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4376 THE ZooLocist—Marcu, 1875. 
follow in the wake of ships for days and weeks together, gathering 
from out the broken water—and that, too, in the roughest sea—the 
smallest fragments of refuse food cast out from the vessel. 
Dr. Bree says that he “agrees with Mr. Morris that we have no 
proof whatever that insects or other animals see colours as we do.” 
It is a difficult matter to prove; nevertheless, there is reason to 
believe that they can and do distinguish colours. Though I am 
no entomologist I have more than once observed insects flying and 
creeping abont till they discovered some object to settle on, where 
they could lie perdu, the colours matching or blending with their 
own. Birds do the same; for instance, sand grouse, ptarmigan, 
woodcock, night hawk, and other species. And nests are concealed 
by the selection of materials so like in colour to the lichen-covered 
branch or mossy rock or bank on which they are placed, as to be 
indistinguishable. 
Henry HaDFIELD. 
High Cliff, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, 
January 6, 1875. 
Wild Cat near Ringwood.—Apropos of remarks in the ‘ Zoologist’ (S. S. 
$482 and 8574) on this subject, I may be allowed to state what has fallen 
under my notice of late; but I wish merely to state facts and describe the 
creature whose presence near here has somewhat surprised me, and shall 
urge no opinion, but leave the question of specific differences and distinctions 
to those who understand or care to discuss them. On the 24th of December 
a cat was shot by Colonel Wright, upon his own lands near here, and I saw 
it almost before it was dead. The description which Colonel Wright gave of 
its activity is that its movements and agility reminded him much ofa squirrel 
upon the trunks and about the branches of the trees, and this is the more 
remarkable as it had lost its left hind leg at the knee-joint, and the wound 
was quite healed; possibly it had been previously trapped, which would 
account for such a mutilation. The first thing that struck me on seeing it 
was the shortness of its tail and the general colour and outline of the animal, 
although I am well aware that the variation with regard to colour is almost 
without limit in different specimens of our Felis domesticus, as indeed is 
the case with many creatures when brought under domestication. The cat 
in question measured from its nose to the tip of its tail about two feet four 
inches, and weighed just over seven pounds; its tail, which was quite 
perfect, is only eight inches long, and comparatively obtuse and “ bushy” 
when viewed with that of the domestic pet, which Shakespeare designates 
“a harmless, necessary cat.” Its general colour is an ashy gray, more 
inclining to brown about the face; a black stripe runs down the spine, and 
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