40 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. Lemar. Iv. 
destructive than a common house-cat, when she takes to hunting 
in the woods. In this case they should always be destroyed, as 
when once they have learned to prefer hares and rabbits to rats 
and mice, they are sure to hunt the larger animals only. I be- 
lieve, however, that by cropping their ears close to the head, 
cats may be kept from hunting, as they cannot bear the dew or 
rain to enter these sensitive organs. ‘Tame cats who have once 
taken to the woods soon get shy and wild, and then produce 
their young in rabbit-holes, decayed trees, and other quiet 
places; thus laying the foundation of a half-wild race. It is 
worthy of notice, that whatever colour the parents of these 
semi-wild cats may have been, those bred out of them are 
almost invariably of the beautiful brindled grey colour, as the 
wild cats. A shepherd, whose cat had come to an un- 
timely end—by trap or gun, I forget which—in lamenting 
her death to me, said it was a great pity so valuable an 
animal should be killed, as she brought him every day in the 
year either a grouse, a young hare, or some other head of game. 
Another man told me that his cat brought to the house during 
the whole winter a woodcock or a snipe almost every night, 
showing a propensity for hunting in the swamps and wet places 
near which the cottage was situated, and where these birds were 
in the habit of feeding during the night. A favourite cat of 
my own once took to bringing home rabbits and hares, but never 
winged game. Though constantly caught in traps, she could 
never be cured of her hunting propensities. When caught in an 
iron trap, instead of springing about and struggling, and by 
this means breaking or injuring her legs, she used to sit quietly 
down and wait to be let out. There is a cat at the farm now, 
who is caught at least twice a-week, but from adopting the same 
plan of waiting quietly and patiently to be liberated, she seldom 
gets her foot much hurt. 
The animal that requires the greatest care in trapping is the 
fox. If the trap is too smooth, he slips his foot out; if too 
sharp, he cuts off his foot, and escapes, leaving it behind him. 
I consider the best manner of having fox-traps made is to get 
them without teeth, but with about three spikes of an inch in 
length on each side of the trap; these entering the animal’s leg 
without cutting it, hold him firmly and securely. The surest 
