THE VARIETIES 19 



Ribs ought to be deep, and well sprung, a flat 

 side being a somewhat common fault. When you 

 pick the cat up behind the shoulders, you ought to 

 be impressed with the capacity of the chest, as so 

 many animals are faulty in this respect. 



Flanks should be full, and the belly well-rounded, 

 not tucked up as seen in so many inferior-bred 

 cats. 



Back and loins strong, ending in a bushy grace- 

 fully carried tail, with an abundance of soft hair 

 upon it. 



Hind quarters should be indicative of great power, 

 and the muscles firm to the touch. 



The general build of a typical cat's body should 

 be one of compactness, any tendency towards 

 lankiness or slackness of build being objectionable, 

 and such will most assuredly be noticed under 

 judicial ken, although probably the ordinary 

 observer might overlook defects patent to the 

 connoisseur. The temperament of a cat should be 

 sweet, but, unfortunately, many of the cross-bred 

 cats are far from the ideal in this respect, though 

 it must be admitted that environment has a marked 

 influence in the determining of the temperament. 



Tortoise-shell. 



The colour of the Tortoise-shell should be 

 red, black, and yellow or white. The markings 

 constitute the principal features, and unless these 



