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the pedigree of our domestic cat as we now know it. 

 Briefly, the cat came to us from Eastern Africa. 



"In the old forests of Europe, and notably in 

 those of the east of France, there is found, in no 

 great numbers, a kind of cat called the wildcat, but 

 which cannot be regarded as the progenitor of the 

 domestic cat, in spite of current opinion to the con- 

 trary. Fitted iby nature for violent exercise, for 

 fighting and tree-climbing, and for making long 

 leaps, it has longer and stronger legs than the com- 

 mon cat, a larger head, and more powerful jaws. 

 The tail, very furry and variegated with black rings, 

 is more expanded at the end than at the base. The 

 coat is a warm fur of yellowish gray with large black 

 stripes, transverse and encircling the body, thus imi- 

 tating a little the tiger's coat. A dark band extends 

 the entire length of the spine from the nape of the 

 neck to the tail. Finally, the fleshy balls of the 

 soles of the feet, and also the lips and nose, are 

 black. 



"The domestic cat, on the contrary, generally has 

 red lips as well as nose and balls of the feet. It 

 also has on the front of the neck and breast a band 

 of light color sometimes extending under the stom- 

 ach. Similar coloring of nose, lips, feet, and front 

 of the neck is found, in exact detail, in the wild spe- 

 cies of Abyssinia or the gloved cat ; and that is one 

 of the reasons for regarding this species as the 

 source, or at least as one of the sources, of the do- 

 mestic cat." 



"But I have often seen domestic cats with black 



