No. V. THE CAT TRIBE. 

 PART I. 



INCLUDED among the members of the cat tribe 

 or Felicia, as they are scientifically termed we 

 find many of the largest and most powerful of all 

 the Carnivora, or flesh-eating animals. The lordly 

 lion, the fierce and savage tiger, the crafty leopard, 

 and many others, all belong to this family, which, 

 Australia excepted, is spread over the greater part of 

 the world 



Intended by nature for an active and predacious 

 existence, the structure of the Cats is pre-eminently 

 adapted to suit their mode of life, and the whole 

 form is a marvellous combination of strength, light- 

 ness, and activity. 



Take the lion, for example. Who would think that 

 an animal of such ponderous size and weight, who can 

 strike an ox to the ground with a single blow of his 

 mighty paw, could glide noiselessly through the thickest 

 jungle and overtake an antelope in fair chase ? 



Let us now proceed to examine this wonderful 

 structure in detail, and afterwards to devote a short 

 space to each of the more prominent animals of the 

 group. 



We will first examine the skeleton, beginning with 

 the skull. 



The first point which strikes the attention is the bony 

 ridge which runs along the crest of the skull, and 

 which chiefly serves as the attachment for the powerful 

 muscles which act upon the jaws. Inside the skull a 



