166 MR, R. I. PococK ON [Feb. 19, 



help wishing there was more positive evidence of the fact. It 

 may be so ; but the statements of authors on this subject cannot 

 be accepted as of any great value unless there is collateral evidence 

 of their intimate acquaintance with the wild species in question 

 and with the range of variation in colour, pattern, and structure 

 of the domestic breeds. Many alleged cases of interbreeding may 

 be found quoted in Darwin's ' "Variation of Animals and Plants 

 lender Domestication.' It is very likely that some Cats seen 

 by Jardine in the north of Scotland were rightly regarded as 

 hybrids between domestic animals and F. sylvestris. And 

 St. Hilaire's statement that the Domestic Cats of Algiers cross 

 with the native Cat {F. lyhica = ocreata), and Layard's to the 

 efiect that similar crosses occur with F. ocreata cafra in 

 S. Africa, may also be true. But in the last two cases it may be 

 doubted if evidence of the crossing Avould be shown by the progeny ; 

 and as regards Jardine's alleged hybrids, long-coated specimens of 

 the " striped " Domestic Cat might easily be mistaken for half- 

 bred Wild Cats. A striped Oat known to be descended from a 

 feral specimen was recently caught in the New Forest, where 

 Felis sylvestris has not occu.rred for at least a century, and sent to 

 the British Museum by Mr. P. H. Barker as a hybrid. On the 

 strength of its long coat, it must be regarded as a " half Persian." 

 Had it come from parts of the north of Scotland, where F. sylvest?'is 

 still lingers, the entire purity of its descent might have remained 

 for ever in doubt. As regards the claim that Domestic Cats in 

 India interbreed with the Jungle-Cat (F. chaus), I am unable to 

 find evidence that satisfies me of the certainty of this occurrence 

 [cf. supra, p. 165). In one case the claim is actually based, in 

 part at all events, upon the occurrence of the internal brachial 

 stripe on the fore leg, a feature regai'ded by the obsei-ver as 

 chai'acteristic of F. chaus, whereas it is the most persistent of all 

 the stripes in the genus Felis. 



No one would be so rash as to affirm that interbreeding does 

 not occur between Domestic Cats and even widely diflferent wild 

 species. But unless the skins and skulls of alleged hybrids are 

 forthcoming for examination, there is no basis for the discussion 

 of the question. Vague suppositions of observers cannot be 

 regarded as evidence of the fact ; and I am of opinion that the 

 prevalent beliefs on the subject are to be assigned in a great 

 measure to the observation of semi-wild specimens of the common 

 but little known striped Domestic Cat, which may be either red 

 or grey in colour, and either striped or spotted in pattern. 



6. Summary. 



The substance of the foregoing remarks may be epitomised as 

 follows : — 



1. The characters used by breeders and fanciei-s as a basis for 

 their so-called breeds of English Domestic Cats have no 

 scientific value, in the sense of afibrding a clue to affinity 

 and descent. 



