Pallas's Cat 293 



England and Wales, the wild cat, which is a forest-dwelling species, still 

 lingers in the more remote parts of Scotland, and over a large area in 

 the Continent of Europe, occurring in France, Switzerland, Germany, 

 Belgium, Italy, Spain and Portugal, Austria-Hungary, the South of Russia, 

 Poland, Dalmatia, Greece, the Caucasus, and certain parts of Asia Minor, 

 whence it is said to extend into some of the forest districts of Northern 

 Asia. In Scandinavia it is unknown, although it was named and described 

 by Linnaeus. 



According to Dr. Hamilton, the wild cat has now become exceedingly 

 rare over the great part of the Continent, even in districts where it 

 was formerly abundant, and over certain areas has become completely 

 exterminated. 



PALLAS'S CAT 



[Fc/is iiianul) 



In the deserts of Asia the place of the wild cat of the European forests 

 is taken by the manul, or Pallas's cat, which was lirst described by the 

 great Russian naturalist whose name it bears. In the time ot Pallas the 

 range of this cat extended from the southern foot-hills ot the Urals 

 through the Kirghiz, Turkestan, and Mongolian steppes, and from 

 Southern Siberia along the Altai to the borders of Lake Baikal. At the 

 present day the species seems to have disappeared from the Orenburg 

 steppes, although it is still found in the neighbourhood of Lake Leman. 

 It feeds chiefly on picas, or tailless hares. 



In size this species is somewhat inferior to an average domestic cat. 

 It is specially characterised by its abundant coat of long and sott tur, the 

 short and ringed tail, and the presence of a few dark transverse bars on 

 the hind-quarters. The general colour of the fur is pale whitish grey, 



