42 TORTOISESHELL CATS. 



that Mr. Smith bred any from it, nor do I know whether he 

 took any precautions to do so ; but if not, I am still of the 

 opinion that more might have been produced. In Cassell's 

 *' Natural History," it is stated that the tortoiseshell cat is 

 quite common in Egypt and in the south of Europe. This 

 I can readily believe, as I think that it comes from a 

 different stock than the usual short-haired cat, the texture 

 of the hair being different, the form of tail also. I should 

 much like to know whether in that country, where the 

 variety is so common, there exists any number of tortoise- 

 shell he-cats. In England the he-kittens are almost invariably 

 red-tabby or red-tabby-and-white ; the red-tabby she-cats 

 are almost as scarce as tortoiseshell-and-white he-cats. Yet 

 if red-tabby she-cats can be produced, I am of opinion that 

 tortoiseshell he-cats could also. I had one of the former, 

 a great beauty, and hoped to perpetuate the breed, but it 

 unfortunately fell a victim to wires set by poachers for game. 

 Again returning to the tortoiseshell, I have noted that, in 

 drawings made by the Japanese, the cats are always of this 

 colour ; that being so, it leads one to suppose that in that 

 country tortoiseshell he-cats must be plentiful. Though the 

 drawings are strong evidence, they are not absolute proof. 

 I have asked several travelling friends questions as regards 

 the Japanese cats, but in no case have I found them to have 

 taken sufficient notice for their testimony to be anything else 

 than worthless. I shall be very thankful for any informa- 

 tion on this subject, for to myself, and doubtless also to 

 many others, it is exceedingly interesting. Any one wishing 

 to breed rich brown tabbies, should use a tortoiseshell she- 

 cat with a very brown and black-banded he-cat. They are 

 not so good from the spotted tabby, often producing merely 

 tortoiseshell tabbies instead of brown tabbies, or true 

 tortoiseshells. My remarks as to the colouring of the 

 tortoiseshell he-cat are equally applicable to the she-cat, which 

 should not have any white. Of the tortoiseshell-and-white 

 hereafter. 



To breed tortoiseshell he-cats, I should use males of a 



