246 



V KIlTEBliATA. 



THE DOMESTIC CAT. 



THE FELID.E, OK CAT FAMILY. 



We place at the head of this article an engraving of the soft, pleasant, purring pnss of our 

 firesides, for, gentle as she seems, she is the representative of the most predaceous family among 

 quadrupeds. She is, in fact, cousin-german to the lion, the tiger, the cougar, ami jaguar, all 

 of which belong to the tribe of cats. The difference between these creatures and puss is, that 

 while she feels on mice, they feed on sheep, deer, antelopes, and buffaloes, or, if a chance offers, 

 upon man himself. They all make prey of living animals, and are admirably fitted by nature 

 for the war they incessantly wage on other creatures. In their structure, the head is short and 

 almost rounded in its form, for although the zygomatic arches and ridges are greatly developed, 

 the muscles for moving the jaws are so exceedingly large as to fill up all the cavities, and pro- 

 duce a smooth, plump surface. The jaws are short, the dentition consisting of six incisors and one 

 canine, above and below; four pne-molars above and two below, on each side; and two molars 

 above and one below, also on each side. The canines arc long, sharp, compressed, and cutting; 

 tie- prae-molars are furnished with two roots, compressed, pointed, and serrated; the flesh-teeth 

 or trie- molars are very large, sharp-edged, and terminated by two or three points ; and behind 

 the flesh-tooth in the upper jaw there is a small tubercular tooth which is wanting in the lower 

 jaw. In addition to this formidable apparatus of cutting teeth, the tongue in these animals ia 

 covered with small recurved prickles, with which they are enabled to lick the last particl* 

 flesh from the bones of their prey. 



In the form of their bodies the eats are all light, and excessively muscular, so that their 

 activity i- astonishing. Their le<_ f s are usually of moderate length, but exceedingly powerful ; 



and the tO( five before and four behind — are armed with lone-, curved, and acute claws, which' 



are preserved from being blunted by a peculiar arrangement of the phalanges. For this purpose, 

 the last or (daw joint of each toe is drawn back, by ligaments attached to the penultimate joint, 

 until it assumes a perpendicular position, when the claw, which it supports, i's completely retrai 

 within a sort of sheath, and is entirely concealed by the fur. This is effected by the elasticity 



