A Curious /■'e/f-Zifce Jl/ass of l-'ur from an .liij^rofa Cat. 99 



REMARKS ON A CURIOUS FELT-LIKE MASS OF 

 FUR FROM AN ANGORA CAT. 



By Chas. a. Parke. 



A short time ago I handed Dr. Langdon a thick mat of fur, 

 about the size of an old-time plaster, and explained that it 

 had been cast by my Angora Tom Cat. At the following 

 meeting of the Natural History Society, I was severely cate- 

 chised by the members regarding the peculiarities of this 

 breed of cats. The principal of these are the long hair — in 

 some cases three or four inches long — parting down the 

 middle of the back and falling on either side and the bushy 

 tail, the animal resembling a raccoon more than a common 

 house cat. The mat of fur is shed by the male only, and this 

 occurs in the Spring. It is pushed off by the new hair grow- 

 ing under it, and becomes about three-quarters of an inch 

 thick, and if let alone would be as large as the whole exterior 

 surface of the animal, except the under part ; but it is cut off 

 to relieve him. 



I was unable to give any facts of a scientific nature, but 

 gave a short history of this particular family of cats. In the 

 Winter of 1839-40, Madam Von Biirenstein, a German lady, 

 was traveling in this country, and visited New Harmony, it 

 being then a place of interest on account of having recently 

 been the seat of the Rappite and Owen communities. She 

 carried with her, as pets, a pair of these so-called African cats, 

 to which she must have been much attached. She carried 

 them about the country in those ante-railroad days, when 

 traveling was done principally by stage coach. She found 

 them too much trouble, however, and left them at New 

 Harmony. From this pair have sprung the present stock 

 that are there, and all that I have ever seen or heard of have 

 been traceable to these. The original pair are described by 

 old citizens as being jet black, and about twice* the size of 



