NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



cats, the ancient Egyptians also collected the eggs 

 and young of the waterfowl for food. 



The African Wild Cat has from two to four 

 kittens at a birth, as a general rule. These are 

 usually born in cavities amongst rocks ; in the midst 

 of dense tangled undergrowth ; down deserted 

 ant-eater holes, or in the hollow interior of an old 

 forest tree. 



At Perseverance, near Port Elizabeth, a female 

 Wild Cat was killed by dogs, and two kittens were 

 discovered in the centre of a creeper-covered thorn- 

 bush. It was during the month of October, and 

 the kittens were about two months old at the time. 

 On another occasion an adult male Wild Cat was 

 killed and sent to the Port Elizabeth Museum. It 

 was a partial albino, being about two- thirds white. 

 It was, unfortunately, in too decomposed a condition 

 to preserve. 



The Wild Cat is in size similar to a rather over- 

 grown domestic cat, such as is seen in butchers' 

 shops at times. The male is more robust in ap- 

 pearance than the female. The prevailing colour 

 is speckled greyish-brown. The base of the fur 

 is dark slate, yellowish in the centre, and the tip 

 of each hair is ringed black and white. On the 

 underparts these rings are absent, consequently 

 those parts are yellowish. 



The fur along the ridge of the back is blackish, 

 and in most specimens the body is striped with 

 brown irregular bands, which on the upper parts 

 152 



