8 THE CAT. [CHAP. i. 



The direct influence of external circumstances upon different kinds 

 of cats is worthy of note. Thus Captain Owen, R.N., (already re- 

 ferred to), tells of a cat which, having been taken to jMombas, " under- 

 went a complete metamorphosis," and " parted with its sandy- coloured 

 fur " after only eight weeks' residence there. In Paraguay, again, 

 cats seem unable to become thoroughly feral as they do in other 

 places, and as other European animals do in Paraguay. 



§ 7. The domestic cat begins to be ready to reproduce by the end of 

 the first year of her life, and she is prolific to her ninth. Ilor }ouiig 

 are carried for fifty-five or fifty-six days, and she generally has five 

 or six 5'oung at a birth, and sometimes eight or nine. In a wild 

 state the cat brings forth at least twice a year, but the domestic cat 

 will do so three or four times annually. The wild cat has only four 

 or five young in a litter. The length of life which cats attain varies 

 with individuals, and is a point difficult satisfactorily to ascertain. 

 It seems probable that about twelve years is its ordinary limit, but 

 in some cases the age of eighteen years may certainly be attained 

 under favourable circumstances. 



Though small quadrupeds and birds are their natural prey, cats 

 are singularly fond of food which in a wild state they can never or 

 but seldom attain, namely, cow's milk, and also fish. In spite also 

 of the relative obtuseness of their sense of smell, they are said to 

 show a marked preference for certain odours, a taste in harmony 

 with that luxurious and ease-loving nature with which they are 

 endowed. 



§ 8. To know all about the history and habits of the cat, together 

 with the peculiarities of form and colour of its various breeds, both 

 wild and domestic, is not to have a scientific knowledge of the cat. 

 To know the animal scientifically, Ave must be able to answer cor- 

 rectly the question "What is a cat? " But we cannot so answer 

 this question luilcss we know both the main facts as to the animal 

 considered in itself absolutely, and the various leading relations in 

 which it stands to all other creatures. 



" We understand a particular kind of animated being, when 

 looking inwards we see how its parts constitute a system, and again 

 looking outwards and around, how this system stands with regard 

 to other types of organised existence." * 



No object can be understood by itself. We comprehend anything 

 the better, the more wo know of other things distinct from but related 

 to it. 



The complete natural history of any animal, in the full and 

 proper sense of the term, is its Bioloyij. It is so because, though 

 the study of any animal is of course mainly its zoblogij, yet 

 fully to understand certain of its i)owers, and the conditions 

 necessary for its existence, a side glance should be cast at the 

 vegetable world also ; and Biology is the term which denotes the 

 science of all living creatures — both animals and plants — and therc- 



* Essnys 1))' James Miutincau, Second Scries, p. 417. 



