WHITE-AND-BLACK CATS. 71 



of below, and so with the nose, shoulders, or back, but it 

 would be far better if the patches of colour were the same 

 size and shape, and equal in position. It might be that a 

 cat evenly marked on the head had a mark on the left 

 shoulder with more on the right, with a rather larger patch 

 on the right side of the loin, or a black tail would help 

 considerably to produce what is termed " balance,'^ though 

 a cat of this description would lose if competing against one 

 of entirely uniform markings. 



I have seen several that have been marked in a very 

 singular way. One was entirely white, with black ears. 

 Another white, with a black tail only. This had orange 

 eyes, and was very pretty. Another had a black blaze up 

 the nose, the rest of the animal being white. This had 

 blue eyes, and was deaf. Another had the two front feet 

 black, all else being white; the eyes were yellow-tinted 

 green. All these, it will be observed, were perfect in the 

 way they were marked. 



I give an illustration of a cat belonging to Mr. S. Lyon, 

 of Crewe. It is remarkable in more ways than one, and 

 in all probabihty, had it been born in " the dark ages " a 

 vast degree of importance would have been attached to it, 

 not only on account of the peculiar distribution of the colour 

 and its form, but also as to the singular coincidence of its 

 birth. The head is white, with a black mark over the eyes 

 and ears which, when looked at from above, presents the 

 appearance of a fleur-de-lis. The body is white, with a 

 distinct black cross on the right side, or, rather, more on 

 the back than side. The cross resembles that known as 

 Maltese in form, and is clearly defined. The tail is black, 

 the legs and feet white. Nor does the cat's claim to notice 

 entirely end here, for, marvellous to relate, it was born on 

 Easter Sunday, a.d. 1886. Now, what would have been 

 said of such a coincidence had this pecuHar development 

 of Nature occurred in bygone times? There is just the 

 possibility that the credulous would have *' flocked " to see 

 the wondrous animal from far and near ; and even now, in 

 these enlightened times, I learn from Mr. Lyon that the cat 



