FELIS RUBIGINOSA.
R U B IG IN O U S CAT.
FELIS RUBIGINOSA, J. Geoff. Belang. Voy. Ind. Orient. (1834) p. 140, pl. 6.—Less. Compì. Buff. (1 8 3 9 ) vol. i. p. 410.—Id. Nouv. Tab.
Règn. Anim. (1 8 4 2 ) p. 54. sp. 5 3 3—Blyth, Proc. Zool. Soc. (18 6 3 ) p. 185. sp. 1-2.—Jerd. Mamm. Ind. (1 8 6 7 ) p. 108. sp. 113.—Elliot,
Proc. Zool. Soc. (1 8 7 1 ) p. 760.
LEOPÁRÜÜS SUMATRANUS, J. E. Gray, Cat. Mamm. Brit. Mus. (1842) p. 43.
FELIS JERDONI, Blyth, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1 8 6 3 ) p. 185.—J. E. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1867) pp. 274, 401.—Jerd. Mamm. Ind. (1867) p. 107.
sp. 111.—Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1 8 7 4 ) xiii. p . 54.
VIVERRICEPS RUBIGINOSA, J. E. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. ( i 8 6 0 p. 269.— Id. Cat. Cam. Mamm. (1869) p. 18.
PANTHERA RUBIGINOSA, Fitzin. Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, (18 6 8 ) lviii. p. 502.
Verewa-poonj, Tamil ; Coolla-deeya, Singhalese ( H o l d s w o r t h ) .
H a b . Peninsula of India, Coromandel side (B l y t h ). Ceylon (H o l d sw o b t h ).
Felis RUBidtNOSA is a species common in certain parts of India, and comparatively lately has also been recognized as
a native of Ceylon. Although at first only known to possess a l i g h t colour of fur, as seen in most Indian examples, it is
now ascertained to have representatives of a darker hue and more distinct spots, as is the "case with most of the other
species of this family. Jerdon says that he only procured this animal in the Carnatic, in the vicinity of Nellore and Madras,
and that he never heard of it in Central India or on the Malabar coast. He states that this species f r e q u e n t s the grassy
beds of tanks, brushwood, and sometimes drains in the open country and near villages, but does not inhabit the jungles.
He possessed one that was very tame, very elegant and playful in its motions, and of an activity that was marvellous.
When about eight months old it was brought into a room where there was a small fawn of a gazelle; and the little creature
flew at it at once, seized it by the nape, and was taken off with difficulty. It used to make its way into the rafters of
bungalows, and hunt for squirrels. Jerdon further states that he had seen several undoubted hybrids between this species
and the domestic Cat. In Ceylon this animal appears to he rare in the northern districts, Mr. Holdsworth having been
able to obtain only one specimen in that part of the island; but in the southern part, in the vicinity of Kandy, it appears
to be more often met with. The gentleman just named says that the habits of F. rubiginosa are apparently the same as
those of its relatives, as is shown by its stealthy walk and w a t c h f u l looks above and around it; and it is also very tenacious of
life; for one example shot by him, although hit all over with large shot, fought so fiercely that it was some minutes before it
could be touched "with safety. It is found more frequently in the hills than elsewhere in Ceylon; and Mr. Holdsworth saw
three specimens killed within a few miles of Kandy, probably at an elevation of 1500 to 2000 feet. The general colour of
these was a l i g h t greyish fawn, striped on the head and back, and spotted on the sides and legs with bright rusty brown.
Dr. Kelaart says that specimens of this Cat from Nuwara Eliya (6000 feet) are darker-coloured and more spotted [more
distinctly spotted?] than those from a less elevation. Mr. Blyth (I. c.) described a dark-coloured variety with dark spots
as Felis jerdoni, the type of which is now in the British Museum. A specimen of this style was sent to Mr. Holdsworth
from Ceylon, collected, as he believes, near Kandy, in the same district from which his lighter-coloured specimens came, and
not from any of the higher hills. This, together with Mr. Holdsworth’s other specimens, was taken to the British
Museum by myself; and in the presence of Mr. Blyth and Dr. Jerdon they were all compared with F. jerdoni', and it was
decided that the last so-called species could not stand as distinct, but was only a dark form of F. rubiginosa. The back
figure in my Plate is taken from this dark-spotted Ceylonese specimen ; and the front one represents the usual style found
in India.
General colour pale yellowish brown, covered sparsely with reddish spots. The usual stripes over the head and down
the back of the neck dark brown, sometimes extending the length of the back, or broken into oblong spots towards the
hind quarters. Line between the nose and the eye, lips, throat, breast, and entire u n d e r p a r t s pure white, faintly barred