F E L IS TEMMIWHKIJ,
T EHM IN C K ’S G OLD EN CAT.
FELIS TEMMINCKII, Vig. & Horsf. Zool. Joum. (1 8 2 8 ) vol. iii. p. 451.—Id. Mem. Raffl. (1830) p. 636.—Less. Compl. Buff. (1839) vol. i.
p. 410— Id. Nouv. Tab. Regn. Anim. (18 4 2 ) p. 55. sp. 536.—Blyth, Mamm. & Birds, Burma, (1875) p. 28.
FELIS MOORMENSIS, Hodg. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1832) p. 10, (18 3 4 ) p. 97— Id. Joum. Asiat. Soc. Beng. vol. x. p. 908.—Id. Calc. Journ.
Nat. Hist. vol. iv. p. 286.—Less. Compl. Buff. (1 8 3 9 ) vol. i. p. 410.—Horsf. Cat. Mamm. Mus. E.-Ind. Co. (1851) p. 49. sp. 82.—
Id. Proc. Zool. Soc. (18 6 4 ) p. 395. sp. 19.—Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1871) p. 759.
LEOPARDUS MOORMENSIS, J. E. Gray, Cat. Mamm. Brit. Mus. (1842) p. 41.—Id. Cat. Hodg. Coll. Mamm. Brit. Mus. (1863) p. 4. sp. 29.
FELIS MOORMENSIS, var. NIGRA, Horsf. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., n. ser. vol. xvi. (1855) p. 105.
FELIS (CATOPUMA) MOORMENSIS, Severtz. Rev. Mag. Zool. (1858) p. 387.
FELIS NIGRESCENS, Hodg. Draw. Brit. Mus. (black var.).—Gray, Cat. Hodg. Coll. Mamm. Brit. Mus. (1863) sp. 30. p. 4.
FELIS AURATA, Blyth (nec Temm.), Proc. Zool. Soc. (1863) p. 185.—Sclat. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1867) p. 815, pi. 36.—Jerd. Mamm. Ind. (1867)
p. 107. sp. 112.
LEOPARDUS AURATUS, J. E. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1867) p. 265.—Id. Cat. Cam. Mamm. (1869) p. 12.
PANTHERA MOORMENSIS, Fitzin. Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, lviii. (1868) p. 515.
PANTHERA TEMMINCKII, id. ibid. p. 518.
H a b . Nepaul and central hilly regions (H o b s f i e l d ). South-east Himalaya, Malayan peninsula, Sumatra, and
probably Borneo (B l y t h ) . Burma? (M a so n ).
T e m m in c k ' s G o l d e n C a t was first described by Messrs. Vigors and Horsfield (Z. c.) from a young animal, and
afterwards by Mr. Hodgson (I. c.), who called it F. moormensis; and by this latter name it has been generally known,
Vigors’s name of Temminckii having been overlooked by nearly all naturalists. I t is found in India from Nepaul and the
South-east Himalayas, through the Malayan peninsula, and in the island of Sumatra, and, according to Blyth, perhaps in
Borneo, although I have not been able to ascertain that it is a native of the last-named island. Blyth says, in his
‘ Mammals and Birds of Burma,’ that “ Mason refers to an animal which he denominates the ‘ Fire-Cat ’ or ‘ Fire-Tiger ’
of the Burmans,” and thinks this is very probably the present species, quoting as synonyms the F. moormensis, Hodg.,
and the F. chrysothrvx, Temm. The last, however, is a very distinct animal, and is a native of Africa. Mr. Hodgson
had a specimen of this Cat presented to him by the Prime Minister of Nipaul. It was caught in a tree in the
midst of an exceedingly dense forest. It bore confinement very tranquilly, and gave evident signs of a tractable
disposition and cheerful unsuspicious temper; but as no effort was made to tame the creature, it always remained wild
during the six months it lived after being caught, manifesting “ considerable ferocity, the approach to its cage of the huge
Blioteah Dog exciting in it symptoms of wrath only, none of fear.” This species has been frequently brought alive to
Europe, and exhibited in various zoological gardens, and bears confinement very well. I have never, however, seen any
specimens that were sufficiently tame to render touching them other than a very hazardous experiment.
Fur rather soft, full. Entire coat a deep rich red, unspotted, lighter on the belly and breast. Chin white, and a white
stripe on the cheek. Underside of tail near the tip white. Back of ears black.
Length of body 28 inches, tail 14 inches.
The skull of this Cat is long and narrow, presenting the appearance denominated “ long-waisted.” The nasals are
broad, pointed at their fronto-nasal articulation, and do not reach so far as the processes of the maxilla. The last are also
pointed. The processes of the prefrontals, and also those of the premaxillas, are very long and slender and nearly meet,
thus almost entirely separating the nasals from the maxillas. Orbits incomplete. Interorbital space narrow. The brain-
case is long and narrow, with a well-pronounced ridge or crest extending from the prefrontals to the supraoccipital region.
Auditory bullee prominent, and both the mastoid and external auditory foramina are large, and of a slightly oblong shape.
Superior canines long and broad; and the molar series is well developed.