Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon Part 37

_The Marbled Tiger-Cat_ (_Jerdon's No. 109_).

HABITAT.--The Sikim Himalayas, a.s.sam, Burmah, and the Malayan countries.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Felis marmorata_.]

DESCRIPTION.--"Size of a domestic cat, but with stouter limbs and a much longer and thicker tail, of uniform thickness throughout and reaching back to the occiput when reflected; the upper canines are not remarkably elongated as in _F. macroceloides_ (_macrocelis_); ears rather small and obtusely angulated, with a conspicuous white spot on their hinder surface" (_Blyth_). "Ground colour dingy-fulvous, occasionally yellowish grey; the body with numerous elongate wavy black spots, somewhat clouded or marbled; the head and nape with some narrow blackish lines, coalescing into a dorsal interrupted band; the thighs and part of the sides with black round spots; the tail black, spotted, and with the tip black; belly yellowish white."--_Jerdon_.

SIZE.--Head and body, 18 to 24 inches; tail, 14 to 16.

This beautiful little cat is almost a miniature of the clouded panther, and Blyth confuses the Malayan name of the latter, and applies it to this species, which probably arose from his quoting as a synonym, _F. diardii_, which, however, in the same paper he repudiates, as the description of the size of _F. diardii_ clearly proved a much larger animal. This is the type of Grey's genus _Catolynx_, the other species in India being _F. charltoni_. The genus is peculiar from the resemblance of the nasal bones to those of the lynx, and from the complete or nearly complete bony orbit; the skull differs, however, greatly from the _viverriceps_ form, being much more spherical with very short nasal bones. There is an admirable ill.u.s.tration in De Blainville's 'Osteographie' of it under the name of _F. longicaudata_. Very little is known as yet of the habits of this cat.

NO. 208. FELIS BENGALENSIS.

_The Leopard-Cat_ (_Jerdon's No. 110_).

NATIVE NAMES.--_Bun Beral_, Bengali; _Jungli Bilao_, _Chhita Bilao_, Hindi; _Theet-kyoung_ in Arakan; _Lhan-rahn-manjur_, Mahrathi; _Wagati_, Mahratti of the Ghats.

HABITAT.--India generally, in hilly parts; a.s.sam, Burmah, and the Malay countries: also Ceylon.

DESCRIPTION.--About the size of the domestic cat, but with extremely variable colouring and a short, thick, cylindrical tail reaching, when turned back, above half way up the spine. Blyth says of it: "In general the ground hue is pale fulvous, with under parts of the purest white, richly marked with deep black; black lines on the crown and nape; angular spots on the body wholly or partially black, or, _en rosette_, with deeper fulvous within and round; black spots on the limbs and tail; sometimes the body markings unite more or less into longitudinal streaks and rarely a marbled appearance is a.s.sumed on the upper parts."

SIZE.--Head and body, 24 to 26 inches; tail 11 to 12.

It is useless to lay down, as in Jerdon, a very accurate description of the markings of this cat, for it varies to such an extent as to have given rise to at least sixteen synonymous names, if not more.

You will find the same cat repeated over and over again in Gray's catalogue, and a different name in almost every book of natural history; it figures at large as _Felis Bengalensis_, _undata_, _Javanensis_, _Sumatrana_, _minuta_, _torquata Nipalensis_, _wagati_, _pardochrous_, _undulata_, _Ellioti_, _Horsfieldi_, _inconspicua_, _Chinensis_, _Reevesii_, and _Diardii_. Blyth pertinently remarks: "The varieties of this handsome little cat are endless, and nominal species may be made of it, _ad libitum_, if not rather _ad nauseam_."

