256 GANGETIC HINDOOSTAN.

Bevgai Cat. The Bengal cat,—N° 193, is a mofl elegant tigrine fpecies,

remarkable for wanting that antipathy which the feline race
have to water. One of this kind was long in pofleffion of my
honeft and ingenious friend the late Mr. Lee, nurferyman, of
Hammerfmitb, who gave me the following account: that it
fwam on board a Ihip at anchor off Bengal, that after it was
brought to England'it coupled with the female cats, which twice
produced young. I faw one of the young, which was marked
in the fame manner as the male parent, but the ground color
was cinereous. It had as little fear of water as its fire, for it
would plunge into a veffel of water near two feet deep, and
bring up the bit of meat flung in by way of trial. It was a far
better moufer than the tarne cat, and in a little time cleared
Mr. Lee^s magazine of feeds of the fwarms of rats, which, in
fpite of the domeftic breed of cats, had for a long time made
moft horrible ravages among his boxes.

Lyn*. The Lynx, N° 203, hitherto fuppofed not to be found in In-

dia, is, as I am afiiired by DocTior Pallas, a native of its northern
parts. The poets may ftill harnefs it to the triumphal car of
Bacchus returning from his celebrated conquefls.

Vi£ta racemifero Lyncas dedit India Baccho.

But I believe that part of the peninfula owes the gift of the vine
to modern times, to the Britißj votaries of the god. Vines (but
not for the purpofes of making wine) have of late years been
introduced, but the exceffive heat of the climate obliges the
planters to form a long ikreen of a certain height, and to plant

the