DESEKT CAT. 35 



The colour of this animal varies considerably, some- 

 times the spots are inclined to run into blotches, and 

 the legs have a tendency to have black lines. 



The value of its skin is Is. 6d. Seventy-one skins 

 were imported in 1891. 



The larger examples appear to be called the Fishing 

 Cat by some writers. 



EUROPEAN WILD CAT. 



Felis cat us. 

 French : Chat Sauvage. German : Wilde Katze. 



The Wild Cat is indigenous to Great Britain ; it is by 

 no means rare in Sutherlandshire, Eoss-shire, Inverness- 

 shire, parts of Perthshire, and South Caithness ; it is 

 also found in North Wales, and some of the Northern 

 counties of England. It is very rare in Lincolnshire, but 

 is not thought to exist in Ireland. Its habitat extends 

 to France, Sardinia, Hungary, Prussia, the Caucasus, 

 and other parts of Europe. 



Its yellowish-brown colour and full fur cannot fail to 

 attract even the most casual observer ; its tail is bushy, 

 ringed with black at extremity, and shorter than in the 

 domestic cat. 



The W r ild Cat is about 2 to 3 feet long, and has a 

 ridge of hair along the back like the domestic variety. 

 The fur is about 1 inch long and very thick ; the colour 

 is yellowish-brown, and blue shade at the ground ; there 

 are usually a few narrow black lines or marks between 

 the ears. The colour of individual specimens, however, 

 vary ; many are beautifully marked with spots or stripes ; 

 most are plain, except at the. back, which is darker. 



D 2 



