In the forest region is also found the most beautiful of the medium-sized cats. This is the OCELOT, which corresponds somewhat to the servals. It is entirely a tree-cat, and lives on birds and monkeys. the following detailed description of its coloration appeared in "Life at the Zoo":
"Its coat, with the exception perhaps of that of the clouded leopard of Sumatra, marks the highest development of ornament among four-footed animals. The Argus pheasant alone seems to offer a parallel to the beauties of the ocelot's fur, especially in the development of the wonderful ocelli, which, though never reaching in the beast the perfect cup-and-ball ornament seen on the wings of the bird, can be traced in all early stages of spots and wavy lines, so far as the irregular shell-shaped rim and dot on the feet, sides, and back, just as in the subsidiary ornament of the Argus pheasant's feathers. Most of the ground-tint of the fur is smoky-pearl color, on which the spots develop from mere spots on the legs and speckles on the feet and toes to large egg-shaped ocelli on the flanks. There are also two beautiful pearl-colored spots on the back of each ear, like those which form the common ornaments of the wings of many moths."
The nose is pink; the eye large, convex, and translucent.
A tame ocelot described by Wilson, the American naturalist, was most playful and affectionate, but when fed with flesh was less tractable. It jumped on the back of a horse in the stable, and tried to curl up on its hindquarters. The horse threw the ocelot off and kicked it, curing it of any disposition to ride. On seeing a horse, the ocelot always ran off its kennel afterwards. When sent to England, it caught hold of it and threw down a child of four years old, whom it rolled about with its paws without hurting it.
