FELIS. 



of which it extremely resembles, and is 

 Ojje of the most beautiful of all variegated 

 quadrupeds. It is a native of South Ame- 

 rica, and particularly destructive, which 

 may be, in a great degree, accounted for, 

 from the circumstance of its seldom de- 

 vouring the flesh of animals, rather thirst- 

 ing, with insatiable avidity, for their 

 blood. In the mountainous tracts of 

 Mexico and Brazil these animals are 

 abundant, hiding themselves amidst the 

 foliage of trees, whence they spring upon 

 their prey beneath. They are reported 

 frequently to stretch themselves out mo- 

 tionless on the branches of trees, to in- 

 duce the monkey to approach and ex- 

 amine them, which, with his usual curio- 

 sity, he is in such circumstances prompt- 

 ed to do ; this curiosity, however, is only 

 the instant prelude to his destruction. 

 These animals are scarcely capable of be- 

 ing tamed, and in captivity display inces- 

 sant restlessness and ferocity. 



F. tigrina, or the Cayenne cat, resem- 

 bles the wild cat in size, habit, and cha- 

 racter ; is most elegantly spotted with 

 black on a tawny ground, and is frequent- 

 ly to be found in various parts of South 

 America. It is extremely wild and un- 

 tameable. The spotted species of this 

 genus of animals have been often so im- 

 perfectly marked by travellers, that much 

 remains to be done before a complete de- 

 scription of them can be obtained ; and 

 the remoteness of their haunts from hu- 

 man habitations, which can be approach- 

 ed only amidst dangers insuperable by 

 all but extraordinary minds and constitu- 

 tions, will, there is reason to presume, 

 long preclude their correct definition 

 and full detail. 



F. catus, or the common cat. The nu- 

 merous varieties of the domestic cat are 

 supposed to have proceeded from a race 

 native in the north of Europe and Asia. 

 In the wild state, its tail is somewhat 

 shorter than in the state of domestica- 

 tion ; its head is more fiat, and its limbs 

 are more muscular and bony. The ge- 

 neral colour of the wild cat is that of 

 a pale yellowish-grey, with dusky stripes 

 and variegations ; there are, however, 

 great varieties both of colour and size. 

 Wild cats are found not only in Europe 

 and Asia, but also in America, where 

 they existed before its discovery by Co- 

 lumbus. In Great Britain they are found 

 chiefly in the mountainous and woody 

 districts of the Island ; and, as being 

 the most rapacious quadrupeds in the 

 country, have been designated by Mr. 

 Pennant as the British tigers. They 



range oy night in quest of prey, and 

 commit fatal depredations on kids, poul- 

 try, and lambs ; they likewise devour 

 hares, small birds, and various species of 

 vermin. They breed and principally re- 

 side in trees ; and are equally prolific 

 with the domestic cat. In the neigh- 

 bourhood of the former the latter will 

 often quit his residence for a short time, 

 and after associating during this interval 

 with the wild cat, will return to its for- 

 mer mansion. These animals are fre- 

 quently destroyed by means both of traps 

 and guns ; the latter of which mode, how- 

 ever, is attended with some danger, as, if 

 only slightly wounded, they will, without 

 hesitation, attack the assailant in their 

 turn, and inflict no contemptible revenge. 

 In the county of Cumberland one of these 

 animals was killed, not many years since, 

 which measured from its nose to the end 

 of its tail upwards of five feet. The cat 

 is generally imagined to see best in the 

 dark ; and so peculiar is the structure of 

 its eye, that the pupil is capable of con- 

 traction and dilatation, in proportion to 

 the degree of light affecting it. This cir- 

 cumstance gives it a most important ad- 

 vantage in exploring and seizing its prey. 

 The character and manners of these ani- 

 mals, in their state of domestication, are so 

 g-enerally known as almost to preclude the 

 necessity of at all noticing them. Their ex- 

 pressions, whether of pain, anger, or love, 

 are piercing, clamorous, and extremely 

 harsh and hideous to the human ear. 

 On the utterance of the sounds of distress 

 by a single individual, multitudes will 

 often assemble, and appear to express 

 their compassion by the most disgusting 

 squalls and yellings. The result, how- 

 ever, frequently is, that the sufferer from 

 disease or accident, from which the origi- 

 nal call proceeded, is torn to pieces by 

 its companions, who, not uncommonly, 

 afterwards fall upon each other with the 

 most savage fierceness, inflicting wounds 

 and death without the least sensibility 

 or discrimination. These sanguinary con- 

 tests are uniformly carried on by night, 

 and instances are related, on respectable 

 authority, in which they have been con- 

 ducted with the most destructive havoc. 

 Cats are remarkably fond of certain per- 

 fumes, both vegetable or mineral ; and 

 on this account are often very injurious to 

 a garden or green-house, destroying the 

 plants to which they are so partial. Cold 

 and wet are avoided by these creatures 

 with particular care, and their habits are 

 particularly neat and cleanly, their fur be- 

 ing 1 preserved by them, until in extreme 



