548 AMPHIBIOUS CARNIVORA. 



It is indigenous to temperate Europe, but has almost entirely dis- 

 appeared from populous countries. It is still met with in the 

 Pyrenees, in the mountains of the kingdom of Naples, and in Africa. 

 It climbs the highest trees of the forest, and there lies concealed 

 among the branches, to watch the Weasel, Ermine, Squirrel, &c. 

 It commits great havoc among flocks, and destroys a great number of 

 hares and game. Its sight is so piercing that the ancients attributed 

 to it the faculty of seeing through stone walls ; it may, however, be 

 asserted with truth that it distinguishes its prey at a greater dis- 

 tance than any other carnivorous quadruped. 



The Common or Domestic Cat (Felis Catus} is originally from the 

 forests of Europe. In its wild state it is greyish-brown, with trans- 

 verse undulating stripes of a deeper colour above, and pale below ; 

 the inside of the thighs and the forepaws yellowish, and the tail 

 annulated with black. When domesticated, it varies in the colour, 

 fineness, and length of its hair, as everybody knows. 



The Amphibious Carnivora constitute the third and 

 last group of flesh-eating Mammalia. Their feet are 

 so short, and so much enveloped in the skin, that 

 they are but of little use on dry land ; but as the 



FlG. 473. FOOT OF THE SEAL. , SKELETON OF THE SAME. 



intervals between the toes are strongly webbed, they 

 form admirable oars. These animals, therefore, pass 

 the greater part of their life in the sea, and seldom 

 come on shore, except to bask in the sun, and suckle 

 their little ones. Their elongated bodies, the flexi- 

 bility of their spine, their hair smooth, and tightened, 

 as it were, against the skin, are properties which, 

 combined together, make them excellent swimmers. 

 They are divided into two groups, the Seals and the 

 Morses. 



The Seals (Phoca] have their canine teeth of ordinary size, live 

 toes on all their feet, those of the fore-feet decreasing gradually from 

 the thumb or great toe to the little one ; while on the hind feet the 

 great and the little toe are the longest, and the intermediate ones 

 are the shortest. The head of the Seals resembles that of a do<r, and 

 they possess the mild and intelligent countenance characteristic 



