7-22 



CAT. 



better 'for more arid places. In all the genus the 

 pupil of the eye is as susceptible of expansion as it is 

 of contraction ; and in all cases when distended to 

 the full stretch it is round. 



There is another peculiarity in the eyes of animals 

 of this genus which is but little found in those of most 

 others, that is, the glaring or glistening of the eyes, 

 as if they were really radiant, or shot forth a portion 

 of self- produced light, and also the change of colour 

 which they undergo when the animal is excited, or 

 even when the natural light is faint, and the pupil is 

 consequently much distended. This glistening or 

 glaring colour of the eyes is not peculiar to animals 

 of this genus. It is found very conspicuously in those 

 of night or twilight in other carnivorous genera, more 

 especially in the hyaenas, and perhaps there is no 

 animal in which it does not appear to some extent, 

 when the animal is sufficiently excited ; but there 

 arc none in which it is so remarkable as in the cat 

 tribe, and in them this inward light, so to speak, is so 

 conspicuous, that the name of cat's Delias been given 

 to a stone which appears to glisten with an inward 

 light, as though it had a positive luminous power in 

 itself, independently of the light which falls on it. 



There have been various speculations about the 

 means by which this remarkable phenomenon in those 

 animals is brought about ; and it has sometimes been 

 supposed that their eyes ha\ r e a power in producing 

 light ; and that in searching for their prey in the 

 dim twilight, their own eyes serve them as a sort 

 of lanterns. There is of course no truth in this ; 

 and the light which appears to beam from the eye, is 

 reflected from the choroid tissue, which in them has a 

 sort of metallic lustre, which reflects, something in the 

 manner of a concave mirror, a portion of the light 

 which enters at the widely distended pupil. This 

 glaring light is generally different in colour from the 

 light in the eye in the unexcited animal-; and as that 

 is in these animals, generally of a yellowish or 

 brownish colour, the glaring 'light becomes bluish, 

 greenish, or purplish. This change of colour tends 

 in a great degree to explain the way in which the 

 additional reflection of light is produced. 



It never takes place except in dim light, and when 

 the animal is excited, and its intensity and change of 

 colour are very nearly in the same proportion as the 

 excitement. Now, in the cameleon and other animals 

 which change their apparent colours in various states 

 of extension of the skin, without any particular refer- 

 ence to changes in the direction of the light incident 

 upon them, it is always found that the change of 

 colour from the natural whitish or brownish yellow to 

 deeper tints, is invariably accompanied, or rather pre- 

 ceded, by an accumulated quantity of blood in the 

 small vessels of the skin. It will be found in like 

 manner, that the strong excitement which causes the 

 glaring in the eyes of the cat family, is always 

 attended by an additional flow of blood towards these 

 organs ; "and that the difference of colour in the re- 

 flected light is always what might be expected from 

 an additional quantity of blood in the choroid mem- 

 brane of the eye, and deeper in proportion as this 

 quantity may be supposed to be greater. In the eyes 

 of all animals we have the different passions by which 

 they are affected displayed in a manner something 

 similar to this, they all glisten more or less when the 

 animals are enraged ; and there are several in which 

 they become absolutely red : of these some of the most 

 remarkable are to be found among ruminating animals, 



of whose eyes there can of course be no carnivorous 

 lighting up. 



It has sometimes been supposed that animals of 

 this genus having eyes with the pupils differently 

 formed, have still the same habits with each other ; 

 but it does not appear that this is the fact, though 

 there are instances of species with round pupils, and 

 other species with elliptical ones, being found in the 

 same locality; and in all the other races which contain 

 species having eyes of each of these forms, we find that 

 those with a circular pupil seek their prey upon the 

 ground only, while those which have it contracting to a 

 vertical ellipse seek their prey at least on the lower 

 branches of trees, or on shrubs nearer the ground. 

 The foxes, for instance, which are nightly prowlers, and 

 search for the low-roosting gallinidae on their perches 

 have the eyes with the pupil elongated vertically ; 

 and so far as has been observed, there is no carnivo- 

 rous animal which has the range of the pupil placed 

 horizontally ; though ruminating animals, some of the 

 pachydcrmata, and even the whales have them con- 

 structed in that manner. 



We shall only make one other general observation 

 with regard to this very interesting genus of animals, 

 and that is, the comparatively littlejnjury which they 

 receive from falls, blows, and bruises, which would be 

 very serious, if not altogether fatal to almost any other 

 race of animals. " That a cat has nine lives," is 

 a proverbial expression, and, as is the case with all 

 popular proverbs that have come into general use, 

 the foundation of it is true ; and it is worth while to 

 ascertain to what it is owing. There is also another 

 peculiarity in which these animals differ from most 

 others, which is, that however they may fall, or in 

 whatever way, they generally alight on their feet, and 

 seldom break their bones, or sustain any other very 

 serious injury. 



Now, both of those means of escape from injury, 

 are to be attributed mainly to the freedom or lithe- 

 ness of the joints of the animals, of which notice has 

 been already taken. Whatever part of them is 

 struck, or made to strike against any obstacle always 

 gives way like a spring ; and thus the concussion 

 of the blow or the fall is not communicated to any 

 considerable part of them as a direct thrust, but is 

 speedily dissipated and lost among their supple and 

 flexible joints. This suppleness also gives them a 

 command of their bodies in the air, which animals with 

 more rigid skeletons, and especially more rigid spines, 

 do not possess. It is thus that they are enabled in 

 so far to right themselves, even when flung through 

 the air ; and the weight of the bones of their fore 

 paws partly conduces to bring them to the ground 

 always with their feet undermost. 



That peculiar flexibility of the limbs, to which their 

 twining gait when they walk is owing and the fact of 

 their placing the yielding ball of the foot upon the 

 ground, and not the points of the toes, farther help to 

 let them down easily; and their weight, instead of being 

 all received on one part, is, from the flexibility of the 

 joints, distributed over many. It must not, however, 

 be supposed that there is any weakness or laxity in 

 the muscles of these animals ; for their muscles are not 

 only very well developed and energetic, but the free- 

 dom of the joints and the large processes of the bones, 

 enables the muscles to act with the very maximum of 

 effect. 



Attempts have sometimes been made to divide the 

 genus fete into several subordinate groups or sections, 



