds in the hollows of decayed trees. It is not 
gregarious at all, and preys chiefly on small birds, which it is 
wont to pounce upon from the cover of the grass. The times 
of breeding are said to be February and August, and the litter 
to consist of two young, there being two litters each year.” A 
tame female in the possession of the same gentleman is stated 
to have been “ wonderfully docile and tractable, very sensitive 
to cold, and very fond of being petted.” It never uttered any 
sound, and was fed on raw meat. In the wild state Hodgson 
suggests that the Linsangs may also eat insects. 


VI. THE AFRICAN LINSANGS. GENUS POIANA, 
Potana, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 520. 

The members of this genus, which is represented only by a 
single African species, and perhaps should not be separated 
from the last, may be defined as Linsangs with a Genet-like 
metatarsus ; there being a bald line on the under surface of that 
segment of the hind-limb, as in the Genets. In all other respects 
it agrees with Zzmsanga, and it may be noted that in Z. pardicolor 
there is a narrow upward prolongation of the main pad of the 
sole of the hind-foot foreshadowing the naked strip of the present 


genus. 
I. WEST AFRICAN LINSANG. POIANA POENSIS. 


Genetta poensis, Waterhouse, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1838, p. 59. 
Genetta richardsont, Thompson, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. x. 
p. 204 (1842). 
Linsang richardsoni, Gerrard, Cat. Bones Mamm. Brit. Mus, 
Pp. 72 (1862), 
7 Q 


226 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Poiana richardsont, Gray, BFoc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 520. 
Poiana poensis, Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 159. 

Characters.—Professor Mivart writes that the coloration is 
very similar to that obtaining in Zzzsanga ; ‘but the spots are 
smaller and show no tendency to run into transverse bands or 
stripes, except on the middle of the back of the head, and ex- 
cept a broad mark on each side descending from the back of 
the head to above the shoulder. The tail is ringed with dark 
rings, alternately broad and narrow. The muzzle is very 
pointed. The length of the head and body is about 38 inches, 
that of the tail, 40% inches.” 

Distribution. West Africa (Sierra Leone and Iernando Po). 

This apparently rare animal was originaily described from 
the flat skin of a young specimen, and nothing has been re- 
corded regarding its habits. It may probably be considered 
as a rather more specialised form than its Oriental cousins, 
from which it may be distinguished at a glance by the peculiar 
arrangement of the dark rings (about 22 in number) on the 
unusually long tail, of which the tip is black. 


VII. THE HEMIGALES., GENUS HEMIGALE; 


Hemigalus, Jourdan, Comptes Rendus, vol. v. p. 442 (1837) 
Flemigalea, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 524. 

In all the preceding forms, with the exception of Fossa, the 
tail is marked throughout with distinct rings, whereas in the 
present genus it is, at most, only so at the base. Moreover, 
whereas in the whole of the former the auditory bulla of the 
skull is blunted, in Hemiga/e it is pointed in front, while the 
carnassial teeth in the latter are relatively smaller and of a less 
completely sectorial type than in the other genera. A further 
most distinctive feature of Hemiga/e is to be found in the cir- 
cumstance that, in the hind-foot, the pads in the centre are 
concentrated, so as to form a bald area on the metatarsus, with 


“KIXX 


“SIVOIN GH S SMOIMGavVH 


wLWw Id 


IIARDWICKE’S HEMIGALE. 227 


a sharp point directed towards the tarsus, the latter being 
completely covered with hair. Another peculiarity is that the 
direction of the hair on the back of the neck is reversed, so as 
to be inclined forwards. When there are any markings on the 
back, these are in the form of uninterrupted transverse bands. 
The five-toed feet have strongly-curved claws ; and the nose 
and upper lip, as in all the foregoing genera, are marked by a 
median groove. The number of the teeth is the same as in 
Viverra. 

The genus is confined to the countries lying to the eastward 
of the Bay of Bengal. 


I. HARDWICKE’S HEMIGALE. HEMIGALE HARDWICKEI. 

Viverra hardwickit, Gray, Spicil. Zool. p. 9 (1830). 

Hlemigalus zebra, Jourdan, Comptes Rendus, vol. v. p. 442 
(1837). 

Paradoxurus derbianus, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 579 
(1837). 

Paradoxurus zebra, Gray, loc. cit. 

Viverra boiet, Miller, Tijdschr. Natuur. Ges. vol. v. p.144 (1863). 

Femigalea derbiana, Blyth, Cat. p. 46 (1863). 

Hemigalea hardwicket, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 524; 
id., Cat. Carniv. Brit. Mus. p. 57 (1869); Mivart, Proc. 
Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 165. 

Hemigale hardwicket, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1886, p. 73. 

(Plate XXIX.) 

Characters.—General colour of fur whitish-yellow, marked on 
the back with about seven uninterrupted reddish-brown trans- 
verse stripes, extending well down on to the flanks ; there are 
also three stripes on the head, and two down the neck, together 
with some irregular markings on the shoulders, the under 
parts and feet being uniformly coloured, and the tail ringed 
at the base, but elsewhere black. Length of head and body, 


about 151% inches; of tail, 1614 inches, 
Q 2 


228 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Distribution.— Malay Pen#€ula, Sumatra, and Borneo. 

Although nothing definite has been recorded, it is probable 
that the habits of this animal are generally similar to those of 
the Palm-Civets. 


II. HOSE’S HEMIGALE. HEMIGALE HOSII. 
Hemigale hoset, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 6, vol. ix. 
p: 6 (1892); id., Proc. Zool: Soc. 1802, ps 222; 

Characters.—Size and proportions very similar to those of 
the last, but the skull more lightly made, and the teeth more 
delicate. General colour of upper-parts dark smoky-brown 
or black, with the bases of the body-hairs whitish. Sides of 
muzzle at the roots of the whiskers white (the corresponding 
place in HZ. hardwickei being black); cheek below the eye, as 
well as a patch above and behind the latter, grizzled brownish- 
white. Ears thinly haired, pure white internally, their edges 
forming a marked contrast to the black of the crown of the 
head. Chin, white; chest, under-parts, and upper portion of 
inner surfaces of limbs smoky yellowish-grey ; remainder of 
limbs and whole of tail black. 

Its describer remarks ‘‘ that this species is not a black form 
of the preceding, is proved by the white patches on the muzzle, 
the white ears, whitish under side, and also by the differences 
in the size of the teeth.” 

Distribution Mount Dulit, and not improbably Mount Kina 
Balu, North Borneo, at an altitude of between 2,000 and 5,000 
feet above sea-level. ‘The one known example was discovered 
by Mr. Charles Hose, after whom the species has received its 
name. 

VIII. THE AFRICAN PALM-CIVETS. GENUS NANDINIA. 
Nandinia, Grav List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 54 (1843). 

Having a partial, * tarsus like Hemigale, the members 

of this genus are distingui... _ by the imperfect ossification of 


rm 


— 


THE AFRICAN PALM-CIVETS. 229 


the auditory bulla of the skull. In other respects the genus is 
very similar to Paradoxurus, the markings taking the form of 
spots, and the tail being ringed. 

‘The genus is exclusively African, in which region it takes 
the place of the Oriental Palm-Civets. 


I. WEST AFRICAN PALM-CIVET. NANDINIA BINOTATA. 
Viverra binotata, Reinwardt, in Gray’s Spicil. Zool. vol. ii. p. 
9 (1830). 
Paradoxurus hamiltonii, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 67. 
Paradoxurus binotatus, Gray, op. cit. p. 68. 
Nandinia binotata, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 54 (1843). 

Characters.—Ground-colour of fur rufous-grey ; nape marked 
with three parallel streaks, one running from the forehead and 
the other two from the ears; back marked with numerous 
black spots, varying in size and number; a yellow spot on 
each shoulder ; lips, throat, and under-parts rufous-grey ; legs 
grizzled ; tail elongated and tapering, marked with numerous 
black rings, and the tip blackish. Length of head and body, 
23 inches ; of tail, t9 inches. 

Distribution.— West Africa (Fernando Po, Ashanti, and An- 
gola). 

II. EAST AFRICAN PALM-CIVET. NANDINIA GERRARDI. 
Nandima gerrardi, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 6, 
vol. xil. p. 205 (1893). 

Characters.—-Similar to the preceding in size and general 
colour, but wanting the three distinct black lines found on the 
upper surface of the neck in that species, while the fur of the 
body is more sparsely and finely spotted, and the transverse 
black markings on the tail are narrower, closer together, and 
more sharply defined. In the single a7 specimen known, 
the tail is also shorter than in JV. 7” 4 but this may be an 
individual imperfection. The Datowish spots present on the 


230 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


withers of the last-named gpecies are also shown in this one, 
although indistinctly, and the back of the ears is of the same 
hue as the rest of the fur. 

Distribution East Africa (Lower Shire River, Nyasaland). 
The type specimen, although not described until 1893, was 
collected by Sir John Kirk as far back as 1861, and is pre- 
served in the British Museum. When alive, the animal was 
stated to live on mice and poultry. The skin of an immature 
specimen was obtained at the same time. 

IX. THE SMALL-TOOTHED PALM-CIVETS. GENUS 
ARCTOGALE. 
Arctogale, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 542. 

Auditory bulla of skull fully ossified; teeth relatively small ; 
palate very narrow, and its middle portion much produced 
behind the line of the last molar; no naked glandular tract in 
front of the scrotum ; tail not ringed; markings in the form of 
longitudinal stripes or rows of spots on the back. Other char- 
acters as in Paradvxurus. 

The genus is represented by two species from the eastern 
part of the Oriental region. 


I. THE WHITE-EARED PALM-CIVET. ARCTOGALE LEUCOTIS. 

Paradoxurus leucotis, Horsfield, Cat. East Ind. Mus. p. 66 
(1851). 

Paradoxurus stigmaticus, Temminck, Esquiss. Zool. p. 120 
(1853). 

Arctogale stigmatica, Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 163. 

Arctogale leucotis, Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 789 ; 1d., 
Mamm. Brit. India, p. 115 (1888). 

Characters.—Size rather large; fur short and not harsh ; tail 
about equal in length to head and body. General colour 
varying from fulvous-grey to dusky-grey, or occasionally brown 
on the upper-parts ; under-parts paler; the back marked by 
three longitudinal dark bands, which may either be continuous 


THE PALM-CIVETS. 231 


or broken up into spots, and in some specimens very indistinct, 
or even wanting. Head above generally darker, often be- 
coming ashy or black, usually with a narrow white line down 
the middle of the forehead ; feet and terminal portion of the 
tail brown or black. Burmese examples frequently show some 
whitish on the tips of the ears. Length of head and body, 
263% inches; of tail, 27 inches. 

Distribution—Sikhim, Arakan, Burma, Malay Peninsula, 
Sumatra, and Borneo. 

Nothing of importance has been recorded of the habits of 
this Palm-Civet, which probably do not differ essentially from 
those of the members of the next genus. If captured young, 
this species can be easily tamed. 


Il. THE THREE-STRIPED PALM-CIVET. ARCTOGALE 
TRIVIRGATA. 


Paradoxurus trivirgatus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 68. 
Arctogale trivirgata, Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 7809. 

Characters.—Differs from the preceding species in being 
slightly smaller, with the three dark lines down the back more 
distinctly defined, and also in wanting the dark patch at the 
base of the ears, the skull also being smaller, with the palate 
less produced backwards. 


Distribution.— Java. 


X. THE PALM-CIVETS. GENUS PARADOXURUS. 


Paradoxurus, F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. xxiv. (1821). 
Pazuma, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1831, p. 95. 
Platyschista, Otto, Nova Acta. Ac. Ces. Leop.-Car. vol. xvil 
p. 1089 (1835). 
From the last genus the True Palm-Civets are distinguished 
by their larger teeth (among which the carnassials are short, 
with blunted cusps, and the sectorial character but little de- 


232 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


veloped), the less backwar@prolongation of the palate, and the 
presence of a naked glandular area in front of the scrotum of 
the males, and in a similar position in the females. In com- 
mon with Arctogale, they have the whole of the metatarsus 
and the greater portion of the tarsus naked, the hair extending 
across the hinder portion of the heel in an evenly-curved line. 
The claws of the five-toed feet are as much curved and as 
highly retractile as in the Genets, and in the greater number 
of cases the long tail is not ringed, while the markings take 
the form of longitudinal streaks, or more rarely spots, a few 
species being uniformly coloured. ‘The pupil of the eye is in 
the form of a vertical slit. 

The teeth are numerically the same as in Viverra, but vary 
considerably in shape in the different species; and only in a 
few forms does the bony palate extend much Lehind the line 
of the last molar teeth. Although the tail is not endowed 
with the power of prehension, it can be curled up to a greater or 
less extent, and in captive specimens this condition is apt to 
become chronic. In size the majority of the Palm-Civets may 
be compared to ordinary Cats. 

The genus is an exclusively Oriental one, ranging from 
India as far eastwards as the Philippine Islands, and embracing 
a large number of species. 

On account of their purely nocturnal habits, the Palm- 
Civets are but seldom seen, although on one occasion the 
present writer was fortunate enough to detect an individual of 
the Common Indian species moving about in broad daylight 
among the leaves of a palm-tree in a garden in the suburbs 
of Calcutta. They are all thoroughly arboreal, and adepts 
at climbing; and their food comprises fruits as well as the 
flesh of animals. 

Many of the species have an alarmingly long list of syno- 
nyms. 


TIIE COMMON PALM-CIVET. 233 


‘{. THE COMMON PALM-CIVET. PARADOXURUS 
HERMAPHRODITUS. 


Viverra hermaphrodita, Schreber, Saugethiere, vol. iii. p. 426 
(1778). 

Viverra prehensilis, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 208 (1820). 

Viverra musanga, Raffles, Linn. Trans. vol. xiii. p. 252 (1820). 

Paradoxurus prehensilis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 66. 

Paradoxurus musanga, Gray, loc. ct. 

Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Gray, loc. cit. ; Blanford, Mamm. 
Brit. India, p. 108 (1888); W. L. Sclater, Cat. Mamm. Ind. 
Mus. pt. ii. p. 243 (1891). 

Faradoxurus pallasit, P. crossit, and P. finlaysonit, Gray, Proc. 
Zool..Soc. 1832, pp. 67, 68. 

Paradoxurus quinguelineatus and P. musangoides, Gray, Mag. 
Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 379 (1837). 

Paradoxurus felinus, Wagner, in Schreber, Saugethiere, Suppl. 
vol. ii. p. 349 (1841). 

Paradoxurus nigrifrons, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 55 
(1843). 

Paradoxurus setosus, Pucheran, in Hombr. et Jacq. Voyage 
au Pole Ind. Sud, Zool. vol. ili. p. 25 (1853). 

Paradoxurus fasciatus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 536. 

Variety a. 

Paradoxurus strictus, Horsfield, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 
vol. xvi. p. 105 (1855). 

Paradoxurus quadriscriptus, Horsfield, of. cit. p. 106. 

Variety B. 

Viverra niger, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 208 (1820). 

Viverra bondar, Desmarest, of. cit. p. 210. 

_ Laradoxurus typus, F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. xxiv. (1821). 

Paradoxurus leucopus, Ogilby, Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 304 
(1828). | 

Paradoxurus bondar, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 66. 


234. LLOYD’S NATURAL fitSTORY. 


Paradoxurus pennant, Gray, loc. ctt. 
Flatyschista pallasi, Otto, Nova Acta Ac. Cees. Leop.-Car. vol. 
XVil. p. T08g (1835). 
Puradoxurus hirsutus, Hodgson, Asiat. Researches, vol. xix. 
Pe 72.( 8830): | 
Puradoxurus niger, Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 792; 
id.. Mamm. Brit. India, p. 106 (1888). 
(Plate XXX.) 
Bony palate extending less than a quarter of an 
inch behind the line of the last upper molar teeth ; whiskers 
black, with occasionally a few of the lowest bristles white at 
the base. ‘Tail nearly or quite as long as the head and body, 
thickly haired, and only slightly tapering. Fur coarse and 
frequently long, with some elongated and ragged patches, 
especially on the back; under-fur short or absent. General 
colour fulvous, ashy, or black, marked either by streaks, streaks 
and spots combined, or dusky patches. ‘The slits on the 
anterior extremity of the bony palate only extending as far 
back as the canine teeth. Length of head and body varying 
from 20 to 25 inches; of tail, from 16 to 20 inches. Males 
are considerably larger than females, and there are also racial 
variations in point of size. 

By Mr. Blanford the Indian Palm-Civet (7. zzger) is regarded 
as specifically distinct from the Malayan P. hermaphroditus. 
Mr. W. L. Sclater remarks, however, that it seems “more in 
accordance with the facts to recognise the two forms only as 
geographical races ; since although the Toddy-Cat of Southern 
India is fairly distinguishable from that of the Malay Peninsula, 
the specimens met with in Lower Bengal are intermediate 
between the two. The typical variety is distinguished by the 
marked longitudinal stripes down the back; the hill variety 
(P. strictus) by its darker colour, more distinct spots, and smaller 
size; the Indian variety (P. nzzger) by the absence of definite 
stripes and spots, which are replaced by dusky patches.” 


Characters. 


= 


“XXX WLV'Td 


: THE PHILIPPINE PALM-CIVET. 235 
: 

Distribution—The range of the typical form of this species 
embraces Burma, Siam, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, 
and Java; the variety P. s¢rictws is apparently confined to Sikhim 
and Assam; while the variety P. niger is spread over India 
proper and Ceylon, extending to the Himalaya, but becoming 
rarer in the north-west, and also to the east in Lower Bengal, 


where it passes almost insensibly into the typical form. 


Habits—The habits of the Common Palm-Civet, cr, as it is 
often called, Toddy-Cat, may be taken as typical of those of 
the genus generally. These animals pass the daytime either 
among the b:anches of trees or in hollows of their trunks, in 
the neighbourhood of the coast cocoa-nut palms being their 
favourite resorts, while in more inland districts mangrove-groves 
are frequently selected. ‘Thatched roofs of houses, as well as 
outbuildings and drains, are, however, sometimes chosen as 

_ dwelling-places, and these animals will occasionally take up 
their quarters in the heart of cities. From such varied domi- 
ciles the Palm-Civet issues forth at dusk in search of food, which 
comprises the smaller Mammals, birds and their eggs, lizards, 
insects, fruit, and vegetables, in addition to “‘toddy”—that is to 
say, palm-juice—which is eagerly drunk from the vessels sus- 
pended from palm-trees to collect it. The young are born in 

the hollows of trees, and usually number four to five in a litter. 


ll. THE PHILIPPINE PALM-CIVET. PARADOXURUS 
PHILIPPINENSIS. 

Paradoxurus philippinensis, Jourdan, Comptes Rendus, vol. v. 
H p. 523 (1837) ; Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 800. 
| Paradoxurus zeylanicus, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 55 
: (1843). 

Paradoxurus philippensis, ¥. Cuvier, Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 2, vol. 
viii. p. 372 (1837). 
- Characters.—Very similar to the preceding, but rather smaller, 
~ with the fur closer, softer, less ragged, and more even in length, 
an 


> 


236 LLOYD'’s NATURAL History, 


and a marked gloss on theglfairs. Under-fur thicker and more — 
woolly. Upper carnassial tooth with a very large inner tubercle 
near the middle of its length. General colour dusky-brown on 
the upper-parts and brownish-grey beneath, with or without 
indistinct longitudinal rows of spots on the back. Head _ 
mostly black or blackish-brown, with a pale band across the | 
forehead and spots beneath the eyes, as in the typical form of 
the preceding species ; feet and tail coloured like the head. 
Distribution The Philippine Islands and Borneo.* Mr. 
Blanford remarks that specimens from Borneo appear to con- 
nect the Philippine race with the typical P. Zermaphroditus. 


III. LARGE-TOOTHED PALM-CIVET. PARADOXURUS MACRODUS. 

Paradoxurus macrodus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 538; 
Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. Sor ; W. I. sclater 
Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. pt. ii. p. 246 (1891). 

Characters—Externally very similar to the typical species, 
but readily distinguished by the much larger size of the teeth. 

Distribution. Malay Peninsula. 

IV. JERDON’S PALM-CIVET. PARADOXURUS JERDONI. 
faradoxurus jerdont, Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, pp. 613, 
802; id.. Mamm. Brit. India, p. 111 (1888). 

Characters.— Distinguished from P. hermaphroditus by the 
greater length of the apertures at the anterior end of the palate. 
The whiskers are dark brown, and the tip of the tail is black, 
and not, as figured, white; general colour uniform dark brown, 

Distribution—Southern India; viz., the Madura and Nilgiri 


Hills. 
V. THE RED PALM-CIVET. PARADOXURUS AUREUS. 


Paradoxurus aureus, F, Cuvier, Mém. Mus. Paris, vol. ix. p. 
48 (1822); Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 18855 1 p.-302);s1de 
Mamm. Brit. India, p. 110 (1888). 


* See Everett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1893, p. 495. 


THE HIMALAYAN PALM-CIVET. 237 


. Paradoxurus montanus, Blyth (ex Kelaart), Journ. Asiat. Soc. 
Bengal, vol. xx. p. 161 (1851). 
Paradoxurus zeylanicus, Kelaart, Prodr. Faun. Zeyl. p. 32 
(1852; mec Gray). 
Characters.—T ail about four-fifths the length of the head and 
oody ; fur moderately soft and thick, of uniform length, and 
‘with little woolly under-fur; whiskers rufous ; general colour 
uniform rusty-red or dull chestnut, with occasional traces of 
longitudinal streaks on the back. Length of head and bodv 
_about 19 inches; of tail, 1544 inches. 
Distribution Ceylon, the specimens from the mountains 


: being darker than those from the plains. 


| 
VI. THE HIMALAYAN PALM-CIVET. PARADOXURUS GRAYI. 


Paradoxurus grayi, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1835, p. 118; 
Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 803; id., Mamm. 
Brit. India, p. 112 (1888). 

Paradoxurus nipalensis, Hodgson, Asiat. Researches, vol. xix 
p. 76 (1836). 

Paguma grayt, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 54 (1843). 

Paradoxurus tytlerit, Tytler, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. 
Xxxili. p. 188 (1864). 

