INTRODUCTION. xix 



In the smaller races the kittens are born with closed 

 eyelids, and the parents for the most part discard their 

 young when they cease to be nourished by the mother. 

 In the larger Felidse some appear to be mono- 

 gamous and to pair for life. The Lion remains 

 with the Lioness whilst the cubs are young and 

 helpless and assists in providing them with food 

 after they have ceased to be nourished by the mother, 

 the cubs remaining with their parents until they are 

 nearly full-grown. 



It is the same with the Tiger. Sir Joseph Fayrer 

 states that the cubs remain with the parents until 

 they are nearly full-grown, and others have verified 

 the truth of his observation. The late General 

 Douglas Hamilton (' Sport in Southern India ') 

 records having seen a family, consisting of the two 

 parents and three nearly full-grown cubs, migrating 

 from one locality to another. 



According to the observations of Mr. Hunt, the 

 Superintendent of the Zoological Gardens at Dublin, 

 the cubs of the larger race are not always born with 

 closed eyelids. He writes : — " In some cases we find 

 cubs born with their eyes open and in others not so. 

 In 1894 we had two Lionesses which had cubs — in 

 one the cubs had their eyes open at birth and in the 

 other they were blind for three days after birth ; " 

 and adds this remark : " We hardly ever find them 

 blind after three days." 



In the larger Felidse the pupils of the eyes are 

 round and never contract to a vertical slit. 



b 



