Class T. W I L D C A T. 8i 



very thick, marked with alternate bars of black and 

 white, the end always black: the hips and hind 

 part of the lower joints of the leg, are always black: 

 the fur is very foft and fine. The general color of 

 thefe animals is of a yellowifh white, mixed with a 

 deep grey: thefe colors, though they appear at firft 

 fight confufedly blended together, yet on a clofe 

 infpedion will be found to be difpofed like the 

 ftreaks on the fkin of the tiger, pointing from 

 the back downwards, rifing from a black lift that 

 runs from the head along the middle of the back to 

 the tail. 



This animal may be called the Britijh tiger; it is 

 the fierceft, and moft deftrudive beaft we have-, 

 making dreadful havoke among our poultry, lambs, 

 and kids. It inhabits the moft mountanous and 

 woody parts of thefe iflands, living moftly in trees, 

 and feeding only by night. It multiplies as faft 

 as our common cats ; and often the females of the 

 latter will quit their domeftic mates, and return 

 home pregnant by the former. 



They are taken either in traps, or by {hooting: 

 in the latter cafe it is very dangerous only to wound 

 them, for they will attack the perfon who injured 

 them, and have ftrength enough to be no defpi- 

 cable enemy. Wild cats were formerly reckon- 

 ed among the beafts of chace ; as appears by the 

 charter of Richard the fecond, to the abbot of 

 Peterborough, giving him leave to hunt the hare, 

 fox, and wild cat. The ufe of the fur was in lining 

 Vol. I, G of 



