490 MAMMALIA. 



projecting homy papillfe. The fore-feet have five, the hind 

 four toes, armed with claws, which are retractile. When not 

 in use these claws (fig. 253, a) are drawn back hy means of 

 ligaments (ci and 6) into sheaths (s), so as not to be unneces- 

 sarily worn down. All the Felidae are extremely active, and 

 have a very flexible backbone. They are jnainly nocturnal 



Fig. 253. — Bones of Toe of Cat — a, with retracted, ji, with ixt ended claw. 



a, Tendon of extensor mu-scle ; &, retractor ligament ; mc, metacarpal ; pll (1, 2, and 

 3), 1st to 3rd phalanges; s, bony sheath into whicli elaw fits. (From Brit. Mus. 

 Oiit.) 



in habits, catching their prey by springing upon it ; many of 

 the lighter-built Felidse climb well. 



One wild species occurs in Britain, but only in the north, 

 especially Scotland, and the writer has seen it on Cader Idris in 

 Wales — namely, the Wild Cat {Felix rafus). The domestic cat 

 is descended from the Nubian Cat (F. maniculata), a native of 

 the Sudan and Nubia. 



RODENTIA or aNAWERS.i 



The order Eodentia contains the Mice, Eats, Squirrels, Rab- 

 bits, and Hares. These are sometimes called " Glires." The 



^ The Rodeutia are also placed in the order Trogontia of Haeckel ; the 

 two other sub-orders are the Tillodontia and Typotheria, formed for cer- 

 tain Tertiary species. 



