THE WILD CAT. 173 
bay, is no mean antagonist, even for an armed man; and 
several instances are on record where these creatures have 
inflicted considerable harm on their assailants before finally 
succumbing. 
One of the most vivid descriptions of the habits of the Wild 
Cat is given by St. John, in his ‘‘ Natural History of the High- 
lands,” who writes as follows :—‘In the hanging birch-woods 
that border some of the Highland streams and lochs, the Wild 
Cat is still not uncommon, and I have heard their wild and 
unearthly cries echo far in the quiet night as they answer and 
call each other. I do not know a more harsh and unpleasant 
cry than that of the Wild Cat, or one more likely to be the 
origin of superstitious fears in the mind of an ignorant High- 
lander. ‘These animals have great skill in finding their prey, 
and the damage they do to the game must be very great, owing 
to the quantity of food they require. When caught in a trap, 
they fly without hesitation at any person who approaches them, 
not waiting to be assailed. I have heard many stories of their 
attacking and severely wounding a man when their escape has 
been cut off. I was once fishing in a river in Sutherlandshire, 
and, in passing from one pool to another, had to climb over 
some rock and broken kind of ground. In doing so, I sank 
through some rotten heather and moss up to my knees, almost 
upon a Wild Cat, who was concealed under it. I was quite as 
much startled as the animal herself could be, when I saw the 
wild-looking beast so unexpectedly rush out from between my 
feet, with every hair on her body standing on end, making her 
look twice as large as she really was. I had three small Skye- 
Terriers with me, who immediately gave chase, and pursued 
her till she took refuge in a corner of the rocks, where, perched 
in a kind of recess, she stood with her hair bristled out, spit- 
ting and growling like a Common Cat. Having no weapon 
with me, I laid down my rod, cut a good-sized stick, and pro- 
