30 THE WILD CAT OF EUROPE. 



instances of the kind occurred in my place in Conne- 

 mara some years ago, where in a cave by the lake- 

 side a Cat brought up her young, and, frightened by 

 the dogs, would never come near the house again. 



" The only ancient reference which I can now lay 

 hands on is that of the ancient Irish poem treated of 

 in the tract already referred to, where it is said two 

 Cats were procured from the cave of Katticrohan, in 

 county Roscommon, but I see no reason for believing 

 that they were originally wild. The word used in 

 the original MSS. is Chait, but it is evidently a cor- 

 ruption of the English term." 