This is a very savage animal, and not tameable. Jerdon and Blyth both agree in this from specimens they kept alive. Hutton also writes: "I have a beautiful specimen alive, so savage that I dare not touch her." I should like to possess a young one, having been successful with many so-called savage animals. I had a wild-cat once which was very savage at first, but which ultimately got so tame as to lie in my lap whilst I was at work in office or writing, but she would never allow me to touch or stroke her; she would come and go of her own sweet will, and used to come daily, but she would spit and snarl if I attempted a caress. Blyth says that in confinement it never paces its cage, but constantly remains crouched in a corner, though awake and vigilant; but I have always found that the confinement of a cage operates greatly against the chance of taming any wild animal. Sir Walter Elliot says that the s.h.i.+karis attribute to it the same habit as that which used erroneously to be ascribed to the glutton, viz., that of dropping from trees on to its prey and eating its way into the neck. It preys chiefly on small game--poultry, hares, and is said to destroy small deer. McMaster relates he "saw one carry off a fowl nearly as large as itself, shaking it savagely meanwhile, and making a successful retreat in spite of the abuse, uproar, and missiles which the theft caused." Dr. Anderson says it is essentially arboreal, and the natives a.s.sert it lives on birds and small mammals, such as _Squirrels_ and _Tupaiae_. According to Hutton it breeds in May, producing three or four young in caves or beneath ma.s.ses of rock.

NO. 209. FELIS JERDONI.

_The Lesser Leopard-Cat_ (_Jerdon's No. 111_).

HABITAT.--Peninsula of India, probably also a.s.sam and Burmah.

DESCRIPTION.--"Very like _F. Bengalensis_; but smaller, the ground colour of the upper part grey, untinged with fulvous" (_Blyth_). A few small distinct black spots; spots of sides of legs round, long in the centre of the back; tail and feet dark greyish brown, but slightly spotted, if at all; chin, throat, and under parts white, with black spots.

NO. 210. FELIS AURATA.

_The Bay Cat_ (_Jerdon's No. 112_).

HABITAT.--The Nepal and Sikim Himalayas, probably also a.s.sam; and as it occurs in the Malayan islands, it should be found in Burmah.

It is likewise an African species, Gold Coast.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Felis aurata_.]

DESCRIPTION.--Deep bay red above, paler below; a few indistinct dark spots on the hind legs and sides; throat white; inside of ears black; the head beautifully striped with black, white and orange; the cheeks are yellowish, with two black streaks; a pale black edged line over the eyes; whiskers black, with white tips; claws black; Jerdon says that the lower surface in some is reddish white, with large and small maroon spots.

SIZE.--Head and body, 31 inches and over; tail, 19. There is a fine ill.u.s.tration of this cat in Ca.s.sell's 'Natural History,' edited by Professor Martin Duncan, vol. ii., page 58.

Very little is known of the habits of this cat. Mr. Hodgson's first specimen "was caught in a tree by some hunters in the midst of an exceedingly dense forest. Though only just taken it bore confinement very tranquilly, and gave evident signs of a tractable disposition, but manifested high courage, for the approach of a huge Bhotea dog to its cage excited in it symptoms of wrath only, none of fear." That it is found in Burmah is extremely probable, as it inhabits the Malay countries, and the Rev. J. Mason speaks of a tiger cat in Tena.s.serim, "which the Karens call the _Fire Tiger_ from the colour of its skin, which is of an uniform red."

NO. 211. FELIS RUBIGINOSA.

_The Rusty-spotted Cat_ (_Jerdon's No. 113_).

NATIVE NAME.--_Namali pelli_, Tamil.--_Jerdon_.

HABITAT.--Southern India and Ceylon. Jerdon says he never saw or heard of it in Central India, or on the Malabar Coast, but I got it at Seonee in the Central Provinces.

DESCRIPTION.--Size of a small domestic cat, with a tail half the length of the body; colour greyish with a rufous tinge, or greenish grey tinged with rufous; the under parts white, with large rufous spots; ears small; four well defined dark brown or black lines along the forehead and nape, and three along the back, the latter being interrupted into longish spots; a series of rusty coloured spots on the sides; fur very short; tail uniform in colour, more rufous than the body, sometimes indistinctly spotted; insides of limbs with large brown spots; feet reddish grey above with black soles, whiskers long and white.

SIZE.--Head and body, 16 to 18 inches; tail, 9-1/2.

Jerdon says: "This very pretty little cat frequents gra.s.s in the dry beds of tanks, brushwood, and occasionally drains in the open country and near villages, and it 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.

Its activity was quite marvellous, and it was very playful and elegant in its motions. 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. It would occasionally find its way to the rafters of bungalows and hunt for squirrels."

