THE PEDIGREE OF THE CAT* 



Although it is a common notion that our ordinary " tabby " 

 is the direct descendant of the European wild cat (Felt's 

 catus), now nearly exterminated in Britain, the best modern 

 authorities are of opinion that the real ancestor is a wild 

 species inhabiting North-Eastern Africa, and commonly 

 known as the Egyptian cat (Fe/is libycci) ; a reputed 

 variety of the same species being stated to inhabit parts of 

 Southern Europe. The facility with which several of the 

 smaller species of wild cats will breed together, and likewise 

 the circumstance that the domesticated cats of Asia appa- 

 rently have an origin distinct from that of the European 

 breeds, renders the subject one of more difficulty than 

 might at first seem to be the case. 



With regard to the differences between the domesticated 

 and the wild cat, it has been generally asserted that the 

 latter is considerably the larger animal of the two, although 

 the comparisons made by Dr. E. Hamilton, who has 

 published a book on the subject, indicate that this is not 

 really the case. The statement that the tail of the wild 

 species is shorter and stouter seems largely due to the 

 circumstance that the fur is more abundant and bushy, 



* A portion of the substance of this and the next article appear 

 in the one on " the Origin of Domesticated Animals." In spite, 

 however, of a certain amount of repetition, it has been thought 

 advisable to let all three stand in their original form. 



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