Characters.—Size larger than in P. hermaphroditus ; tail about 
equal in length to the head and body; fur of uniform, but 
variable, length, with the woolly under-fur frequently well de- 
veloped. Bony palate of the skull extending more than a 
quarter of an inch behind the line of the last molar teeth ; 
whiskers, at least in part, conspicuously white. Colour of 
upper-parts uniform grey, without markings; under-parts 
whitish ; the tip of the tail frequently dark brown or black. 
Head brown or blackish, with the exception of the forehead, a 
broad band beneath the ear, a narrower line down the nose, 
and a blotch beneath each eye, in all of which places there is a 


i kk > 1 an 


waa 


233 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


larger or smaller admixtug@of white hairs. Length of head 
and body, from 24 to 25 inches; of tail, inclusive of the ter- 
minal hairs, about the same. 

Distribution.—The Himalaya from Simla to Assam, Arakan, 
and the Andamans ; possibly also some parts of the plains of 
India. 


VII. THE CHINESE. PALM-CIVET. PARADOXURUS LARVATUS. 


Gulo larvatus, Griffith, Animal Kingdom, vol. ii. p. 281 
(1827 59¢% eram.MiS5.): 

Viverra larvata, Gray, Spicil. Zool. p. 9 (1830). 

FPaguma larvata, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1831, p. 95. 

Paradoxurus larvatus, Gray, op. cit. 1832, p. 67; Blanford, 
Proc. Zool. 50c, 1885, p. S05; 


Characters.—Very similar to the preceding, but smaller. 
General colour light brownish-grey ; the terminal portions of 
the tail and limbs, parts of the head, and the neck and back 
between the shoulders black or blackish ; a broad white stripe 
down the middle of the forehead and nose; a white spot 
beneath the eye and another behind it (which join to form a 
streak), sharply defined against the blackness of the rest of the 


face. 
Vistribution—Southern China and Formosa. 


VIII. WHITE-WHISKERED PALM-CIVET. PARADOXURUS ; 
LEUCOMYSTAX. 


Paradoxurus leucomystax, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1836, p. 88; 
Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1335, p. $05. . 

Paradoxurus jourdant, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. 1. p. 579 
(1837). 

Paguma leucomystax, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 55 
(1843). 

Paradoxurus ogilbyi, Fraser, Zool. Typ. pl. x. (1849). 


THE CELEBEAN PALM-CIVET,. 239 


Paradoxurus rubidtus, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. 
XXVil. p. 275 (1358). 

Characters.—Size large, only exceeded in P. musschenbroechi ; 

~ tail about three-fourths the length of the head and body. Dis- 

tinguished from P. grayz by the brown or rufous colour of the 

fur; head-markings generally distinct, brown and whitish; either 

a broad pale band across the forehead or the whole face 

whitish. Length of head and body, about 27 inches; of tail, 
20 inches. 

Distribution The Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, and 
probably some of the other Malayan islands, exclusive of 
Java. 

IX, THE CELEBEAN PALM-CIVET. PARADOXURUS 
MUSSCHENBROECKI. 


faradoxurus musschenbroeckt, Schlege!, Notes Leyd. Mus. vol. 
i. p. 43 (£879) ; Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 806. 


Characters—The largest member of the genus; tail about 
three-fourths the length of the herd and body ; fur soft and 
short. Skull with the bony palate much produced backwards, 
but otherwise resembling that of P. hermaphroditus ; teeth 
differing from those of all the other species i1 that the two 
cheek-series run nearly parallel, in place of being widely diver- 
yergent posteriorly. General colour of upper-parts light brown- 
ish-chestnut, with numerous light hairs intermixed; under- 
parts varying from fulvous to white ; breast rufescent ; hinder 
part of back with a pair of indistinct longitudinal stripes, and 
some faint spots ; whiskers mixed brown and white. Tail differ- 
ing from that of all the other members cf the genus, marked 
with alternating rings of dark and pale brown, which are indis- 
tinct on the under surface, and disappear towards the dark tip. 
Length of head and body, about 35 inches ; of tail, 25 inches. 


Distribution.—Celebes, 


240 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 


X. WOOLLY PALM-Cl@T. PARADOXURUS LANIGER. 
Paradoxurus laniger, Hodgson, Asiat. Researches, vol. xix. p 
79 (1836); Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc: 1885, p. 807-51ds 
Mamm. Brit. India, p. 114 (1888). 
Paguma laniger, Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 55 (1843). 


Characters.—An imperfectly known species only provisionally 
included in the genus. Tail only about half the length of the 
head and body, very thick at the root, and rapidly tapering ; 
fur very close and woolly. Toe-pads surrounded by hair; and 
the claws short. Colour uniform rufescent brown. 

Distribution? Tibet. Known only bya single badly pre- 
served skin purchased by Hodgson in Nipal. 


XI. GENUS: ARCTICTIS: 


Arctictis, Temminck, Prospec. Monogr. Mamm. (1824); id., 
Monogr. Mamm. vol. i. p. xxi. vol. il. p. 308 (1835). 
Ictides, Valenciennes, Ann. Sci. Nat. vol. iv. p. 57 (1824). 


From the whole of the foregoing genera the present one is 
distinguished by the completely naked tarsus and metatarsus 
of the plantigrade hind-fect, by the presence of long pencils of 
hairs surmounting the short ears, and by the long tail being 
thoroughly prehensible. The short, compressed, and slightly- 
curved claws are only partially retractile; the coarse fur is 
long and shaggy ; the pupil of the eye is vertically elongated ; 
and the large glands in front of the scrotum of the male open 
intoa deep fold. There are generally only three pairs of lower 
pre-mo'ars, but the number of the teeth is otherwise the same 
as in Viverra, and in some individuals the missing pair of pre- 
molars are developed. With the exception of the canines, 
which are large and curved, with a sharp hinder edge, the 
teeth are relatively small, both the incisors and molars being 
separated from one another by gaps. Not unfrequently the 
last pair of upper molars is wanting. 


J THE BINTURONG. 241 
% 


The genus is represented solely by the following Oriental 
species. 
I. THE BINTURONG. ARCTICTIS BINTURONG. 
Viverra binturong, Raffles, Linn. Trans. vol. xiii. p. 253 (1822). 
Paradoxurus albifrons, ¥. Cuvier, Mém. Mus. Paris, vol. ix. 
p. 48 (1822). 
Ictides albifrons, Valenciennes, Ann. Sci. Nat. vol. iv. p. 57 
(1824). 

L. tides ater, F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. xliv. (1824). 
Arctictis binturong, Temminck, Monogr. Mamm. vol. ii. p. 308 
(1835); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 118 (1888). 
Arctictis penticillatus, Miller, Verhandl. Nat. Gesch. p. 32 

(1839). 

Characters.— ‘Tail nearly as long as the head and body, thick 
at the root, and clothed with straggling bristly hairs exceeding 
in length those on the body ; fur as described above. Colour 
uniformly black throughout, although more or less grizzled on 
the head and outer surface of the forelimbs, and, in some 
examples, over the whole body ; margins of ears white, but the 
terminal tufts black. In the young the hairs have long rufous 
or grey tips. Length of head and body, from 28 to 33 inches ; 
of tail, 26 to 27 inches. 


Distribution —The Himalaya from Simla to Assam, Burma, 
Siam, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo,* and Java. 


Habits.—As might be predicated from its fully prehensile tail 
(a feature unknown in any other placental Old World Mammal), 
the Bear-Cat, as this animal is frequently termed, is thoroughly 
arboreal in its habits, frequenting dense forests, and in conse- 
quence of the nature of its haunts and nocturnal mode of life, 
but seldom seen, at least by Europeans. Somewhat slow in its 
movements, the Binturong is undoubtedly capable of suspend- 
ing itself by its tail after the fashion of the American Monkeys, 


* Everett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1893, p. 495. 
7 R 


242 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


since this has been demostiiftrated in the case of young indi- 
viduals kept in captivity. Like the Palm-Civets, this animal 
is omnivorous in its diet; but as regards its breeding habits, 
naturalists are stillin the dark. It is stated to utter a loud 
and prolonged cry, which, if verified, will show that in this 
respect the Binturong differs widely from all other members 
of the Family. In disposition it is decidedly fierce; but in- 
dividuals captured when young become tame and gentle with- 
out much trouble. 

The zoological position of the Binturong was long a matter 
of controversy, but it may now be regarded as settled that it is 
a highly specialised form allied to the Palm-Civets. 


XII. THE WEB-FOOTED CIVETS. GENUS CYNOGALE, 
Cynogale, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1836, p. 88. 

Potamophilus, Muller, Tijdsch. Natuur. Gesch. vol. v. p. 140 
(1838). 

This genus, the last of the Sub-family Viverrin@, may be 
easily recognised by the absence of a vertical groove on the 
upper lip, the short tail, the partially-webbed feet, and by the 
under surface of the tarsus and metatarsus being rather less 
naked than in the Palm-Civets, short hairs clothing the former 
segment, while the latter is bare. ‘The claws are sharp, rather 
elongated and retractile ; and the first toe on each foot is well. 
developed. 

Like the last, the genus is represented only by a single 
Oriental species. 

I. BENNETT'S CIVET. CYNOGALE BENNETTI. 
Cynogale bennetti, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 578 (1836) ; 
id., Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 78 (1869) ; Mivart 
Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 172; Sanyal, Proc. Zoolasee 


1894, p. 296. 
Viverra carcharias, Jourdan, Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 2, vol. vill. p. 


281 (1837). 


BENNETT'S CIVET. 243 


Fotamophilus barbatus, Miller, Tijdsch. Natuur. Gesch. vol. v. 
p. 142 (1838). 
Cynogale barbata, Schinz, Synops. Mamm. vol. i. p. 388 (1844). 
Characters.—The following description ef a living specimen 
is given by Mr. Sanyal. In form and size this animal resembles 
partly a Zinsang and partly a Prionodon. The head is elon- 
gated, and the muzzle broad and depressed, the breadth of the 
latter appearing more pronounced owing to the exceptional 
character of the upper lip, which is much thickened in order 
‘to support the roots of the abundant and well-developed 
whiskers. A bunch of whiskers below each ear and close to 
the outer angle of the eye; also an intermediate set on each 
side of the nose between the eye and the lip. A tuft of 
vibrisse on the chin between the lower lip and the throat. 
Eyes large and oblique ; ears small and rounded ; nostrils with 
distinct lobes adapted for a sub-aquatic life. Tail moderate and 
thick. Prevailing colour of the fur grey, becoming grizzled 
white on the back, rump, and outer surface of the limbs*; a 
dark longitudinal stripe on the crown of the head and nape; 
eyebrows partially white; a white spot on each side of the 
head below the ears, corresponding with the place of inser- 
tion of the whiskers in this region; lips white. Under-parts 
blackish ; tip of the tail whitish. Length ot head and body, 
about 32 inches; of tail, 9% inches. 


Distribution—Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. 


Habits.— Little trustworthy information is obtainable as to the 
habits of this rare Civet in the native state, although it may be 
taken as certain that the creature is to a considerable extent 


* The colour has been hitherto described as uniformly reddish-brown, 
save for a narrow dark streak down the head. The difference may, perhaps, 
be in part accounted for from the fact that one description is taken from 
_ the living animal, and the other from dried skins ; and also from the differ- 
ent ages of the specimens examined, old ones being probably more grey 
than younger examples. 


R 2 


244 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


aquatic, and feeds largely fish and crustaceans. It is, how- 
ever, stated also to capture and eat various land animals, and 
likewise to be capable of ascending trees with facility, so that it 
may be likened to a climbing Otter. With regard to the habits 
of the captive specimen mentioned above, which was exhibited 
in the Calcutta Zoological Gardens, Mr. Sanyal writes as follows: 
** Except very early in the morning, I have never seen this 
animal leave its cage during the day; and though it never ap- 
pears to be particularly savage, it always resents the approach of 
its keeper, or anyone else, by a sort of low, subdued snarling. 
The presence of a strong civet-like smell near its cage, es- 
pecially at night, unmistakably indicates the possession of 
odoriferous glands. Although said to be omnivorous, it shows 
greater partiality for an animal than a vegetable diet, and 
relishes fish more than flesh. JI have never observed it in- 
dulging in its aquatic habits.” 


XII. THE MUNGOOSES. GENUS HERPESTES: 


Lchneumon, Lacépede, Mém. Instit. Paris, vol. iil. p. 492 (1801; 
preoccupied), 

Flerpestes, Wliger, Prodrom. Meth. Mamm. p. 135 (1811). 

Mangusta, Olivier, in Fischer’s Synops. Mamm. p. 162 (1829). . 

Mungos, Ogilby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1835, p. 103. 

Urva, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. vi. p. 561(1837). 

Mesobema, Hodgson, of. cit. vol. x. p. 910 (1841). 

Osmetictis, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. x. p. 260 (1842). 

Calogale, p. 560, Calictis, p. 564, Tentogale, p. 569, Onychogale, 
p. 570, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864. 

With this extensive genus we come to the first representative 
of the second Sub-family (//erfestine) of the Viverride, which 
may be characterised as follows: In the skull the auditory 
bulla is pear-shaped, and its hinder margin distinctly everted, 
while the par-occipital process does not project beyond it, but 


THE MUNGOOSES. 245 


is spread over it, and in the adult becomes merged in its 
hinder surface. In the l’rverrine, on the other hand, the same 
process generally projects somewhat beyond the auditory bulla, 
from which it remains markedly distinct. Instead of being 
curved and more or less retractile, the claws of the Herpestine 
are long, exserted, and quite incapable of retraction. The 
glands so generally present in front of the scrotum of the 
males of the Viverrina, are invariably absent in the group under 
consideration. It includes several genera, and may be con- 
sidered mainly characteristic of Africa and Madagascar, since 
only the typical genus extends into the Oriental region, and 
even that has more Ethiopian than Asiatic representatives. 

As a genus, Herpestes is specially characterised by having five 
toes to each foot, by the presence of a vertical groove on the 
nose, and usually of four pairs of pre-molar teeth in each jaw,* 
the number of molars being, as usual, two. Concerning other 
features, it may be noted that the muzzle is sharply pointed, 
_the body long and slender, the legs short, and the ears short 
and rounded. Asa rule, the tail is long and tapering, with its 
investing hair elongated. In the plantigrade feet, the extent to 
which the sole in the hind pair is naked varics to a con- 
siderable extent with the species, the bare portion extending 
in some instances as far back as the heel, while in others the 
tarsus is invested inferiorly with hair. The fur is coarse, and 
has a peculiar specked or ‘‘pepper-and-salt ” appearance, due 
to the circumstance that the longer hairs are marked with 
alternating light and dark rings ; in no case is the tail ringed. 
All the cheek-teeth have very sharp cusps, and are thus 
strikingly unlike those of the Palm-Civets, in which the cusps 
are more or less blunted. The skull is remarkable for the 
distinct contraction behind the orbits, and likewise for the fact 


* If but three are present in either jaw, there is a gap between the first 
of the series and the canine, 


246 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


that the latter are generally completely surrounded by bone, 
whereas in the Civets an@Palm-Civets they are incomplete 
posteriorly. 

The genus has a distribution equivalent to that of the Sub- 
family, and is the second one in the Family which ranges into 
the south of Europe, the other being Geve/za. 

The most convenient arrangement will be found to treat 
the various species mainly according to their geographical dis- 
tribution, commencing with the typical Palearctic form. Two 
African forms, allied to the members of the next genus, will, 
however, be considered after the Oriental species. 


I. THE EGYPTIAN MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES ICHNEUMON. 
Viverra ichneumon, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. 1. p. 63 (1766). 
Lchneumon pharaon, Lacépede, Mém. Instit. Paris, vol. iii. p. 
492 (1801). 

Ichneumon egyptt, Tiedemann, Zool. vol. i. p. 364 (1808). 

fTerpestes pharaonis, Geoffroy, Descrip. de lEgypte, vol. ii. 
p..139 (1812): 

flerpestes numidicus, F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. Ixviii. 
(1834). 

Flerpestes widdringtont, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. ix. 
p- 50 (1842). 

Flerpestes dorsalis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 549. 

fTerpestes ichneumon, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 64. 

(Plate XX XT.) 

Characters.—Size large, form slender; tail about three-quarters 
the length of the head and bcdy ; fur long, more especially on 
the rump and root of the tail. General colour dark grizzled 
greyish-brown, the hairs being ringed with dark reddish-brown 
and creamy-yellow, but the tips of those on the back of a 
darker yellow; the thick and woolly under-fur bright rufous. 
Tip of tail shining black, with the hairs elongated into a kind 
of tassel, which may reach as much as five inches beyond the 


PLATE 


EGYPTIAN MUNGOOSF 


THE CAFFRE MUNGOOSE. 247 


bone. Feet dark brown ; the under surface of the metatarsus 
and tarsus generally quite naked, but the heel itself occasionally 
hairy. Teeth sharp and slender ; the upper carnassial more 
than double the length of the last molar; and the last lower 
molar with only two cusps on its outer side. Length of head 
and body, about 20 inches; of tail, 15 to 17 inches. 

Distribution—Southern Spain, Asia Minor, Palestine, and 
Africa north of the Sahara. 

The habits of this species may be considered in connection 
with the next. With regard to the occasional presence of 
hair on the heel, Mr. Thomas remarks ‘that a partly hairy 
sole seems to be accompanied by an increased length of the 
hallux, as though certain individuals or families were accus- 
tomed, probably on account of the nature of the soil, to walk 
in a more digitigrade manner than usual, and the hallux w-re 
in these cases elongated sufficiently to reach the ground. In 
H1. galera I have found the same thing, there being one of our 
West African specimens of that species with a hairy sole and 
elongated hallux.” 


Il. THE CAFFRE MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES CAFFER. 

Viverra caffra, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 85 (1788). 

Herpestes madagascariensis, A. Smith, S. African Quart. Journ. 
vol. ii. p. 114 (1835). 

Herpestes bennettii, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 578 (1837). 

Herpestes caffer, Blyth, Cat. p. 52 (1863) ; Thomas, Proc. Zool. 
Soc. 1882, p. 66. 

Characters.—Somewhat larger than the last, but similarly 
coloured, except that the rings on the longer hairs are rather 
narrower, and are pure black and white in colour, thus com- 
municating a clearer grey tinge to the whole pelage, while the 
under-fur is dark dull rufous or dark greyish-brown. Under 
surface of tarsus invariably naked. Skull longer and narrower 
than in H. schneumon, the width being always less (instead of 


218 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY, 


more) than half the lenge Length of head and body, 22 to 
23 inches ; of tail, 18 to 19 inches. 

Distribution.— Africa south of the Sahara. The present species 
and the closely allied AZ. zchneumon are readily distinguished 
from all the other African representatives of the genus by their 
large size and long black tail-tips. With regard to the propriety 
of considering them as specifically distinct from one another, 
Mr. Thomas writes: ‘‘I was at first disposed to regard them 
as only races of one species, as Temminck had done; but I 
have found such a constancy in their distinguishing characters 
that, combined with the fact of their ranges being in different 
zoological regions, I have been induced to retain them as dis- 
tinct species. There is no doubt, however, that they are very 
closely allied ; but when we remember how very distinct are 
the faunas of the southern Palearctic and Ethiopian regions, 
scarcely any species being common, it would naturally seem 
preferable to consider as distinct two forms so fairly well- 
marked as are 1/7. ichneumon and H. caffer, when the line of - 
demarcation between them so exactly corresponds with what 
is generally recognised as the boundary between two zoological 
regions.” 

Habits——The habits of this species may be taken as charac- 
teristic of the genus generally, and may consequently be 
noticed at some length. None of the Mungooses are arboreal; 
and they generally dwell in holes in the earth, among bushes, 
or in hedgerows, being seldom found in thick forest. Their 
diet includes the smaller Rodent Mammals, Birds and their 
eggs, as well as Snakes, Lizards, and Frogs; while the Egyptian 
Mungoose, at least, devours large numbers of Crocodiles’ eggs, 
on which account it has always been held in high estimation by 
the inhabitants of the Nile Delta. In many parts of Africa the 
Caffre Mungoose is kept in captivity for the purpose of killing 
Rats, Mice, and other vermin; the same being the case in 


; 


eal 


THK ANGOLA MUNGOOSE, 249 


India with some of the species inhabiting that country. Not 
only so, but Mungooses have been introduced into the West 
Indies for the purpose of killing the Rats that were at one time 
playing havoc with the sugar-canes; but although the expert- 
ment has been successful, it has been very fatal to several 
kinds of birds. The common Indian Mungoose, which bur- 
rows holes for itself, produces from three to four young ina 
litter; and, like the other species, is commonly found either 
singly or in pairs. Although these animals are naturally fierce 
and bloodthirsty, they can be readily tamed, when they form 
gentle and affectionate little pets, without the ill-odour which 
renders the Civets so objectionable. 

Mungooses are deadly enemies to Snakes, attacking even 
the most venomous kinds with general impunity, although if 
severely bitten, they die like other animals. Probably they 
owe this immunity to their extreme activity, although they are, 
probably, less susceptible to Snake-venom than other Mammals. 


Ill, THE ANGOLA MUNGOOSE, HERPESTES ANGOLENSIS. 

flerpestes angolensis, Bocage, Journ. Sci. Lisb. ser. 2, vol. ii. 
Pp. 32 (1890). 

Characters.—Ciosely allied to the two preceding. The dark 
brown pelage, speckled with rufous, approximates this form to 
ff. tchneumon, but its size is larger, and the tail considerably 
longer ; characters by which it is equally well distinguished 
from 4. cafer. The rufous rings on the hairs are decidedly 
narrower than in H. ichneumon. The muzzle, chin, fore-legs, 
and feet are deep black; the remainder of the pelage speckled 
with rufous on a blackish-brown ground. The proximal fifth 
of the tail is covered with long brown hairs ringed with rufous ; 
in the remainder of the tail, except the black tip, the hairs are 
short and uniformly bright rufous. 


Distribution, West Africa (Angola), 


250 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


IV. THE SLENDER MUJ@0OSE. HERPESTES GRACILIS, 

Flerpestes gracilis, Rtippell, Neue Wirbelth. p. 29 (1835); 
Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc... 1882, -—p. 68, 1893, ‘p. Seas 
Bocage, J. Sci. Lisboa, ser. 2, vol. i. p. 178 (1889). 

Llerpestes mutgigella, Rippell, loc. cit. 

Cynictis melanura, Martin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1836, p. 56. 

