1 68 Lloyd's natural history. 



known to bring a Mouse to her door in the middle of the 

 night, and mew till it was opened, when she would present it 

 to her mistress." 



Cats not unfrequently make friends with other animals, 

 notably Horses ; but perhaps the most curious instance of such 

 a friendship is one related by the author just quoted. An 

 engineer in the United States once caught a young Alligator, 

 which he took home with him, and made so perfectly tame, 

 that it would follow him about like a Dog. " Its great favourite 

 however, was a Cat, and the friendship was mutual. When 

 the Cat was reposing herself before the fire, the Alligator would 

 lay himself down, place his head upon the Cat, and in this 

 attitude go to sleep. If the Cat was absent the Alligator was 

 restless ; but he always appeared happy when the Cat was near 

 him." So far as the present writer is aware, this is the only 

 instance on record of the existence of an attachment between 

 a Mammal and a Reptile. 



Commercial Value. — The pelage of the Cat forms an article of 

 considerable commercial importance ; and the following par- 

 ticulars in regard to the trade in Cat-skins are taken from Mr. 

 Poland's valuable work on "Fur-bearing Animals." The fur, 

 which is stated to be one of the warmest, is extensively em- 

 ployed for coat-linings, muffs, trimmings, and rugs. Black 

 skins are the most valuable ; the best examples coming from 

 Holland. American skins, of which some three thousand are 

 annually imported into England, are generally white, blue, 

 black, or tabby, but are of rather inferior quality ; the price 

 varying from threepence to eighteenpence per skin. Austra 

 lian skins, which are generally red-tabby, are the least esteemed 

 of all. There is considerable annual fluctuation in the market- 

 value of Cat-skins ; but the very best black Dutch pelts some- 

 times command as much as from six to eight shillings each 

 As is well-known, when rubbed, the fur of the Cat is highly 



