44 THE CAT 



Short-haired ones, because the longer hairs of 

 the former blend with one another and do not 

 allow so distinct a line of demarcation. 



SHORT-HAIRED CATS. 

 THE EUROPEAN OR WESTERN CAT. 



The Short-haired Cat, otherwise known as 

 the European or Western Cat, is the one de- 

 rived from the European Wildcat, with an in- 

 termixture of the blood of the Egyptian Cat. 

 Whatever may have been its original form 

 which was probably simply a modification of 

 the form of the Wildcat and its color 

 which undoubtedly at first was the same as the 

 grayish coat of the Wildcat it has changed 

 but little except as to a modification of size and 

 a change of color, which is no more odd than 

 the alterations of color of any other animal 

 removed from its natural surroundings and 

 living in civilization. The varieties we make 

 of the Short-haired Cat of to-day are really 

 somewhat arbitrary, and based upon color ; but 

 we do find that certain deviations of conforms- 