Ferpestes badius, Smith, Illustr. S. African Zool. pl. iv. (1838). 

Ichneumta nigricaudatus, Geoffroy, Mag. Zool. 1839, p. 18. 

Flerpestes ochraceus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1848, p. 138. 

flerpestes galiniert, Guerin, Voyage Abyssin. Zool. pl. i. 
(1847-48). 

flerpestes lefebvret, Des Murs. & Prev. in Lefebvr. Voyage 
Abyss. Zool. Atlas, pl. i. (1850); Bocage, of. cit. p. 179. 

Lerpestes ornatus, Peters, Reise Mossambique, Mamm. p. 117 
(1852). 

flerpestes ochromelas, Pucheran, Rev. Mag. Zool. ser. 2, vol. 
Vii. p. 393 (1855). 

flerpestes todoprymnus, Heuglin, Nova Acta Ac. Cees. Leop.- 
War. vol, xxix", 23°( 1561). 

LHHerpestes adailensis, Heuglin, Peterm. Mitth. 1861, p. 17. 

Calogale grantt, p. 561, C. venatica, p. 563, Gray, Proc. Zool. 
Soc. 1864. 

Galerella ochracea, Gray, op. cit. p. 564. 

Flerpestes mutscheltschela, Heuglin, Reise N. O. Afrika, vol. ii. 
p. 41 (1877). 

Flerpestes ruficauda, Heuglin, of. cit. p. 43. 

Ler pestes melanurus, Matschie, Mittheil. deatsch. Schutzgebie- 
ten, vol. vi. att. 3, p. 11 (17893). 

Characters.—This is a very variable species, agreeing with the 
two preceding ones in the black tip to its tail, but readily distin- 
guished by its markedly inferior size. The form is slender; the 
tail slightly shorter than the head and body; the fur of medium 
length, and not elongated either at the root or the tip of the 


TIIE RED-TAILED MUNGOOSE. 251 


tail, while the colour may be either sandy, rufous, or dark 

greyish-brown. Under-side of tarsus naked. Skull resembling 

that of H. zchnewmon in form. Length of head and body, varying 

from about 11 to 14% inches ; of tail, from 10% to 12 inches. 
Distribution. Africa, south of the Sahara. 


Varieties. The typical variety, ranging from Cape Verd 
across Abyssinia to Natal, is of large size, and has the 
general colour of the fur dark brownish-grey, with or with- 
out black annulations, the tips of the hairs often showing a 
distinct ruddy tinge. In those specimens without black rings 
on the hairs the black terminal portion of the tail is not so 
sharply defined. 

In the West African variety, ZH. melanurus, ranging from 
Liberia to Sierra Leone and the Cameruns, the general colour 
is dark rufous, with the hairs distinctly ringed with black, the 
fur being short and crisp. 

The South African variety, H. dadius, extending from the 
Cape to Zanzibar, is rather smaller, and distinguished by its 
bright rufous colour, the hairs being sometimes ringed with 
black, and the fur rather long and soft. 

In the still smaller variety, 4. ochraceus, typically from 
Abyssinia, the colour is light sandy-yellow, the hairs in the 
type specimen being ringed with black. This variety is re- 
corded by Bocage, in the paper cited, from Angola. An allied 
West Coast variety (7. flavescens), from Benguela, according 
to the same writer, has the fur of a brighter tint, with the hairs 
on the head and root of the tail tipped with black. 

Another variety from Angola(/Z. punctulatus? = H1. ruficauda) 
is of a bright rufous tint, with the hairs tipped with black. 


Vv. THE RED-TAILED MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES SANGUINEUS. 


Herpestes sanguineus, Riippell, Neue Wirbelthiere, p. 27 (1835) ; 
Thomas, Proc. Zcol, Soc. 1882, p. 71. 


LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


to 
bo 


Characters.—Size and foryggmuch as in the last ; fur short and 
somewhat harsh. General colour very pale fawn; the hairs 
ringed with brown and yellowish-white, the latter colour pre- 
dominating, and the arrangement producing the appearance of 
cross-bands on the hinder part of the back. ‘Tail with longer 
hairs, ringed with black and white, although the black is very 
inconspicuous ; its tip yellowish-red, and sharply differentiated 
from the remainder. Feet nearly white. Teeth generally 
similar to those of HZ. ichneumon. Length of head and body, 
about 12 inches ; of tail, either rather more or rather less. 

Distribution.— Kordofan. 

Habits.—Mr. ‘Thomas writes that “this species, hitherto only 
found in Kordofan, is evidently a desert form, having the sandy 
coloration usually occurring in animals inhabiting sandy plains. 
Dr. Riippell seems to have found it numerous, as he brought 
home five or six specimens. He states that it lives in holes in 
the ground, among bushes, and that, though fierce when wild, it 
is yet easily tameable. Baron von Heuglin also found it, though 
not commonly, in the same region.” 

VI. NEUMANN’S MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES NEUMANN. 
Flerpestes neuinannt, Matschie, S.B. Nat. Fr. Berlin, 1894, p.12r. 

Characters.—A small form allied to the two preceding, and 
closely resembling HZ. gracilis var. ochraceus in general colora- 
tion, but distinguished by the absence of annulations on the 
hairs, and the chestnut-brown colour of the tail-tip. General 
colour ochre-yellow ; the hairs of the middle line of the back 
with small chestnut-brown tips, giving a reddish-brown speck- 
ling to the pelage ; the hairs in the last third of the tail darker; 
feet coloured like the sides and tail. 

Distribution. East Africa (N. Ugogo). 

In admitting this form to the rank of a species, it should be 
noticed that its describer regards the varieties of HZ. gracilis 
and H. albicauda as distinct species, 


THE RUFOUS MUNGOOSE. Pt ae 


VII. THE RUFOUS MUNGOCSE. HERPESTES GALERA. 


Mustela galera, Erxleben, Syst. Regn. Animal, p. 453 (1777). 

Viverra nems, Kerr, Linn. Anim. Kingd. p. 160 (1792). 

Mustela afra, err, op. cit. p. 175. 

Ichneumon galera, et I. afra, Geoffroy, Descrip. de l’Egypte, 
vol. il. p. 139 (1813). 

Atilax vansire, I. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. liv. (1826). 

flerpestes paludinosus, Cuvier, Regine Animal, ed. 2, vol. i. p. 
158 (1829). 

Mangusta urinatrix, A. Smith, Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 437 
(1829). 

Flerpestes pluto, ‘Temminck, Esquisses Zool. p. 95 (1853). 

Llerpestes loempo, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 551 (nec 
Temminck). 

Athylax vansire, et A. paludosus, Gray, op. cit. p. 557. 

Athylax robustus, Gray, op. cit. p. 558. 

flerpestes paludosus, Blyth, Cat. p. 52 (1893). 

Herpestes galera, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 72. 

Characters.— This and the next two species differ from all the 
preceding in that the tip of the tail is nct darker than the 
rest ; the teeth being generally similar to A. zchneumon, except 
that the length of the upper carnassial is less than twice that 
of the last molar. 

Size very large ; form stout and heavy; length of tail less 
than that of the body alone. General colour either grizzled 
reddish-brown and white, or dark blackish-brown without 
annulations ; under-fur greyish-brown. Feet dark brown ; tail 
coloured like the body, but rather darker, sometimes becom- 
ing nearly black near the extremity, but never with a sharply 
defined black tip. Generally an indistinct whitish mark on the 
cheek. ‘Tarsus and metatarsus usually quite naked, but occa- 
sionally some hair on the hinder part of the former. Skull very 
stout and heavy, with the teeth relatively small. Length of 


254 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


head and body in the typf€Al variety, about 24 inches; of tail, 
13 inches. 

Distribution—Typically West and South Africa; replaced in 
East Africa (White Nile) by a larger variety (47. robustus) with 
a proportionately shorter tail. 

Habits.—In South Africa this species is stated to frequent 
marshy spots and the banks of the smaller rivers, feeding chiefly 
upon frogs and crustaceans. 


VIII. EAST AFRICAN MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES PULVERULENTUS. 


flerpestes pulverulentus, Wagner, Minch. Gel. Anzeiz. vol. ix. 
p. 426 (1839); Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 74. 
Hlerpestes aficulatus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 551. 

Characters.—Size rather small; form somewhat stout; tail 
about equal in length to the body alone; hinder extremity of 
tarsus hairy beneath; fur rather long, soft, and shining. 
General colour uniform grizzled grey, the longer hairs with 
rings of black and white or yellow, the rings of each colour 
being of equal length; under-fur brown at the base and grey 
at the extremity. Hair of tail long; in colour the whole tail 
like the body ; feet slightly darker. Length of head and body, 
from 13 to 15 inches ; of tail, 10 to 11% inches. 

Distribution.—Eastern side of the Cape Colony (Algoa Bay, 
Natal, &c.). 

With the exception that it has not a black tail-tip, this 
species presents a considerable resemblance to a very diminu- 
tive specimen of H. cafer; the nature of the fur being 
similar in the two species. The geographical distribution is 
remarkably restricted. 

IX. THE SHORT-HAIRED MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES 
PUNCTATISSIMUS. 
erpestes punctatissimus, Temminck, Esquisses Zool. p, 108 
(1853) ; Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 74. 


wie 


THE SMALL INDIAN MUNGOOSE. 255 


Characters.—Fur short and harsh, the hairs on the back being 
barely half-an-inch in length. General colour pale grey, the 
hairs being finely grizzled with black and creamy-white, those 
on the under-parts having longer pale tips and less black. 
Tail with the hairs somewhat longer than those on the body, 
and uniformly ringed with black and white; no trace of a dark 
tip. Limbs coloured like the body; under surface of tarsus 
naked. Length of head and body, 13 inches; of tail, 10% 
inches. 

Distribution—West and South Africa (Gaboon and Algoa 
Bay). 

This small species is very rare, and presents some resem- 
blance to the Oriental H. auropunctatus. 


X. THE SMALL INDIAN MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES 
AUROPUNCTATUS. 


Viverra auropunctata, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. 
Vv. p. 235 (1836). 

Fer pestes nipalensts, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 578 (1837). 

Lerpestes auropunctatus, Wagner, in Schreber’s Saugethiere, 
Suppl. vol. ii. p. 310 (1841); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. 
India, p. 121 (1888); Sclater, Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. 
pt. ii. p. 251 (1891). 

Herpestes pallipes, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xiv. p. 
346 (1845). 

Herpestes javanicus, Blyth, of. cit. vol. xxi. p. 349 (1852). 

Herpestes persicus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 554. 

Calogale nepalensis, Gray, Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 
158 (1869). 

Variety. 

FHlerpestes birmanicus, Blanford (ex Thomas, 1886), Mamm. 

Brit. Ind. p. 122 (1888). 


With this species we come to the Oriental representatives of 


256 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


the genus, taking the twremaining Ethiopian forms tater 
on, since they differ in certain respects from all the others. 
Like the foregoing species, the Oriental ones have only two 
cusps on the inner side of the last lower molar tooth. 

Belonging to the group in which there are no bands or 
stripes on the body, and the whole pelage is more or less 
uniformly coloured, the present species is specially dis- 
tinguished by its small size, close and compact fur, which is 
not longer on the rump and the root of the tail than else- 
where, though on the remainder of the tail the hairs are 
considerably elongated. ‘Tail, exclusive of hair at the tip, 
about three-fourths the length of the head and body. ‘Tarsus 
partly haired. In the typical form the colour varies from 
light grey to dusky-brown, with minute speckles of white or 
yellow ; the under-parts being paler and more uniform, or in 
some cases white without annulation of the hairs. Under-fur 
of the back brown basally, then pale brownish-grey or yellow 
for some distance; the long hairs beyond this blackish-brown, 
then pale brown or white, and in some cases with dark tips. 
Hairs of tail with from five to seven alternations of black and 
white. Some individual differences obtain in the proportions 
of the black and white rings; dark specimens having the latter 
reduced toa minimum. Length of head and body, to to 12 
inches; tail, exclusive of hair, 7 to ro inches. 

The variety 77. d¢rmanicus is of rather larger size, with the 
general colour dark brown, minutely speckled with grey or 
yellowish-grey, the under-parts being scarcely paler than the 
back. Under-fur dark brown at the base, then whitish; on 
the back the long hairs beyond this at first black, then with 
a yellowish ring, and finally a black tip. Annulations more 
numerous on the hairs of the tail. Length of head and body, 
14 or 15 inches; of tail, with hair, 9 or 10 inches. 

Distribution. —South-west Persia, Sind, Kandahar, and the 


rg hear 


THE GREY INDIAN MUNGOOSE., 257 


lower ranges of the Himalaya and the neighbouring plains 
from Kashmir to Sikhim, as well as Lower Bengal. The 
variety A. dirmanicus occurs in Assam, Burma, and perhaps 
the Malay Peninsula. 

Mr. W. L. Sclater states that the only grounds for separating 
the latter are its slightly larger size and darker colour ; but the 
feet of some typical specimens are as large as those of the 
variety. 


XI. THE GREY INDIAN MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES MUNGO. 


Viverra mungo, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 84 (1788). 

Herpestes griseus, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 212 (1820); 
sykes, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1831, p. roz2. 

Herpestes frederici, Desmarest, Dict. Sci. Nat. vol. xxix. p. 60 
(1823). 

Mangusta malaccensis, Fischer, Synop. Mamm. p. 164 (1829). 

Mangusta griseus, Fischer, oc. cit. 

Herpestes nyula, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. v. p. 
236 (1836). 

Mangusta mungos, Elliot, Madras Journ. vol. x. p. 102 (1839). 

Herpestes pallidus, Wagner, in Schreber’s Saugethiere, Suppl. 
Fol i. p. 317 (1841). 

Herpestes mataccensis, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. 
Xxi. p. 349 (1852). 

Herpestes fimbriatus, Temminck, Esquisses Zool. p. 112 (1853). 

Calogale nyula, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 560. 

Cynictis fimbriatus, Gray, Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 17 
(1869). 

Hlerpestes ferrugineus, Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. 661. 

ferpestes andersoni, Murray, Vertebr. Faun. Sind, p. 34 (1884). 

Herpestes mungo, Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1887, p. 631 ; id., 
Mamm. Brit. India, p. 123 (1888). 


Characters.—Size large ; fur not close and compact ; hairs on 


7 S 


258 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


hinder part of back considably elongated ; tail without biack 
tip ; hairs with the light and dark rings of equal length. Taila 
little shorter than the head and body ; tarsus completely naked, 
but the bare portion of the whole sole of the hind-foot rather 
narrow. General colour greyish-brown, speckled with white or 
pale grey; not unfrequently a ferruginous tinge on the head, 
which in one variety extends over the entire body ; under-parts 
paler. Under-fur light brown, the longer hairs distinct in 
colour from this, and on the back marked by four or five dark 
and as many light rings, which are generally of equal length ; 
tips frequently rufous-brown. Claws dark brown. Length of 
head and body, from 15 to 18 inches; of tail, 14 to 15 inches. 

Distribution.—India generally, from Kashmir and the Himalaya 
southward, and Ceylon. Imported into the Malay Peninsula. 

This is the common Mungoose of India, and the one 
carried about by the itinerant Snake-charmers. The Bengal 
variety (47. madaccensts) is darker than usual; while a variety 
found in Sind (Z. ferrugineus, or H. anderson) is characterised 
by its rich ferruginous tint. 


XII. THE RUDDY MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES SMITHI. 

HHerpestes smithi, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 578 (1837); 
Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 126 (1888). 

Herpestes thysanurus, Wagner, Minch. Gel. Anz. vol. ix. p. 
439 (1839). 

Crossarchus rubiginosus, Wagner, in Schreber’s Saugethiere, 
Suppl. vol. ii. p. 329 (1841). 

Herpestes elliott, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xx. p. 
162 (1851). 

HHerpestes rubiginosus, Kelaart, Prodr. Faun. Zeyl. p. 213 (1852). 

Calictis smitht, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 565. 

Llerpestes jerdoni, Gray, op. cit. p. 550. 

Llerpestes monticolus, Jerdon, Mamm. India, p. 135 (1867). 


THE NILGIRI BROWN MUNGOOSE. 259 


Characters. Distinguished from the other uniformty-coloured 
Indian forms by the black tail-tip. Fur long, harsh, and 
somewhat ragged ; tail nearly as long as the head and body, 
or, if the hair be included, longer; heel partially haired. 
General colour varying from light brownish-grey, speckled with 
white, to rufous or iron-grey ; terminal three or four inches of 
the tail jet black; behind this the colour ferruginous for a 
short distance, and then similar to that of the body; under- 
parts sometimes paler than back ; feet generally darker, either 
rufous-brown or blackish. Under-fur grey to greyish-brown ; 
longer hairs, with alternations of some four white, and as many 
dark brown or black rings, the tips varying from light brown 
to deep ferruginous-red. Length of head and body, about 20 
inches ; of tail, 19 inches. 

Distribution.—India, from Kashmir southwards, and Ceylon ; 
but everywhere rare, generally frequenting forests. 

The variety “7. jerdoni has the fur very grey. 


XIII. THE NILGIRI BROWN MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES FUSCUS. 
Herpestes fuscus, Waterhouse, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1838, p. 555 
Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 127 (1888). 

Characters.—No black tip to tail; hairs with three very short 
light rings, about one-third the length of the dark ones ; colour 
very dark ; under-fur dark brown. 

Size large; tail rather shorter than head and body, with 
longer hair; fur long and not very harsh; under-fur long, 
dense, and woolly ; heel hairy beneath. General colour black- 
ish-brown, minutely speckled with yellow or brownish-white ; 
tail rather, and feet much darker. Length of head and body, 
18 inches ; of tail, with hair, 17 inches. 

Distribution.—Travancore, and Nilgiri Hills of Southern 
India. 


260 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 


XIV. THE CEYLON munQbose. HERPESTES FULVESCENS, 
Ferpestes fulvescens, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xx. 
p. 162 (1851); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 127 
(1888); W. L. Sclater, Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. pt. it. 
p. 255 (1891). 
Cynicits maccarthie, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1851, p. 131. 
Onychogale maccarthie, Gray, op. cit. 1864, p. 570. 
Herpestes maccarthie, Anderson, Anat. Zool. Research. Exped. 
Yun-nan, p. 178 (1878). 
Fer pestes ceylanicus, Nevill, Taprobanian, vol. i. p. 62 (1885). 
Characters.— Distinguished from the last by its general light- 
yellowish colour, owing to the abundant speckling of the fur 
with yellow; tail-tip pure yellow; size also less. Length of 
head and body, about 16% inches; of tail, 1214 inches. 
Distribution.— Ceylon 


XV. THE JAVAN MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES JAVANICUS. 

Ichneumon javanicus, Geoffroy, Descript. de Egypte, vol. ii. 
p. 138 (1813); F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. xxv 
(1821). 

Ichneumon ruber, Geoffroy, of. cit. p. 139. 

Herpestes javanicus, Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 212 (1820); 
Anderson, Zool. Anat. Research. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 185 
(1878). 

Mangusta javanica, Horsfield, Zool. Research. plate (1824). 

Mangusta rubra, Fischer, Synops. Mamm. p. 165 (1829). 

Herpestes exilis, Gervais, Voy. Bonite, p. 32 (1841). 

Flerpestes rutilus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 136. 

Calogale rutila, Gray, op. cit. 1864, p. 561; id., Cat. Carniv. 
Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 159 (1869). 

Characters.— Very similar to the last, from which it may be 
distinguished by its shorter tail, which is only equal to half the 
length of the head and body. 


THE STRIPE-NECKED MUNGOOSE. 26% 


Distribution.—Java, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Cambcdia, 
and Cochin China. 


XVI. THE SHORT-TAILED MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES 
BRACHYURUS. 
flerpestes brachyurus, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 578 
(50 36)5 id. Cats Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus, py ea 
(1869); Anderson, Zool. Anat. Research. Exped. Yun- 
nan, p. 187 (1878). 

Characters.—Nearly allied to the last, but with a still shorter 
tail, which is less than half the length of the head and body. 
Length of head and body, from 1714 to 181% inches ; of tail, 
without hair, 7 to 9 inches. 

Distribution Borneo and Malay Peninsula. 


XVII, THE STRIPE-NECKED MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES 
VILTICOLLIS. 

ferpestes vitticollis, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1835, p. 67; 
Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 128 (1888). 

Mungos vitticollis, Ogilby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1835, p. 103. 

Mangusta vitticollis, Elliot, Madras Journ. vol. x. p. 103 
(1839). 

Tentogale vitticollis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 569. 

Characters.—Its large size, the presence of a black streak on 
each side of the ear behind the neck, the black tail-tip, and 
the ruddy rump, serve at once to distinguish this species. 

Size large ; tail, inclusive of the long hair at the tip, three- 
quarters the length of the head and body ; fur long and harsh, 
longest on the tail; tarsus naked. General colour varying 
from a grizzled dusky iron-grey to a full ferruginous- or chest- 
nut-red, without speckling, the red being, however, frequently 
confined to the hinder part of the body and tail, and the head 
invariably iron-grey ; neck with a black streak running from 
behind the ear to the shoulder. bordered above and below by 


262 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


all 


a paler or more rufous area.” Limbs uniformly dark brown or 
black, and tail with a long black tip. Fur brown at the base; 
the longer hairs with three or four rings of pale yellowish-grey, 
alternating with the same number of black ones, or merely one 
or two rings of each colour near the base, and the remainder 
of the hairs ferruginous. Length of head and body, 21 inches ; 
of tail, with hair, 15 inches, without hair, 13 inches. 


Distribution Southern India, Malabar Coast, and Ceylon. 


XVIII. THE PALE-NECKED MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES SEMI- 
TORQUATUS. 


Flerpestes semitorguatus, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. xviii. 
p. 211 (1846); Anderson, Zool. Anat. Research. Exped 
Yun-nan, p. 191 (1878). 

Characters.—Specially distinguished by the pale area on the 
neck, and the orange-brown tinge of the fur. 

