SIAMESE CATS. 75 



shown ; the body is of a dun colour, nose, part of the face, 

 ears, feet, and tail of a very dark chocolate brown, nearly 

 black, eyes of a beautiful blue by day, and of a red colour 

 at night ! My other prize cat is of a very rich chocolate or 

 seal, with darker face, ears, and tail ; the legs are a shade 

 darker, which intensifies towards the feet. The eyes small, 

 of a rich amber colour, the ears are bare of hair, and not 

 so much hair between the eyes and the ears as the English 

 cats have. The dun, unless under special judges, invariably 

 beats the chocolate at the shows. The tail is shorter and 

 finer than our English cats. 



" I may add that we lately have had four kittens from the 

 chocolate cat by a pure dun Siamese he-cat. All the young 

 are dun coloured, and when born were very light, nearly 

 white, but are gradually getting the dark points of the 

 parents ; in fact, I expect that one will turn chocolate. The 

 cats are very affectionate, and make charming ladies' pets, 

 but are rather more delicate than our cats, but after they 

 have once wintered in England they seem to get acclimatised. 



'' Mr. Brennand, who brought the chocolate one and 

 another, a male, from Singapore last year, informs me that 

 there are two varieties, a large and small. Ours are the 

 small ; he also tells me the chocolate is the most rare. 



" I have heard a little more regarding the Siamese cats 

 from Miss Walker, the daughter of General Walker, who 

 brought over one male and three females. It seems the 

 only pure breed , is kept at the King of Siam's palace, and 

 the cats are very difficult to procure, for in Siam it took 

 three different gentlemen of great influence three months 

 before they could get any. 



" Their food is fish and rice boiled together until quite 

 soft, and Miss Walker finds the kittens bred have thriven 

 on it. 



" It is my intention to try and breed from a white 

 English female with blue eyes, and a Siamese male. 



" The Siamese cats are very prolific breeders, having 

 generally five at each fitter, and three litters a year. 



"We have never succeeded in breeding any like our 



