BEASTS OF PREY 



27 



(c) The extraordinary elasticity of the body. If we bend a rod of 

 cane or steel, hold the two ends together, and then let them go suddenly, 

 the rod springs away a considerable distance. The flexible and elastic 

 backbone of the cat works exactly like such a rod. This peculiarity of 

 the body, together with the flexible joints of the legs, is of service to the 

 cat in another way. When seized by an enemy, man or dog, she can 

 turn round either fore-part or hind-part of her body, and so make use of 

 her principal weapons, the claws. The slender flexible body also facilitates 

 climbing, and enables her to creep through chinks and crevices (see 

 Section e) ; and lastly, by skilful contortion of the body, she is able, even 

 from a moderate height, to fall always on her feet. (Why is this more 

 difficult than when she falls from a greater height ?) 



(d) The long, powerful tail, becoming somewhat weaker towards the 

 end, which (in springing as in falling) serves as rudder. 



(e) The absence of the clavicles. When a man in falling tries to 

 support himself on his arms, he may easily break them; for as he 

 possesses clavicles, and needs them (see p. 11), his arms are firmly 

 (without elasticity) connected with the shoulder-girdle, so that the shock 

 in falling is not diminished. The cat, on the other hand, at every spring 

 alights on the fore-legs. Fracture, however, does not take place, because 

 the shoulder-blades are only connected with the skeleton of the trunk by 

 ligaments and muscles, and yield to the shock (prove on the living 

 animal how easily the shoulder-blades can be moved), and also because 

 yet another safeguard occurs in the shoulder-joint. When the weight of 

 the body comes on the fore-legs, the angle between the upper arm and 

 shoulder-blade is diminished, enlarging again when the bones return to 

 their resting position. (Hence we understand why all swift-running and 

 springing animals have no clavicles.) 



The absence of the clavicles also enables the cat to compress the fore- 

 part of the body in creeping through holes which are apparently much 

 too small. Any hole is big enough if her head will pass through. 



3. The last joints of the toes are provided with curved claws, the points 

 of which are of needle-like sharpness, and which penetrate the body of the 

 prey like daggers. To prevent these murderous weapons from becoming 

 blunt by contact with the ground, they, as well as the last joints of the 

 toes, are bent upwards in walking, and concealed in a fold of the skin 

 like a dagger in its sheath. They are held in this position by the tendon 

 of a muscle and two strong elastic bands. If the animal, however, is 

 roused or about to seize its prey, two flexor muscles, the tendons of which 

 are attached to the under side of the two last joints, with lightning-like 

 rapidity pull down these joints and the sickle-shaped claw, thus convert- 

 ing the foot into a terrible weapon of attack. With the cessation of this 



