1909-1910-] ^^^ Common Cat, 209 



cophagi awaited their burial. Many such tombs have been 

 found at Thebes and Heliopolis, and whole cat cemeteries have 

 been unearthed there and at Beni Hassan. From these sacred 

 areas, whole shiploads of mummy cats have been brought to 

 this and other countries, and used for the purpose of manuring 

 the land. This practice of cat worship has survived in Egypt 

 as a curious observance until very recent years. This consisted 

 in the Moslem Egyptians taking with them in their caravan 

 each year nine or ten cats, so as to make the pilgrimage to 

 Mecca with them. At first a woman was employed to look 

 after the cats, but as perhaps she found her duties rather 

 arduous, a man provided with several baskets took her place, 

 and so the poor animals were made to perform this religious 

 observance, nolens volens — rather nolens, I should fancy. 



It is well known that Mahommedans are very fond of pet 

 animals, and hence we find that endowments have been made 

 for the maintenance of cats both in Cairo and in Constanti- 

 nople. One of the Sultans of Egypt founded such a charity in 

 the thirteenth century, and even to-day in a certain square in 

 Cairo you may see dozens of cats assembling for a daily meal 

 provided by the generosity of this humane sultan. Unfortu- 

 nately the revenue has decreased greatly during recent years. 



From Egypt a few wealthy individuals brought cats with 

 them to Greece, Rome, and later to other European countries. 

 These were at first highly prized, and commanded large sums 

 when sold. There is in the Naples Museum a well-drawn 

 fresco, brought from the ruins of Pompeii, depicting a cat 

 catching a bird. 



The Romans employed the cat as a symbol of liberty. This 

 was represented as a goddess with a cup in one hand, a broken 

 sceptre in the other, and a cat at her feet. It may be stated 

 here that other nations have employed the cat as an emblem 

 of liberty, and at the time of the French Revolution the Re- 

 publicans carried it on their banners. 



Tame cats were brought into this country by the Romans, 

 but they do not seem to have multiplied to any extent, as the 

 value set upon them was high even as late as ten centuries 

 after the Roman occupation. Heavy penalties were inflicted 

 on those who killed a cat. By a Welsh law passed during the 

 reign of Howel the Good, who died in 938 a.d., the price of 



