28 THE WILD CAT OF EUROPE. 



flesh by his relative Mr. Langtrey, which had been 

 killed a few days previous in Aberdeenshire ; and 

 he says it was as strong in every respect as those 

 animals, but of a lighter grey colour, and he says 

 the animal appeared to be a genuine hybrid between 

 Felis catus and the Domestic Cat. 



Further investigations since Thompson's time all 

 tend to prove the non-existence of this species in the 

 sister island. The late Sir Victor Beooke informed 

 the author that " A well-authenticated instance of the 

 occurrence of the true Wild Cat in Ireland has 

 never been recorded. Several specimens of Cats 

 closely resembling in markings the Wild Cat have 

 from time to time been produced as veritable ex- 

 amples, but upon inspection by naturalists they have 

 invariably proved to be descendants of tame Cats run 

 wild, perhaps for several generations. These beasts 

 attain a great size, and very closely assimilate to the 

 true Wild Cat in their form and coloration." 



Mr. La Touche writes: — "I have just received 

 your letter. Last Sunday I met one of my Galway 

 cousins, and he told me that he remembered when 

 he was a boy the County Grand Jury gave money for 

 heads of Wild Cats, which were supposed to be most 

 numerous and destructive, and that he well remem- 

 bered his father's keeper (his father was Sir John 

 Burke, of Marble Hill, county Galway) often getting 

 this money. I asked him if he ever saw the Cats, 

 and he says he recollects being shown one or two, 

 and they were Martens, always called Cats by Irish 

 keepers." 



Dr. Kennedy writes : — " 1 do not believe in the 

 existence of the true Felis catus, or Wild Cat, as 

 indigenous in Ireland, although Knox, Maxwell, and 



