BLACK CATS. 65 



of their actions in the dead of the night during thunder- 

 storms and windy nights. Yet, as far as I can discover, 

 there appears little difference either of temper or habit 

 in the black cat distinct from that of any other colour, 

 though it is maintained by many even to this day that black 

 cats are far more vicious and spiteful and of higher courage, 

 and this last I admit. Still, when a black cat is enraged 

 and its coat and tail are well "set up," its form distended, 

 its round, bright, orange-yellow eye distended and all aglow 

 with anger, it certainly presents to even the most impartial 

 observer, to say the least of it, a most ''uncanny" appear- 

 ance. But, for all this, their admirers are by no means few ; 

 and, to my thinking, a jet-black cat, fine and glossy in fur 

 and elegantly formed, certainly has its attractions; but I 

 will refer to the superstitions connected with the black cat 

 further on. 



A black cat for show purposes should be of a uniform, 

 intense black ; a brown-black is richer thaii a blue-black. I 

 mean by this that when the hair is parted it should show in 

 the division a dark brown-black in preference to any tint of 

 blue whatever. The coat or fur should be short, velvety, 

 and very glossy. The eyes round and full, and of a deep 

 orange colour ; nose black, and also the pads of the feet ; 

 tail long, wide at the base, and tapering gradually towards 

 the end. A long thin tail is a great fault, and detracts 

 much from the merits it may otherwise possess, A good, 

 deep, rich-coloured black cat is not so common as many 

 may at first suppose, as often those that are said to be 

 black show tabby markings under certain conditions of 

 light ; and, again, others want depth and richness of colour, 

 some being only a very dark gray. In form it is the same as 

 other short-haired cats, such as I have described in the white, 

 and this brings me to the variety called " blue." 



