94 The Book of Cats. 



siderably different, especially in the length and 

 form of the tail. The fur, too, of the wild Cat is 

 thicker and longer. 



Sir William Jardine thinks that, since the intro- 

 duction of our house Cat to this country, there may 

 have been an accidental cross with the wild native 

 species, by which the difference in form between 

 the wild and tame Cat may be accounted for. 

 " The domestic Cat," says he, " is the only one of 

 this race which has been generally used in the 

 economy of man. Some of the other small species 

 have shown that they might be applied to similar 

 purposes ; and we have seen that the general dis- 

 position of this family will not prevent their train- 

 ing. Much pains would have been necessary to 

 effect this, and none of the European nations were 

 likely to have attempted it. The scarcity of Cats 

 in Europe, in its earliest ages, is also well known, 

 and in the tenth and eleventh centuries a good 

 mouser brought a high price." 



Another author, quoting the above, says : — 

 "Although our opinion coincides with that of 

 Riippel, and we think that we are indebted to the 

 superstition of the ancient Egyptians for having 

 domesticated the species mentioned by Riippel, we 

 have no doubt that since its introduction to this 



