232 The Book of Cats. 



the jaguar the savannahs of South America ; the 

 Hon the arid plains of Africa and Asia ; the tiger 

 and panther the tropical jungles of the old world ; 

 the minor species, as the ocelot and lynx, have a 

 wider range in both worlds, while the domestic Cat 

 associates with man in almost every region. With 

 the exception of the latter, none of the other 

 genera have been tamed or domesticated, so that 

 they are strictly " wild beasts," against which man 

 wages a ceaseless war of extirpation. It is true 

 that, in the East, one species of leopard is trained 

 for hunting, but this only very sparingly, and even 

 then he does not follow the game by scent, but is 

 carried by the hunters, and only let loose when he 

 is within a few bounds of the animal. It must not 

 be inferred, however, that they are untameable, for 

 every creature is capable, more or less, of being 

 trained by man, provided it receives due attention ; 

 and we have sufficient evidence in the wonderful 

 feats performed by the lions and tigers of Mr. 

 Carter and Van Amburgh, that the felinae are by 

 no means destitute of intelligent docility. The 

 truth is, there is no inducement to tame them, and 

 thus the Cat, the most diminutive of the family, and 

 the only one of direct utility to civilise, is likely to 

 continue, as it ever has been, the sole domesticated 

 member. 



