Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 6 (1902).djvu/222

180 pensive to buy, and require only ordinary care and commonsense treatment to keep them in perfect health.

Since it is only the few who are able to travel far enough to study the wild animals of the globe in their own haunts, it is obvious that our knowledge of their habits is to be advanced as much by careful observations on captive specimens as by field notes; and this domain of bionomical research is still practically untrodden. It is hoped that the following account of a series of mammals which have recently been in my possession may not only be interesting, but also act as an encouragement to others to take up the matter for themselves. The list of animals is as follows:—

Felis tigrina (Margay Tiger-Cat).—There are certain zoological traditions which die very hard, illustrating the result of giving a dog—or any other animal—a bad name. Thus even to-day most persons believe all Zebras to be untameably wild and vicious, although Equus burchelli at any rate has now many times been successfully broken to harness; the black African Rhinoceros is still often supposed to be a surly, sulky savage, prone to charge without provocation, though the most recent information shows it to rather be a short-sighted, dull-witted brute, which merely rushes blindly forward when alarmed—nervous, not vindictive; and the Gorilla is still represented as a ferocious almost bloodthirsty monster, though the skins of several supposed to have been shot when charging have been found to show the bullet-holes in the back. So also the name "Tiger-Cat" has become almost proverbial for innate ferocity, and any animal of this description—whether it be Serval Ocelot or Margay—is popularly assumed to differ in size only from the savage of the Indian jungles. Many of these beautiful animals, however, become, if taken young, as tame and good-tempered as could be desired, although of course allowance must be made for individual differences of disposition, and it must be admitted that very young animals can be as spiteful or more so than their elders. I recently saw two Serval kittens which snarled and hissed at the mere approach of a stranger; in the same collection was an adult animal of the same species which allowed me to stroke him with every indication of pleasure. A very tame and