16 LLOYD’S MrurA 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 
deen incidentally mentioned that the ground-colour of the fur 
raries 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 either 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 (AZuste/ide). 
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 (Feds 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 