Size rather large; tail about two-thirds the length of the 
head and body ; tarsus hairy beneath the heel. General colour 
rich orange-brown, becoming more brightly rufous on the 
sides of the body, finely speckled with yellow on the back 
and upper portion of the sides; lower half of the side of 
the neck, from the muzzle backwards, rufous-yellow, without 
speckling, this area standing out in marked contrast to the 
speckled dark brown of the upper part of the neck ; fore-legs 
and lower half of hind-legs dark purplish-brown ; upper sur- 
face of head less rufous than back; under-parts rich ferru- 
ginous-brown, like the sides; tail uniformly coloured, much 
grizzled, owing to the long pale yellow tips of the hairs. 
Under-fur pale yellowish-brown at the base, and orange-yellow 
towards the tips; the longer hairs on the sides of the body 
rich orange-red, below which there is an indistinct brown 
band, while the basal portion is pale brown or yellow. On 
the back the hairs terminate in a short brown tip, preceded 


9 —— 


THE CRAB-EATING MUNGOOSE. 263 


by a yellow band, which is followed by a long blackish-brown 
band, extending nearly to the base, which is yellow. Length 
of head and body, 17 inches ; of tail, without hair, 10% inches, 
with hair, 1114 inches. 


Distribution. Borneo. 


XIX. THE CRAB-EATING MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES URVA. 
? Viverra fusca, Gray, Ilustr. Indian Zool. vol.i. pl. v. (1830). 
Gulo urva, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. v. p. 238 
(1836). 
Urva cancrivora, Hodgson, of. cit. vol. vi. p. 561 (1837). 
Mesobema cancrivora, Hodzson, op. cit. vol. x. p. 910 (1841). 
Osmetictis fusca, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. x. p. 260 (1842), 
flerpestes urva, Anderson, Anat. Zool. Research. Exped. Yun- 
nan, p. 189 (1878); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. r29 
(1888). 

Characters.—A white streak behind the ear; no black tail-tip ; 
hairs of back tipped with white; under-parts and limbs reddish- 
brown. 

Size large; form very robust; tail about two-thirds the 
length of the head and body; fur very long, coarse, and 
ragged; under-fur woolly; naked surface of under part of hind- 
foot extending about two-thirds the distance to the heel. 
General colour dusky iron-grey, or blackish with a superficial 
tinge of grey caused by the long whitish tips of the hairs; a 
distinct narrow white stripe along the side of the neck from 
the angle of the mouth to the shoulder ; head dark brown, 
speckled with white; limbs uniformiy dark brown, the feet 
frequently black. Under-fur dark brown at the base, then pale 
brownish-yellow ; the longer hairs brown at the roots, then light 
brown or yellowish-brown for a considerable distance, after this 
black, and the tips whitish. Length of head and body, from 
18 to 21 inches; of tail, without the hair, 11 to 12 inches, 


264 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Distribution. Himalaya rn Nipal to Assam, Arakan, Burma, 
North Tenasserim, and Southern China. 


Habits.—This species is stated to be sub-aquatic in its habits, 
feeding largely upon Crabs and Frogs. 


XX. THE WHITE-TAILED MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES ALBICAUDA. 


Hlerpestes albicaudus, Cuvier, Regne Anim. ed. 2, vol. i. p. 158 
(1829). 

FHerpestes leucurus, Ehrenberg, Sym’. Phys. pl. xii. (1830). 

Ichneumia albescens, 1. Geoffroy, Mag. Zool. vol. vii. p. 394 
(1855). 

Herpestes loempo, Temminck, Esquisses Zool. p. 93 (1853); 
Matschie, Mittheil. deutsch. Schutzgebieten, vol. vi. art. 3, 
p. 11 (1893). 

Ichneumia nigricauda, Pucheran, Rev. Mag. Zool. vol. vii. p. 
394 (1855). 

Ichneumia abu-wudan, Fitzinger and Heuglin, S.B. Ak. Wien, 
vol. liy. pt. 1. p. 564 (13866). 

LTerpestes (Ichneumia) albicauda, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 
1802, ). 75. 

Herpesies albicaudatus, Thomas, of. cit. 1889, p. 622. 

fTlerpestes albicauda, Thomas, of. cit. 1894, p. 450. 


With this species we revert to the Ethiopian members of the 
genus. 


Characters.—From all the species noticed above, the pre- 
sent one is distinguished by having the whole of the lower 
surface of the tarsus covered with hair, by the upper carnassial 
tooth being only about one-fourth longer than the last molar, 
and by the presence of three cusps on the outer side of the 
last lower tooth. It has been separated as a genus or sub- 
genus, under the name of Jchneumia, and connects the more 
typical forms with the under-mentioned Baeogade. 


THE WHITE-TAILED MUNGOOSE, 265 


Size large ; form rather slender; tail bushy, and somewhat 
shorter than the body; under surface of the tarsus and meta- 
tarsus thickly haired as far as the base of the first toe; fur of 
medium length. General colour blackish-grey, the longer hairs 
ringed with black and white, except for their terminal third, 
which is generally black ; under-fur woolly, of a uniform dirty 
grey colour; feet black; hairs on tail very long, in some examples 
with white bases and long glistening black tips, so that the 
whole tail appears black ; .in others with long white tips beyond 
the black, thus rendering the entire tail white. In white-tailed 
specimens the terminal hairs are usually wholly white. Length 
of head and body, from 23 to 26 inches; of tail, 15 to 1534 
inches. 

Distribution—Eastern Abyssinia to Natal, West Africa 
(Guinea, &c.), and Arabia (Muscat). Regarding the remark- 
able variation in the colour of the tail of this peculiar species, 
Mr. Thomas writes: “No one seems to have noticed that 
the black-tailed AZ. Joemfo is not even specifically distinct from 
the typical form, and therefore, of course, possesses all its more 
important structural characters. . albicauda and H. loempo 
cannot even be separated as varieties ; for the only difference 
between them, namely the colour of the tail, seems to be purely 
an individual variation. It is true that for the most part 
specimens from West Africa, representing 4. /oempo, have 
black tails, and those from East Africa white tails; but I have 
seen too many exceptions to this rule to feel justified in regard- 
ing the two forms as varietally distinct. Thus there is in the 
Berlin Museum a specimen from Accra, on the Gold Coast, 
which has a regular white tail, justas thetypical H. aldicauda ; 
and, on the other hand, black-tailed specimens from East 
Africa are byno means rare. Moreover, in the British Museum 
we have two specimens from the Bogos country, Abyssinia, 
received together, the skulls of which are quite identical, one 


266 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


having a black /oemfo-like tail, and the other a tail with quite 
as much white on it as inaverage a/bicauda. We thus see that 
the presence or absence of a white tip to the tail-hairs is a 
character upon which no specific distinction can be founded ; 
and, in fact, it would rather seem that the white tail is the 
result of a desert life, specimens from sandy districts having, 
as a rule, white, and those from forest-regions black tails.” 


XXI. LARGE-TOOTHED MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES GRANDIS. 

LTerpestes grandis, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1889, p. 622. 

Characters.— Known only by the skeleton, which indicates an 
animal of larger size than the average of the preceding species 
(to which it is closely allied), and with relatively much longer 
limbs. The teeth generally larger and heavier than in &. 
albicauda, this being especially the case with the canines and 
the last lower molar, the latter having not only a more comp'‘ex 
crown, but being likewise proportionately large as compared 
with the first lower molar (carnassial). 

Distribution.—South Africa (probably from the Limpopo or 
Zululand). 

XIV. SIX-MOLARED MUNGOOSES. GENUS HELOGALE. 
Helogale, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 308. 

The single representative of this genus is distinguished from 
the majority of the species of Herpestes by having only three 
pairs of pre-molar teeth in each jaw; the first of these being 
approximated to the canine, and thus serving to distinguish 
the genus from the few forms of //ezfesves with only three pre- 
molars, in all of which there is a gap between the first of that 
seriesandthecanine. The skull is also shorter and broader, with 
the walls of the brain-case thinner, and the ridges for muscular 
attachment less developed. The sole of the hind-foot is naked. 
The last lower molar has but two cusps on its outer side. 
The writer is inclined to agree with Professor Mivart (Proc, 


THE SMALL MUNGOOSE. 267 


Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 178), as to the doubtful validity of the 
genus, 


I. THE SMALL MUNGOOSE. HELOGALE PARVULA. 

Flerpestes parvulus, Sundevall, Oef. K. Vet. Ak. Foérhandl. 
Stockh, 1846, p. 121. 

flelogale parvula, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 308; Thomas, 
Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 79 ; Jentink, Notes Leyd. Mus. 
vol. xi. p. 31 (1888) ; Bocage, J. Sci. Lisboa, ser. 2, vol. i. 
p. 180 (1889). 

flerpestes undulatus, Peters, Reise Mossambique, Saug. p. 114 
(1852). 

flelogale undulata, Thomas, of. cit. p. 80 ; Jentink, loc. cit. 

Characters.—Size small, form slender ; tail rather shorter than 
the body. Typically the general colour dark finely-grizzled 
greyish-brown throughout, the hairs being ringed with black or 
brown and yellowish-white, and the feet and tail rather darker 
than the body. In the variety, H. wduZata, the general colour 
is grizzled rufous on the upper-parts ; neck, under-parts, and 
legs rich rufous, with less black grizzling; size rather larger 
than in typical form. Length of head and body, from 8% 
to ro inches ; of tail, from 41% to 634 inches. 

Distribution.—East Africa (Natal to Mozambique); West 
Africa (Angola). 

The typical form is from Natal, and the rufous variety from 
Mozambique. These were regarded by Mr. Thomas as speci- 
fically distinct, but Dr. Jentink subsequently came to the con- 
clusion that they were probably only varieties. The latter view 
is also taken by Prof. Bocage, who first recorded the species 
from West Africa, where both the grey and the red phase is 
met with, although the two appear to be locally separated. 

Habits—Anchieta, as quoted by Bocage, states that the “ Bi- 
muires,” as these animals are called in Angola, inhabit alike 


268 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


cultivated and wild districts Waid that they live in small parties, 
which frequently combine to attack Snakes. Holes in trees, 
and burrows dug by their own strong claws in the ground, 
serve for their habitation ; while they not unfrequently take 
possession of the deserted mounds of White Ants or Termites. 
In Mozambique, according to Peters, the Small Mungoose is 
extremely partial to hens’ eggs, which it breaks in a peculiar 
fashion, throwing them with its fore-paws between its hind-legs 
against a wall or stone. 


XV. THE FOUR-TOED MUNGOOSES. GENUS BDEOGALE, 
Bdeogale, Peters, Reise Mossambique, p. 119 (1852). 
In this East and West African genus the teeth agree in 
number and general characters with those of Herpestes albi- 


cauda, but there are only four toes to each foot. The sole of 
the hind-foot is hairy. 


I. THE THICK-TAILED MUNGOOSE. BDEOGALE CRASSICAUDA. 
Bdeogale crassicauda, Peters, Reise Mossambique, p. 120 
(1852); Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 81. 

Characters.— Distinguished from the next species by the re- 
latively longer tail, in which the long hairs are white in their 
basal, and black in their terminal half, instead of being uai- 
formly blackish-brown. ‘The last lower molar seems also pro- 
portionately longer. 

Distribution. Mozambique. 

II], THE PUISA MUNGOOSE. BDEOGALE PUISA. 
Bdeogale puisa, Peters, Reise Mossambique, p. 124 (1852); 
Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 81. 

Characters.—Size rather large; form slender; tail less than 
half the length of the head and body; under surface of tarsus 
and metatarsus thickly haired to the base of the toes. General 
colour dark brownish, with or without rings on the hairs ; long 
and soft under-fur tawny-yellow ; limbs nearly black ; head grey 


BLACK-FOOTED MUNGOOSE, 269 


ish ; tail bushy, uniformly blackish-brown. Length of head and 
body, from 15 to 20% inches; of tail, from 7 to 9 inches. 
Distribution—Mozambique and Zanzibar. 


All the species of the genus appear to be very rare animals ; 

and nothing is known of their habits. 
III. BLACK-FOOTED MUNGOOSE. BDEOGALE NIGRIPES. 
Bdeogale nigripes, Pucheran, Rev. Mag. Zool. vol. vii. p. 111 
(1855); Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 82. 
Lferpestes, sp., Bocage, J. Sci. Lisboa, ser. 2, vol. i. p. 120 
(1889). 

Characters.—This imperfectly known form was_ originally 
named from a skin from the Gaboon, which Mr. Thomas (of. ci¢. 
p. 77) thought might belong to an individual of Herfestes albi- 
cauda, which had, through some accident, lost the first toe on 
each foot. Bocage writes, however, that two Mungooses from 
Angola resemble in appearance, and also in the conformation of 
their skulls and teeth, Hervfestes albicauda; but they differ in 
their system of coloration, and the absence of the first toe in 
both the fore- and hind-feet. The fur, composed of shorter 
hairs ringed with black and white, and without any admixture 
of the longer ones so abundant in A. albicauda, presents a 
uniform coloration of white speckles upon a blackish ground. 
The blackness of the limbs is less marked than in the latter. 

If these specimens do not indicate that Bd. nigrifes is a good 
species, they would seem to show that the number of digits in 
H1. albicauda is not constant, and therefore that the genus 
Bdeogale has no exis‘ence. 

Distribution—West Africa (Gaboon and Angola). 


XVE GENUS: CYNICTIS. 
Cynictis, Ogilby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 48. 


In this South African genus there are five toes on the fore- 
fect and four on the hind-feet ; the teeth agree in number and 


270 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


general characters with thoM of LTerpestes ichneumon, the last 
lower molar having only two external cusps, and the soles of 
the hind-feet being hairy. Like all the foregoing genera of the 
Sub-family, the nose is medianly grooved. Mr. Thomas re- 
marks that “ this genus is a very distinct and well-marked one, 
not only on account of its different number of digits, but also 
from the fact that its skull is very differently shaped to that 
of Herpestes, more resembling Swricata than any of the genera 
of this section.” The auditory bulla has a large hole near the 
middle. 


I. THE PENCILLED MUNGOOSE. CYNICTIS PENICILLATA. 
Herpestes penicillatus, Cuvier, Regne Anim. ed. 2, vol. i. p. 158 
(1829). 
Mangusta levaillantit, A. Smith, Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 437 
(1829). 
Cynictis steedmanni, Ogilby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 49. 
Cynictis typicus, Smith, S. African Quart. Journ. vol. u. p. 116 
(1835). 
Cynictis ogilbyt, Smith, of. cit. p. 117. 
Ichneumtia albescens, 1. Geoffroy, Mag. Zool. 1839. pl. xii. 
Cynictis leptura, Smith, Ilustr. Zool. S. Africa, pl. xvii. (1849). 
Cynictis penicillata, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 83. 
Characters.—Size medium ; form slender, and head relatively 
small ; tail bushy, about equal in length to the body. General 
colour ranging from dark yellow to light yellowish-grey, the 
longer hairs light yellow for the basal half, then with a black 
ring, and the tip white ; the individual variation in the general 
colour being due to differences in the length of these white 
tips. Under-fur rich yellow; chin white; under-parts and 
limbs somewhat paler than back ; hairs of bushy tail frequently 
exceeding a couple of inches in length, their colour generally 
similar to those of the back, but the terminal hairs white 
throughout. Length of head and body, 15 to 15% inches; 
of tail, 9 to 9% inches. 


shal 


MELLER’'S MUNGOOSE. aoa 


Distribution—Cape Colony and Orange Free State. 

Habits.—This Mungoose is an inhabitant of dry sandy dis- 
tricts, in which it burrows holes where it reposes during the 
night, while in the daytime it is abroad, engaged either in 
hunting for the mice and birds on which it feeds or merely in 
basking in the sunshine. 


XVII. THE SMOOTH-NOSED MUNGOOSES. GENUS 
RHYNCHOGALE, 
Rhinogale, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3753; mec Gloger. 
Rhynchogale, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1894, p. 139. 

The absence of a groove from the nose to the upper lip 
serves to distinguish this genus not only from all the foregoing 
members of the Herfestine, but likewise from all the Viverrine 
with the exception of Cyzogale. ‘There are five toes to each 
foot, and four pairs of pre-molar teeth in each jaw, while the 
palate of the skull is concave, and the under surface of the 
tarsus and metatarsus hairy. The teeth have blunted cusps 
suited apparently for grinding rather than cutting ; and the last 
molar in both jaws is relatively very large. 

The genus appears to be confined to East Africa. 


I, MELLER’S MUNGOOSE. RHYNCHOGALE MELLERI. 


Rhinogale mellert, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 375 ; Thomas, 
Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 85. 
Rhynchogale mellert, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1894, p. 139. 
Characters.—Size and form very nearly as in Herpestes tchneu- 
mon , tail about as long as the body ; under surface of tarsus 
and metatarsus hairy as far as the bases of the toes. General 
colour uniform pale brown, the longer hairs with one or two 
rings of brown and white, which pass so gradually into one 
another as to give little appearance of grizzling to the pelage ; 
head and under-parts paler, in the former the white of the hairs 
showing more conspicuously ; feet darker: under-fur grey at 


272 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 


the roots and pale brown atgfie tips. Tail with long hairs, and 
gradually darkening from its root to the tip, the hairs of the 
basal third being uniformly brown, those of the middle third 
white at the basal and black at the terminal half, and those ot 
the terminal third entirely black. Length of head and body 
in type specimen, 22 inches; of tail, 15 inches. 

Distribution.—N yasaland. 

For upwards of thirty years the genus was known only by a 
single specimen, which, curiously enough, presents the abnor- 
mality of having five pairs of pre-molar teeth in the upper jaw. 

Habits.— According to Mr. A. Whyte, the re-discoverer of the 
species, wild fruits are always found in the stomach of this 
Mungoose. Commenting on this, Mr. Thomas writes that 
‘Mr. Whyte’s observation on the food of 2. mellert is of great 
interest, as its fruit-eating habits may perhaps account for the 
peculiar structure and wear of its molars. In all the three 
specimens before me the posterior molars appear to be more 
worn than the anterior, as though an unusual amount of chew- 
ing had fallen to their share; but it must be admitted that 
this appearance may be deceptive, and the explanation may be 
that the second upper molar is naturally so much flatter than 
usual that it appears to be worn flat almost at once.” 


XVIII. THE CUSIMANSES. GENUS CROSSARCHYS: 


Crossarchus, ¥. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pl. xlvii. (1825). 
Ariela, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 565. 

Agreeing with 2RAyachogale in the smooth upper lip, the 
present genus is distinguished by having only three pairs of 
pre-molar teeth in each jaw, by the flat bony palate of the 
skull, and the naked soles of the hinder part of the hind-feet. 
The last lower molar is similar to that of Bdeogale, having 
three external cusps. The genus is represented by four species - 
locally scattered over Africa. 


THE GAMBIAN CUSIMANSE, 273 


I, THE CUSIMANSE. CROSSARCHUS OBSCURUS. 
Crossarchus obscurus, F, Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. xlvii. 
(1825); Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 87. 

Characters.—The distinctive feature of this species is the 
grizzled dull brown colour of the fur of the back, in which the 
tips of the hairs are yellow, and there is no trace of cross- 
barring. 

Size medium; form rather stout; muzzle elongated ; tail 
about half the length of the head and body. General colour 
dull grizzled brown; the longer hairs dark brown for four- 
fifths of their length, with yellow tips; under-fur brown at 
the roots and grey above; head more finely grizzled than the 
back, with a rufous tinge; at the extremity of the tail the 
yellow tips of the hairs changing to red; feet nearly black. 
Length of head and body, from 12% to 15 inches; of tail, 
6% to 7% inches. 

Distribution West Africa (Cameruns and Congo). 


Habits—This species is stated to probe in soft ground for 
insects with its muzzle, the elongated form of which would 
appear well suited for such a purpose. 


Il. THE GAMBIAN CUSIMANSE. CROSSARCHUS GAMBIANUS. 
Herpestes gambianus, Ogilby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1835, p. 102. 
Mungos gambianus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 575. 
Crossarchus gambianus, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 88. 

Characters.— Differs from the last in the general colour being 
grey, and likewise in the annulated hairs, which are, however, 
not so arranged as to produce cross-bands on the hinder part 
of the body. ‘The latter region accordingly differs from the 
shoulders only in being more rufous. Neck and chest white ; 
a distinct black streak on the side of the neck, as in Herfestes 
vitticollis. Length of head and body, 15 inches. 

- Distribution. —West Africa (Gambia), 
7 T 


vg | LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 


This species, which, we @@lieve, is still known only by an im- 
perfect adult specimen and a second immature example, has a 
marked general resemblance to the under-mentioned C. fascia- 
tus ; and Mr. Thomas remarks that it “‘is very interesting as 
showing what a comparatively unimportant character is the 
presence of cross-bands on the back. Its coloration is ex- 
tremely similar to that of C. fasciatus ; yet by a simple dis- 
arrangement of the hairs of the back all the broad distinct 
cross-bands vanish, and the back only presents a coarse 
grizzled rufous-grey colour.” 


III) NARROW-BANDED CUSIMANSE. CROSSARCHUS ZEBRA. 


Ferpestes zebra, Riippell, Neue Wirbelth. Abyss. p. 30 (1835). 
LHerpestes._ gothneh, Fitzinger and Heuglin, $.B. Ak. Wien, vol. 
liv. pt. i. p. 560 (1866). 

Flerpestes leucostethicus, Fitzinger and Heuglin, of. at. p. 561. 
Crossarchus zebra, ‘Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 89. 

Characters.—Size rather smaller and form more slender than 
in the last ; tail half as long as the head and body. General 
colour grizzled grey, with dark narrow cross bands on the 
hinder half of the back, five or more dark and light bands going 
to.an inch. Longer hairs marked with very short black, and 
pale yellow or white, rings; under-fur dirty yellowish-grey ; 
chin, chest, and under-parts more or less bright rufous, a well- 
defined line along the side of the neck demarcating this tint 
from the grey above. Generally a white line of variable width 
down the middie of the under surface of the body. Feet and 
tail darkening towards their extremities, the tip of the latter 

eing frequently black. Length of head and body, 13 to 13% 
inches; of tail, 634 to 7 inches. 

Distribution Abyssinia. 

Habits.—In common with the other members of the genus, 
this Mungoose ig a burrowing animal, and is frequently seen 


“ESNVINISNO CHANVaE-avoud 


TDXX FLV Id 


DYBOWSKI’S CUSIMANSE. 275 


abroad during the daytime. Its food appears to be partly 
animal and partly vegetable. 


