THE PEDIGREE OF THE CAT 189 



so that the tail of the domesticated breeds appears longer 

 and more slender ; but, on the whole, it seems that in 

 domesticated cats the tail does differ to a certain extent in 

 this respect from that of the pure-bred wild animal, although 

 individuals of the domesticated breeds are sometimes met 

 with which exhibit scarcely any difference in this respect 

 from the wild cat. Obviously, then, the tail — on which so 

 much stress has been laid — is not a matter of very much 

 importance in the inquiry. With regard to the general 

 coloration of the fur, although both the wild cat and a 

 large number of individuals of the old European domesticated 

 breed are what is commonly known as the " tabby " type, 

 the markings of pure-bred specimens of the former are 

 stated to present certain differences from those of the latter, 

 and are described as being more tiger-like. Then, too, the 

 dark rings on the tail of the wild cat appear blackish 

 brown when held against the light, whereas those of the 

 domestic tabby are jetty black. 



Perhaps the most important point in which domesti- 

 cated cats differ from the pure-bred wild cat, and thereby 

 resemble the Egyptian cat, is in the coloration of the hind- 

 foot. Dr. A, Nehring, of Berlin, who first brought the 

 fact to notice, states that in the Egyptian animal the pads 

 on the under-surface of the toes are black, this colour 

 extending upwards on the foot as far as the heel-bone, the 

 under-surface of this part of the limb being in some cases 

 wholly black, but in others marked with black stripes 

 on a lighter ground. On the other hand, the pure-bred 

 wild cat has only a small black spot on the pads, while the 

 colour of the fur on the under-surface of the foot as far 

 up as the heel-bone is some shade of yellow or yellowish 

 grey. Since all European domesticated cats — except, of 

 course, those which are wholly black or white — agree with 



