394 ANIMALS OF THE 



" The wild cat breeds with the tame ;* and 

 therefore the latter may be considered only as a 

 variety of the former : however, they differ in 

 some particulars ; the cat, in its savage state, is 

 somewhat larger than the house cat ; and its fur 

 being longer, gives it a greater appearance than 

 it really has : its head is bigger, and face flatter ; 

 the teeth and claws much more formidable ; its 

 muscles very strong, as being formed for rapine ; 

 the tail is of a moderate length, but very thick 

 and flat, marked with alternate bars of black and 

 white, the end always black ; the hips, and hind 

 part of the lower joints of the leg, are always 

 black ; the fur is very soft and fine : the general 

 colour of these animals, in England, is a yellowish 

 white, mixed with a deep grey. These colours, 

 though they appear at first sight confusedly blend- 

 ed together, yet on a close inspection will be 

 found to be disposed like the streaks on the skin 

 of the tiger, pointing from the back downwards, 

 rising from a black list that runs from the head 

 along the middle of the back to the tail. This 

 animal is found in our larger woods ; and is the 

 most destructive of the carnivorous kinds in this 

 kingdom. It inhabits the most mountainous and 

 woody parts of these islands, living mostly in trees, 

 and feeding only by night. It often happens, 

 that the females of the tame kind go into the 

 woods to seek mates among the wild ones. It 

 should seem that these, however, are not original 

 inhabitants of this kingdom, but were introduced 



* British Zoology. 



