Tin: WILD CAT. 



of its master that it would follow him about like a dog. Against the rats which 

 inhabited the house, this Margay waged incessant war, creeping about the stair- 

 case in search of the destructive rodents, and pomicing with unerring aim on any 

 rat that was imfoi-tunatc enough to make its appearance from out of its hiding-place 

 l;ehind the casements. 



With an instinctive knowledge of rats and their habits, the Margay was 

 accustomed to choose the closing hours of day as its best lumting time. The 

 creature's assistance in rat-killing was most useful, for, during the owner's absence, 

 the rats had gained entrance to his house, and, linding no one there to oppose 

 their devices, took ])os.session, and roamed about the rooms at their own will. 

 Tliirty-two doors had l)een gnawed through by the chisel-edged teeth of the rats, 

 and many of the valuable wiiidt)W-framcs had suttered irreparable damage from 

 these long-tailed i)ests. 



WILD C\'i\—Fc/i.s Calus. 



\\v. n(j\v lease the Leopard and come to tlie true Cats. 



lew of the CatTriljc are so widely spread, or so generally known as the Wild 

 Cat. It is foimd not only in this country, but over nearly the whole of Euro[)e, 

 and has been seen in Xoitliern Asia, and Nei)aul. 



\\\ Enghuul the Wild Cat is almost extinct, having been gradually exterminated 

 by civilization and the conversion of forols and waste land into arable ground. 

 It now very seldom occurs that a real \\ ild Cat is Ibuml even in an Lnglish 

 forest, for the creature appears to be (hivcn grailually northwards, finding 

 its last fortress among the bleak and barren ranges of the Scottish hills. 

 Li Scotland it still lingers, biit its numbers seem to diminish rapidly, and the 

 time is not very far distant when the AVild Cat will be as entirely extinct as the 

 wolf. 



The colour of the \\ ild Cat is altogether a dirty grey, covered with dark si leaks 

 and dashes. The tail is shorter, thicker, and blimtcr than that of the conunon 

 domestic cat. 



The amount of havoc which is occasioned by these creatures is surprising. 

 Mr. Thompson mentions, in his Notes on the ^fammalia of Lvland, that a game- 

 keeper had frequently noticed certain grouse feathers and other dchris lying 

 about a " water-break" which lay in his beat, and had more than once come 

 upon some of the birds lying without their heads, but otherwise in such excellent 

 condition that they were taken home and served at table. Suspecting the Wild 

 Cat to be the culprit, he set a trap, and captured two of these animals, an old 

 ■uid a vomiG; one. 



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