40 



TORTOISESHELL CATS. 



EXAMPLE OF TORTOISESHELL CAT, VERY DARK VARIETY. 



match how they Hke, and one would be quite surprised, un- 

 less he were a naturalist, to note the great changes that 

 occur in a few years, and the unmistakable signs of de- 

 terioration towards their ancestral stock — that of the Rock 

 pigeon. But with the cat this is somewhat different, as little 

 or no attempts have been made, as far as I know of, until 

 cat shows were instituted, to improve any particular breed 

 either in form or colour. Nor has it even yet, with the ex- 

 ception of the long-haired cats. Why this is so I am at a 

 loss to understand, but the fact remains. Good well-deve- 

 loped cats of certain colours fetch large prices, and are, if I 

 may use the term, perpetual prize-winners. I will take as an 

 instance the tortoiseshell tom, he, or male cat as one of the 

 most scarce, and the red or yellow tabby she-cat as the next ; 

 and yet the possessor of either, with proper care and atten- 



