202 MAMMALIA— CAT. 



either dazzled and astonished by the force of imagination, or drawn by some 

 attractive power in the cat." 



As they are exceedingly clean, and as their coat is always dry and shin- 

 ing, their hair easily electrifies ; and sparks are seen to come from it, when 

 rubbed with the hand, in any dark place. Their eyes shine in the dark, 

 almost like diamonds, and reflect outwardly, during the night, the light 

 which they may be said to have imbibed during the day. 



Cats may be taught to perform tricks, such as leaping over a stick, but 

 ihey always do such feats unwillingly. There was an exhibition of cats, in 

 Regent-street, London, where the animals, at the bidding of their master, 

 (an Italian,) turned a wheel, drew up a bucket, rang a bell, and, in doing 

 these things, begin, continue, and stop, as they were commanded. But the 

 commkncez, continuez, arretez of their keeper, was always enforced with a 

 threatening eye, and often with a severe blow ; and the poor creatures ex- 

 hibited the greatest reluctance to proceed with their unnatural employments. 

 They had a subdued and piteous look ; but the scratches upon their master's 

 arms, showed that his task was not always an easy one. 



"At Elford, near Litchfield, in England, the Rev. Mr Sawley had taken 

 the young ones from a hare which had been shot. His cat, which had just 

 lost her own kittens, carried them away, as it was supposed, to eat them ; 

 but it presently appeared that it was affection, not hunger, which incited 

 her, as she suckled them and brought them up as their mother." 



Wild cats, from whence all the domestic varieties have been derived, have 

 been seen in several parts of Africa, as in Guinea, at the Gold Coast; at 

 Madagascar, where the original inhabitants had even domestic cats ; at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, where, Kolben says, " there are also, though in a small 

 number, wild cats of a blue color ;" and these blue, or rather slate colored 

 cats, are found again in Asia. In Europe, but one species of wild cat is 

 known, and seems to be but little varied by climate. 



In England, the wild, or wood cat, is the fiercest and most destructive 

 of predatory animals, and may not improperly be denominated the British 

 tiger. At its full growth, it stands a foot and a half in height, measures 

 nearly two feet round the body, and, including the tail, which is half a yard 

 long, it is about four feet in length. A larger head, more vividly sparkling 

 eyes, and a more agile and daring demeanor, distinguish it from the domes- 

 tic species. Its color is of a yellowish brown ; the head, back, sides, and 

 tail, being marked transversely with bars of deep brown and black. It is a 

 very solitary animal. Merely to wound them is dangerous, as they will 

 turn furiously on their assailant, and they have strength enough to render 

 themselves formidable. In spite, however, of their strength and agility, 

 they are often vanquished by a much smaller enemy. That enemy is the 

 pine marten. The combat between the two animals is well described by 

 the author of a recent valuable work. The British Naturalist. " The onset," 

 saj^s he, "is one of some skill on both sides. The aim of the cat is to 



