the Philofophical Tranfaftlons by Dr. Forfter, who had an opportunity of examining the animal
in a living ftate.
" The firft account of this fpecies is in Labat's Relation Hiftorique cle I'Ethiope Occiclentale,
torn. i. p. 177. taken, as is fuppofed, from father Carazzi. Labat mentions there a fort
of wild cat called 'Nfuili, of the fize of a dog, with a coat ftriped and varied like that of a
tyger. Thefe characters are applicable to our prefent fpecies. The animal is found from Congo
to the Cape of Good Hope, in an extent of country of about eleven degrees of latitude. A
ikin of this animal was feen by Mr. Pennant in a furrier's iliop, who thought it came from the
Cape of Good Hope, and of this Mr. Pennant gave the firft good defcrlption ieen. All other
authors mention it in a vague manner. The one I examined was very gende and tame: it was
brought in a baiket to me, and I kept it in my apartment twenty-four hours for examination.
After a moft accurate enquiry I found its manners perfeftly analogous to thofe of the common
domeftic cat. It ate freih raw meat, and was very much attached to its feeders and benefactors.
After it had been fed by me feveral times, it followed me like a tame favourite cat. It
liked to be ftroked and carefled, and rubbed its head and back againft the perfon's clothes who
fed it. It purred as domeftic cats do when they are pleafed. It had been taken quite young
in the woods, and was not more than nine months old. It had however undoubtedly acquired
its full growth. I was told that they live in woody and mountainous trails, and in their wild
ftate are great deftroyers of rabbets, hares, jerboas, &c. as well as of birds."
From the above account by Dr. Forfter, it ihould feem that he regarded it as the fame
fpecies with the Cape Cat of Mr. Pennant: this however appears to be not quite certain, as
Mr. Pennant, in his Hiftory of Quadrupeds, deicribes the tail of that animal fpotted, not annulated
with black, as in the prefent fpecies. I have therefore given the fuppofed fynonym of
Mr. Pennant with a mark of doubt.