90 THE WILD CAT OF EUROPE. 



the most general is a dark grey with black spots and 

 stripes ; he also says that the Domestic Cats of India 

 are smaller than those of Europe, but are very com- 

 monly of a grey colour without markings, except on 

 the limbs and some more or less confluent black 

 dorsal lines, the feet and tail being also black to a 

 greater or less extent. This is a style of colouring 

 never seen in those of Europe (of unmixed breed), 

 and the true tabby common in Europe (meaning the 

 tabby with black ground and broad pale streaks 

 peculiarly disposed) is never seen in India ; the grey 

 with black tiger streaks is found in both regions, 

 only that the Indian are of a purer grey than the 

 European ; wholly black cats are less common than in 

 England. Elphinstone states that the Cats of the 

 long-haired variety called Borauk are exported in 

 great numbers from Afghanistan, but are not nume- 

 rous in Persia, where they are seldom or never 

 exported. Blyth, on the authority of Dr. D. Short, 

 says that at Hansi the common Cat breeds with 

 the F. ornata (or torquata), and that many of the 

 Domestic Cats of that part of India were undistin- 

 guishable from the wild F. ornata ; and Dr. Kelaaet 

 states that he has seen hybrids between the Domestic 

 Cat and F. viverrina. Blyth also states that the 

 Angora Cat breeds freely with the Indian Domestic 

 Cats, which have been much crossed with the F. 

 chaus. Daewin remarks that in England half-bred 

 Angora Cats are perfectly fertile with one another ; 

 and he observes that "from these several cases we 

 see that in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, the 

 Common Cat, which lives a freer life than most 

 other domesticated animals, has crossed with various 

 wild species, and that in some instances it has been 



