42a 



CARNIVORES. 



dark grey. It lias been recorded from Guiana and Chili, but doubtless also 

 inhabits the intervening States. 



The Caffre, or Egyptian Cat t^Fdis caffra)?- 



With the eattre, or, as it is frequently termed, the Egyptian cat, we come to a 

 species of more than ordinary interest, since, by many authorities, it is regai-ded as 

 the parent stock from which the domestic cat of Europe has sprung. 



The caftre cat is about the size of a large domestic cat, and is generally of a 

 yellowish colour (becoming more or less grey in some specimens), darker on the 

 back, and paler on the under-parts. The body is marked with faint pale stripes, 

 which assume, however, on the limbs the form of distinct dark horizontal bands ; 

 and the tail, which is relatively long, is also more or less distinctly ringed towards 

 its tip, which is completely black. The sides of the face are marked by two 

 horizontal streaks. Very generally the soles of the hind-feet in this cat are black, 

 although in the paler coloured varieties this part is not darker than the back. 



The catire cat has a wide distribution, being found throughout Africa, from 

 the Cape to Algiers and Egypt, and also extending into South- Western Asia in 

 SjTia and Arabia. In past times it also ranged into South-Easteni Europe ; its 

 fossilised remains havinsx been obtained from the cav^ems of the rock of Gibraltar, 

 in company with those of several extinct species of mstrnmals. At the period when 

 the caffre cat lived in Gibraltar, Spain was doubtless connected by land with 

 Africa. These cats, as is well-known, were held sacred by the ancient Egyptians, 

 and enormous numbers of their bodies were embalmed and preserved in tombs and 

 pits ; the largest repositories being found in the cities of Bubastis and Beni-Hassan. 

 The cats found in the tombs of the two localities mentioned are regarded bj" Pro- 

 fessor Virchow, who has devoted much study and attention to this subject, merely 

 as tamed individuals of the wilrl cattre cat, and having no sort of relationship) with 

 the domestic cat ; the origin of which, it is considered, is to be sought in Europe or 

 Asia. On the other hand. Dr. A. Nehring,'- of Berlin, whose opinion is entitled to 

 much weight, considei"s that the black sole of the liind-foot, common to the catfre 

 cat and the domestic cat of Europe, is indicative of the descent of the latter from 

 the former, although it is quite probable that there may be also a strain of Asiatic 

 blood in our cats. And much the same opinion Ls entertained by Professor Mivart. 

 In this connection it is important to notice that in South Africa it has been 

 ascertained that the domestic cat will breed freely with the catfre cat. On the 

 other hand, as we have already had occasion to mention, there are several species of 

 Asiatic cats, such as the leopard-cat and the ru.sty-spotted cat, together witli others 

 referred to below, which will cross et|ually readily with the domestic cat of India. 

 It is, however, quite possible that this may not affect the origin of the European 

 cat, since Dr. Nehring is of opinion that the domestic cat of the Chinese has an 

 exclusively Asiatic descent, and is thus quite distinct from that of Eui'ope ; while 

 Mr. Blanford suggests an Indian origin for the domestic cats of that country. 



1 Also known a.s F. caligafa ami F. manicvJata. 



= This imter considers that there are two species of Egyptian cat, viz., i^ caffra (or maniculata), and 

 F. calirjata. 



