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FELIS JAVENSIS
Palearctic region, which as only tively recently been ascertained, it need not be surprising that the smaller
ries are specially identical. have examined a very large number
pa
members of the same family living in hot and cold cou
of individuals ofthe species which is here ealled jarensis, from all the localities, I believe, in whieh it is found, under the
nvious names it ns pleased those having the specimens in charge to give them ; and the result of my investigation
is that I regard them all as representatives of a widely difsed very variable species. ‘To exhibit certain extreme styles
tnd claim dstinetness for them, might appear reasonable to any one who was not avrare that perhaps all the intermediate
forms eould be found in a faiely large series of specimens. And this, I apprehend, is the cause of the great aout of
synonymy that now burdens the species, examples having been named without the deseriber having had suflicient mate
ble for him to be avware how many were the pattems and shades of colour that this species is capable of exhibiting
ina lange series of individuals. “The skulls vary also, early as much as the skins; but, at with thes, I consider the variation
0 consist of individual differences, such as are notural among ereatures of different sexes, ages, and perhaps modes of lif
the latter occasioned by ‘the physical conditions of tie country in which they lve; but I have not seen any characters
cxhibited in any skulls that of themselves seemed sufficient to give their poswesor n distinct speeiti rank, —F. jucensie
twas first described by Deamarest (J. c) from a specimen obtained in Java; and since then the animal has been visited with
many different names, most of them given according to the country from which the specimen eame. It is probably better
Known by Temminck’s name F. mina than by any other, and next to that by the name F. sunatrena of Horseld
The Inte Dr. Gray deseribed as distinct four of the differnt styles of coloration observed among specimens of this species
nithough he was well aware that individuals varied greatly from each other, yet he deemed them “worthy of being noticed
either as species or well marked varieties.
have not Been able to discover, after carefully examining his types, that they are entitled to any higher rank, and have
There is no doubt that there are more or less yell marked varietiee; but I
erefre placed all of them among the synonyms of F. javenss, Dr, Horsild states that in Java this species inhabits the
but ranges.at
lange forests, and during the day remains 0 racial
mmitting great depredations among the poultry. ‘The natives believe thn, inorder to surp
it has the power e and thus putting them off their guard Besides fowls, it prey
and also. quadrupeds, but will, when driven by hunger, devour carrion. Tt seems to be untamable, confinen
Kung influence upon the natural fereeness of its disposition, I have stated hat individuals vary
cach other in colouring and markings; and in the accompanying Plates representations are given of four di
these being respectively those that have been designated F. javenis (typical), F. aumatrana, F, minua, and F. chineni,
thus showing the extremes both in appearance and habitats, as among them are those found in the furthest south an
north. Prof. A. Milne-Edwards has figured a skull of a specimen of this species from Canton, which he considers
distinct and refer it to F. chinensis, Gray. The differences he mentions, as compared with other specimens, would b
fonnd in a series of skulls to be of much less importance than when regarded singly, and would rather constitute an
al variation than be of specific value
short, smooth, upper part of head, back, and sides rufous brown. Four blackish brown lines on top of ‘head,
down the neck, and along the back, where they are broken into spots. Shoulders, flanks, and hind quarters
‘spots of blackish brown regularly distributed. ‘Two blackish brown lines cross the cheeks from
the eye to © ears: Cheeks, lips, throat, breast, inside of legs, and belly white, spotted with dark reddish
brown, inclined to stripes ncross the breast and throat. A white stripe between the eyes and the nose. Outside of legs,
‘of lower part of hind legs, yellowish brown, spotted with dark brown, the spots much smaller and les
dlitinet than on the body. Tail rather short, yellowish brown, ringed and spotted with dark brown. Back of ears black
with a white spot. Entre length 211, tail 7 inches.
A specimen in the Leyden Muscum bearing the MS. name of Felis punctate, ‘Temm., from Sumatra, also belongs to
Its general colour isa light reddish brown covered with small dusk brown spots, darkest on the buek and
xt numerous on the latter. Head same colour as the bods, two conspicuous white stripes between the
feyes and nose. Four narrow lines over the eentre of the head and down the back of the neck blackish brown. Cheeks,
Tips, throat, end entire underparts, inside of legs, and underpart of tail pure white. A band of dark brown across
the breast; belly spotted with redilish. A few dark brown spots on the shoulders. Ears white with black ips, Tail
samme colour as body, iegularly and incompletely ringed with dark brown, near the tip blackish, Lower part of
PELIS JAVENSIS.
brown, approaching almost to white on the fore legs. ‘The specimens in the saine Museum
from Java are generally of «wniform dark grey with broken lines of blackish brown upon the buck, and the flanks, shoulders,
and hind quarters more or less abundantly spotted with reddish brown. Tail dark grey, incompletely ringed with brown,
and tipped with dark brown. One specimen, hovwever, from Java is much lighter, greyish brown with light spots aud Tines
‘on the sides and back. The tail is Tight red, incompletely ringed with a richer red, This is like Bornean and. Sumatran
‘examples. Specimens also in the Museum from Borneo, Sumatra, and Malueca are very much alike in colour and
style of marking
The skulls of different individuals of this species vary greatly in size and general appearance, as might be expected.
‘The face ix short, with m more or less prominent forehead, nasals rather broad and flat, depressed at the edge of the
nasal cavity, forming a slight groove at the symphysis, In some eases, however, this s almost imperceptible. ‘The nasals
narrow as they go upwards, and in some instances are almost pointed at their fronto-nmsal articulation, ‘The orbits
are complete in some skulls, incomplete in others ; and this happens also with individuals from the same locality. Tnter-
orbital space rather wide ; brain-case oblong and evenly rounded. A rather prominent crest rises on the postoccipital
region. ‘The processes of the maxillas do not extend back so fur as those ofthe nasal, and are rather pointed at their ends
Two skulls of this species, as I consider them, referred by M. Alphonse Milne-Eadwards to the F. chinensis of Gray, are
in the Paris Museum; and, by the courtesy of the Inte Prof. P. Gervais, I was enabled to examine them, and make
smparisons with other skull of Fjavenss fom va a ly enough, they resemble in general size and
conditions two skulls from Sumatra more nearly than any other in the collection, These two skulls belonging to Chinese
examples differ somewhat between themselves. One (No. 430) has the nasals rather shorter and broader than the other
(So. 582), and not so narrow at thee articulation with the frontal bone. ‘The upper border of the skull in is lateral axpoct
in specimen No. 582 is latter and not so arched as in No. 430, ‘The inftuorbital foramina of No, 532 (and this I believe is
‘one of the distinctions regarded as speciic by M. Milne-Eawards) are small, and compressed laterally, giving them a rather
oblong appearance ; but the same foramina in No, 430 are larger, round, and freely r ightly Tanger in
size than many skulls of this species, I cann any thing in these sufficient to constitute theie original owners
specially dstinet from F, jacensis of othe tnd, as T have remarked previously, 1 consider whatever
Aifferenees they exhibit to he merely due to that individual variation observed in all species of Cats, and which, indeed,
is exemplified in these two specimens from China, which differ from each |