CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 5. CARXIYORA. 



247 



CAT S RETRACTILE CLAW, COVERED AND UNCOVERED. 



of the ligaments, and without any exertion on the part of the animal. But, when a <-;it is 

 about to strike its prey, the claw joint is pulled down by the flexor muscles, and the formidable 

 talons are then protruded, reach' to 

 be buried in the flesh of the victim. 

 The animals of this family have gener- 

 ally very acute senses, especially those 

 of hearing and sight. The nictating 

 membrane is very large and movable : 

 the glaring or glistening of the eye, 

 in a dim light, seeming as if the ball 

 were on fire, is common to many carnivorous animals, but in none is it so conspicuous as in 

 the eats. This feature gives to the larger species an indescribable look of ferocity, especially 

 when they are excited, either in pursuit of their prey or in conflict with an enemy. The 

 lower surface of the foot is furnished with thick, 

 balblikc pads of the epidermis, upon which the 

 animal walks, and these are the cause of the pe- 

 culiarly noiseless tread which is characteristic of 

 all the members of this family. They always take 

 their prey by springing suddenly upon it from 



1*J . .• 1 •!• ,i ' • ,i • • CATS CLAW WITH THE FLEXOR MUSCLE. 



some concealed station, and. it they miss their aim 



in the first attack, rarely follow it up. Accordingly they are all cowardly, sneaking animals, and 

 never willingly face their enemy unless brought to bay or wounded, trusting always to their 

 power of surprising their victims by the aid of their stealthy and noiseless movements. They are 

 mostly nocturnal and solitary in their habits ; some of them, however, live in families. They never, 

 with a few rare exceptions, unite in troops, like the wolf or the jackal. They are distributed in 

 all parts of the world, with the exception of Australia, but principally in the warmer regions, 

 where alone the larger species are met with. 



In our notice of these animals, we shall first describe those of the old continent, and then 

 those of the new. 



Genus FELLS. — At the head of this remarkable genus stands the Lion, Felis leo, often called, 

 on account of his strength, his aspect, and his general ascendency over the brute creation, the 

 King of Beasts. 



Although the lion is not a native of our continent, still, nearly every person has become 

 familiar with its appearance, either by representations of it or by seeing it in menageries. The 

 impressions thus obtained are, however, often erroneous, and always imperfect and inadequate. 

 It is necessary, therefore, to describe him as he appears in his natural state. 



The male lion has a large head, and, in repose, has a countenance of such gravity as to appear 

 majestic. When excited, his eye flames as with fire, and his aspect becomes terrible. The neck 

 is usually ornamented with a flowing mane, which lends a savage beauty to his grand and noble 

 form. At the same time, he carries his head high, as if conscious of his power and proud of his 

 ascendency. When full grown, the body measures about eight feet; the tail is half that length, 

 and usually terminates in a spine or claw, which, however, is attached only to the skin, and is 

 easily worn off. No use for this is known. The structure of the bones and muscles presents a 

 model of strength and activity. A lion can crush the skull of a buffalo with a stroke of his paw. 

 and can carry off the body of a man, or antelope, as easily as a cat does a vat. One of them 

 lias been known to gallop oft* with a two-year-old heifer, and in its progress to leap a broad dyke 

 with the utmost facility; another to kill a horse, and drag the body to the distance of a mile; 

 and still another, having killed a young cow, to run off with it, and, although pursued by men 

 , on horseback for five hours, the body only touched the ground two or three times ! 



The lion lies in wait for his prey; he. creeps near to it, and then rushes upon it with a series 



of tremendous leaps, seldom failing to secure his prize. The cat, hunting a mouse, is a good 



example — on a minute scale — of a lion hunting an antelope or a quagga. His nature leads him 



. to seek concealment, to skulk under cover, and to gain his object by stealth rather than open 



