THE CAT. 233 



motto is " The more the merrier," the cat's is 

 " The fewer the better fare." 



It is often remarked that cats are more at- 

 tached to places than to persons, whereas a 

 dog will always prefer to accompany his human 

 friends, and will make himself at home with 

 them anywhere. Here again we see remnants 

 of certain ancient habits. Wild cats usually 

 choose some fixed spot as their permanent head- 

 , quarters, and devote their attention to the game 

 in the immediate neio-hbourhood. Hence when 



o 



the cat takes part in our civilisation, the house 

 where it lives and is fed is regarded in the 

 same light as was the den it used to select for 

 itself among the gnarled roots of some forest 

 tree. Wild animals of the dog tribe, — such as 

 wolves, jackals, and dholes, — on the contrary, 

 range a great extent of country, and, except 

 when breeding, make their lair wherever night 

 finds them. Darwin pointed out that when- 

 ever a dog lies down he curls himself around 

 several times as if he were trampling and twist- 

 ing long grass into a comfortable nest. Each 

 member of the pack regards himself as at home 

 as long as he is with his fellows. Of course 

 when a swift creature, such as a deer or an 



