248 



THE COMMON WILD CAT. 



PLATE XXIX. 



Felis Catus ferus, Linnaus Felis chat, Felis catus, Tem- 

 minck, Monographies, p. 126. Desmarest^ Mammalogie 

 p. 232 The Wild Cat, Bingtey't British Quadrupeds.- 

 Bewick's Quadrupeds. 



THE Common Wild Cat is the only animal of this 

 family which extends its range to the British islands. 

 In the south of England, it was formerly much more 

 common than at the present time ; but, like its more 

 formidable congeners in warmer climates, it has been 

 forced to yield to the dominion of man, and in these 

 districts it is now almost extirpated. Among the 

 woody mountainous districts of Cumberland and 

 Westmoreland, they are still found ; but even here 

 they are not numerous. In the wild districts of the 

 north of Scotland, and in Ireland, they are, however 

 abundant ; and in some counties of the former, there 

 are men who obtain a livelihood by the hunting and 

 destroying of the wild cat, foxes, &c. which make 

 considerable inroads into the stocks of both flocks 

 and poultry. 



In Ireland it abounds in similar situations ; and on 



