16 Lloyd's natural history. 



In this connection brief reference may be made to the well 

 known fact that pure white Cats with blue eyes are generally 

 deaf; this being probably due to the absence of pigment in 

 the internal ear. 



With regard to the coloration of the Cats, it has already 

 Keen incidentally mentioned that the ground-colour of the fur 

 'aries from some shade of grey, through sandy and chestnut, 

 to orange ; and that upon this ground there are very generally 

 dark markings, which may be cither brown or black. No 

 Cats are normally black, although melanistic races or in- 

 dividuals of several species are not uncommonly met with ; 

 neither, with the exception of albinos, are there any white Cats 

 in nature. Whereas, however, black enters largely into the 

 coloration of the majority of the species, pure white (except on 

 the under-parts, and in small patches about the head) is 

 practically unknown in the Family ; and there are no instances 

 of the markings being lighter in tint than the ground-colour. 

 In common with the majority of animals, the Cats generally have 

 the under-parts lighter than the back ; in this respect differing 

 markedly from many species of the Weasel Family {Mu sielidce). 



No Cat has complete longitudinal dark stripes throughout 

 the body ; although a few such stripes may be met with on the 

 crown of the head and down the middle of the back. The 

 markings may, indeed, be classified under the headings ot 

 longitudinal streaks, spots, cloudings, and transverse stripes ; 

 while a few species have the fur uniformly coloured, although 

 in certain lights it generally exhibits traces of spots or stripes, 

 while in the young state it is always thus ornamented. 



Examples of Cats with longitudinal streaks or flecks are 

 afforded by the Fishing Cat (Fe/is viverrina) and the Colocolo 

 (F colocolo), the streaks being darker, larger, and more numer- 

 ous in the former than in the latter. As may be observed in our 

 illustrations, the streaks in these and other cases are always 



