70 NATURAL HISTORY. 



attained, although at somewhat too much cost, for the expression of that brute's countenance will never 

 be forgotten," 



Except as fur-bearing animals, Cats are made no direct use of, save as Mouse and Rat-catchers. 

 In this capacity they are quite invaluable, for these destructive little Rodents increase and multiply 

 to such an extent, that if it was not for some such check as that afforded by the presence of a 

 ood mouser, many places would be as much overrun, and the inhabitants put to as much inconvenience, 

 as were the people amongst whom Dick Whittington's lot was cast. With regard to the number of 

 these plagues of which a single Cat can rid the neighbourhood, it is stated by M. Lenz, as a well- 

 ascertained fact, that a Cat of ordinary size is fully capable of catching and eating twenty Mice 

 a day, or 7,300 a year! Besides Rats and Mice, they are fond of insects, such as Cockroaches; 

 and in some countries, such as Paraguay, they are found to be of great value in killing Serpents, 

 which, however, they are said never to eat, slaying them by repeated dexterous blows of the pa\v, 

 simply for the sport. 



The Domestic Cat is found wherever civilised man exists. It occurs throughout Europe and 

 Asia, and has spread largely in America and Australia since the discovery of these continents by 

 Europeans. The best-marked variety of the species is the beautiful Angora Cat, which is larger than 

 the ordinary Cat, and covered with long fine hair, usually snow-white. The Manx Cat, native 

 only in the Isle of Man, is distinguished by the very remarkable character of being tailless, or, 

 at least, that appendage is quite rudimentary. In other respects, it does not differ from the 

 ordinary varieties. The Persian Cat is a very fine variety often seen in English drawing-rooms ; its 

 hair is long, though nothing like so long as that of the Angora. It is a remarkably lazy beast, 

 and far less interesting than the ordinary kind. 



The Chinese Cat has also long silky fur and pendent ears, and is regularly fattened and eaten. 

 Mr. Swinhoe gives a curious quotation about this animal from the Hainan Gazetteer. " ' Lino ' (or 

 Domestic Cat) ' cannot endure Fleas or Lice on its skin. Cats that have nine holes inside the mouth 

 will catch Rats the four seasons through.' " What the Chinese Gazetteer means by the nine holes is 

 difficult to imagine. Is it not a celestial piece of hyperbole for a Cat with a good large gullet] just 

 as we speak of their tenacity of life by saying that they have nine lives thus our Cat has nine 

 lives, and the Chinese Rat-catcher has nine throats. 





CHAPTER V. 

 CAT FAMILY HY.ENA FAMILY CRYPTOPROCTA FAMILY AARD-WOLF FAMILY. 



THE COMMON JUNGLE CAT THE COMMON LYNX Historical Sketch Geographical Distribution Distinctive Characters- 

 Habits Uses THE PAEDINE LYNX THE CANADIAN LYNX THE RED LYNX THE CARACAL THE CHEETAH Dis- 

 tinctive Characters Geographical Distribution Employment in Hunting THE HY.ENA FAMILY External Characters 

 Skull and Teeth THE SPOTTED HY^NA Geographical Distribution Habits Laughing Propensities THE BROWN 

 HY^NA THE STRIPED HY^NA THE CRYPTOPROCTA FAMILY Characteristics of the CRYPTOPROCTA Its Occurrence 

 and Habits THE AARD-WOLF FAMILY Characters and Habits of the AARD-WOLF. 



THE COMMON JUNGLE CAT.* 



THIS, as Mr. Jerdon observes, " is the Common Wild Cat all over India, from the Himalayas to 

 Cape Cornorin, and from the level of the sea to 7,000 or 8,000 feet of elevation. It frequents alike 

 jungles and the open country, and is very partial to long grass and reeds, sugar-cane fields, corn- 

 fields, fec. It does much damage to game of all kinds, Hares, Partridges, &c., and quite recently I 

 shot a Peafowl at the edge of a sugar-cane field, when one of these Cats sprang out, seized the Peafowl, 

 and, after a short struggle (for the bird was not dead), carried it off before my astonished eyes, and, in 

 spite of my running up, made good his escape with his booty. It must have been stalking these very 



* Fd'.s chaus. 



