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FELIS CHRYSOTHRIX.
together with the seanty materials which naturalists had at their command; and the only possible way this -dificulty
It will thus be seen that much confusion has existed in the synonymy of this species, caused by its variabl
could be reetiied was to. bring the types together for compariion. In the accompanying. Plate are represented
the three different varieties of this species; two of the specimens figured are those belonging to the Leyden Museum,
‘The grey-spotted animal is portrait of Temminek's type of F eelideyaater ; and the upper figure exhibits the intermeinn
stage. taken from a specimen brought to the Museum at Leyden from the coast of Guinea. ‘This form happily has never
been deseribed as distin.
OF the habits of this species we know noth
The various styles may’ be described as follows :—
Typical: General colour above red, indistinctly spotted with dark red on the sides, spots small in size; beneath white
otted with blackish brown; tail red above, white beneath, unspotted; no white matks upon the fue, which is of the
same red colour as the back and sides. ‘The light variety named eelidgaater by Temminck and neyletue by Gray bas the
top of the head reddish brown, imegularly marked with blackish brown, and without any of the lines running lengthwise
which are usually seen in Cats; the back and sides are « uniform grey, the spots dark brown on the sides, dark red on
the back ; breast yellowish white, banded with obscure pale brown, these bands becoming darker and more distinet
underneath between the fore legs; belly white, with lange blackisk-brown spots; inside of fore loge and. hind
Aistinetly barred with reddish brown; tail brown, with pale brown rings, end dark red-brown,
The second variety, represented by the upper figure in the Plate, is of a general golden-ed colour, thickly marked with
dark chestnut spots, these being nearly black along the centre of the back, and longest on the rump and flanks. Upon the
fore legs the spots coalesce and form rings. Checks and throat white, spotted slightly with minute reddish dots. Breart
dark buf, erossed with iregular lines of dark brown. Underparts white, with numerous blackisl-brown blotches. Inside
of forelegs greyish white, barred and spotted with blackish brown; inside of hind logs rufous, lighter in colour than the
body, with several bars of blackish brown upon the upper part. Tail of the sume colour as the body, spotted with dark
brown, almost black on top. Total length about 37 inches, txl 10 inches
Stull—Width is about two thirds the length. Height moderate, with the arching from before to behind uniform
Nasal process extends halfway up the side of the nasal bone. ‘The upper surface of the superior part of the maillares
presents a rather deep and broad depression reach the orbit to the outer edge ofeach nasil. Forehead moderately
high; orbits incomplete. Brain-pan is rather long; and there are sharp parietal and occipital erests. ‘The tympanic ble
ar large nd inflate. Upper canes of maderte size, the molar series beter pronounced. Specimen describel, Ne 11000
in British-Muscum collection. ‘The lower jaw is in diseased condition |