IV. EBROAD-BANDED CUSIMANSE. CROSSARCHUS FASCIATUS. 
Lerpestes fasciatus, Desmarest, Dict. Sci. Nat. vol. xxix. p. 58 


(1823). 
Lchneumon tenionotus, Smith, S. African Qart. Journ. vol. ii. 


Pp. 114 (1835). 
Ariela tenionota, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, D- 565- 
Crossarchus fasciatus, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, pi OC 
Bocage, J. Sci. Lisboa, ser. 2, vol. i. p. 180 (1889). 
(Plate XXXT/.) 

Characters.— Readily distinguished from the last by the broad 
bands on the back and the grey under surface. Size medium ; 
form stout ; tail rather more than half the length of the head 
and body. Gcieral colour grizzled grey; the hinder part of 
the back marked with broad dark and light cross-bands, of 
which about three and a half go to an inch. Longer hairs 
annulated with long black and light rings, the base of the 
latter being always rufous, but the tip either rufous or yellow. 
Under-fur greyish-brown ; neck, chest, and under-parts of the 
same grizzled grey as the shoulders ; feet and tail becoming 
more or less completely black at their extremities. Length of 
head and body, 12 to 13 inches; of tail, 7 to 8 inches. 

Distribution.—South-east Africa (Caffraria to Mozambique 
and Nyasaland); West Africa (Angola). 

The stripes in this species are generally twelve to thirteen 
in number ; and from the description of this and the preced- 
ing form, it will be seen that the width of the stripes is depen- 
dent on the length of the rings on the hairs. 


V. DYBOWSKI’S CUSIMANSE. CROSSARCHUS DYBOWSKII. 
Crossarchus dybowskit, Pousargues, Archiv. Mus. Paris, ser. 3, 


vol. vi. p. 121 (1894). 
2 


276 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


Characters.— A riaete iba od eras species, distinguished from 
all the other four by its greatly inferior dimensions. The 
chest and throat lack the black and white markings character- 
istic of C. gambianus, while the colour of the pelage is quite 
unlike that of C. obscurus. 

Distribution Oubangui region, Upper Congo. 


XIX, THE MEERKATS. GENUS SURICATA: 
Suricata, Desmarest, Tabl. Méth. Mamm., in Nouv. Dict. 
Hist. Nat. vol. xxiv. (1804). 
Rhyzena, Illiger, Prodr. Syst. Mamm. p. 134 (1811). 


From the other Smooth-nosed Mungooses the single South 
African representative of this genus is distinguished by having 
only four (instead of five) toes on each of the fore- and 
hind-feet ; while it is further characterised by having three 
pairs of pre-molar teeth in the upper, and four in the lower 
jaw ; and likewise by the naked under surface of the whole of 
the tarsus and metatarsus. The muzzle is produced; the 
front claws are elongated and nearly double the length of 
those on the hind-feet ; the profile of the face is convex; and 
the teeth are of the general type of those of the preceding 
genus. 
I. THE MEERKAT. SURICATA TETRADACTYLA. 
Viverra suricatia, Erxleben, Syst. Regn. Anim. p. 488 (1777). 
Viverra tetradactyla, Schreber, Siugethiere, vol. iii, p. 434 
(1778). 

Wus zenik, Scopoli, Delic. Faun. Flor. vol. ii. p. 84 (1786). 

Viverra zenik, et V. tetradactyla, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. vol. i. 
p- 85 (1789). 

Suricata capensis, Desmarest, Tabl. Méth. Mamm. in Nouv. 
Dict. Hist. Nat. vol. xxiv. (1804). 

Rhyzena tetradactyla, Mliger, Prodr. Syst. Mamm. p. 134 (1811). 

Suricata viverrina, Desmarest, Nouv. Dict. Hist. Nat. 2nd ed. 
vol. Xxxil. p. 297 (1819). 


THE STRIPED MUNGOOSES. 277 


Rhyzena typicus, Smith, S. African Quart. Journ. vol. ii. p. 117 
(1835). 

Suricata tetradactyla, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 92. 

_ Characters.—Size small; form slender; tail about half the 
length of the head and body ; fur long and soft. General colour 
light grizzled grey, with black cross-bands on the hinder part of 
the back, these dark and light bands being formed by the 
regular arrangement of the hairs, which are ringed with black 
and white, the latter colour predominating. Under-fur dark 
rufous. Head nearly white, with the exception of a distinct 
oblong black mark round the eyes ; ears black ; tail yellowish, 
with a distinct black tip; feet coloured like the body. Length 
of head and body, 14 to 15 inches; of tail, 7 to 8 inches. 

Distribution Cape Colony, ranging to Algoa Bay. 

Habits.— Meerkats are sociable little animals, found both in the 
plains and on the mountains of the Cape Colony. In the latter 
situation they dwell in caves and the crevices of the rocks ; 
but in the former dig burrows for themselves wherever the soil 
is sandy, the long curved black claws of the fore-feet being 
specially adapted for such work. Unlike the typical Mun- 
gooses, they are essentially diurnal animals, not making their 
appearance above ground till well after sunrise, and loving to 
bask in the full solar rays. When abroad they frequently sit 
up on their hind-legs after the manner of Marmots, when they 
wil! ailow themselves to be approached within a short distance 
before disappearing suddenly into their holes. | When ap- 
proached by a Dog, they utter a series of little short barks. 
Easily tamed, these little animals form bright and amusing 
pets. Their food is stated to consist largely of bulbous roots. 

XX. THE STRIPED MUNGOOSES. GENUS GAULIDICTIS: 
Galidictis, Geoffroy, Comptes Rendus, vol. v. p. 578 (1837). 

The whole of the remaining members of the Family Viver- 
ride are confined to the island of Madagascar, and while the 


278 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 


present and two following g@hera are allied to the Herfestina, 
the fourth is so markedly distinct as to constitute a Sub-family 
by itself. Whether the first three genera should be regarded 
as constituting another Sub-family (the Gafdictine), or should 
be included in the Herfestineg, may be open to doubt; Pro 
fessor Mivart taking the former view, while several othe1 
zoologists are inclined to adopt the latter. 

In the present genus there are only three pairs of pre-molar 
teeth in each jaw, of which the first is placed close to the 
canine. The canines themselves are characterised by their 
very large relative size, this feature being especially marked in 
those of the lower jaw, where they are long, strong, and curved, 
with a basal projection on the hinder side. The feet are fur- 
nished with five toes, of which the long claws are more curved 
than in the typical Herpestine ;, while the tarsus is more or less 
completely naked. The muzzle has a median groove inferiorly ; 
and the hairs of the tail are longe From the whole of the 
other members of the Family the members of this genus may 
be distinguished by the light and dark longitudinal stripes on 
the fur of the upper-parts. 

Together with the next two genera, Gaddictts differs from 
the typical Herpestine by the absence of analisphenoid canal 
in the skull; while the three are distinguished from all other 
Viverride in wanting a foramen on the outer side of the lower 
end of the humerus. 


I, THE BROAD-STRIPED MUNGOOSE. GALIDICTIS STRIATA. 
Putorius striatus, Cuvier, Regne Anim. ed. 2, vol. i. p.144(1835). 
Galidictis striata, Geoffroy, Comptes Rendus, vol. v. p. 578 

(1837); Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 186. 
Mustela striata, Geoffroy, Cat. Mus. Paris, p. 98 (1851). 

Characters.—Size small; length of tail rather less than that of 
head and body ; muzzle somewhat blunted. General colour 
whitish-brown, with seven or nine broad longitudinal blackish 


Parr 


THE ELEGANT MUNGOOSE. 279 


stripes down the upper-parts, of which the middle pair do not 
extend so far back as the rest; head brown; limbs like ground- 
colour of body; tail.whitish. Length of head and body, about 
14 inches; of tail, 13 inches. 

Distribution. Madagascar. 

Il. THE NARROW-STRIPED MUNGOOSE. GALIDICTIS VITTATA. 
Galidictis vittata, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1848, p. 21 ; Mivart, 
Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 186. 

Characters. — General colour grizzled grey ; the back and sides 
with eight nearly equal-sized and rather narrow longitudinal 
blackish-brown stripes; chin and under-parts pale brown ; 
hind-feet and outer surface of fore-legs reddish-brown ; tail 
grizzled black and grey, becoming white towards and at the 
tip ; the longer hairs brownish-white, with two, or occasionally 
three, broad black rings. Size approximately as in the last. 

Distribution Madagascar. 

Nothing appears to have been recorded with regard to the 
habits of either of the species of this genus. 


XXI. THE RING-TAILED MUNGOOSES., GENUS GALIDIA. 


Galidia, Geoffroy, Comptes Rendus, vol. v. p. 580 (1837). 

Distinguished from the preceding genus by the smaller size 
of the lower canine tooth, and by the under surface of the 
tarsus and metatarsus being more or less covered with short 
sparse hairs. As regards coloration, the body is uniform, 
while the tail is ringed. The skull is very similar to that of 
Galidictis, but has the muzzle and palate relatively narrower, 
and the hinder portion of the latter flat, instead of concave. 


I, ELEGANT MUNGOOSE. GALIDIA ELEGANS. 
Galidia elegans, Geoffroy, Comptes Rendus, vol. v. p. 580 
(1837); Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 18. 
Characters.—Size small ; tail rather more than three-quarters 
the length of head and body. General colour dark chestnut- 


280 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY, 


brown, with the hairs uniformly coloured; tail ringed with 
black. Length of head and body, about 15 inches; of tail, 
12 inches. 

Distribution — Madagascar. 


XXII. THE BROWN-TAILED MUNGOOSES. GENUS 
HEMIGALIDIA, 


Flemigalidia, Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 188. 
Distinguished from the last by the presence of four pairs of 
pre-molars, and the larger size of the second upper molar (which 
is very small in Ga/dia), as well as by the uniformly coloured 

tail, the more pointed muzzle, and the less curved claws. 


I. THE UNIFORM MUNGOOSE. HEMIGALIDIA UNICOLOR. 
Galidia unicolor, Geoffroy, Comptes Rendus, vol. v. p. 581 
(1837). 
Galidia concolor, Geofiroy, Mag. Zool. 1839, p. 30; Gray, Cat. 
Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 56 (18609). 
Hemigalidia concolor, Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 188. 
Characters.—Ears broad and short; tail little more than half 
the length of the head and body. General colour reddish- 
brown, speckled with black. 
Distribution Madagascar. 


II. THE OLIVACEOUS MUNGOOSE. HEMIGALIDIA OLIVACEA. 
Galidia olivacea, Geoffroy, Mag. Zool. 1839, p. 36; Gray, Cat. 
Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 56 (1869). 
Hemigalidia olivacea, Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 188. 
Characters.—General colour olive-brown, speckled with yel- 
low. Hinder cheek-teeth relatively broader than in the last. 
Distribution.— Madagascar. 


XXIII. THE SMALL-TOOTHED MUNGOOSES. GENUS 
EUPLERES. 
Eupleres, Doyere, Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 2, vol. iv. p. 280 (1855). 
This genus, which, as already mentioned, is generally re- 


THE SMALL-TOOTHED MUNGOOSE. 281i 


garded as indicating a distinct Sub-family, is distinguished 
from the typical Herpestine, as well as from Gadidictis and its 
allies, by the non-eversion of the hinder border of the auditory 
bulla of the skull, and from all the other members of the 
Family by its peculiar dentition. The canine teeth are of very 
small size, and scarcely distinguishable from the first three 
pre-molars, wh.ch are widely separated from one another in 
both jaws ; in addition to which the molars are very similar to 
the pre-molars. So like, indeed, is the whcle dentition to that 
of many of the Insectivora, that the genus was long regarded 
as pertaining to that Order. The head and skull are very 
small in proportion to the body; and the muzzle is long, 
slender, and sharply pointed. The nose and upper lip are 
medianly grooved; the five-toed feet are very slender; and 
the under surface of the tarsus and metatarsus is covered with 
short hair; the claws are long. 


I. THE SMALL-TOOTHED MUNGOOSE. EUPLERES GOUDOTI. 

Lupleres goudotit, Doyere, Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 2, vol. iv. p. 281 
(1835); Gray, Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 177 
(1869) ; Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 189. 

Characters.—Size small; taii bushy and rather short; ears 
large; fur woolly. General colour uniform olive-grey, minutely 
speckled with yellow, becoming paler on the under-parts. 
Dark bands across the shoulders in the young. Length of 
head and body, about 12 inches; of tail, 7 inches. 

Distribution. Madagascar. 

Habits——Beyond the bare statement that it burrows in the 
ground, nothing definite seems to have been recorded regard- 
ing the mode of life of this singular and aberrant member of 
the Viverride. From its weak jaws, and peculiarly modified 
teeth, it would, however, seem to be highly probable that its 
nutriment consists chiefly, if not entirely, of insects or worms. 


282 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


e 
EXTINCT CATS AND CIVETS. 
I. FAMILY FELID! (szrd, p. 1). 
I, GENUS FELIS (szgra, p. 26). 

Reference having already been made to such existing species 
as have been discovered in a fossil state, it will suffice here to 
allude to some of the more important extinct representatives 
of the genus. The earliest known True Cats appear to be the 
small Fes media and F. pygmaa, from the Middle Miocene 
strata of Sansan, in the Department of Gers, France, with which 
Ff. turnauensis, from the corresponding strata of Styria, may 
prove to be identical. From the Lower Pliocene beds of Darm- 
stadt, Attica, and Persia, species have been described under 
the names of / antediluviana, F. prisca, F. liodon, and F. attica; 
the latter being known by an entire skull, much resembling 
that of the Wild Cat, but with more powerful teeth. The 
Upper Pliocene strata of the Auvergne and the Val d’Arno 
have likewise yielded remains of several species, such as /. arver- 
nensis, F. brevirostris, F. issiodorensis, and F. pardinensis ; while 
in the Pliocene of Montpellier we have / christolt, resembling 
a Lynx in size. In the Pliocene strata of the Siwalik Hills of 
Northern India the great #. cristata, which was fully as large 
asa Tiger, appears to show characters intermediate between 
that species and the Jaguar; while the same deposits have also 
yielded remains of a small species apparently allied to the 
living / dengalensis. In the Pliocene of the United States 
there occur remains of two species of the size of the Lion 
known as ¥. afrox and F: augusta ; while from the Pleistocene 
of Argentina certain Cats more or less nearly allied to the Jaguar 
and other existing South American species have been named. 


II. GENUS CYNASLURUS (supra, p. 201). 
The only fossil species referred to the same genus as the 
Hunting-Leopard is one from the Siwalik Hills described as 
C. brachygnathus. Unfortunately this is known only by the 


EXTINCT CATS. 283 


lower jaws, and the generic determination cannot be regarded 
as altogether free from doubt until the upper carnassial tooth 
be discovered. 
III. GENUS MACHARODUS 
Machairodus, Kaup, Oss. Foss. Darmstadt, pt. 2, p. 24 (1833). 
Agnotherium, Kaup, op. cit. p. 28. 
Steneodon, Croizet, Rev. Encyclop. vol. lix. p. 76 (1833). 
Cultridens, Croizet, in Huot’s Nouv. Cours. Elém. Géol. vol. i. 
p. 265 (1837). 
Smilodon, Lund, K. Danske, Vid. Selsk. Skr. vol. ix. p. 293 (1842). 
Meganthereon, Pomel, Cat. Méthod. p. 58 (1853). 
Drepanodon, Bronn, Lethza Geognost, vol. ili. p. 1115 (1853- 
56). 
Trucifelis, Leidy, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1862, p. 175. 

The Sabre-toothed Tigers, as the members of this genus are 
commonly called, are easily distinguished from the True Cats 
by the enormous development of the upper canine teeth, which 
frequently have serrated cutting edges, and were protected by 
a downward flange-like expansion of the front of the lower jaw, 
against which they rested when the mouth was closed. These 
animals were common to both the Old and New Worlds, and 
some of the Pleistocene species attained very large dimensions; 
the exposed portion of the highly compressed canines of a 
South American species measuring upwards of seven inches 
in length. That these Cats were the most specialised of the 
entire Family, may be considered certain ; but there is great 
difficulty in understanding how they made use of their tusks, 
since when the mouth was open these would extend right 
across the opening, and it is almost impossible to believe that 
they could have been used with the jaws closed. The oldest 
representative of the genus is AZ. zusignis from the Upper 
Eocene (Oligocene) Phosphorites of Central France. In the 
Middle Miocene of France and Styria we have AZ, palmidens 
and JZ. jourdani ; and in the Lower Pliocene of Darmstadt, 


284 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


France, Attica, Samos, Hutfary, and Persia, JZ. aphanistus 
(= IZ. leoninus) and M. ogygia (= M. orientalis and M. schlossert). 
Farther eastwards we meet with JZ. sivalensis and the larger 
M. paleindicus in the Pliocene of the Indian Siwalik Hills. 
In the Upper Pliocene of the Auvergne and Tuscany there 
occurs the great AZ. cultridens, the female of which has been 
described as AZ. meganthereon; while in the Pliocene of the 
Val d’Arno the genus was represented by two other species, 
distinguished by the structure of their upper tusks, known as 
M. crenatidens and MM. nestianus, the former probably also 
occurring in the forest-bed of the Norfolk Coast. The latest 
European form is JZ. latidens, of which the great serrated 
upper tusks have been found in the caverns of England, 
France, and Liguria. 

Turning to the New World, we find the genus represented in 
the Pliocene strata of Pennsylvania and Texas by JZ. gracilis 
and JZ. fatalis, while a rock-cleft in Florida has yielded re- 
mains of a species (AZ. floridanus) only second in size to the 
great South American form mentioned below. In the caves or 
Brazil and the Pleistocene Pampas formation of the Argentine, 
the gigantic JZ. meogeus was the largest and most specialised ot 
the whole genus; its range also extended to Ecuador. This 
splendid animal is known by several complete skulls and 
skeletons, one of the latter having been described as a distinct 
species under the name of JZ necator, on account of the ab- 
sence of a perforation on the outer side of the lower end of the 
humerus. This, however, is probably only an individual ab- 
normality. Both JZ datidens and J. neogeus lived in the 
human period ; and the cause of their extinction (and likewise 
that of the genus itself) has yet to be satisfactorily explained. 

It should be mentioned that although in the later represen- 
tatives of the genus, the skull resembles that of the True Cats 
in the absence of an alisphenoid canal, yet this perforation is 
present in the earlier AZ. palmuidens. 


EXTINCT CATS. 285 


IV. GENUS EUSMILUS. 

Fusmilus, Gervais, Zool. et Pal. Gén. ser. 2, p. 53 (1876) ; 
Lydekker, Cat. Foss. Mamm, Brit. Mus. pt. v. p. 310 
(1887). 

This genus agrees with the preceding in the general structure 
of the lower jaw and the large size of the upper canine teeth ; 
but differs in the excessive depth of the descending flange-like 
expansion at the front of the lower jaw, and also in having 
only two pairs of lower incisor teeth. It is further characterised 
by the small size of the front lobe of the blade of the upper 
carnassial tooth, as well as in the presence of a small posterior 
keel to the corresponding lower tooth, the latter feature affiliat- 
ing it to the more generalised members of the Family. The 
genus is known only by £. dzdentatus from the Upper Eocene 
(Oligocene) Phosphorites of Central France. 

Ve. GENUS ALURICTIS., 

At lurogale, Filhol, Ann. Sci. Géol. vol. ili. art. 7, p. 14 (1872) 
nec Fitzinger. 

Ailurictis, Trouessart, Bull. Soc. Angers. vol. xv. Cat. Mamm. 
p. 92 (1885). 

With this genus we come to the first of several genera of 
Cat-like Mammals agreeing with A/acherodus in the possession 
of elongated and compressed upper canine teeth protected by 
a flange-like expansion of the lower jaw, and likewise by the 
angulated front surface of the latter; but differing in several 
important structural features indicative of more generalised 
affinities. In the first place, the upper carnassial tooth has 
only two (instead of three) lobes to its cutting blade, while the 
corresponding lower tooth has always a well-developed posterior 
heel. Further, the upper molar is placed more or less poste- 
riorly to the carnassial, instead of on its inner side, and a 
small second lower molar is generally retained behind the 
lower carnassial tooth. ‘There are likewise usually three, in- 
stead of two, lower pre-molar teeth. Differences also obtain in 


286 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


the structure of the base of if skull by which these primitive 
Cats differ from their modern allies, one of these being the 
presence of an alisphenoid canal. There is also a difference 
in the structure of the astragalus bone of the ankle, while many 
of these extinct Cats have a third trochanter to the femur, or 
thigh-bone. 

On account of these structural distinctions, these primitive 
Cats have been referred to a distinct Family, the Mimravide ; 
but in the structure of the lower carnassial tooth, as well as in 
some other features, they are clearly connected by means of 
Eusmilus and Macherodus palmidens with the more typical 
representatives of the latter genus, and it is thus evident that 
the whole assemblage forms but a single family group. 

The genus -4Zurictis, as represented by &. intermedia and 
two other species from the Upper Eocene of France and Wirt- 
temberg, has large upper canines, a small two-rooted anterior 
upper pre-molar, a small rounded upper molar inserted by two 
roots, a very small and single-rooted anterior lower pre-molar, 
and the lower molar (which may be wanting) also small and 
implanted in the jaw by a single root. Only fragments of the 
skull, which in the case of the type species indicate an animal 
nearly as large as a Leopard, are known. 


Vi. GENUS DINICTIS: 


Dinictis, Leidy, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1854, p. 127 ; Scott, Proc. 
Amer. Phil. Soc. 1889, p. 211. 

Dapiophilus, Cope, Rep. U.S. Geol. Survey for 1873, p. 508 
(1874). 

In this genus the skull is characterised by its short, vaulted, 
and generally Cat-like form, the first upper pre-molar being 
very minute and single-rooted, and the last molar transversely 
elongated, and inserted by three roots. In the lower jaw the 
first pre-molar is minute ; and the carnassial differs from that 
of .4/uric¢tts in having a cusp on the inner side of the blade, 


EXTINCT CATS. 287 


the last molar being small and oval. In the limbs the femur 
has a third trochanter ; the five-toed hind-feet were probably 
plantigrade, and present considerable resemblances to those of 
the primitive Civets and Dogs, while the claws were retractile. 
The genus is exclusively North American, and is represented 
by some three species from the Miocene strata of Nebraska, 
Colorado, and Oregon, its typical member being Dvrnictis 
felina, which appears to have been an animal of the approxi- 
mate dimensions of a Lynx. 

