'H 



HABITS. 



The following, quoted by Miss Repplier, as translated from the 

 Latin by Thomas Berthelet and printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 

 1498, cannot be improved much to-day: — 



The Cat is surely most like to the Leoparde, and hathe a great mouthe, 

 and sharp teeth, and a long tongue, plyante, thin and subtle. He lappeth 

 therewith when he drinketh, as other beastes do that have the nether lip 

 shorter than the over; for, by cause of unevenness of Ups, such beastes suck 

 not in drinking, but lap and hck as Aristotle saith, and Plinius also. He 

 is a swifte and merye beaste in youthe, and leapeth, and riseth on all things 

 that are tofore him, and is led by a straw, and playeth therewith; and he 

 is a righte heavye beaste in age, and full sleepye, and lyeth slyly in waite 

 for Mice, and is ware where they bene more by smell than by sighte, and 

 hunteth. and riseth on them in privy places. And when he taketh a Mouse, 

 he playeth therewith, and eateth htm after the play. He is a cruell beaste 

 when he is wilde, and dwelleth in woods, and hunteth there small beastes 

 as conies and hares. 



The habits of the cat are so well known that comparatively 

 little need be said about them here, but one error has been 

 promulgated widely. The assertion that this animal can see in 

 the dark is repeated by intelligent authors even to this day and 

 should be corrected. No eye of flesh can see in absolute dark- 

 ness. There must be some ray of light to render any vision 

 possible. Undoubtedly, however, the cat and the owl can see 

 much better in starlight or moonlight than we, but when cats 

 catch mice or rats in dark cellars, where all light is shut out, it 

 is because of the alertness of their senses of hearing, smell and 

 touch. Rats and mice move about and live without inconven- 

 ience in utter darkness, and the cat, no doubt, is able to catch 

 one now and then under the same conditions, but most of those 

 that she catches probably are taken where there is a little light, 

 in the dusk of morning or evening or in daylight. 



The female cat naturally rears her young in holes in the ground, 

 caves or hollow trees, from which she makes sallies over the 

 country within a radius of a mile or more, striking down any 

 animal which she can master and taking her kill to the den to 

 provide for her young. She follows her prey into the tallest 

 trees and into such dens and burrows as she can enter, but does 

 not seem able to dig very well, and ever must lie in wait for the 

 smaller burrowing animals. Much ink has been wasted in at- 

 tempts to prove either that the cat was originally a native of 

 treeless plains or that it belonged to a forested region. The 

 probability is that it was derived from animals frequenting both 



