iS WEIxnORFFK AND FrANCIS. 1^1?^/ J.ifc in raS)ll(llli((. [voI.'nxXVII. 



distances. l)iil its (autituis ikiIihc will a.l\\;i\s kccj) it witliiii 

 the viciiiitv <>1 the slR'ltt'rin;^ scnih. it i)n'lirs to kill its own 

 meat, and will even attack a wallaby iH" >niall kaiif^aroo when 

 helpless in a sj)ringer snare. Its most inveterate enemies are 

 tlie trapper and the fowl-keeper, which is not to be wondered 

 at, for it plays tin- luischief with iwv animals when canj^dit in 

 a snare, and is so destructive to poultry that api)arently for 

 the mere sake of killing it will dispose of a whole fowl-yard 

 during a few hours. Amongst the animals of tlu^ bush it has 

 no enemies, except, perhaps, those of its own species. Con- 

 sidering that six young, which appear in the pouch about July, 

 are born every year, the bush ought indeed to be alixc with 

 them ; yet, strange to say, its numbers, compared with those 

 of the Native Cat, are comparatively few. 



Strictly speaking, it is not a climber, but. in its endeavour 

 to reach its food, will overcome many obstacles, and on one 

 occasion a Tiger Cat was shot out of a tree 50 feet above ground. 

 Its persistence in endeavouring to gain access to a dwelling 

 during the night is verv trying to the temper of both men and 

 dogs, and almost iin'ariably ends in its death in one wa\' or 

 another. - 



As a rule no one intcMitionally traps the Tiger Cat, for its 

 fur is practicallv useless from a trading iM»int of view, though 

 when tanned its skins make a passable rug. It happens, 

 however, that Tiger Cats often run into the steel or box traps 

 set for Native Cats. When caught in the former it will make 

 every endeavour to escape, even going so far as to chew its 

 own foot to pieces and successfully freeing itself. Caught in 

 a box trap, if the jiieces keeping the sliding door in position are 

 not lined with tin it will certainly make good its escap(> in a 

 very short time. 



For culinary purposes tlu- Tiger Cat cannot be reconnnende(l, 

 though strong stomaclis have bi-en known to accejit it when 

 other meat was lacking, and the stomach must indeed be strong 

 when it is stated that even the dogs refuse it. 



The luovements of the Tiger Cat are slower than thosi^ ol 

 an average dog. wherefore it mainly relies for esca])e on 

 doubling, in which it is expert. .Apparently it is free of any 

 vermin, and to the glare of the acetylene lamp it shows only 

 its hindquarters. 



Common Nativh Cat. Dasvcki-s vivkkkimis. Shaw. 

 The light brown, white-spotted variety is fairly jjlentiful in 

 the district ; the black and white extremely rare. Unlike the 

 Tiger Cat, it has its home in the open gum forest, though when 

 its young leave the pouch it retires into more inac< cssible ])laces. 

 I he hunting-grounds are the grassy ])lains and o|)en stretches 

 ot button-grass, the liome of the " (irass Kat." Jiesides this 



