i6o 



THE CAT TRIBE. 



the eyes, which gleam by night like carbuncles, 

 do not see very far, but are wonderfully 

 adapted to recognize objects in the immediate 

 neighbourhood in the darkness of night. 

 The slightest noise arrests the attention of 

 these animals, which never err as to the direc- 

 tion and place of origin of the sound. The 

 slightest movement of an object excites in 

 them the desire to pounce down upon it; 

 motionless objects are not heeded. 



They combine an astonishing flexibility 

 with massive strength, suddenness of attack 

 with infinite patience. With the exception 

 of some large species, such as the tiger and 

 lion, all the Felida with retractile claws are 

 capital climbers. Many lie in wait for their 

 prey, crouching close down on the branches 

 of trees. Good runners in case of need, they 

 yet prefer to attack by cunning rather than 

 in open battle, to take their victim by surprise 

 rather than to overpower him by superior 

 force. They creep and crawl noiselessly up to 

 the object of their pursuit, sharply watching all 

 his movements, remain motionless when their 

 destined prey shows any uneasiness, and 

 again creep forwards when his fears seem to 

 be set at rest. They make use of all the 

 advantages of the ground like skilled hunters, 

 concealing themselves as much as they can, 

 until at last, when they have arrived within 

 a sufficient distance, they overwhelm the 

 animal with a sudden mighty spring, knock 

 it down with a single stroke of their paw, and 

 then tear it to pieces with their claws and 

 teeth. Only when urged by the keenest 

 pangs of hunger do they follow an animal 

 which they have missed at the first bound. 

 Usually they turn back with a shamefaced 

 look and angry growls. But when their leap 

 is successful, and they have struck their 

 victim in the side, as is most commonly the 

 case, or on the nape of the neck, and have 

 rendered it defenceless by a few good bites, 

 then begins an undignified scene — the victor 

 plays with his victim, lets it stand up again 

 and take a few tottering steps, then darts 



upon it anew, and shows by the motions of 

 its tail, by its delighted purring, what pleasure 

 it finds in the useless efforts of its panting 

 and bleeding prey, as it vainly endeavours to 

 escape from death. At last the cruelly mur- 

 dered animal has breathed its last with con- 

 vulsive spasms. In most cases the victor 

 then seizes it in its teeth and carries or drags 

 it to some secure retreat, where he devours 

 it. It is in so doing that the extraordinary 

 strength of these ravagers is most frequently 

 displayed. A lion has been seen to leap over 

 high hedges carrying an ox in its jaws. 



The Felida do not bury their stores as the 

 Canida do, and they eat carrion only in cases 

 of dire necessity, when they have suffered 

 long from want of food. But although they 

 prefer a freshly killed victim, yet they will 

 return for one or two nights to their prey 

 when it has been too much for one meal. 



The nature of the prey is in proportion 

 to the strength of the ravager. The large 

 Felida attack the large ruminants; the small 

 species are content with mice, and even with 

 lizards and locusts. In general the Felida 

 avoid as much as possible encounters with 

 antagonists which might vanquish them ; they 

 never become bold till they are urged by 

 necessity. There are, nevertheless, accounts 

 of battles for life or death with opponents 

 whose strength or watchfulness the assailant 

 had under- estimated, with competitors for 

 some particular prey, or with rivals for the 

 favour of some female in the season of heat. 

 Towards man the large species behave in 

 very different ways. They shun him when 

 they have made acquaintance with fire-arms 

 and when they come across him accidentally 

 by day, for in general the Felida show little 

 courage in the daytime. But lions, tigers, 

 jaguars, and panthers have the reputation of 

 preferring human flesh when once they have 

 tasted it. Old males of these species are very 

 apt to be " man-eaters." It may be surmised 

 that this preference for human flesh is most 

 pronounced in those places in which the 



