THE WILD CAT OF BRITAIN. 159 



animals. The wild cat, according to this theory, having to 

 contend with powerful enemies, expanded in general dimen- 

 sions ; its limbs, particularly, became massive ; and its long 

 and strong claws, with the powerful muscular mechanism 

 which operated on them, fitted it for a life of predacity. 

 Thus its increased size enabled it to stand some time before 

 any other dogs than high-bred foxhounds, and even before 

 them also, in any place but the direct open ground. There 

 «xist, however, in direct contradiction to this opinion, certain 

 specialities proper to the wild, and certain other to the domestic 

 cat, besides the simple expansion of bulk, which sufficiently 

 disprove their identity. It will be seen that a remarkable 

 difference exists between the tails of the two animals ; that of 

 the domestic being, as is well known, long, and tapering 

 elegantly to a point, whereas that of the wild cat is seen to 

 be broad, and to terminate abruptly in a blunt or rounded 

 -extremity. Linnaeus and Buffon having both of them con- 

 founded these two species into one, have contributed much 

 to propagate this error, which affords us another opportunity 

 of adding to the many we have taken of remarking on the 

 vast importance of comparative anatomy, which enables us 

 to draw just distinctions between animals that might other- 

 wise erroneously be adjudged to be dependent on external 

 agencies, etc. Nor need we rest here, for what doubt can 

 be entertained on the subject when we point at the remark- 

 able difference between the intestines of the two ? Those 

 cf the domestic are nine times the length of its body, whereas, 

 in the wild cat^ they are little more than three times as long 

 as the body." 



The food of the wild cat is said to consist of animals, 

 and in the opinion of some, fish should be added. Why 

 not also birds' eggs? Cats are particularly fond of the 

 latter. In the event of their finding and destroying a nest, 

 they invariably eat the eggs, and generally the shells. 



Much has been written as to the aptitude of the domestic 

 cat at catching fish. If this be so, are fish necessarily a part 

 of the food of the native wild cat ? Numerous instances 

 are adduced of our " household cat " plunging into water 

 in pursuit of and capture of fish. Although I have spent 



