50 THE WILD-CAT. 



forsake their homes, and live by plunder in the woods. 

 These may also breed ; but their progeny, though undo- 

 mesticated, will always be widely different in habits, in 

 appearance, in strength, and in ferocity, from the true 

 cat of the mountains. I have seen no less than thirty of 

 these naturalized wild-cats trapped in a single preserve in 

 the Highlands ; some of them might have been mistaken 

 for the genuine breed. The colour in both was pretty 

 much alike, but there were other points which clearly 

 showed their domestic origin. They were, in fact, a cross 

 between the wild and tame cat. I have seen many of 

 this kind stuffed in museums and collections, as fine spe- 

 cimens of the wild-cat, and believed to be so even by 

 those who might have known better. 



The unerring marks of the thorough-bred species are, 

 first, the great size, next, the colour, which does not 

 vary as in the domestic animal, but is always a dusky 

 gray, brindled on the belly and flanks with dingy brown 

 hair long and rough, the head exceedingly broad, ears 

 short, tusks extremely large. Another very distinguish- 

 ing point is the great length and power of the limbs. It 

 stands as high as a good-sized dog. But perhaps the most 

 unfailing mark of all is the tail, which is so long and 

 bushy as to strike the most careless observer. In the 

 males it is generally much shorter than in the females, 

 but even more remarkable, being almost as thick as a 

 fox's brush. 



The woodcut is taken from the largest female that has 



