144 The Naturalist in Silwria. 



nearest assailant, who chanced to be the biggest of the 

 boys and best armed — his weapon, a heavy hedge-stake. 

 A well-aimed down-blow on the cat's skull stunned her, 

 and before she could recover from it, other blows 

 administered in quick repetition laid her out apparently 

 lifeless. The boys believing her so, and caring more for 

 birds' nests than cat of any kind — little did they suspect 

 what an interesting animal they had dealings with ! — were 

 about moving away from the ground, in fact, had gone 

 some distance, when, chancing to look back, they saw the 

 cat, they had supposed dead, tumbling about and making 

 futile attempts to get upon her feet — in which, left to 

 herself, she would doubtless have succeeded. But re- 

 turning they made a sure finish of her, cutting off the 

 tail, which alone they took away with them as a trophy. 

 What a pity it was not the whole pelt ! Had it been so, 

 this article would, no doubt, be more interesting, or, at 

 all events, less conjectural. 



That tail is now lying on the table before me, with a 

 full note account of the episode — when it was taken, and 

 a description of the oat herself, correct and near as 

 remembered. She was larger than the largest house 

 " Tom," more stoutly built, with a square head, and huge 

 broad paws, her coat shaggy, the colour a barred black 

 and grey, with a yellowish tinge — all characteristics of 

 the true wild cat. But the tail before me, which I can 

 see for myself, this puzzles me. Its colour is ringed 

 black and grey, so corresponding with that of the wild 

 species. But then the hair on it, though coarse, is short, 

 the shape tapering, and its length^-for I have the whole 

 of it from root to tip, or rather its skin — is less than six 

 inches, while that of a true wild cat is, or ought to be, 

 over eleven. But no better does this short tail tally with 



