FELTS CHRYSOTHRIX
A F R IC A N GOLDEN CAT.
FELIS CHRYSOTHRIX, Temm. Mon. Mamm. (18 2 7 ) vol. i. append, p. 251.—Fisch. Syn. Mamin. (1829) p. 209. sp. 26.—Less. Compì. Buff.
(18 3 8 ) p. 412.—Id. Nouv. Tab. Règn. Anim. (1842) p. 56. sp. 544.
FELIS AURATA, Temm. Mon. Mamm. (18 2 7 ) vol. i. p. 1 2 0—Less. Man. Mamm. (1827) p. 185. sp. 492.—Vig. Zool. Journ. vol. ii. p. 530
—Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. (18 7 1 ) p. 759.—Sclat. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1 8 7 3 ) p. 312, pi. xxvii.
FELIS CELIDOGASTER, Temm. Mon. Mamm. (1827) p. 140.—Less. Man. Mamm. (1827) p. 191.—Fisch. Syn. Mamm. (1 8 2 9 ) p. 264.
sp. 14.—Less. Comp. Buff. (1838) vol. i. p. 410.—Id. Nouv. Tab. Règn. Anim. (1842) p. 55. sp. 541.—Id. Esquiss. Zool. (18 5 3 )
p. 86 (light variety).—J. E. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1867) p. 272. sp. 14, and p. 375.
FELIS CHALYBEATA, H. Smith, Griff. Anim. Kingd. (1 8 2 7 ) vol. ii. p. 474, pi. (light variety).
FELIS NEGLECTA, J. E. Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1838) vol. i. p. 27.—Severtz. Rev. Mag. Zool. (1858) p. 389.—Sclat. Proc. ZooL
Soc. (1860) p. 246 (light variety).—J. E. Gray, Proc. Zóol. Soc. (1867) p. 272. sp. 15, and p. 394. sp. 1.
LEOPARDUS NEGLECTUS, J. E. Gray, Cat. Mamm. & Birds Brit. Mus. (18 4 2 ) p. 41 (light variety).
FELIS RUTILA, Waterh. Proc. Zool. Soc. (18 4 2 ) p; 130.—Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. (18 6 7 ) pp. 272, 395.—Id. Cat. Cam. Mamm. (1869)
p. 23. sp. 14.
LEOPARDUS CELIDOGASTER, J. E. Gray, Cat. Mamm. & Birds Hodg. Coll. Nepal & Thibet, (1 8 4 6 ) p. 6.
PROFELIS CELIDOGASTER, Severtz. Rev. Mag. Zool. (1858) p. 386.
CHAUS CHRYSOTHRIX, Fitzin. Sitzgsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, (1868) lviii. p. 194.
PANTHERA CELIDOGASTER, Fitzin. Sitzgsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, (1869) lk . p. 272.
GÂLEOPARDUS NEGLECTUS, Fitzin. Rev. Katz. Sitzgsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, (1 8 6 9 ) lk . p. 659.
SERVAL RUTILA, J. E. Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (18 7 4 ) vol. xiv. p. 352.
SERVAL NEGLECTA, J. E. Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1874) vol. xiv, p. 352.
H a b . West Africa, Sierra Leone (W a t e r h o u s e ) ; Guinea (T e m m in c k ) ; Gambia (J. E. G r a y ) / ' ;
T h i s Cat was first described by Temminck tinder the name of aurata in his ‘ Monograph of the Mammalia;’ but in the
appendix to the same work he renamed it chrysothrix, which I have adopted, in : order to avoid the confusion that
has been created under the name first given. This species is apparently very variable in its coloration, examples being
met with from a dark red hue to a fight grey with dark spots. The late Dr. J. E. Gray described the last style as Felis
neglecta (I. c.), from the Gambia; and Temminck also called the animal from the coast of Guinea Felis celidogaster (I. c.).
That these names were given to the same variety I was able to ascertain without doubt, as, through the kindness of Prof.
Schlegel, I was enabled to bring Temminck’s type to London, and on comparing it with the flat skin in the British Museum,
which is Gray’s type of F. neglecta, found them to be identical. Smith, in Griffith’s ‘Animal Kingdom,’ called the same
form F. chalybeata. This species is known generally to naturalists as Felis rutila of Waterhouse (=F. Temminckii, Yig. &
Horsf.), that name having been bestowed upon the red form then represented by an imperfect skin obtained at Sierra
Leone.
Temminck’s type of F. chrysothrix was purchased from a dealer in London; and its habitat is unknown. I t was
considered to be the Golden Cat from Sumatra, Borneo, and Nepal, called by Hodgson moormensis, as they do resemble
each other somewhat; but an investigation which I made of the type in Leyden proved that this view of the case was an
error. In the type specimen of Temminck’s F. celidogaster the end of the tail is still red, like the typical form of
F. chrysothrix, as though the animal had been changing its coat from one colour to the other; and this gave me the idea
that possibly the grey and red coats may indicate merely seasonal states; but I have not been able to ascertain that this
view is correct. There is still another style of coloration in this species, intermediate between the other two—a
rich golden red with distinct spots. This is a very handsome variety, and has been obtained in the same locality with the
other forms. A specimen of this style was living in the gardens of the Zoological Society in 1873, and is figured in the
‘Proceedings.’ It was a young animal, and quite tame, permitting itself to be handled by the keeper, even when feeding.
The eyes were dark brown in colour.