TORTOISESHELL CATS. 



39 



MR. smith's prize HE-CAT, 



THE TORTOISESHELL CAT. 



I NOW come to the section of the short-haired domestic 

 cat, a variety possessing sub-varieties. Whether these 

 all came from the same origin is doubtful, although in 

 breeding many of the different colours will breed back 

 to the striped or tabby colour, and, per contra, white 

 whole-coloured cats are often got from striped or spotted 

 parents, and vice versa. Those that have had any ex- 

 perience of breeding domesticated animals or birds, know 

 perfectly well how difficult it is to keep certain peculiarities 

 gained by years of perseverance of breeding for such 

 points of variation, or what is termed excellence. Place a 

 few fancy pigeons, for instance, in the country and let them 