Of D. cyclops Professor Cope remarks that “although of an 
inferior position in the system of Carnivora, its powers of de- 
struction must have excelled those of the Catamount [Lynx]. 
While the skull is generally less robust, its sectorial teeth are 
not smaller nor less effective than those of that animal, and the 
canines far excel those of the living species, as instruments 
for cutting their prey.” 


VII. GENUS NIMRAVUS. 
NNimravus, Cope, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1879, p. 169 ; id., Amer. 
Naturalist, vol. xiv. p. 842 (1880). 

Nearly allied to the last, this genus, which is likewise North 
American, forms an exception to the present group in that 
there are only two pairs of pre-molar teeth in the lower jaw. 
In the upper jaw the first pre-molar is minute, and the molar 
transversely elongated ; while in the lower jaw the carnassia] 
tooth is devoid of an inner cusp, and the second molar very 
small. The femur has no third trochanter. While the pre- 
ceding genus is most common in the Lower Miocene White 
River beds, the present one is confined to the overlying Upper 
Miocene John Day beds of Oregon, where it is represented by 
LV. gomphodus and LN. confertus, both of which may be compared 
insize toa Leopard. Inall the points in which the genus differs 
from Dinictis, it approximates to the modern Cats: precisely 
as might have been expected from the higher geological hori- 
zon in which its remains occur, 


288 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


VIII. GENY> POGONODON. 

Pogonodon, Cope, Amer. Naturalist, vol. xiv. p. 843 (1880). 

This genus is characterised by the great depth of the flange- 
like expansion of the lower jaw, and its remarkably broad 
anterior surface, coupled with the presence of three pairs of 
lower pre-molars, and the absence of the small last molar. 
The two known species, P. platycopis and P. brachyops, come 
from the Upper Miocene strata of the John Day River, Oregon. 
As they were both of large size, and furnished with long tusks, 
they would appear to have been the most powerful beasts of 
prey that flourished in their epoch. 

IX, GENUS: ARCHAIEURUS, 
Archelurus, Cope, Amer. Naturalist, vol. xiii. p. 798, a (1879); 
vol. xiv. p. 841 (1880). 

Characterised by the remarkably short muzzle of the skull, 
which descends abruptly from the forehead, this North Ameri- 
can genus differs from all the Cats hitherto noticed in possess- 
ing four pairs of pre-molar teeth in the upper jaw, there being 
also a small second lower molar. The lower carnassial tooth 
has no inner cusp, and only a very small posterior heel. It is 
represented only in the Upper Miocene of the John Day River by 
A. debilis, a species of the approximate dimensions of a Leopard. 

X. GENUS HOPLOPHONEUS. 
Hoplophoneus, Cope, Rep. U.S. Geol. Surv. for 1873, p. 509, 
(1874); id., Amer. Naturalist, vol. xiv. p. 849 (1880). 

Although the skull is very similar to that of mravus, this 
genus differs from all the preceding members of the group in 
the reduction in the number of the teeth, which are numeri- 
cally the same as in Lusmilus and the True Cats; that is to 
say, there is no second molar in the lower jaw behind the car- 
nassial tooth, while there are only two pairs of pre-molars in 
the same jaw, and either two or three pairs of upper pre-molar 
teeth. In this respect, therefore, the genus forms a connect- 


EXTINCT CATS. z&9Q 


ing link between the preceding one and ZLusmilus. The fore- 
foot is remarkable for the small size of the first toe, and the 
scapho-lunar bone of the carpus, or wrist, still retains traces of 
its dual origin which are totally lost in all existing Cats. The 
femur has a third trochanter, the hind-foot resembles that of 
Dinictis, and the tail is of unusual length. The genus is re- 
presented by five species, two of which occur in the White 
River beds of Nebraska and Colorado, and the other two in 
the overlying strata of the John Day River in Oregon. All 
are about the size of a Lynx. 


XI. GENUS PSEUDALURUS. 
Preudelurus, Gervais, Zool. et. Pal. Franc. vol. i. ps ¥27 
(1848-50). 

The present is the first of two genera from the Midd’e 
Tertiary deposits differing so remarkably from all the forms yet 
noticed, that it is a question whether they have any right to a 
place in the present family at all, and whether their affinities 
are not rather with the Viverrine Cvyptoprocta. If, as some 
writers consider to be the case, they are the direct ancestors 
of the typical Fe/ide, there will be no question that the latter 
Family is clcsely connected with the Viverride, and has not 
been independently derived from the primitive Creodont Car- 
nivora (see p. 22). In these genera there are three or four 
pairs of pre-molar teeth in each jaw, while in the upper jaw there 
is one pair, and in the lower two pairs of molars, the lower car- 
nassial tooth having a cutting posterior heel. The slender 
lower jaw differs from that of the preceding group in that its — 
lower border is highly convex instead of straight, and the front 
surface rounded in place of being squared. ‘The limbs are 
relatively long, and the five-toed feet partially digitigrade. The 
dentition is more Cat-like than in all living Viverride, in spite 
of the presence of four pre-molars in both jaws, and of a second 
lower molar. The skeleton, however, presents so many primitive 

7 U 


240 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 


features that it is comparablggpith that of the Viverrid@ rather 
than that of the A/ide, the osteology of Proelurus presenting 
a marked resemblance to Cryftoprocta ; indeed, Dr. H. Filhol 
is of opinion that the Tertiary genus is the direct ancestor 
of the existing form. In Pseudelurus the feline:characters of 
the dentition are more marked. 

In the genus under consideration there are only three pairs 
of pre-molar teeth, and the lower carnassial tooth has no dis- 
tinct inner cusp, the upper tusk being large, with a sharp 
posterior edge. ‘The first lobe of the blade of the upper car- 
nassial tooth is reduced to a small cusp; while the hinder lobe 
of the same is formed by two small cusps. The typical species 
(P. quadridentatus) occurs in the Middle Miocene beds of 
France and Styria; and may be compared in size to a Lynx. 
A lower jaw of a more slender type, from the Pliocene Loup- 
Fork beds of Nebraska, has been assigned to a second species, 
with the name of P. zntrepidus. 


XII, GENUS. PROZZXLURUS. 

Pies Filhol, Ann. Sci. Géol. vol.’ x. art. 3, p. 192 (1879). 

In this genus there are four pairs of pre-molar teeth in each 
jaw ; the lower carnassial has a large inner cusp as well as a 
posterior heel ; and in the upper-carnassial the anterior lobe of 
the blade of the True Cats is represented only by a rudimentary’ 
cusp, while the inner tubercle is large and placed close to the 
front edge. In the base of the skull the alisphenoid bone is 
perforated by a canal; while in the presence and position of 
certain foramina in this region the base of the skull agrees with’ 
the primitive Civets and Dogs. The limbs were relatively long: 
and slender; the femur retained a third trochanter ; and the 
tail was extremely elongated. The genus is represented in the 
Lower Miocene and Upper- Eocene (Oligocene) of France by: 
the two species P. lemanensis and P. julien. which nee Be 
compared in point of size to a small Civet. ih 


i 


Kew 
: 


EXTINCT CIVETS AND MUNGOOSES., 2g! 


Py. oe VIVERRID. (sufra, p. 206). 
I. GENUS VIVERRA (szra, p. 210). 


inci Jager, Foss. Saugeth. Wiirtt. p. 78 (1835) ; 
Fraas,, Fauna Steinheim, p. 9 (Sey). 


In the Pleistocene cavern-deposits of Madras, this genus is 
represented by V. karnuliensis, a species about the size of the 
existing V. zzbetha, but distinguished by the more elongated 
form of the pre-molar teeth, in which respect it agrees with the 
following species, and approximates to the under-mentioned 
Lctitherium. V. bakeri and V. durandi are considerably larger 
species from the Pliocene rocks of the Siwalik Hills in North- 
western India. The Pliocene of Perpignan, in France, has 
yielded remains of another species known as V. pepraxti, 


_ while in the Middle Miocene of France and Styria we have 


respectively V. sansaniensis and V. steinheimensis ; and in the 
Lower Miocene of the former country V. /estorhyncha. Civets 
likewise occur in the Upper Eocene (Oligocene) deposits of 
France and Hampshire; and have been described as V. minima, 
V. angustidens, V. simplicidens, and V. hastingsie. The latter, 
which was of the approximate size of the large Indian Civet, 
appears to be common to England and France, and is charac- 
terised by the crowns of the teeth being much taller than in 
the existing representatives of the genus. 


‘Il. (GENUS AMPHICTIS, 
Amphictis, Pomel, Cat. Méthod., p. 63 (1853). 
- This genus, as represented by A. antigua and A. leplorhyncha, 
from the Lower Miocene and Upper Eocene of France, is 
riearly allied to the last, from which it may be distinguished: 
by the more elongated form of the last lower molar, which is’ 
implanted in the jaw by two distinct roots, and has relativ — 
taller cusps, and a larger posterior heel. 
U 2 


2092 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 


III. GENUS HEQ@ESTES (supra, p. 244). 


Remains of Carnivores which have been referred to this genus 
occur in the Miocene and Upper Eocene (Oligocene) strata of 
Europe; but many of these present characters intermediate 
between the existing members of the genus and Viverra, so 
that it is frequently impossible to say to which of the two they 
should be assigned. For instance, the above-mentioned 
Viverra minima has been referred by one writer to Hlerfesies, 
while some specimens referable to 4. /emanensis have been 
described as Viverra. It would thus appear that the two 
genera had a common origin; and it may be added that 
through an extinct Miocene and Upper Eocene genus known 
as Cynodictis they both seem intimately connected with the an- 
cestors of the modern Dogs and Foxes (Canide). 

One of the best known species is the large Hferpestes leman- 
ensis from the Lower Miocene deposits of the south of France, 
with which the so-called Viverra antigua, and perhaps #. 
priscus, as well as a German form, appear to be identical. The 
skull is stated to approximate to Viverra in possessing an ali- 
sphenoid canal. A second Lower Miocene species (Z&. primea- 
vus) is distinguished by the great relative length of the last lower 
pre-molar tooth, while in the Middle Miocene beds of Grive- 
St.-Alban, France, the genus is represented by yet another 
species known as Lerfestes crassus. 


IV. GENUS PROGENETTA. 


Progenetta, Depéret, Archiv. Mus. Lyon, vol. v. p. 34 (1892). 

This genus is represented only by a single species (P. z7- 
certa) of the size of a small Leopard from the Middle Miocene 
dep:sits of France, and is chiefly distinguished by details in 
the structure of the teeth, into the consideration of which it 
would be quite out of place to enter in a work of the present 
nature. 


EXTINCT CIVETS AND MUNGOOSES. 293 


V. GENUS ICTITHERIUM. 
Ictitherium, Wagner, Abh. bayer. Acad. vol. v. pt. 2, p.335(1848). 
Galeotherium, Wagner, of. cit. vol. ili. pl. i. (1840), mec Jager. 
Thallasictis, Gervais (ex Nordmann), Zool. et. Pal. Frang. vol. 
i, p. 120 (1848-50). 
Palhyena, Gervais, op. cit. 2nd ed. p. 242 (1858). 
Lepthyena, Lydekker, Pal. Ind. (Mem. Geol. Surv. Ind.), ser. 
10, vol. ii. p. 312 (1884). 

Having the same number of teeth as in the Civets, this 
European and Asiatic genus of the Lower Pliocene differs 
from all the other members of the Family in that the upper 
carnassial tooth has a three-lobed blade, as in the modern Cats 
and Hyzenas, one of the species having been regarded as a con- 
necting link between the Viverride and Hyenide. ‘The skull 
is elongated and narrow, with a strong and upwardly-curved 
postorbital process behind the socket of the eye, the hind-foot 
is furnished with five toes, and the tail is very long. 

The three species, namely, L. robustum, I. orbignyi, and L. hip- 
parionum, occurring in the Lower Pliocene deposits of France, 
Attica, Samos, Hungary, Bessarabia, and Persia, vary in size from 
that of a Civet to that of a Jackal. The thirdand largest is the 
one making the nearest approximation to the Hyzenas, its upper 
carnassial tooth being greatly elongated, and the molars in the 
same jaw very small. In the Siwalik rocks of India the genus 
is represented by the imperfectly known Z. s¢va/ense. 


VI. GENUS PAL/EOPRIONODON. 


Paleoprionodon, Filhol, Comptes Rendus, vol. xc. p. 1579 
(1880); id., Bull. Soc. Philom. ser. 8, vol. i. p. 115 
(1889). 

This and the following genus appear to form a connecting 
link between the Civets (Viverridz) and the Weasels (AZus- 
telide), and are thus placed by some paleontologists in the 


204 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 
first Family, and by others ifthe second. «It may be observed 
that the AZustelide, together with the Urside (Bears), differ 
from the /edide and Vizerride, in the absence of a partition in 
the auditory bulla of the skull, as well as in certain other struc- 
tural features of the same region. In consequence ‘of these 
essential differences, the /elide and Viverride, together with the 
allied Families of the Hyanide and Proteleide, have been bri- 
gaded together in one primary group with the designation of 
A®luroidea ; while the Mustelide and Urside have been linked 
as the Arctoidea. The intimate connection-shown to exist by 
fossil forms between the Civets and Weasels on the one. hand, 
and betwixt Dogs and Bears-on the other, indicates, however, 
that such associations are altogether erroneous, and that the 
absence of the partition in the auditory bullz of the Weasels 
and Bears is in all probability. an acquired character which 
has arisen independently in the two groups. : 

Whether the two genera now under consideration-should be 
placed in the Viverride or in the Mustelide is a matter ‘of -but 
comparatively little moment, seeing that when we’ come ta 
primitive annectant types classification, as adopted in thé°case 
of recent animals, becomes a practical impossibility. Since) 
however, in the second of the two genera there is, atleast, a 
trace of the partition in the auditory bulla, the writer considers 
it preferable that they should be placed here. Wat Oi Be 

Palaoprionodon is characterised by usually having ‘Liat a 
single pair of upper molar teeth, although there are two pairs 
in the lower jaw, and its dentition corresponds, therefore, 
numerically with that of the Linsangs in the present Family, as 
well as with the majority of Weasels. In the general characters 
of the base of the skull, and especially in the presence of an 
alisphenoid eanal, the genus resembles ‘the more typical. Vzzer- 
ride, although the position of the so-called condylar foramen 
at the hinder part of the base of the skull, as well as the pres- 


tn i i A 


EXTINCT CIVETS AND MUNGOOSES. 295 


ence of aglenoid cavity near the socket for the articulation of the 
lower jaw, affiliate it to the MZustelide, with which, as we have 
seen, it agrees in the number of its teeth. The teeth them- 
selves have a marked resemblance to those of the Linsangs, the 
upper molar lacking the expansion of its inner half so charac- 
teristic of the Justelide. It does not appear to have been 
ascertained. whether there is a partition in the auditory bulla of 
the skull. 

The genus is represented by two species, P. mutabilis and P. 
simplex, from the Upper Eocene (Oligocene) Phosphorites of 
France, both of which may be compared in size to the smaller 
Icnneumons. | 

VII. GENUS STENOPLESICTIS. 
Stenoplesictis, Filhol, Comptes Rendus, vol. xci. p. 346 (1880). 

In this genus, which is also represented by two species 
(S. cayluxi and S. minor) from the French Phosphorites, the 
second upper molar is present, and of larger size than in those 
specimens of Paleoprionodon, in which it is developed at all, 
while in the lower carnassial tooth the inner cusp is larger than 
inthe latter. The auditory bulla is stated to possess a complete 
partition. | 

By means of certain other forms from the French Phosphor. 
ites, for which the names Haflogale and.Stenogale have been 
proposed, Paleoprionodon and Stenoplesictis are so intimately 
connected with undoubted Weasels like the Tertiary Pleszcits, 
that it is quite impossible to determine where the Viverride 
really end and the A/usteide commence. In 

In conclusion, it may be mentioned that the Lower Tertiaries 
of North America have yielded remains of. certain genera of 
primitive Carnivora known as Miacis and Didymictis, which 
appear not only to connect the Viverride very closely with 
the Canida, but likewise to indicate a transition from both te 
the still more primitive Creodont Carnivora. . 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


Aard-Wolf, 11. 
abu-wudan, Ichneumia, 264, 
abyssinica, Genetta. 219. 
Viverra. 219. 
adailensis, Herpestes. 
segypti, Ichneumon. 
A‘lurictis, 285, 286. 
intermedia, 286. 
‘Elurogale. 285. 
affinis, Felis. 182. 
afra, Genetta. 218. 
Ichneumon. 253. 
Mustela. 253. 
africanus, Leo. 27. 
Agnotherium. 283. 
Ailinura, 121. 
planiceps, 121. 
Ailurictis. 285. 
Ailurogale planiceps, 
albescens, Felis. 140. 
Ichneumia, 264, 270. 
albicauda, Herpestes, 
265, 268, 269. 
Ichneumia, 264, 
albicaudatus, Herpestes. 
albifrons, Ictides. 241. 
Paradoxurus. 241. 
Amphictis, 291. 
antiqua. 2QI. 
leptorhyncha. 291. 
andersoni, Hlerpestes, 257, 25S. 
Angola Mungoose. 249. 
angolensis, Genetta. 220. 
Herpestes, 249. 
Angora Cat. 162, 
angustidens, Viverra. 291. 
Ant-eater, Banded Marsupial. 9, 


250, 
240. 


I2I, 


252, 264, 


264. 


antediluviana, Felis. 2S2, 
Antelopes, 1, 2. 

antiqua, Amphictis. 291. 
Viverra. 202, 

aphanistus, Machzrodus. 283. 

apiculatus, Herpestes, 254. 
Archeelurus, 288. 
debilis. 288. 

Arctic Fox, /20; 

Arctictis, 240. 
binturong. 241. 
penicillatus. 241. 

Arctogale. 230. 
leucotis. 230. 
stigmaticus. 230. 
trivirgata. 231. 

Ariela. 272, 
tenionota, 275. 

Arimau-Dahan,_ IT5. 

arvernensis, Felis. 282. 

ashtoni, Viverra. 222. 

Asiatic Leopard. 78. 

asiaticus, Leo. 27, 

Athylax. 253. 
paludosus, 
robustus. 253. 
vansire. 253. 

Atilax. 253. 
vansire. 253. 

atrox, Felis. 282, 

attica, Felis. 282, 

aubryana, Genetta. 270, 

augusta, Felis, 282. 

aurata, Felis. 121, 138. 

auratus, Leopardus, 12? 

aureus, Lynx. 197. 
Paradoxurus. 236. 


253. 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


auropunctata, Viverra. 23 5. 
auropunctatus, Herpestes. 255, 


badia, Felis, 122. 
badius, Felis. 18. 


Herpestes, 250, 251, 
baileyi, Felis, 200. 
Lynx. 200. 


bakeri, Viverra. 291. 
Banded Marsupial Ant-eater. 19, 
barbarus, Leo. 27. 
barbata, Cynogale. 243. 
barbatus, Potamophilus. 
Bay Cat. 18, 

Bornean. 122. 
Bdeogale. 264, 268. 

crassicauda. 268, 

nigripes. 264, 269. 

puisa. 268, 
Bears. 293. 

Polar. 20, 
bengalensis, Felis, 

282, 

Viverra.. 214. 
bennetti, Cynogale, 
bennettii, Herpestes. 

Viverriceps. 124, 
Bennetts Civet. 242. 
berberorum, Caracal. 188. 
bidentatus, Eusmilus. 285. 
binotata, Nandinia. 220, 

Viverra. 220. 
binotatus, Paradoxurus. 229. 
Binturong. 241, 
binturong, Arctictis. 241. 
birmanicus, Herpestes. 


243. 


126, 129, 130, 


242. 
247. 


255, 256, 


267, 
Black-foted Mungoose, 269. 
Bogota Tiger-Cat. 150. 
bonapartii, Genetta. 218. 
bondar, Paradoxurus. 233. 
Viverra, 233. 
Booted Lynx, 184, 
borealis, Felis. 192. 
Lyncus. 192, 195. 
Bornean Bay Cat, 122. 
braccata, Felis, 152, 153. 
brachygnathus, Cynelurus. 282. 
brachyop3, Pogonodon. 288. 
brachyura, Felis. 114, 


297 

brachyurus, Herpestes. 261. 

Leopardus. 114, I15, 

Neofelis, 114. 
brevirostris, Felis, 282. 
Broad-banded Cusimanse, 275, 
Broad-striped Mungoose. 279. 
Brown-tailed Mungoose. 279. 


Bushy-tailed Red-spotted Cat, 
132. 


caffer, Chaus. 
Herpestes. 

caffra, Felis. 
Viverra. 247. 

Caffre Cat. 18, 155, 156, 157. 
African. 157. 

Caffre Mungoose. 247. 

Calictis smithi. 258. 

caligata, Felis. 155, 184. 

Calogale. 244. 
granti. 250. 
nipalensis. 255. 
nyula. 257. 
rutila. 260. 

calomitli, Felis. 151, 

caluxi, Stenoplesictis. 295. 

canadensis, Felis. 195. 
Lyncus. 195. 

Canadian Lynx. a1. 

cancrivora, Mesobema. 263. 
Urva. 263. 

canescens, Felis. 139. 

Canidz. I1, 292, 295. 

capensis, Felis. 135. 
Suricata. 276, 

Caracal. 21, 23, 188, 190. 
berberorum. 188. 
melanotis. 188. 

caracal, Felis. 188. 

Lynx. 188. 

carcharias, Viverra. 242, 

Carnivora, I. 

Carnivorous Animals. 1, 

carolinensis, Felis. 197, 

Carthusian Cat. 162, 

Cat, Angora. 162. 

, Bay... - 36: 

Bushy-tailed, 132. 

Caffre. 18, 155, 156, 157. 
Carthusian. 162. 


I55- 
247; 248, 249, 254- 
18, 155, 184. 


298 ‘ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


Cat, Chinese. 162. @  charitoni, Catolynx. 118. 

Desert. - 157, 179; 181. Felis.” “917. 

Domestic. 4,°5,°156, 162, 163, Uncia, ri7. 

164, 178, 181. chati, Felis, 144. 

