next halting place; and on my arrival next morning I would
find them frisking about the tent roof between the two canvasses,
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.