THE VARIETIES 23 



the black colour usually predominates, the white 

 usually being upon the face, breast, and feet. 

 They are very suitable as town cats. Black stripes 

 upon a white body are the tabby markings. 



Blue. 



There is a blue variety of short-haired cats, 

 which seems to be really a Blue Tabby, destitute 

 of the markings or spots characteristic of the latter, 

 excepting when young, when tabby markings may 

 be present. The shade varies from a light silver 

 to a light blue. There is no lustre on the coat 

 the colour being subdued. 



The Tabbies. 



The characteristic features of the Tabbies reside 

 in their markings, or the transverse stripes, 

 though some Tabbies are spotted ; but whether 

 striped or spotted, sharpness of markings constitutes 

 the ideal of beauty. These markings probably 

 represent, or are the legacy of, the primary stock, 

 from which the domestic cat has been evolved. 



The ground or body colour may be either white, 

 red, yellow, silver, blue, grey, brown, or chocolate, 

 and opinions are at variance as to which of these 

 constitutes the best for body colour, and the only 

 answer that the writer can give is, individuality of 

 taste. White markings on coloured grounds of 

 Tabby cats are faulty. 



