COMMON CAT. 



363 



Felis Catus. J*. cawrfa elongata fmco-annulata, corpore fasdis 



nigricantibus ; dorsalibus longitudinalibus tribus, lateralibus spi~ 



ralibus. Lan. Syst. Nat. p. 62. 

 Yellowish-grey C. with dusky bands; three on the back longi- 



tudinal; the lateral ones spiral; the tail barred with dusky 



rings. 



Felis vulgo Catus. Gesn. Quadr. 98. Aldr. dig. 564. 

 Felis pilis ex fusco-flavicante et albido variegatis, cauda annulis 



alternatim nigris et ex sordide albo flavicantibus. Briss. 



Quadr. 192. 



Le Chat sauvage, &c. &rc. Buff". 6. p. i. pi. I, 2, #c. 

 Common Cat. Pennant Quadr. i.p. 295. 



THE Cat, in a state of natural wildness, and 

 from which are supposed to have proceeded all the 

 varieties of the domestic Cat, is a native of the 

 northern regions of Europe and Asia. In this its 

 natural state it differs in some slight particulars 

 from the domestic animal, having a somewhat 

 shorter tail in proportion., a flatter and larger 

 head, and stronger limbs; and, from an exact 

 anatomical inspection of its interior parts, it ap- 

 pears that the intestines are somewhat shorter 

 than those of the domestic Cat. The colour of 

 the wild Cat is commonly a pale yellowish-grey, 

 with dusky stripes and variegations ; those on the 

 back running lengthwise, those on the sides 

 transversely and with a curved direction : the tail 

 is annulated with several alternate circles of 

 blackish-brown and dull white : the tip of the 

 nose and the lips are black. Even wild Cats, 

 however, appear to differ in their shades of 



