THE EDINBURGH 



JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



JANUARY, 1840. 



ZOOLOGY. 



BRITISH QUADRUPEDS THE WILD CAT. 



The genus Felts, which includes the Lion, Tiger, Leopard, and a great 

 number of animals of inferior size, among which is the Domestic Cat, is 

 characterized by four grinding teeth above, three below, on each side ; 

 the tongue rough, having its upper surface covered with horny pointed 

 papillae, directed backwards; the ears of moderate size; the body com- 

 pressed, the tail long and gently tapering ; and the claws curved, much 

 compressed, very acute, and retractile. The Feline animals exhibit in 

 their structure a peculiar adaptation to a life of rapine, combining extreme 

 vigour with much patience and cunning. Their flexile spine, muscular 

 and supple limbs, hooked and contractile claws, short jaws, of which the 

 motion is exclusively vertical, long conical canine teeth, and thin-edged 

 grinders, readily distinguish them from all other quadrupeds. In Britain, 

 this genus is represented by a single species, much larger than the Do- 

 mestic Cat, but scarcely formidable to man. 



The Common Wild Cat of Europe, Felts Catus of Linnaeus, in form 

 and colouring resembles a large individual of the domestic race, of the 

 grey striped variety, from which, however, it differs in having the body 

 more elongated, the limbs longer, and the fur thicker. Another character 

 resulting chiefly from the latter circumstance is presented by the tail, 

 which tapers less, being in fact nearly as thick at the end as at the mid- 

 dle. The head is short, broad, convex, anteriorly somewhat triangular, 

 with the snout small, the nostrils linear, the eyes large, the ears erect, 

 somewhat pointed, and of considerable size. The mouth is rather small, 

 and the palate is marked with eight transverse ridges. The incisors, six 

 in each jaw, are very small, nearly even, the lateral larger. On the fore- 

 feet are five, on those behind four toes ; the soles padded and bare ; the 

 claws hook-shaped, and much compressed. The body is generally rather 

 slender, and compressed, the tail long. On each side of the mouth are 

 four rows of long mystachial bristles, which are white, with the exception 

 of some of those of the upper row, they being black. A little behind 

 the angle of the mouth is a pencil of smaller bristles, and a little above it 

 another. The fur is thick, rather long, and soft ; but on the muzzle and 

 feet, as well as the ears, it is short. The teeth are white, the iris hazel, 

 the snout dark flesh-coloured, and the bare pads of the soles black. The 

 fur on the upper parts and sides is pale reddish-brown. Between the 

 eyes commence four tortuous brownish-black lines, which pass over the 

 occiput, and along the hind neck, gradually diverging and becoming 

 broader ; between the shoulder-blades commence three black lines, of 

 which the two lateral curve, and are continued over the sides, while the 

 other runs along the back, forming a broad undulating band, from which 

 proceed bars of the same colour descending along the side. On the tail 

 are nine blackish bands, the last much larger and darker. A narrow black 

 line proceeds from the posterior angle of the eye, and another from a 

 little beneath it, both terminating on the cheek a little behind the ear. 

 The lips are blackish, but the hair on them, as well as on the chin, is 

 yellowish-white ; the lower part of the neck pale reddish-brown ; then a 

 pure white spot ; the breast white, with roundish black spots ; the abdo- 

 men reddish, and spotted with black ; its hind part pure white, the groin 

 and hind part of the thighs reddish. Tlie fore and hind legs transversely 

 barred with black ; their hind part black; the claws yellowish-grey. The 

 under fur is pale reddish at the end, and most of the long hairs are white 

 at the base, then black, afterwards yellowish-red, with the tip black, 

 The male measures three feet and a half in length, of which the head is 

 11 



five, and the tail fifteen inches. The female is much smaller. The 

 colours vary considerably in different individuals. 



Tins animal has long been extirpated from the cultivated parts of the 

 country, being now confined to part of Wales, the hilly tracts of the north 

 of England, the Highlands of Scotland, and some parts of Ireland, where 

 it resides in the thickets, making its retreat to the fissures of rocks, or the 

 cavities between fallen blocks of stone. It preys on Game, Hares, Rab- 

 bits, small quadrupeds, and birds of various kinds ; lives solitarily, or in 

 pairs ; and, as it searches for food chiefly at night, is very seldom met 

 with. It scarcely ever approaches human habitations, and is thus less 

 destructive to poultry than the Marten or Pole-cat, although, on the 

 other hand, it is said sometimes to destroy young Lambs. When caught, 

 it exhibits the greatest ferocity, hissing and yelling like an enraged Do- 

 mestic Cat, and, however long it may be kept in captivity, never becomes 

 reconciled to it. 



This species is by some supposed to be the original source of the do- 

 mestic kind, while others think it to be entirely different. Many indivi- 

 duals of the Common Cat can scarcely be distinguished from the Wild 

 in form and colouring, and, although the Tame Cat is never so large as 

 the Wild, this probably arises from its not being sufficiently supplied with 

 its natural food. In their anatomy the two kinds present much less dif- 

 ference than the Black-faced and Cheviot Sheep, or the West Highland 

 and Short-horned Cows ; and it is alleged that the Wild Cat sometimes 

 breeds with the Domestic, although no authentic instances appear to 

 have been adduced, in this country at least. The Wild Cat has [often 

 been called the British Tiger, but it merits no such distinction, being a 

 simple Cat, and in no respect to be dreaded by a person wandering in its 

 haunts, although, probably, if enraged, and prevented from retreating, it 

 might put to flight many who would face a more dangerous foe. 



DIFFERENT STRUCTURES OF THE SKIN IN DIFFERENT RACES OF MANKIND. 



In our last Number we gave the results of M. Flourens' investigations 

 into the Natural History of Man, as it regards the different races of the 

 species which may be detected from the cliaracter of form, and which he 

 estimates at the number of ten. In the same paper (Ann. des Sciences 

 Nat.) he announces that he has made a discovery in the minute structure 

 of the skin, which, after all the labour previously bestowed, we had 

 thought was next to impossible, and which he maintains constitutes a 

 difference as a character of structure . Most of our readers will know that 

 the skin is usually described as consisting of three layers, — the innermost, 

 true skin, or dermis ; the external, scarf skin, or cuticle ; and the inter- 

 mediate or rete-mucosum, which was supposed to be the seat of colour, and 

 which was stated to be scarcely distinguishable except in the black. M. 

 Breschet's elaborate investigations, some three or four years since, whilst, 

 upon the whole, confirming, somewhat modified these views. He maintained 

 that the rete-mucosum is only the newest and softestlayer of the epidermis, 



that it is not strictly extra-vascular, as the absorbent vessels may be 



traced to its outer layers, as well as the ducts which convey the perspi- 

 ration to the surface. He regarded the proper substance of the epidermis 

 as hardened mucus, and imagined he discovered the apparatus which 

 secreted the mucus, and the perspiration, sending out spiral ducts which 

 penetrated the surface. The organs forming the colouring matter of the 

 skin lie distinguished from the other two sets of glands ; and all these parts 

 from the nervous papillae, which are the organs of touch. 



Dissatisfied with these views, we find M. Flourens making the following 



