The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-08-20
CATS THAT LIKE FISHING.
THEY LIKE THE WATER AND GET THEIR LIVING FROM

Expert Divers and swImmers-NOt De- scendants of Ordinary Cats, But More Likely Of the Parent Feline Stock.
 The National Zoo is to be congratula- ted on having within the past few days secured specimens of the Cacomictl and Eyra cats, animals of the feline family that, until about 1892, were unknown to science. Without doubt they are the most remarkable and curious of all an- finals of the feline family. Thus far specimens of these cats have never been exhibited in any of the zoos of this country and Europe, and the three just received are the first animals of the kind ever seen in the geological gardens of the world. Like the Kawiak bear, the okani, the giraffe with five horn cores, and the pigmy hippopot anus of Sierra Leone, these peculiar little ami mals have remained hidden from the explorer and the naturalist down to within a few years of the twentieth century, and, in consequence, the story of their discovery is well worth relat- ing.
 The Cacomictl cat differs from all oth- CT members of the cat tribe in having a very long body, long neck and. in pro- portion to the rest of the body, small weasel-like head, with slightly taper ing muzzle. In height, the animal stands about one and one-fourth feet at the shoulders, while the tail propor- tionately longer than in any known member of the family, exceeds the length of the body by almost foot. The legs are decidedly long, making this cat the greyhound, so to speak, of the feline race. A more graceful and active animal it would be hard to im- agine, and yet there is something about the animal, something in its general makeup that at once reminds one of an otter or mink. With body like that of dachshund, set on long stilt- like legs, it's long neck, small head and long, sweeping tail all contribute to make very singular animal.
 That which still further gives the an- imal an otter-like appearance is it's small ears, which have a somewhat backward turn. In the matter of color the Cacomictl cat differs from the gene ral run of cats, in being of rather dark Maltese color, or, more properly speaking, the color is pretty much the same shade as the domestic Maltese cat.
 Tn It's habits the Caconictl cat differs from other felines quite as much as in color and form. The lion is the king, not only of cats, but of beasts in gene ral; the tiger is butcher on large scale; the lynx is a sort of bird collec- tor and rabbit fancier; the serval is a high jumper and all-around athlete but Felis caromiclt deals exclusively in fish. The habitat of the Cacomictl cat is along the banks of the Rio Grande riv- CT, in both Mexico and Texas, from the mouth up to about Eagle Pass, and ex tends north and south into the interior Of the two countries only a short dis tance.
 They are nocturnal animals, hiding away during the daytime in the dense mat of tall grass growing from the rich soil of the river banks, but coming out at night to fish. This the Cacomictl cat does by proving along the bank and perchlng himself on the trunk of a tree overhanging the water, In much the same manner that a domestic cat watches a rat hole, waiting until some un1ucky fish appears on the surface. when, with spring almost as quick as bolt of lightning, he plunges into the water, seizes the fish and swims ashore to devour his prey.
 Tn the water the Cacomictl cat is quite in his element. With his long, sinuous, otter-like body, he swims with perfect ease and grace, while his short, close smooth pelage offers no resistance to the fluid through which he moves with such surprising rapidity. In fact, he is one member of the cat family that not only does not object to going into the water, but rather prefers it to the land Just the same, he is none the less of genuine cat on that account. He spits and yowls and uses his teeth and sharp claws just as other cats do, and is as difficult to tame as the worst tiger that ever lived.
 From the home of the Cacomictl cat 2 down through Mexica and South Ameri- ca as far as Paraguay there are other cats that are varieties or variations of the Felis Cacomictl, although none of them are quite like the former. The s@ cIl16L ullLeIGICG IS Iiidt LIle ldLlel llSil less and are more cat and less otter than the Rio Grande variety. Of these one is the Eyra cat, another very rare and recently discovered animal that succeeds the Cacomictl cat i'll northern Mexico and ranges south through the latter country into south Mexico. In South America the Eyra cat is suc- ceeded by the Yaguarondi cat, which ranges down into Paraguay, but nc further.
 The Eyra cat is not quite so large as the Cacomictl cat, has a heavier anG more catlike head and ears, shorter legs, more robust body and shorter tail The head, shoulders and neck are bright olive yellow, shading into red dish buff, and then, into 8 sort of red dish brindled Maltese over the back and Hanks The F'elis Yaguarondi of Soutl America is triffe larger than either of the former and resembles the ocelot in form and habits. It is of dull brown ish color, The last two, like the first are also night animals, but prey more upon birds, poultry, small animals, &c. than they do upon fish, and seldom gc about the water.
 The Yaguarondi cat was first discov- cred by the old Jesuit naturalist Azart