-Fite, 122. Chaus caffer, 155. 

Fishing. 122, 123, caudatus, 187. 

Flat-headed. 18, 121. jacquemonti. 183. 

Fontanier’s. 120. libycus, 182. 

Geoffroy’s. 149, 150. ; ornatus. 179, 

Grass. 175, . * pulchellus. 179. 

Grey.; 161. servalinus. 126, 179. 

Grey Tiger. 138, 139. chaus, Felis. 158, 180, 182, 187. 

Jungle. 21, 180, 182, 185, Lynx. 182. 

Leopard. 126,127, 157. chinensis, Felis. 126, 128. 

Long-tailed, 145. Leopardus.. 71, 81,126, 128. . 

Malay. 162, Chinese Cats. 162. 

Manx, -163. Chita. "73, 203. 

Marbled. ~17; 19, §17, TIS. Woolly. 203. 

Mombasa. 163. christoli, Felis. 282. 

Nipal;. 130...) chrysothrix, Felis. 137, 

Paja;- 175. , ; Civet, Bennett's... 242.°. — 

Pale. 186. *civetoides, Vivérra. 212. 

Pallas’s, 174: - Civets,. 4, Il, 22,. 243, 24672505 

Pampas, 175, 178, 179. 293, 294. 

Persian, +162. African.” 215, 

Red Tiger, 137. | Bennett’s, 242. 

Reed. 184. Burmese. 213. 

Rusty-spotted. 127, 133,131,157. Daubenton’s. 216. 

Servaline. 135, 136. Indian, 211. 

Shaw’s. -180, 182. ; Javan. 214. 

Small-footed. 152. Malabar, 213. 

Steppe. 180, 187. Palm. 245, 246. 

Tibetan. I19. Tfue. 210, 

Miner, ~94,-17,.144;°145, 146, Web-footed. 242. 

Waved, 182, civetta, Viverra, 211. 

Wild.o- 18; 155, F57,-17Cy, civettina, Viverra. 213. 
catenata, Felis. 139, 141. Clouded Leopard: - 17, 19, 113. 
Catoiynx charltoni, 118. Colocolo. 16, 177. 

marmoratus: 118. colocolo, Felis. 16, 176, 177. 
catolynx, Felis, 182. concolor, Felis. 101. 

Cats, Extinct. 282.- °° Galidia. 280. 

catus, Felis. 18, 170. Hemigalidia. 280 

caudata, Felis. 157. Leopardus. 102. . 
caudatus, Chaus. 187. Uncia, Foz, 

Felis; 197, confertus, Nimravus, 287, 
cayluxi, Stenoplesictis. 295. Cougar. III, 
celidogaster, Felis. _123, 138. couguar, Felis. Iof. 
ceylanicus, Herpestes. 260. Crab-eating Mungoose. 263. 
Ceylon Mungoose. 260, crassicauda, Bdeogale. 268. 


Chained Ocelot. .141. crassus, Herpestes. 292. 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX. "209 


crenatidens, Macherodus, 284. 
cristata, Felis. 282, ~ 
Crossarchus, 272. 

dybowskii. 275. 


fasciatus. 274, 275. 
gambianus. 273, 276, 
obscurus. 273, 276, 


rubiginosus.. 258. 
“zebra. 274. 
crossil, Paradoxurus, 233. 


Cryptoprocta. 4, 22, 208, es 290. 


ferox. 208. 
typicus. 209. é 
Cubs and Tiger. 49. 
Cultridens.* 283. 
Macherodus. °283. 
Cusimanse. 272, 273. 
Broad-banded. “275. 
Dybowski’s, 275. 
Gambian. 273: ~ . 
Narrow-banded. — 274. 
cyclops, Dinictis. 287, 


Cynzelurus. © 5, 23, 282. 
brachygnathus, 282. 
Jubatus: 17;-74. . 


Cynictis. 269. . 
fimbriatus. 257. 
leptura. 270.. 
maccarthiz. 260, 
melanura. 250, 
ogilbyi. 270: 
penicillata. 270. 
steedmanni. ‘270, 
typicus. 270. 

cynocephalus, Thylacirius. 19, ° 

Cynodictis, 292, 

Cynofelis. 202. 
guttata. 202. 
jubata, | 202. 

Cynogale. 242, 2716 
barbaia. 243, 
bennetti. 242. | 


Dahan, Arimau-.. I15.— 
Daptophilus. 286, . 

darwinii, Felis, 51.” 
debilis, Archzelurus. 288. 
derbiana, Hemigaléa. 227. 
derbianus, Paradoxurus. 2275 
Desert-Cat. 157, 179, 181. 


Desert-Cat, Indian. 18,19, -°4 
diardi, Felis: 114, 117. a 
Didymictis. 295. 
Dinictis. 286, 287, ose. 

cyclops. 287, 

felina, 287. 
Dogs. II. 
Domestic Cats. 4, 5, 156, 162, 

163, 164, 178, 181. 

domestica, Felis. 156, 158. 
dorsalis, Herpestes. 246. 
dorsul, Leopardus. 117. 
Drepanodon: 283. 
durandi, Viverra. 291. 
dybowskii, Crossarchus, 275 
Dybowski’s‘Cusimanse, 275. 


East African Mungoose: 254. ~ 
Egyptian Mungoose.. 246, 
elegans, Galidia.° 279.° 
Elegant Mungoose. “279, 
_etlioti, Herpestes. 258: 
Leopardus. 126, » 
Viverriceps. 126, ° : 
erythrotis, Felis. * 182, 
Eupleres. 280, 
goudoti, 281. 
euptilura, Felis. * +13 
Kusmilus. 285, seat 288, 289 
bidentatus. 285. 
exilis, Herpestes. 260, 
Extinct Cats. 282. 
Eyra.. tS. 153. 2 
eyra, Felis. ia, i5a / 


fasciatus, Crossarchus, 274, 275. 
Herpestes. 275. . 
Lynx 275.."° 
Myrmecobius. ° 19. “4 
Paradoxurus. ~ 233. ' ie 

fatalis, Machzerddus. page ze 

feldiana, Genetta. -220,'- +) (9 

Felidse,  1,,15,.18) 40, en? 282, 289, 

290, 294. - : 


felina, Dinictis. 287." 
Genetta. 210. hihi . 
Viverra. 219._ ws 6 

felinus, Paradoxurus. 2330 =e 

Felis. $8} 22; 26, 282. * 
affnis. 102) 


f 
j 


300 ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


Felis albescens. 140. 
antediluviana. 282. 
arvernensis. 282. 
atrox, 282. 
attica, 282. 
augusta. 282. 
aurata. 121, 133. 
badia. 122. 
badius. 18. 
baileyi. 200. 


bengalensis. 125, 129, 130, 252. 


borealis. 192. 
braccata. 152, 153. 
brachyura. I14. 
brevirostris. 282. 
caffra. 18, 155, 184. 
caligata. 155, 184. 
calomitli. 151. 
canescens. 139. 
capensis. 135. 

caracal, 188. 
catenata, 139, I4I. 
catolynx. 182. 

catus. 18, 170. 
caudata. 187. 
caudatus. 187. 
celidogaster. 123, 135. 
charltoni, I17. 

chati, 144. 

chaus. 158, 180, 182, 157. 
chinensis. 126, 123, 
christoli. 282. 
chrysothrix. 137. 
colocolo. 16, 176,177. 
concolor. IOI. 
couguar. IOI. 
cristata. 282. 
darwinii, 151. 

diardi. 114, II7. 
domestica. 156, 158. 
erythrotis. 182. 
euptilura. 132. 

eyra. 18, 153. 
fontanieri. 71, 80, 81. 
herschelli. . 126. 
himalayana. 123, 124. 
huttoni, 156. 
galeopardus. 135. 
geoffroyi, 149, 150, 177+ 
grisea. 140, 141. 


er elis guigna, 149, 150, 176,177. 


guttata. 145. 
inconspicua. 155, 182, 
irbis. 92. 

issiodorensis. 282. 
jacquemonti. 188. 
jaguarondi, 151, 152, 153. 
japanensis. 80. 
javanensis, 126, 128, 129, 130. 
jerdoni. 126, 128, 130, 131. 
jubata. 202. 

kutas. 182, 

lanea. 202. 

leo. 18, 27, 

leo goojratensis. 27. 
leopardus, 71. 

liodon. 282, 
longicaudatus. I17. 
libycus, 183. 

lupulina. 192, 

lybica. 155. 

macrocelis. I14. 
macroceloides. 114. 
macrura. 144, 145. 
maniculata. 155. 

manul. 174. 

margarita. 155. 

margay. 145. 
marmorata. 17,117, 
media. 282, 

megaballa, 202. 
megalotis. 156. 
melanura. 140, 

melas. 71. 

mexicana. I5I. 

microtis, 132, 133. 
minuta, 126, 128, 131. 
mitis. 144,145. 
moormensis, 120. 
nebulosa. 17, 113,121. 
neglecta. 138. 
nigrescens. 121. 
nigripectus. 174. 
nigripes. 155. 

nipalensis. 126, 130. 
obscura. 155. 

ocelot. 139. 

ogilbyi, 117. 

onca. 17, 95. 

ornata, 18, 157, 179, 180, 181, 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


Felis pajeros. 175. 


pallida. 186, 187. 
panthera. 71. 
pardalis. 17, 139. 
pardina. 201. 
pardinensis. 282. 
pardinoides. 149, 15°. 
pardochroa, 130. 
pardochrous. 126. 
pardoides. 140, 141. 
pardus, 17, 71, 74, SI. 
passerum. 175. 
picta. 140. 
planiceps. 18, I12Ie 
prisca, 282. 
pulchella. 155. 
puma, 18, 

pygmza. 282. 


rubiginosa. 127,128,129,130,133- 


fufa, “197. 

rutila. 138, 139. 

scripta. 119. 
senegalensis. 135. 
serval. 17. 

servalina, 126, 135, 179% 
shawiana. 180, 181, 182. 
spelzea. 20, 27. 
strigilata. 177. 
sumatrana, 126. 
sylvestris. 170. 
temmincki. 120. 
tenasserimensis. 126. 
tigrina. 17, 144. 
tigris. 18, 48. 
togoénsis. 137. 
torquata. 156,158, IC 
tristis. 120. 

tulliana. 7I. 
turnauensis. 282. 
uncia.. 17}; 92. 
uncioides. 93, 
unicolor. 102, I5I, 153. 
virgata. 192. 
viverriceps. 123. 
viverrina, 16, 123. 
vulpinus. 192. 

wagati. 126, 128. 
yagouarondi, ISI. 


“ne 
—5 


ferrugineus, Herpestes 257, 258. 
Field-Rat, 181. 


fimbriatus, Cynictis. 257, 
Herpestes. 257. 
finlaysonii, Paradoxurus. 232. 
Fire-Cat. 122. 
Fishing Cat. 16, 122, 123. 
Flat-headed Cat, 18, 121. 
flavescens, Herpestes. 251. 
floridanus, Lynx. 197. 
Macherodus. 284. 
fontanieri, Felis, 71, 80, 81. 
Fontanier’s Cat. 120. 
Leopard. 80. 
Fossa. 4, 208, 216. 
daubentoni. 216. 
fossa, v. 
viverra. 216. 
fossa, Fossa, v. 
Four-toed Mungooses, 263. 
Fox; Arctie. 20; 
frederici, Herpestes. 257. 
fulvescens, Herpestes. 260, 
fusca, Osmetictis. 263. 
Viverra. 263. 
fuscus, Herpestes. 259. 


galeopardus, Felis. 135. 
Galeotherium. 293. 
galera, Herpestes. 247, 253. 
Ichneumon. 253. 
Mustela. 253. 
Galerella ochracea. 250. 
Galidia. 279, 280. 
concolor, 280. 
elegans. 279. 
olivacea. 280. 
unicolor, 280. 
Galidictinz, 278, 
Galidictis. 277, 275, 279, 281. 
striata. 278. 
vittata, 279, 
galinieri, Herpestes. 250. 
Gambian Cusimanse. 273. 
gambianus, Crossarchus. 273. 
Hlerpestes. 273. 
Mungos, 273. 
Gato pajero. 175, 176. 
Gazelles. I. 
Genetta. 246. 
abyssinica. 219. 
afra. 218, 


301 


302 ALPHABETICAL INDEX, 


Genetta angolensis. 220. 
aubryana. 219. 
bonapartii. 218. 
feldiana, 220. 
felina. 219. 
genetta, v. 
poénsis. 225, 
richardsoni. 225. 
rubiginosa. 221. 
senegalensis. 219. 
servalina. 220. 
tigrina. 220. 
viverra. ‘218. 

genetta, Genetta, v. 

genettoides, Viverra. 220. 

Genets. 217. 
Blotched. 219. 
Common, 218. 
Feline, 210. 
Pardine, 220. 
Rufous. 221. 
Senegal. 219. 


geoffroyi, Felis. 149, 150, 177. 


Geoffroy’s Cat. 149, 150. 
Gerbillus hurriane, 181. 
gerrardi, Nandinia,- 229. ~ 
Golden or Bay Cat. 120. 
gomphodus, Nimravus, 287, 
goojratensis, Felis leo. 27. 
gothneh, Herpestes. 274. 
goudoti, Eupleres. 281. 
goudotii, Eupleres. 281. 
gracilis, Felis, 222, 
Eterpestes. 252. _ 
Linsanga. 222. 
Macherodus. 284. 
Prionodon, 222. 
Wiverra.. 222: 
grandis, Herpestes. 266. 
granti, Calogale. 250. 
Grass Cat. 175. 
Grey Cats. 161. 
Grey Indian Mungoose. 257. 
Grey Tiger-Cat. 138, 139. 
grisea, Felis. 140, 141. 
griseus, H[erpestes. 257. 
Leopardus. 139. 
Mangusta. 257. 


guigna, Felis. 149, 150, 176, 177. 


Gulo urva. 263. 


ttata, Cynofelis, 292. 


gu 
@ * Felis. 145, 


hamiltoni, Paradoxurus. 229. 
Haplogale. 295. 
hardwickei, Hemigale. 227, 
Viverra. 227. 
hastingsiz, Viverra, 291. 
Helogale. 266. 
parvula. 267. 
undulata. 267. 
Hemigale. 227. 
derbiana. 227. 
hardwickel. 227. 
hosei. 228, 
Hemigalidia. 280. 
concolor. 280. 
olivacea. 280, 
unicolor, 280. 
Hemigalus zebra. 227. 


hermaphroditus, Paradoxurus. 233. 


WViverra.. «233. 


hernandesii, Leopardus. 95, 96. 
Herpestes. 244, 245, :266; 209, 


270, 292. 
adailensis. 250. 


albicauda. 252,264, 265, 268,269. 


albicaudus. 264. 
andersoni. 257, 258. 
angolensis. 249. 
apiculatus. 254. 
auropunctatus, 255. 
badius. 250, 251. 
bennettil. 247. 
birmanicus, 255, 256, 257. 
brachyurus. 261. ; 
caffer. 247, 248, 249, 254, 
ceylanicus. 260. | 
crassus. 292. _ 

dorsalis. 246, 

ellioti. 258. 

exilis. 260. 

fasciatus, 275. : 
ferrugineus, 257, 258. 
fimbriatus. 257. 
flavescens. 251. 

frederici, “257. 

fulvescens. 260, 

fuscus. 259. 


galera, 247, 253. 


— —— eel 
——— 


ee _ 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 303 


3 

Ilerpestes galinieri, 250, _ Tlerpestes smithi. 258, 

gambianus, 273. thysanurus, 258. 

gothneh. 274. undulatus, 267. 

gracilis. 250, 252. urva. 263. 

grandis, 266. vitticollis. 261, 273. 

griseus. 257,. widdringtoni. 246. 

ichneumon. 246, 248, 249, 251, zebra. 274. 

252, 253, 270);.27 1, Hlerpestinee. 245, 271, 278, 281. 
iodoprymnus. 250. herschelli, Felis.. 126. 
javanicus. 255, 260, himalayana, Felis. 123, 124. 
jerdoni. 258. hipparionum, Ictitherium. 293. 
lefebvrei. 250. Tlippopotamus. 171. 
lemanensis. 292, hirsutus, Paradoxurus. 234. 
leucurus. 264. Hoplophoneus. 288. 
loempo. 253, 264, 265. horsfieldi, Leopardus. 126. 
maccarthize. 260. hosei, Hemigale. 228, 
madagascariensis. 247. Hunting-Leopard. 5, 17, 74. 
malaccensis. 257, 253. hurriane, Gerbillus. 181. 
melanurus, 250, 251. huttoni, Felis. 156. 
monticolus. 258. Hyzenas. 11. 
mungo, 257. Ilycenide. 11, 293, 294. 
mutgigella. 250. Hybrids, Lion-Tiger. 45. 
mutscheltschela. 250. Hydrochzrus. 97. 
neumanni, 252. 
nipalensis. 255. Ichneumia. 264. 
numidicus. 246. abu-wudan. 264. 
nyula. 257. albescens. 264. 
ochraceus.. 250, 251, 252. albicauda. 264. 
ochromelas. 250. nigricauda. 264. 
ornatus. 250. nigricaudatus. 250. 
pallidus. 257. Ichneumon. 244. 
pallipes. 255. egypti. 246. 
paludinosus,. 253. afra. 253. 
paludosus. 253. galera. 253. 
parvulus. 267. Javanicus. 260. 
penicillatus. 270. pharaonis. 246. 
persicus. 255. ruber. 260, 
pharaonis. 246, _ tenionotus. 275. 
pluto. 253. ichneumon, Herpestes. 246, 248, 
primzevus. 292. 249, 251, 252, 253, 271. 
priscus. 292. Viverra, 246. 
pulverulentus. 254. Ictides, 240. 
punctatissimus. 254. albifrons: 241. 
punctulatus. 251. ater. 241. 
robustus. 254. Ictitherium. 291, 293. 
rubiginosus. 258. hipparionum, 293. 
ruficauda. 250, 251. orbignyi. 293. 
rutilus. 260. robustum. 293. 
‘sanguineus. 251. sivalense. 293. 


semitorquatus. 262. incerta, Progenetta. 292, 


304 


155, 182. 


inconspicua, Ielis, 


inconspicuus, Leopardus. 155. ca 
Indian Desert-Cat. 18, 19. 
indica, Viverra. 214. 

Viverricula. 215. 
insignis, Machzerodus. 283. 
intermedia, A‘lurictis. 286. 
intrepidus, Pseudzelurus. 290. 
iodoprymnus, Herpestes. 250. 


irbis, Felis. 92. 
Uncia, 93. 
isabellina, Felis. 
isabellinus, Lynx. 
issiodorensis, Felis. 


192. 
192. 
282. 
jacquemonti, Chaus. 183. 
Felis. 183. 
Jaguar, 13, 17, 21, 95. 
jaguarondi, Felis. 151, 152, 153. 
japanensis, Felis. 80. 
Leopardus. 71. 
javanensis, Felis, 126, 128, 129, 130. 
Leopardus. 126, 128. 
javanica, Mangusta. 260. 
iavanicus, Herpestes. 255, 260. 
Ichneumon. 260. 
Javan Mungoose. 260. 
jerdoni, Felis, 126, 128, 129, 130, 
131. 

Herpestes. 258. 
Paradoxurus. 236. 
jourdani, Machcerodus. 
jubata, Cynofelis. 202. 

Felis, 202. 
jubatus, Cynzlurus. 17, 74. 
julieni, Prozlurus. 290 
Jungle Cat. 21, 180, 182, 185. 


283. 


karnuliensis, Viverra. 
kutas, Felis. 182. 


201. 


lanea, Felis. 202, 
laneus, Cynzelurus. 
laniger, Paguma, 240. 
Paradoxurus. 240, 
Large-toothed Mungoose. 
larvata, Paguma, 238. 
Viverra. 238. 
larvatus, Gulo. 
Paradoxurus. 


202. 


266. 


238. 
238. 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


Lagomys. 175. 

latidens, Macherodus. 

lefebvrei, Herpestes. 

lemanensis, Herpestes. 
Prozlurus. 290. 

Leo africanus. 27, 
asiaticus. 27. 
barbarus. 27. 
nobilis. 27. 

leo, Felis: 18, 27. 


leoninus, Macherodus. 


284. 
250. 
292. 


283. 


Leopard, 4°17, 285-74. 
Asiatic. 78. 
Clouded. 17, 19, 113. 


Fontanier’s. 80. 
Hunting. 5,17, 74. 
Snow. 93. 
Leopard-Cat. 127, 157. 
leopardus, Felis. 71. 
Leopardus auratus, 121. 
brachyurus. 114, 115. 
chinensis. 
concolor. 
dorsul, I17. 
ellioti. 126. 
fontanieri. 71. 
griseus. 139. 
hernandesii. 
horsfieldi. 
inconspicuus. 
japanensis. 
javanensis. 
marmoratus. 
moormensis. 
onca. 95. 
pardalis. 
pardus. 
pictus. 
reevesi. 126, 
serval, 135. 
sumatranus, 
tigrinoides, 
uncia, 92. 
varius. 71. 
viverrinus, 123. 
yagouarondi. I51. 
Lepthyzena, 293. 
leptorhyncha, Amphictis. 
Viverra. 201. 
leptura, Cynictis. 


102. 


95, 90. 
126. 


155: 


126. 


TE. 
120. 


139. 


Tl, 7% 
139, 141. 


126, 
145. 


270. 


71, OL, 120, 8en. 


71, 126, 128, 129; 


201, 


— 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


leucomystax, Paguma, 238. 
Paradoxurus. 238. 
leucopus, Paradoxurus. 233. 
leucostethicus, Herpestes. 274. 
leucurus, Herpestes, 264. 
levaillantii, Mangusta. 270. 
libycus, Chaus, 182, 
Felis, 183. 
Linsanga, 223. 
gracilis. 222. 
maculosus. 223. 
pardicolor. 224. 
richardsoni, 225, 
linsang, Paradoxurus. 
Linsangs. 221, 225. 
African. 225. 
Bornean. 222. 
Burmese. 223. 
Nipalese. 224, 
Oriental. 221. 
liodon, Felis, 282, 
hier, “4, 0, 12, 18, 21, 27. 
Lion-Tiger hybrids, 45, 

loempo, Herpestes. 253, 264, 265, 
208. 
longicaudatus, Felis. 
Long-tailed Cat. 145. 
lybica, Felis. 155. 
Lyncus, 23, 192. 
borealis, 192, 195. 
canadensis. 195. 
isabellinus. 193. 
lynx. 192. 
pardinus. 200. 
rufus. 197, 
vulgaris, 192. 
Lynx, Booted. 184. 
Canadian, 21. 
Fardine, 21, 
Lynx, -182. 
aureus. I97. 
baileyi. 200. 
caracal, 188, 
chaus, 182, 
fasciatus. 197. 
floridanus. 197. 
montanus. I97. 
rufus. 197. 
lynx, Felis, 191. 
Lyncus, 192. 


