MACIUM, . . . JAVAN. Pilli, . . TAM., TEL.
The royal tiger is found throughout India to the S.F. boundary of China. through the Malay Peninsula, in Java and Sumatra. They are nume rous in the centre of the Peninsula of India, and very numerous in Singapore. Full-grown speci mens vary considerably in size, colour, and mark ings, but are considered to be of one species. They feed on cattle, on the sambur or Rusa hippelaphus, and more rarely on the Axis inaeu lats. or spotted deer, but only when suffering from extreme hunger. Frogs, hog, porcupine, and other creatures are eaten by them. The tiger is not brave, retires before opposition, unles.s wounded. The buffaloes in herds charge at a tiger and beat it off. The wild dogs hunt clown and will drive a tiger away, but have not the power to destroy one ; and one \vas found evidently killed by a boar's tusk. On one occasion, a. herd boy being carried off, tho buffaloes charged the tiger, and made it drop the Lad.
Fells pardus, Linn., the Pard.
F. leoparclus, Schreb. I Leopnrdus %wine, Gray.
Var. a. the Panther.
F. leopardus, Town. I F. parties, Hodgs.
Honign, . . . CAN. Taldr-hay,Bny-heern, Adnara, . . CENT. IND. Asnea, . . . 31mtn. Burkal, . . . . GOND. chime). pall, . . TEL. Tendwa, Chita, . Him). Sik, . . . . . Timm Chita bag, . . • „ Leopard of Sykes.
This variety of the larger cheeta is generally found in Western Asia, Bengal, Africa, and Afghanistan. It is of a pale fulvous yellow, with white belly, and a shorter and closer fur than the smaller variety ; dwells in more open country than the smaller variety, and is a slighter and more active animal, extremely strong and fierce, and instances occur of several men being killed before this cheeta can be destroyed. They destroy wild pigs, monkeys, occasionally domestic cattle, ponies, children, old women.
War. b. the Ikopard.
F. loopardue, Hodgs.
F. longicaudata, F. pardua, Temni.
Bit& of the . . . Meal. 13c:elves bagb, . . MAIM. Kerkal, . . . snot. Chur-hay, . Slats.
Golobaclia, . . . DEED. pheer-hay, . . . „ Bor.haeha, . . . „ Laklutr basher . „ This is smaller and stouter, fur longer and looser, and spots more crowded. It varies lunch in size, some not bigger than a large tiger cat. It is very fearless, taking sheep, goats, monkeys, peafowl, etc., prowling around villages, and seizing
dogs even in tents and houses. It is more abun dant in the forest tracts of 3falabar, tho 1Vynatl, Gumsur, and the Himalaya.
Var. e. Fella metros Perron, F. perniger, This is a well-marked mcc of a uniform dull black colour, the spots showing in particular lights, always found in forests or forest country, sparingly throughout all India, Asaarn, 3falay Peninsula. This is supposed by some to be a black variety of the Fens pardus, and both varieties are said to have been found in the same den.
Felis jub,ata, the hunting cheeta or hunting leopard, is common, though not plentiful, through out Southern India. They can be quite tamed, and handled with freedom. It is the pard of the ancients.
Felia cristata, a fossil tiger thus named WM discovered by Sir P. T. Cautley in the Siwalik Hills.
Felis eatus, the Cat, Domestic Cat.
Si mi, . . EHOT., SOKFA. I Maida, . . . . PEE.% ..... Tau.
Min-khyeng, . . KAM!. Pilli, . . . TEL, The general term cat is applied by naturalists to all the feline tribe, but a considerable variety of animals aro called cats in all countries, Civet cats, Genet eats, Marten cats, Pole eats, etc. ; the Lemur also is the Madagascar cat. The marsupial animals of Australia ale known cis wild cats. The Shirmindi billi of 'the people of India means the bashful cat; and the wild cats of India are a small but savage kind of lynx (Felis rufa). Domesticated cats aro not alluded to in Scripture, but they aro mentioned in a Sanskrit writing 2000 years old, and there aro figures of them on the monuments of Egypt of a much prior age. 5fummy cats have been identified with Felis chaus or marsh cats, and with F. caligulata and F. bubastes, both still found in Egypt wild and domesticated. l'allas, Temininck, and Blyth believe that the domestic cats are descendants of several wild species, which readily intermingle. F. sylvestris is wild in Scot land. F. lybica is the wild cat of Algiers; and in S. Africa F. Caffra ia wild. In India aro four wild species, of which F. chaus has a lynx-like tail; F. ornata or torquata occurs at 'lanai, and F. manal occurs in Central Asia.