There was in 1876 a fine specimen in the Zoological Gardens, but it was not always to be seen, as it was kept during the day fastened up in one of the little sleeping apartments at the back of a cage in the Lion-house, and was let out only for about half an hour before the Gardens closed. It was well worth stopping to see. As soon as the iron door of its cell was raised, it would come out into the large cage with a peculiarly sailor-like slouch, for owing to the shortness of its legs its gait was quite different to that of an ordinary Cat, and altogether less elegant. The expression of the face, too, was neither savage, nor majestic, nor intelligent, but rather dull and stupid. It was fond of assuming all sorts of queer attitudes. Brehm describes one as lying prone on a thick branch placed in its cage, with all four legs hanging down straight, two on each side of the branch, certainly a remarkable position for an animal to assume of its own free will. [Illustration: OCELOT.] THE OCELOT.[25] This extremely beautiful Cat (see previous page) is, like the Jaguar and the Ounce, a native of America, where it is found throughout the central part of the Continent, from Mexico and Texas on the north, to the northern boundaries of Brazil on the south. Its musical name was coined by Buffon as an abbreviation of its native Mexican appellation Tlalocelotl. The grey or tawny skin is marked by broadly-sweeping rows of longitudinally elongated spots of large size, each consisting of a black rim enclosing an area somewhat darker than the general ground tint. The head is also beautifully striped, and the tail ringed black. Altogether, the Ocelot is, in the matter of markings, second only to the Clouded Tiger. It is about four feet long from the snout to the tip of the tail, and its legs are rather short for its size. “It is a very voracious animal, but at the same time timid. It rarely attacks men. It is afraid of Dogs, and when pursued it makes off to the woods and climbs a tree. There it remains, and even takes up its abode to sleep and look out for game and cattle, upon which it darts as soon as they are within range. It prefers the blood to the flesh, and, in consequence, destroys a vast number of animals, for instead of devouring them, it only quenches its thirst by sucking their blood.”[26] Notwithstanding its cowardice, the Ocelot is a very savage animal. Buffon mentions a pair of young ones in captivity, which, at the age of three months, were sufficiently strong and cruel to kill and devour a bitch who had been given them as a nurse. He further adds the curious fact, that the male always kept the female in wonderful subjection, so much so, that she was afraid even to attempt to eat until he was completely satisfied. [Illustration: MARBLED TIGER-CAT.] THE MARBLED TIGER-CAT.[27]