72 BULLETIN NO. VII. 



tion seems to have been obtained by the union of several dif- 

 ferent races or species. Our cat seems to be the result of a 

 union of the common wild cat of Europe, Fells catus, and the 

 Egyptian cat, Felis maniculata. The cat was certainly domes- 

 ticated in Egypt at a very early date and was an object of ven- 

 eration. In Herodotus' time the cats of a house constituted in 

 some sort the Penates or household gods. Both cats and dogs 

 were early introduced into Italy, both being indicated in fres- 

 coes of Pompeii. The variation in coloration and form is con- 

 siderable, although far less than in some other domestic ani- 

 mals. What is called the tabby variety is thought to have re- 

 sulted from the admixture of wild cat blood. In the case of 

 the tortoiseshell cat, we have an instance of a difference in 

 coloration between the sexes, males being all but universally 

 grey. The blue cats, or Carthusian breed, are of a bluish 

 grey color and have fine, long, soft pelage. The Angora cat, 

 too, is especially remarkable for its fine, long hair as well as 

 its large size. The tailless manx cat is an interesting variety ' 

 with a tendency toward the reduction of the size of the fore 

 legs. Malay cats also have short tails. The habits of the do- 

 mestic cat are sufficiently well known and appreciated. In 

 America there is, of course, some change in the diet, but, in 

 general, the cat maybe said to travel with her own commissariat 

 as the army of European pests usually keep pace with the 

 cat's emigrations. In our state the field mice form no consid- 

 erable part of pussy's diet at times, but the staple is always 

 Mus domestica. Many cats capture the gopher, Spermophilus, 

 habitually, although it seems not to be relished as well as 

 murine food. The cat at times becomes -partially insectivorous 

 and feeds upon crickets or g? ' shnr>p^.r$, but it appears that 

 these serve as a relish or ccndiment simply. No cases have 

 fallen under my notice of cats capturing rabbits, except when 

 the latter are still very young. Darwin has given us an inter- 

 esting example of the coherence of nature in the dependence 

 of the price of clover seed upon cats, via. field mice and bumble 

 bees. 



GENUS LYNX. 

 See remarks under Felidse. 



