12 NEIGHBORS WITH CLAWS AND HOOFS. 



3. The wild cat, which is twice as large as the home 

 cat, "is common to almost every country, and is cele- 

 brated for its ferocity. It is distinguishable from the do- 

 mestic cat not only by its greater size, but by the short- 

 ness of its tail, which shows that it is of another species. 



4. " The wild cat makes its nest in hollow trees near 

 the ground, and is so ingenious in disguising its location 

 that it is rarely discovered. It is very successful in its 



The Wild Cat. 



search for food, and every species of bird and small quad- 

 ruped becomes its prey. When it once discovers a flock 

 of wild turkeys, it will keep in the vicinity until the young 

 and inexperienced are destroyed. The wild cat of America 

 is different from that of Europe, and is a cousin of the 

 lynx. 



5. " In the early settlement of Kentucky a schoolmas- 

 ter was sitting alone in his log cabin, when he was sur- 

 prised to see a large cat enter his premises. Ignorant of 

 the ferocity of this wild animal, he shut the door and 

 commenced an attack. The battle was long and bloody, 



