1 72 Lloyd's natural history. 



its disposition, and endowed with, in proportion to its size, 

 singular strength and activity of body, the Wild Cat is now the 

 only really formidable wild animal to be met with in the 

 British Islands, where it always inhabits wooded, and generally 

 mountainous, districts. In the most secluded and inaccessible 

 parts of such regions the Wild Cat makes its lair, which may 

 be situated either in some dense thicket, in the hollow stem ot 

 a decayed tree, or in a cleft or crevice of the rocks, and rears 

 its young. Sometimes, however, the female selects in pre- 

 ference the deserted hole of a Badger or Fox in which to 

 litter ; and we have heard of the nest of one of the larger birds 

 being chosen as a nursery. The young, which are born during 

 the early summer, arc usually five or six in number, and closely 

 resemble ordinary domestic kittens. After being suckled by 

 the female till such a period as milk no longer satisfies the 

 needs of their appetites, they are fed by her on Mice and 

 small birds until they are capable of taking care of themselves 

 and capturing larger prey, when they are freed from parental 

 control. 



Those who have had experience of game and game-pre- 

 serving are well acquainted with the enormous amount of 

 damage that an ordinary Domestic Cat, which has taken 

 either to occasional poaching or to a thoroughly wild life, will 

 inflict on the denizens of their coverts, moors, or warrens. 

 From its larger size and more powerful build, the Wild Cat is 

 a still more serious enemy to game of all kinds ; while in the 

 neighbourhood of human habitations it is likewise a foe to 

 poultry and pigeons. No wonder, therefore, that gamekeepers 

 wage incessant war against the Wild Cat, shooting and trap- 

 ping it whenever the opportunity presents itself; indeed, the 

 marvel is that the creature has managed to survive as long as 

 it has. From the extreme boldness and ferocity of its dis- 

 position, an angry and wounded Wild Cat, when brought to 



