2 THE CAT 



called fur-bearing animals otters, weasels, 

 skunks, badgers, etc. ; and JEluroidea, with 

 four families: Viverridce the musk-cats or 

 civets and genets, with the paradoxures and 

 ichneumons; Hycenidce the three species of 

 hyena, with the aardwolf, or Proteles, of South 

 Africa; Cryptoproctidce, containing but one 

 savage little member, a native of Madagascar, 

 called "foussa"; and finally the cat's own 

 family, the Felidce. 



The degree of perfection reached by any liv- 

 ing organism is simply the amount of speciali- 

 zation or adaptation which it has undergone 

 in its relations to the special natural conditions 

 under which its life is passed, and measured 

 by this standard, the cat is tlie most perfect of 

 carnivores. Feeding upon outer animals, which 

 it must pursue with noiseless stealth and cap- 

 ture by an exertion of supreme activity, the cat 

 has padded feet which make no sound in move- 

 ment ; muscles of enormous power and bulk in 

 proportion to its size, and attached to bones 

 addressed to each other at such angles as to 

 form the most complete system of springs and 

 levers for propelling the body known in the 



