160 MR. R. I. PococK OX [Feb. 19, 



and Miss Bate described a specimen from Crete as the t}^e of a 

 distinct subspecies of F. ocreata *. 



The origin of F. cat us appears to be at present quite unknown. 

 It may be held : — 



a. That it arose joe?- saltum as a sport from the other Domestic 

 Cat {torquata), and that the pattern persisted in virtue of 

 its own inherent dominance without the aid of Man, or in 

 virtue of the guiding factor of selective bi'eeding. In 

 opposition to this must be urged the complete absence 

 of evidence that species of Felis are ever dimorphic in 

 pattei'n. and the ascertained fact that they breed true to 

 the specific or subspecific type. 



h. Tliat it arose from torquata by the slow and gradual process 

 of preserving and breeding from fancied varieties. But in 

 answer to this it may be pointed o\it that there is no reason 

 to think that selective breeding of Cats was ever seriously 

 practised until the latter portion of the nineteenth century. 

 ^Moreover, if the catus type arose by that process, inter- 

 mediates between it and torquata would probably be seen 

 everywhere. 



c. That it resulted from the interbreeding of F. ocreata and 



F. si/Ivestris. When two distinct species cross, the hybrid 

 sometimes reA'erts in some respects to the characters of a 

 common ancestor of both. There is no reason, however, 

 for thinking that the pattern of catus was the pattern of 

 the ancestor of sylvestris and ocreata ; and it seems to be 

 in the highest degree improbable that the progeny of two 

 closely allied and similai-ly striped species like si/lvestris 

 and ocreata should be marked in a totally difierent manner 

 from its parents. There is, moreover, good reason for 

 thinking that the torqitata-hveed. was the resulting hybrid 

 of that cross. 



d. That it resulted from interbreeding between sylvestris or 



ocreata or torquata and some exotic species introduced into 

 Europe. There is, however, no reason to beheve that either 

 tamed or Avild representatives of any exotic species other 

 than ocreata were so introduced, apait from menagerie- kept 

 animals. 



e. That it is the direct descendant of some existing exotic species. 



It is quite evident, however, that it is not the direct un- 

 modified descendant of any knoAAii species of Felis, since its 

 pattern is unicjue in just the same w^ay and to the same 

 extent that the pattern of the Tiger is unique in the genus. 

 /. That it is the survivor of some extinct, probably Pleistocene 

 Cat of Western Europe. By the method of exhaustion of 

 other possibilities, one falls back upon this supposition, 

 which at least has this in its favour, that no very obvious 

 or cogent reason can be advanced against it. 

 * P. Z. S. 1906, p. 317. 



