40 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CTAH. IT. 



destructive than a common house-cat, when she takes to hunting 

 in the woods. In this case they should always be destroyed, as 

 when once they have learned to prefer hares and rabbits to rats 

 and mice, they are sure to hunt the larger animals only. I be- 

 lieve, however, that by cropping their ears close to the head, 

 cats may be kept from hunting, as they cannot bear the dew or 

 rain to enter these sensitive organs. Tame cats who have once 

 taken to the woods soon get shy and wild, and then produce 

 their young in rabbit-holes, decayed trees, and other quiet 

 places ; thus laying the foundation of a half-wild race. It is 

 worthy of notice, that whatever colour the parents of these 

 semi-wild cats may have been, those bred out of them are 

 almost invariably of the beautiful brindled grey colour, as the 

 wild cats. A shepherd, whose cat had come to an un- 

 timely end by trap or gun, I forget which in lamenting 

 her death to me, said it was a great pity so valuable an 

 animal should be killed, as she brought him every day in the 

 year either a grouse, a young hare, or some other head of game. 

 Another man told me that his cat brought to the house during 

 the whole winter a woodcock or a snipe almost every night, 

 showing a propensity for hunting in the swamps and wet places 

 near which the cottage was situated, and where these birds were 

 in the habit of feeding during the night. A favourite cat of 

 my own once took to bringing home rabbits and hares, but never 

 winged game. Though constantly caught in traps, she could 

 never be cured of her hunting propensities. When caught in an 

 iron trap, instead of springing about and struggling, and by 

 this means breaking or injuring her legs, she used to sit quietly 

 clown and wait to be let out. There is a cat at the farm now, 

 who is caught at least twice a-week, but from adopting the same 

 plan of waiting quietly and patiently to be liberated, she seldom 

 gets her foot much hurt. 



The animal that requires the greatest care in trapping is the 

 fox. If the trap is too smooth, he slips his foot out ; if too 

 sharp, he cuts off his foot, and escapes, leaving it behind him. 

 I consider the best manner of having fox-trap* made is to get 

 them without teeth, but with about three spikes of an inch in 

 length on each side of the trap ; these entering the animal's leg 

 without cutting it, hold him firmly and securely. The surest 