7 


222. 


TT, 


395 


lynx, Red. 197. 
Lynxes. 4, 21. 
maccarthiz, Cynictis. 260. 
Herpestes. 260. 
Onychogale. 260. 
Macherodus. 22, 283, 255. 
aphanistus. 284. 
crenatidens. 284. 
cultridens. 284. 
fatalis. 284. 
floridanus. 284 
gracilis. 284. 
insignis. 283. 
jourdani. 283. 
latidens. 284. 
leoninus. 284. 
meganthereon. 
necator. 284. 
neogeeus. 284. 
nestianus. 284. 
palzindicus. 284. 
palmidens. 283, 284, 286. 
ogygia. 284. 
orientalis. 284, 
schlosseri, 284. 
sivalensis. 284. 
Machairodus. 283, 
macrocelis, Felis. 
Neofelis, 114. 
Wneia. nT. 
macroceloides, Felis. 
Uncia. 114. 
macrodus, Paradoxurus. 236, 
macrura, Felis. 144, 145. 
maculosus, Linsanga, 223. 
madagascariensis, Hlerpestes. 247. 
malaccensis, Herpestes. 257, 258. 
Mangusta. 257. 

Viverra, 214: 

Viverricula, 215. 

Malay Cat, 162. 

Mangusta, 244. 

griseus. 257. 

javanica, 260. 

levaillantii. 270. 

malaccensis. 257. 

mungos. 257. 

rubra, 260. 

urinatrix. 253. 


284. 


114. 


114. 


306 ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


Mangusta vitticollis. 261. 

maniculata, Felis. 155. 

manul, Felis. 174. 

Manx Cats. 163. 

Marbled Cat. 17,19, 117, 118. 

margarita, Felis. 155. 

margay, Felis. 145. 

marmorata, Felis. 
Uneia.- | 127. 

marmoratus, Catolynx. 118. 
Leopardus, 117. 

media, Felis. 281. 

Meerkat. 276. 

megaballa, Felis, 202. 

Meganthereon. 283. 


17 LIZ: 


meganthereon, Macherodus, 283. 


megaspila, Viverra. 213. 

megalotis, Felis. 156. 

melanura, Cynictis. 250. 
Felis. 140. 


melanurus, Herpestes, 250, 251. 
Viverra, 212, 

melas, Felis. 71. 

melleri, Rhinogale. 271, 272. 


Rhynchogale. 271. 
VYeller’s Mungoose. 271. 
Mesobema, 244. 

cancrivora. 263. 
mexicana, Felis. I51. 
Miacis, 295. 
microtis, Felis. 132, 133. 
minima, Viverra. 291. 
minor, Stenoplesictis, 295. 
minuta, Felis. 126, 128, 131. 
mitis, Felis. 144, 145. 
Mombasa Cat. 163. 
montanus, Lynx. 197. 

Paradoxurus. 237. 
monticolus, Herpestes. 258. 
moormensis, Leopardus, 120. 

Felis, 120. 
mungo, Herpestes, 257. 
mungo, Viverra, 257. 
Mungoose, 244. 

Angola, 249. 

Black-footed. 269. 

Broad-striped. 278. 

Brown-tailed. 280. 

Caffre. 247. 

Ceylon. 260. 


@iingoose, Crab-eating. 263. 


Fast African. 254. 
Egyptian. 246. 
Elegant. 279. 
Four-toed. 268. 
Gambian. 273. 

Grey Indian. , 257. 
Javan. 260. 
Large-toothed. 266, 
Meller’s, 271. 
Narrow-banded..- 274. 
Narrow-striped,. 279. 
Neumann’s, 252. 
Nilgiri Brown, 259. 
Olivaceous. 280. 
Pale-necked. 262. 
Pencilled. 270. 

Puisa. 268. 

Red. 268. 

Red-tailed. 251. 
Ring-tailed. 279. 
Ruddy.. 258. 

Rufous, 253. 
Short-haired. 25,4. 
Short-tailed. 260. 
Six-molared. 266. 
Slender. 250. 

S.inall. 267. 

Small Indian. 255. 
Small-nosed. 271. 
Small-toothed. 280, 281, 
Striped. 277. 
Stripe-necked. 261. 
Thick-tailed. 268. 
Uniform. 28o. 
White-tailed. 264. 
Mungos. 244. 
gambianus. 273. 
vitticollis. 261. 
mungos, Mangusta, 257. 
musanga, Paradoxurus, 233. 
Viverra. 233. 
musangoides, Paradoxurus. 233. 
musschenbroecki, Paradoxurus. 

239. 
Mustela afra. 253. 
galera, 253. 

striata. 278. 
Mustelidz. 16, 293, 294, 295. 
Mus zenik. 276. 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 307 


mutabilis, Paleoprionodon. 295. 
mutgigella, Herpestes. 250. 
mutscheltschela, Herpestes. 250. 
Myrmecobius fasciatus. 19. 
Nandinia, 228. 
binotata. 220.. 
gerrardi. 229. 
Narrow-banded Cusimanse. 274. 
Narrow-striped Mungoose. 279. 
nebulosa, Felis, 17, 113, 121. 
necator, Machzrodus. 284, 
neglecta, Felis. 138. 
nems, Viverra. 253. 
Neofelis brachyurus. 114. 
macrocelis. II4. 
neogzeus, Machezerodus. 284. 
nepalensis, Calogale. 255. 
nestianus, Macherodus. 284. 
neumanni, Herpestes. 252. 
Neumann’s Mungoose. 252. 
niger, Paradoxurus. 234. 
Viverra. 223. 
nigrescens, Felis. 121. 
nigricauda, Ichneumia. 264. 
nigricaudatus, Ichneumia. 250. 
nigrifrons, Paradoxurus. 233. 
nigripectus, Felis, 174. 
nigripes, Bdeogale. 264, 269. 
Felis. 155. 
Nimravide. 286, 
Nimravus. 287. 
confertus. 287. 
gomphodus. 287. 
Nipal Cat. 130. 
nipaiensis, Felis. 
Iierpestes. 255. 
Paradoxurus. 237. 
nobilis, Leo. 27. 
numidicus, Herpestes. 246, 
nyuwla, Calogale. 257. 
Herpestes. 257. 


126, 130. 


obscura, Felis. 155. 
cbscurus, Crossarchus. 273. 
Ocelot. 17, 139. 

Chained, 141. 
ocelot, Felis. 139. 
ochracea, Galerella. 250. 
ochraceus, 

gcz. 


Herpestes. 250, 251, 


ochromelas, Ierpestes, 250. 
ogilbyi, Cynictis. 270. 

Felis. 117. 

Paradoxurus. 238, 
ogygia, Macherodus. 283. 
olivacea, Galidia. 280: 

Hemigalidia. 280. 
Olivaceous Mungoose. 280, 
onca, Felis. 17, 95. 

Leopardus, 95. 

Uncia. 95. 

Onychogale maccarthiz, 260. 
orbignyi, Ictitherium. 293. 
orientalis, Machzrodus. 283. 

Viverra. 211. 

ornata, Felis. 18, 157, 179, 180, 
181. 
ornatus, Chaus. 179. 

Herpestes, 250. 
Osmetictis. 244. 

fusca. 263. 


Otters. 4. 
Sea. 4. 
Ounce. 17, 20, 92. 


Paguma. 231. 
grayil. 237. 
laniger. 240. 
larvata. 238. 
Paja-Cat. 175. 
Pajeros pampanus. 175. 
palzindicus, Macherodus, 283. 
Palzeomephitis. 291. 
Palzeoprionodon, 293, 294, 295 
mutabilis. 295. 
simplex, 295. 
Pale Cat. 186. 
Pale-necked Mungoose, 262, 
Palhyzena, 293. 
Pallas’s Cat. 174. 
pallida, Felis. 186, 187, 
Viverra, 215. 
pallidus, Herpestes. 257. 
pallipes, Herpestes. 255. 
Palm-Civets, 228, 230, 231, 245, 
246, 
African. 228. 
Celebean. 239. 
Chinese. 238. 
Common. 233. 


308 ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


Palm-Civets, East African. 229. Paradoxurus pennanti. 234, 
Himalayan, 237. @ philippensis. 235. 
Jerdon’s, 236. philippinensis, 235. 
Large-toothed. 236. prehensilis. 233. 
Philippine. 235. quadriscriptus, 233. 

Red. 236. quinquelineatus. 233. 
Small-toothed. 230. rubidus, 239. 
Three-striped. 231. Strictus. 233. 

West African. 229. trivirgatus. 231. 
White-whiskered. 238, typus, 233. 

Woolly. 240. tytlerii, 9237. 

palmidens, Macherodus, 283, 284, zebra.. 227. 

286. zeylanicus. 235, 237. 
paludinosus, Herpestes, 253, Pardalina warwicki, 124, 149. 
paludosus, Herpestes, 253. pardalis, Felis, 17, 139. 
pampanus, Pajeros. 175. Leopardus, 139. 

Pampas Cat. 175, 178, 179. pardicolor, Linsanga. 224. 

Panther, 71574: Prionodon, 224. 

panthera, Felis. 71, Viverra.- 224: 

Paradoxurus, 231. Par line Lynx. 21, 
albifrons. 241, pardinensis, Felis, 282. 
aureus. 236, pardinoides, Felis, 149, 150. 
binotatus. 229. pardochrous, Felis, 126, 130, 
bondar. 233. pardoides, Felis. 140, 141. 
crossil. 233. pardus, Felis. 17, 71,74, 81. 
derbianus, 227, pardus, Leopardus. 71,74, 
fasciatus. 233. parvula, Helogale. 267. 
felinus. 233. parvulus, Herpestes. 267. 
finlaysonii. 233. passerum, Felis. 175. 
grayl. 237. Pencilled Mungoose. 270. 
hamiltoni. 229, penicillata, Cynictis. 270, 
hermaphroditus. 233. penicillatus, Herpestes. 270, 
hirsutus. 234. pennanti, Paradoxurus. 234. 
jerdoni. 238. pepraxti, Viverra, 291. 
laniger. 240. Persian Cat. 162. 
larvatus. 238. persicus, Herpestes. 255. 
leucomystax. 238, pharaonis, Ichneumon. 246. 
leucopus. 233. Herpestes. 246. 
leucotis, 230. philippensis, Paradoxurus. 235. 
linsang. 222, pkilippinensis, Paradoxurus. 235. 
macrodus, 236. Pisas, 2075. 
montanus. 237. picta, Felis. 140. 
musanga, 233. pictus, Leopardus. 139, 14I. 
musangoides, 233. planiceps, Ailinura. 121. 
musschenbroecki, 239. Ailurogale, 121. 
niger. 234. Helis. 026,012, 
nigrifrons, 233. Viverriceps. 121. 
nipalensis, 237. platycopis, Pogonodon. 28S. 
ogilbyi, 238. Platyschista. 231. 
pallasii. 233. pallasi, 234. 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX, 


Plesictis. 295. 
pluto, Herpestes. 253. 
poensis, Genetta. 225. 
Prionodon. 225, 226, 
Pogonodon. 288, 
brachyops. 288, 
platycopis. 288. 
Poiana. 225. 
poensis, 225, 226, 
richardsoni. 226, 
Polar Bear. 20. 
poortmanni, Viverra. 
Potamophilus, 242. 
barbatus, 243. 
prehensilis, Paradoxurus, 23 as 
Viverra. 233. 
primzevus, Herpestes. 292, 
Prionodon. 243. 
gracilis. 222. 
maculosus. 223. 
pardicolor, 224, 
prisca, Felis. 282, 
priscus, Herpestes. 292, 
Prozelurus, 290, 
julieni. 290, 
lemanensis. 290. 
Proailurus. 290. 
Progenetta. 292, 
incerta. 292. 
Proteleidze, 11, 294. 
Pseudelurus. 289, 290, 
intrepidus. 290, 
quadridentatus, 
puisa, Bdeogale. 
Puisa Mungoose. 
pulchella, Felis. 155, 
pulchellus, Chaus. 170, 
pulverulentus, Herpestes. 
Puma. 4, 18, 21, Ior, 
puma, Felis. 18. 
punctatissimus, Herpestes. 254. 
punctulatus, Herpestes. 251, 
Putorius striatus. 278, 
pygmea, Felis. 281. 


2II, 


290. 
268. 
268. 


254. 


quadridentatus, Pseudcelurus. 290. 
quadriscriptus, Paradoxurus. 233. 
quinquelineatus, Paradoxurus. 233. 


Rasse, 214. 


399 


rasse, Viverra. 214, 
Rat, Field. 181. 
Red-spotted Cat, Bushy-tailed, 
132: 
Red-tailed Mungoose. 251, 
Red Tiger-Cat. 137, 
Reed Cat.27 184. 
reevesi, Leopardus. 126, 
regalis, Tigris. 48, 
Retractile-clawed Cats. 26. 
Rhinoceroses. 171. 
Rhinogale, 271, 
melleri, 271, 272. 
Rhynchogale. 271, 272, 
mellen; “iy. 
Khyzena 276, 
tetradactyla. 277, 
typicus. 277, 
richardsoni, Genetta, 
Linsang. 225, 
Poiana. 225. 
Ring-tailed Mungooses. 
robustum, Ictitherium, 
robustus, Athylax, 253, 
Herpestes. 254, 
ruber, Ichneumon, 260, 
rubidus, Paradoxurus. 239. 
rubiginosa, Felis, 127, 128, 129, 
130, 133. 
Genetta. 221, 
Viverriceps. 133, 
rubiginosus, Crossarchus, 2 58. 
Flerpestes, 258. 
rubra, Mangusta, 
Ruddy Mungoose, 
rufa, Felis, 197, 
ruficauda, Herpestes. 
Rufous Mungoose. 
rufus, Lyncus, 197, 
Lynx, | -107: 
Rusty-spotted Cat. 127, 133, 134, 
157. 
rutila, Calogale. 260, 
Felis. 138, 139, 
rutilus, Herpestes, 


226. 


279. 
293. 


260, 
258. 


250, 25%, 
253. 


260. 


Sabre-toothed Tigers, 22, 
sanguineus, Herpestes, 251, 
sansaniensis, Viverra. 291, 
schlegeli, Viverra. 215. 


310 ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


schlosseri, Macherodus, 283. 
scripta, Felis. 119. 
Sea-Otters. 4. 
semitorquatus, Herpestes. 262. 
senegalensis, Felis. 135. 
Genetta. 219. 
Viverra. 219. 
Serval. 17, 135. 
togoénsis. 137. 
serval, Feliss 17, 135. 
Leopardus. 135. 
servalina, Felis. 126,179. 
Genetta, 220. 
Servaline Cat. 135, 136. 
servalinus, Chaus. 126, 179. 
shawiana, Felis. 180, 181, 182. 
Shaw’s Cat. 180, 182. 
Short-haired Mungoose. 254. 
Short-tailed Mungoose. 260. 
simplex, Palzoprionodon. 295+ 
simplicidens, Viverra, 291. 
sivalense, Ictitherium. 293. 
sivalensis, Machzerodus. 283. 
Six-molared Mungooses. 266. 
Slender Mungoose. 250. 
Small-footed Cat. 152. 
Small Indian Mungoose. 255. 
Small Mungoose.. 267. 
Small-nosed Mungooses. 271. 
Small-toothed Mungoose. 280, 
281. 
Smilodon. 283. 
smithi, Calictis. 258. 
Elerpestes. 258. 
Snow-Leopard. 93. 
spelcea, Felis. 20, 27. 
Spotted Tiger-Cat. 149. 
* steedmanni, Cynictis. 270. 
- steinheimensis, Viverra. 291. 
Steneodon. 283. 
Stenogale. 295. 
Stenoplesictis. 295. 
cayluxi. 295. 
minor. 295. 
Steppe Cat. 180, 187. 
striata, Galidictis. 275. 
Mustela. 278. 
striatus, Putorius, 278. 
strictus, Paradoxurus. 233. 
strigilata, Felis. 177. 


Striped Mungooses. 277. 
Striped-necked Mungoose. 261. 
sumatrana, Felis. 126. 
sumatranus, Leopardus. 126. 
Suricata. 270, 276. 

capensis. 276. 

suricatta, v. 

tetradactyla. 277. 
suricata, Viverra. 276. 
suricatta, Suricata, v. 
sylvestris, Felis. 170. 


Tzeniogale vitticollis. 261. 
teenionota, Ariela, 275. 
teenionotus, Ichneumon. 275. 
Tail-less Cats. 162. 

Tail-less Hares. 175. 

Tegree Cat. 137. 

temmincki, Felis. 120. 
tenasserimensis, Felis. 126. 
tetradactyla, Rhyzena. 276. 

Suricata. 276, 277. 

Viverra. 276. 

Thallasictis. 293. 
Thick-tailed Mungoose. 268. 
Thylacine. 19. 

Thylacinus cynocephalus. 19, 
thysanurus, Herpestes, 258. 
Tibetan Tiger-Cat. 119. 
Tiger. 4, 18, 48. 

Sabre-Toothed. 22. 
Tiger-Cat. 4,17, 144, 145; 146. 

Bogota, _ 150. 

Grey, 138. 

Red. #337. 

Spotted. 149. 

Tibetan... 119. 
tigrina, Felis. 17, 144. 

Genetta, 2109. 

Viverra. 219. 
tigrinoides, Leopardus, 145. 
tigris, Felis. 18, 48. 

Tigris regalis. 48. 
Togo Serval.. 137. 
togoénsis, Felis. 137. 

Serval. 137. 
torquata, Felis. 156, 158, 182. 
tristis, Felis. 120. 
trivirgata, Arctogale. 231. 
trivirgatus, Paradoxurus. 231. 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX. gir 


Trucifelis. 283. 
tulliana, Felis. 71. 
turnauensis, Felis. 281. 
typicus, Cryptoprocta. 209. 
Cynictis. 270. 
Rhyzeena. 277. 
typus, Paradoxurus, 233. 
tytleri, Paradoxurus. 237. 


Uncia charltoni. 117. 
concolor, 102. 
irbis. 93. 
macrocelis. I14, 
macroceloides, I14. 
marmorata. I17. 
onca. 95. 
uncia, Felis. 17, 92. 
Leopardus. 92. 
uncioides, Felis. 93. 
undata, Viverra, 212. 
undulata, Helogale. 267. 
undulatus, Herpestes. 267. 
unicolor, Felis. 102, 151, 152. 
Galidia. 280. 
Hemigalidia. 280. 
Uniform Mungoose. 280, 
urinatrix, Mangusta, 253. 
Urside, 2094. 
Urva. 244. 
cancrivora. 263. 
urva, Gulo. 263. 
Herpestes. 263. 


vansire, Athylax. 253. 
Atilax:. 2573. 
varius, Leopardus. 71, 
virgata, Felis. 192, 
vittata, Galidictis, 279. 
vitticollis, Flerpestes. 261, 273. 
Mangusta. 261. 
Mungos. 261, 
Tzeniogale. 261. 
Viverra. 291, 292. 
abyssinica. 219. 
angustidens. 291, 
antiqua. 292. 
ashtoni. 222. 
auropunctata. 255. 
bakerl. 291. 
bengalensis. 214. 


Viverra binotata. 229, 


binturong. 241. 
boiel. 227. 
bondar. 233. 
caffra. °247. 
carcharias. 242, 
civetoides. 212, 
civetta. 211. 
civettina. 213. 
durandi, 291. 
felina. 219. 
fossa.” 216. 
fusca. 263. 
genetta. 218. 
genettoides. 220, 
gracilis. 222. 
hardwickii. 227. 
hastingsiz. 2091. 
hermaphroditus. 233. 
ichneumon. 246. 
indica. 214, 
karnuliensis. 291. 
leptorhyncha. 291. 
leveriana. 214. 
malaccensis. 214, 
megaspila. 213. 
melanurus, 212. 
minima. 291, 292, 
mungo. 257. 
musanga, 233. 
nems. 253. 
MISer. 233: 
orientalis. 211, 
pallida. 215. 
pardicolor, 225, 
pepraxti. 291. 
poortmanni, 211. 
prehensilis, 233. 
rasse. 214. 
sansaniensis. 291. 
schlegeli. 215. 
senegalensis. 219. 
simplicidens. 291. 
steinheimensis, 291. 
suricata. 276. 
tetradactyla. 276, 
tigrina, 219, 
undata. 212, 
zenik. 276. 
zibetha. 211, 291. 


312 ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 


Viverriceps bennettii. 124. e Weasels. 16, 293,294. 


ellioti. 126. Web-footed Civets. 242. 
planiceps. 121. White. Cats. 161. = 
rubiginosa 133 White-tailed Mungoose. 264. 
viverriceps, Felis. 123. widdringtoni, Herpestes. 246. 
Viverricula. 215. Wild Cat. 18, 155, 157, 170. 
indica. 215. Wolf, Aards 12. 


malaccensis. 215. 
Viverride. 4, II, 22, 277; 278, | yagouarondi, Felis. 151. 
281, 289, 290, 291, 292, 2945 Leopardus. I51. 


295. Yaguarondi, I51, 152. 
viverrina, Felis. 16, 123. 

Suricata. 276. zebra, Crossarchus. 274. 
Viverrine. 245. Hemigalus. 227. 
viverrinus, Leopardus. 123. Heipestes. 274. 
vulgaris, Lyncus. 192. Paradoxurus. 227. 
vulpinus, Felis, 192. zenik, Mus, 276, 

Viverra. 276, 
wagati, Felis. 126, 128. zeylanicus, Paradoxurus. 235; 
warwicki, Pardalina. 124, 149. 237 
Waved Cat. 182. zibetha, Viverra. 211, 291. 


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