THE CAT TRIBE. 



and the nature of the food render unnecessary and impracticable. 

 The tongue is also a lacerating organ, for it is armed, especially 

 towards the hinder part, with numerous close-set prickly papillae, 

 the points of which are reverted, and the palate presents a series 

 of transverse ridges covered with rough and prominent tubercles. 

 The gape is of great extent in proportion to the size of the 

 animals ; a fact which is frequently illustrated by the keepers 

 of travelling exhibitions, who are in the habit of thrusting their 

 heads into the lion's mouth, by way of exciting the astonishment 

 and terror of the spectators. The claws of the feline tribe are 

 very long and curved, and their sharp cutting edges and finely- 

 pointed extremities are preserved unimpaired by a particular 

 provision, which enables them to be entirely retracted. The 

 toes, which are remarkably short and obtuse, are five in number 

 on the fore-feet, and four on the hind j their under surface is 

 furnished with several distinct callous tubercles, on which the 

 animal rests in progression, no other part of the feet being 

 applied to the ground, for these animals are thoroughly digi- 

 tigrade -, they possess no sole, and the part which corresponds 

 with the heels of most mammals is in these conspicuously 

 placed on the posterior part of their limbs, considerably above 

 the tubercles at the base of the toes. Their legs are short and 

 muscular ; and their joints rounded, supple, and in the highest 

 degree flexible. 



A remarkable uniformity is exhibited in the general outline 

 of form 5 all the species being distinguished by the elongated, 

 but not particularly slender make of their bodies, which are 

 much flattened on the sides j by their short thick necks, taking 

 for the most part a nearly horizontal direction j and by the 

 broad and rounded form of their heads, which, in the males, 

 are usually much larger than in the females. Their whiskers 

 generally consist of several very long bristles, and are highly 

 useful to the animal as delicate organs of touch hence they 

 have been better denominated feelers. 



Their undisputed superiority in strength securing them against 

 the attacks of other animals, the cat tribe never associate together 



