234 'T^he Book of Cats. 



delighting in being tickled and rubbed. On board 

 the ship there was a small dog, who used to play 

 round the cage and with the animals ; and it was 

 amusing to observe the playfulness and tenderness 

 with which the latter came in contact with their in- 

 ferior sized companion. When fed with a fowl that 

 died, they seized the prey, and after sucking the head, 

 and tearing it a little, amused themselves for hours 

 in throwing it about and jumping after it, in the 

 manner that a Cat plays with a mouse before it is 

 quite dead. This species of Cat never seems to 

 look on man or children as his prey ; and the 

 natives assert that, when wild, it lives chiefly on 

 poultry, birds, and small deer." 



The colour of the wild Cat is more uniform than 

 that of the domestic species. On a ground colour 

 of pale reddish-yellow are dark streaks extending 

 over the body and limbs, forming pretty much the 

 sort of pattern exhibited on the tiger's robe. From 

 the back of the neck to the spine, a line of very 

 dark spots extends to the tail, which is short and 

 bushy, and has a black tip. The feet and insides 

 of the legs are yellowish grey. In the female, 

 which is smaller that the male, the colours are not 

 as distinct. The medium size of a full-grown male 

 wild Cat is as follows : — Length of head and body. 



