also states the same,
he having procured a young one in the neighbourhood of Darjeeling.
In the Zoological Gardens in London there was a very fine specimen
about four years ago. Professor Parker says of it: "It was not always
to be seen, as it was kept during the day fastened up in one of the
sleeping apartments at the back of a cage in the lion-house, and was
left out only for about half an hour before the gardens closed. It
was well worth stopping to see. As soon as the iron door of its cell
was raised, it would come out into the large cage with a peculiar
sailor-like slouch, for owing to the shortness of its legs, its gait
was quite different to that of an ordinary cat, and altogether less
elegant. The expression of the face, too, was neither savage nor
majestic nor intelligent, but rather dull and stupid. It was fond
of assuming all sorts of queer attitudes." Brehm describes one as
lying prone on a thick branch placed in its cage, with all four legs
hanging down straight, two on each side of the branch--certainly a
remarkable position for an animal to assume of its own free will.

The type of this animal constitutes the genus _Neofelis_ of Gray,
containing two species, this and the _Neofelis_ (_leopardus_)
_brachyurus_ of Formosa.

NO. 206. FELIS VIVERRINA.
_The Large Tiger-Cat_ (_Jerdon's No. 108_).

NATIVE NAMES.--_Mach-bagral_, _Bagh-dasha_, Bengali; _Bunbiral_,
_Khupya-bagh_, Hindi; _Handoon-deeva_, Singhalese.

HABITAT.--India generally, Burmah, the Malay countries, and Ceylon.
Jerdon says he has not heard of it in Central India nor in the Carnatic,
nor farther west of Nepal. I have been, however, informed that a wild
cat was killed lately at Jeypore in the act of carrying off an infant
of four months old. I know of no cat, save this species, capable of
such a proceeding. The child was rescued alive.

[Illustration: Skull of _Felis viverrina_.]

DESCRIPTION.--"Of a mouse gray colour, more or less deep and
sometimes tinged with tawny, with large dark spots, more or less
numerous, oblong on the back and neck and in lines, more or less
rounded elsewhere, and broken or coalescing" (but never ocellate:
_Blyth_); "cheeks white; a black face stripe; beneath dull white;
chest with five or six dark bands; belly spotted," (whence the name
_celidogaster_ applied by Temminck) "tail with six or seven dark
bands and a black tip" (sometimes spots only); "feet
unspotted."--_Jerdon_.

SIZE.--Head and body 30 to 34 i