Jerdon doubted the existence of this cat in Central India, but, in 1859 or 1860, I had two kittens brought to me by a Gond in the Seonee district, and I kept them for many months. They became perfectly tame, so much so that, although for nine months of the year I was out in camp, they never left the tents, although allowed to roam about unconfined. The grace and agility of their motions was most striking.

I have seen one of them balance itself on the back of a chair, and when one of the pair died it was ludicrous to see the attempts of a little gray village cat, which I got to be a companion to the survivor, to emulate the gymnastics of its wild comrade. At night the little cats were put into a basket, and went on with the spare tents to my next halting place; and on my arrival next morning I would find them frisking about the tent roof between the two canva.s.ses, or scrambling up the trees under which we were pitched. Whilst I was at work I usually had one in my lap and the other cuddled behind my back on the chair. One day one of them, which had been exploring the hollows of an old tree close by, rushed into my tent and fell down in convulsions at my feet. I did everything in my power for the poor little creature, but in vain, it died in two or three minutes, having evidently been bitten by a snake. The survivor was inconsolable, refused food, and went mewing all over the place and kept rolling at my feet, rubbing itself against them as though to beg for the restoration of its brother. At last I sent into a village and procured a common kitten, which I put into the basket with the other. There was a great deal of spitting and growling at first, but in time they became great friends, but the villager was no match for the forester.

It was amusing to see the wild one dart like a squirrel up the walls of the tent on to the roof; the other would try to follow, scramble up a few feet, and then, hanging by its claws, look round piteously before it dropped to the ground.

NO. 212. FELIS TORQUATA.

_The Spotted Wild-Cat_ (_Jerdon's No. 114_).

NATIVE NAME.--_Lhan-rahn-manjur_, Mahrathi.

HABITAT.--North-Western, Central, and Southern India.

DESCRIPTION.--Ground colour pale greyish fulvous or cat-grey, with numerous round black spots, smaller on the head, nape, and shoulders; longitudinal lines on the occiput; cheek striped; breast spotted, but belly free from spots; on the limbs distinct cross bands; within the arms one or two broad black streaks; tail tapering more or less, and marked with a series of well-defined rings and a black tip; smallish ears; as in the domestic cat, reddish outside with a small dusky tuft at tip; paws black underneath.

SIZE.--Head and body, from 16 to 24 inches; tail, about half the length.

Blyth first obtained this from Hansi, where it was stated to frequent open sandy plains, living on field rats. Jerdon at Hissar and in the Central Provinces. At Hissar he found it among low sand-hills, where it appeared to feed on the jerboa-rat (_Gerbillus Indicus_), which is common there. Sykes seems to have confused this species with a domestic variety run wild, as the habits differ from the present species.

NO. 213. FELIS MANUL.

_The Black-chested Wild-Cat_.

HABITAT.--Tibet, Central and Northern Asia.

DESCRIPTION.--Rufescent pale grey; chest and front of neck and part of belly sooty black, "terminating forward near the ears horn-wise or crescent-wise; on the crown of the head several series of black dots are disposed more or less linearly and length-wise. On the cheeks, from eyes to articulation of jaws, are two sub-parallel zig-zag lines of jet black; five to seven straighter lines, less deep in hue, cross the lower back and blend gradually with the caudal rings, which, including the black tip, are about nine in number. These rings of the tail are narrow, with large intervals, diminis.h.i.+ng towards its tip, as the interstices of the dorsal bars do towards the base of the tail; the black caudal rings are perfect, save the two basal, which are deficient below, whilst the two apical on the contrary are rather wider below and nearly or quite connected there. Outside the arms and sides are two or three transverse black bars, more or less freckled with the grey hairs of the body; ears outside grey, like the back, but paler, small and much rounded. The young show the marks more clearly" (_Blyth_, abridged from _Hodgson_).

SIZE.--Head and body, 22 to 24 inches; tail, 10 to 11 inches.

This animal which is allied to the European wild-cat, was first discovered by Pallas, who, however, has left little on record concerning its habits beyond that it is found in woody rocky countries preying on the smaller quadrupeds.

NO. 214. FELIS SCRIPTA.