To Mountain Tarn 



yesterday. An occasional thinning of the tail in 

 the trophies of the trap told the story. So long 

 as the wild cat was strong in numbers mating 

 would be less frequent, and the results quickly 

 cast out. The more deeply fixed characters of 

 the wild strain would resist change, the command- 

 ing influence of a wild environment would protect 

 its own. 



With the killing would result a very different 

 state of matters. The relations would alter, the 

 balance would tremble to the other side. When 

 the wilds held only one solitary bachelor to cater- 

 waul on the edge of the shades, and the nearest 

 tame cat was in the next croft a mile or two up 

 the glen, mating would be freer. The falling off 

 in the wild strain would put the tame cat in 

 possession of the future. Where were ten house- 

 cats for each wild one, the tame strain would have 

 the advantage. When the proportion reached 

 twenty it would dominate. No further power 

 would remain to cast out the results. The cross 

 would persist in the woods ; it would increase in 

 the houses. 



A passer-by, who stooped to pussy, basking at 

 some Highland cottage door, met with a decided 

 objection to being stroked. There was a lowering 

 of the ears, an opening of the mouth, a drawing 

 out of the eyes, and other signs of wild nature. 

 A keen eye could tell the source, apart from the 

 fact that the domestic cat, purring alongside, blink- 



