1907.] ENGLISH DOMESTIC CATS. 167 



2. The pattern — or, in other words, the arrangement of the 



stripes — shows that English Domestic Cats are referable 

 to two distinct types, whether they belong to the " Manx," 

 " Persian," or '• Short-haired " breeds. 



3. These two types of pattern are different in kind and do not 



intergrade. They are so distinct from each other that no 

 one would hesitate to regard them as characterising two 

 well-marked species if the animals presenting them existed 

 in a wild as opposed to a domesticated state. 



4. In one type of pattern the stripes take the form of narrow 



transverse or vertical bands which sometimes break up 

 into spots. To feral or domesticated examples of this Cat 

 have been given many names, of which torquata is the 

 best known and ango?-ensis or striata possibly the oldest. 



5. This Cat {torquata) was apparently domesticated in Europe 



at least as early as the 16th century. There seems to be 

 no reason therefore for regarding it as of Indian origin. 



6. It closely resembles in pattern two existing species, namely, 



the so-called Egyptian Cat {F. ocreata) and the European 

 Wild Cat (F. sjjlvestris), both of which occur at the 

 present day in the Mediterranean Region, and are very 

 nearly related to each other. There is no difficulty in 

 the way of believing that they are the ancestral forms or 

 " agriotypes " of this domesticated race {torquatct). 



7. In the other type of pattern the stripes take the form of 



broad longitudinal or obliquely longitudinal bands forming 

 a ring-like or spiral arrangement on the sides of the abdo- 

 men. To domesticated examples of this Cat, Linnseus gave 

 the name catus, which cannot be applied to any other form 

 of the genus Felis. Domestica is its best-known synonym. 



8. This Cat (catus) is certainly known to have been domesti- 



cated in Europe in the middle of the 18th century. It 

 was not, however, apparent^ known in India in the 

 middle of the 19th century. Probably, thei-efore, it is of 

 European descent. 



9. Its origin is unknown. Of the several hypotheses that may 



be held on this subject perhaps the following two are the 

 most to be commended : — that it arose as a sudden varia- 

 tion or sport from the torquata-hveed, in which case 

 European Domestic Cats are dimorphic in pattern ; that it 

 is the direct descendant of some extinct Pleistocene Cat, 

 in which case there are two distinct species of Domestic 

 Cat in Europe. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 



PlATE VIIL 



Blotched Tabbies, Felis catus. 



The four skius photographed were selected out of a large number to show the 

 prhicipal variations to which the pattern in this Cat is liable. All came from the 

 Cats' Home in Camden Town, London. 



