46 THE WILD CAT. 



the domestic cat, though the wood-cat is never con- 

 sidered as any thing but a different variety, and often 

 represented as being the original race from which the 

 domestic cat has been taken. 



The habits of the wood-cat are against that opinion; 

 and, so far as we know, there is not any evidence in sup- 

 port of it, farther than the similarity of colour which is 

 found between the wild one and some of the domestic. 

 Among domesticated animals, colour proves nothing; 

 and though it be more to be depended on in those that 

 are in a state of nature, it is not conclusive even there. 

 The wood-cat is a remarkably solitary animal, unless 

 when it comes abroad in the night to prowl. It used 

 to be one of the beasts of chase, and that, with its 

 solitary habits, has now nearly driven it to the fast- 

 nesses and wild parts of the country. 



The colour of the wood-cat .is a ground of yellowish 

 brown, lighter towards the belly ; and the head, back, 

 sides, and tail are marked with transverse bars of deep 

 brown and black, in the form of those of the tiger, or 

 .rather of the tiger-cat, but more blended together, 

 and consequently less perfectly defined in their outlines. 

 The tail is thicker than that of the domestic cat, and 

 the end of it is blunt, whereas that of the other tapers 

 to a point. 



Besides the evidence of form, superior size, and 

 habits, there is some corroboration that the domestic 

 cat is another species, most likely an imported one, 

 Asiatic in most of the varieties, and certainly so in 

 the Cyprus, or spotted. The wild cat was always a 

 native of Wales ; and had the domestic cat been the 

 wild one tamed, it would not have had to be enumerated 



