THE CAT 



lips," objected Louis. " Where do they come 



from!" 



' ' They are apparently in some way related to the 

 wildcats of our woods. The female cats of isolated 

 dwellings near our large forests sometimes mate 

 with wildcats, it is said. The young of these par- 

 ents bear inscribed on the nose and lips their pa- 

 ternal origin, and transmit these family traits to 

 their descendants. But if this crossing gives new 

 vigor to our cat, it is far from improving its dis- 

 position. The wildcat of our woods is in fact an 

 intractable animal, unruly despite all the care we 

 bestow upon it. It is an implacable destroyer of 

 game and, if chance offers, a more formidable rav- 

 ager of the hen-roost than the fox. 



"It is believed that one of our domestic varieties, 

 known as the tiger-cat, counts this bandit among its 

 ancestors; at any rate, it has the wildcat's black 

 lips and zebra coat. It also has its disposition to 

 a certain degree. The tiger-cat is the least tame 

 of all, the most distrustful, the most inclined to 

 plunder. No other is so ready with its claws if you 

 try to take hold of it or merely stroke it on the back. 

 But these peculiarities of savagery ought not to 

 make us forget its good qualities : there is no more 

 spirited hunter of mice. It is true that cheese for- 

 gotten on the table and game hung too low in the 

 kitchen attract its attention a little too readily. 



"I much prefer the Spfanis-h or tortoise-shell cat, 

 which is more civilized, of gentler disposition, and 

 not less; adept at catching mice. It is in this variety, 



