106 CATS AND ALL ABOUT THEM 



but they are much treasured. Occasionally you find Maltese 

 (so called) of other colours, and Blue and White. The 

 owners are generally under the impression that these cats 

 are a special breed to themselves ; this point, however, is 

 open to doubt." 



The same authority, referring to Tortoiseshells, says : " I 

 doubt if this breed will ever find favour in America, and 

 Blacks are too sombre for this country, where people enjoy 

 a good deal of sunshine, the fancy being more apt to run 

 to lively colours." 



Another curious item about American cats is that there 

 have been for many years, in the States of Maine and 

 Massachusetts, and on the islands off that coast, quite 

 a number of long haired cats, called by the natives " Coon 

 cats," because of their jackets. History relates that they 

 were brought from the East on ships, and being landed on 

 the islands are tolerably pure, though some have crossed 

 with wild cats and ordinary cats and have varied also from 

 climatic influence. They are mostly rather large, strong 

 cats, well coated, with wonderful tails, big in the ear, short 

 of fur over the head and inclined to be long in the nose. 

 Amongst the Maine cats are some of a curious seal- brown 

 colour, or deep mahogany red, with not a vestige or sign of 

 markings, giving them an undoubted suggestion (however 

 impossible) of a 'coon (raccoon) strain in them. Hence, pre- 

 sumably, the name. 



I confess that I should like to see specimens of these 

 cats in England. 



Miss Helen M. Winslow in her book concerning cats says 

 that by many people this Blue or Maltese cat is not con- 

 sidered a distinct breed. It seems vaguely to be known as 

 the Archangel, Russian, Spanish and Chartreuse, and yet 

 probably it is only a cross between Blacks and Whites. 

 Miss Winslow gives a picture of her " Pretty Lady " and 

 describes her as a "beautiful, fascinating and seductive 

 Maltese, with white trimmings to her coat." The illustra- 

 tion suggests a cross between a Russian and a short-haired 

 English cat with an expansive white shirt front and white 

 gloves. 



