208 FAMILY FELIDJE, OR CAT TRIBE. 



well-knit, but supple, and every motion is easy, free, and 

 graceful. There is no superfluous flesh ; but the whole seems 

 composed of bone, nerve, muscle, and sinew. They are sur- 

 passed in fleetness by many of the animals on which they prey, 

 these being provided with longer limbs ; but none of these 

 approach them in the power of leaping and bounding. Their 

 footfall is rendered noiseless, by the pads with which the under 

 surface is provided. Their senses are for the most part very 

 acute. Their sight is adapted for vision by night as well as by 

 day ; the sense of hearing is exquisite ; that of smell also is 

 in great perfection, though in this particular they are surpassed 

 by the Canidse ; and the long whiskers are most acute organs of 

 touch, which must be of the greatest value when the animal is 

 stealing upon its prey at night, through a thicket or jungle. 

 The tongue is furnished with rough horny papillas, directed back- 

 wards ; these serve a very important purpose in enabling the 

 animal to scrape off the minute particles of flesh adherent to the 

 bones of its prey. In the moderate degree in which this pecu- 

 liar conformation exists in the tongue of the common Cat, it is 

 familiar to every one ; in the Lion and Tiger, however, the 

 roughness is so great, tha^ one stroke of the tongue would lick 

 off the skin from a man's hand. As already stated ( 15), the 

 different species of this family for the most part bear a very close 

 resemblance to one another, in general conformation, though 

 differing widely in size ; and it is chiefly by their variation in 

 this last respect, that their habits are guided. Thus the Lion, 

 and Tiger, the largest of the Felines, are confined to the ground ; 

 the Leopard, Panther, and various species of Tiger-Cats some- 

 times spring upon their prey from the branches of trees, some- 

 times from the ground ; whilst the Wild Cats are almost 

 exclusively arboreal, seeking their food amongst trees, and com- 

 paratively seldom frequenting the ground. Most of the Felidas 

 may be tamed, if early brought under the influence of Man ; 

 and they show considerable intelligence when domesticated. 

 They are for the most part liable, how ever, to occasional out- 

 breaks of ferocity, which show that their natural instincts are 



