CHAP. XIV.] 



THE CAT'S HEXICOLOGY. 



495 



Zoological Gardens it seems that it is (as might be expected) the 

 cats with pupils which can be contracted into minute linear openings 

 which are the most nocturnal. Yet the tiger in spite of its circular 

 pupils seeks its prey at night. 



With regard to moisture, though no cats are aquatic, and though 

 none take to the water save with more or less (generally with 

 extreme) reluctance, yet many (like the tiger and the jaguar) 

 habitually haunt the banks of rivers or pools, because they more 

 easily obtain their prey in such situations. Certain kinds, more- 

 over, live more or less upon fish (as F. viverrina), and the domestic 

 cat's relish for fish is very marked. Yet the Felidce are a family of 

 either distinctly terrestrial or else arboreal mammals. 



The Felidce as a rule do not drink much water, but it seems* that 

 the smaller kinds drink more in proportion to their size than do the 

 larger species. The lion is found in desert regions, and when in 

 captivity drinks very little. 



As to the degree of rarity of the atmosphere which they can 

 endure, we have seen that the Ounce ranges from 9,000 to 18,000 

 feet the latter altitude being one at which man breathes with much 

 difficulty. 



3. The GEOGRAPHICAL RELATIONS of the cat-family are instructive 

 and somewhat complex. As was long ago remarked by Buffon, the 

 great cats of the Old and New "Worlds are markedly distinct. The 

 lion, tiger, leopard, ounce, clouded tiger, cheetah, and caracal, with 

 a variety of smaller cats, are all inhabitants of the Old World only. 

 The puma, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarondi, eyra, collocollo, the pampas, and 

 one or two other cats are exclusively inhabitants of the New World. 

 It is only amongst the lynxes that we find a form which is common 

 to both these worlds the Canadian and North European lynxes being 

 probably but varieties of one species. With this exception no wild 

 cat found in America is also found out of it. The New World is not 

 so rich in cat-species as is the Old, nor do its largest kinds, the puma 

 and jaguar, equal the largest kinds of Africa and Asia. 



A further geographical distinction may be drawn amongst Ameri- 

 can cats themselves. Of its varieties of lynx, F. maculata descends 

 as far south as Mexico, while the puma alone extends to high latitudes 

 in both North and South America. We may therefore distinguish the 

 region north of Arkansas and Louisiana as the region of lynxes and 

 the puma; while Mexico, with parts of Arkansas and Louisiana, and 

 all America south of Mexico may be said to be the region of the 

 puma, jaguar, ocelot, and all other American cats. 



Strange to say the West Indian Islands, though some of them, as 

 Cuba and Hayti, seem admirably suited to shelter and support 

 species of Felidce, are entirely destitute of them.f 



In the Old World, certain other geographical divisions may be 

 similarly established. We have seen that the lion, leopard, caracal, 



* Mr. A. D. Bartlett has kindly sup- 

 plied me with information as to the 

 drinking habit in confinement of different 



species of the cat family. 



t Trinidad is to be reckoned as a part 

 of the South American continent. 



