Chap. V. CATS. 127 



themselves against the legs of chairs or tables, or against 

 door-posts. This manner of expressing affection prob- 

 ably originated through association, as in the case of 

 dogs, from the mother nursing and fondling her young; 

 and perhaps from the young themselves loving each 

 other and playing together. Another and very different 

 gesture, expressive of pleasure, has already been de- 

 scribed, namelv, the curious manner in which young and 

 even old cats, when pleased, alternately protrude their 

 fore-feet, with separated toes, as if pushing against and 

 sucking their mother's teats. This habit is so far analo- 

 gous to that of rubbing against something, that both 

 apparently are derived from actions performed during 

 the nursing period. Why cats should show affection by 

 rubbing so much more than do dogs, though the latter 

 delight in contact with their masters, and why cats only 

 occasionally lick the hands of their friends, whilst dogs 

 always do so, I cannot say. Cats cleanse themselves by 

 licking their own coats more regularly than do dogs. 

 On the other hand, their tongues seem less well fitted 

 for the work than the longer and more flexible tongues 

 of dogs. 



Cats, when terrified, stand at full height, and arch 

 their backs in a well-known and ridiculous fashion. 

 They spit, hiss, or growl. The hair over the whole body, 

 and especially on the tail, becomes erect. In the in- 

 stances observed by me the basal part of the tail was held 

 upright, the terminal part being thrown on one side; but 

 sometimes the tail (see fig. 15) is only a little raised, and 

 is bent almost from the base to one side. The ears are 

 drawn back, and the teeth exposed. When two kittens 

 are playing together, the one often thus tries to frighten 

 the other. From what we have seen in former chapters, 

 all the above points of expression are intelligible, except 

 the extreme arching of the back. I am inclined to be- 



