6o 



The Living Animals of the World 



otherwise even temper is always aroused at 

 the siglit of a native. When in anger, it is 

 by no means a despicable antagonist, and 

 very few dogs would like to engage in a 

 combat with one single-handed." 



Toe Common Wild Cat. 



The Wild Cat was once fairly common 

 all over England. A curious story, obviously 

 exaggerated, shows that traditions of its 

 ferocity were common at a very early date. 

 Tlie tale is told of the church of Barn- 

 borough, in Yorkshire, between Doncaster and 

 ]]arnsley. It is said that a man and a wild 

 cat met in a wood near and began to fight ; 

 that the cat drove the man out of the wood 

 as far as the church, where he took refuge 

 in the porch; and that both the man and 

 cat were so injured that they died. Accord- 

 ing to Dr. Pearce, the event was formerly 

 commemorated liy a rude painting in the 

 church. 



Mr. Charles St. John had an experience 

 with a Scotch wdld cat very like that which 

 General Douglas Hamilton tells of the jungle- 

 cat. He heard many stories of their attack- 

 ing and wounding men when trapped or 

 wlien their escape was cut off, and l^efore 

 long found out that these were true. "I 

 was fishing in a ri\er in Sutherland," he 

 wrote, "and in jiassing from one- pool to 

 another had to climb over some rocky ground. 

 In doing so, I sank almost up to my knees 

 in some rotten heather and moss, almost upon 

 a wild cat which was concealed under it. 

 I was quite as much startled as the cat itself 

 could be, when I saw the wild-looking beast 

 rush so unexi)ectedly from between my feet, 

 with every hair on her body on end, making 

 her look twice as large as she really W'as. I had three small Skye terriers with me, which 

 immediately gave chase, and piu'sued her till she took refuge in a corner of the rocks, where, 

 perched in a kind of recess out of reach of her enemies, she stood with her hair bristled out, 

 spitting and growling like a common cat. Having no weapon with me, I laid down nry rod, 

 cut a good-sized stick, and jjroceeded to dislodge her. As soon as I was within six or seven 

 feet of the i)lace, she sprang straight at my fiice over the dogs' heads. Had 1 not struck her 

 in mid-air as she leapjed at me, I should probably have recei\ed a severe wound. As it was, 

 she fell with her back half broken among the dogs, who with my assistance dispatched her. 

 I never saw an animal fight so desperately, or one which was so difficult to kill. If a tame 

 cat has nine lives, a wild cat must have a dozen. Sometimes one of these animals will 

 take U}) its residence at no great distance from a house, and, entering the hen-roosts and 

 outbuildings, will carry off fowls in the most audacious manner, or even lambs. Like other 



Pliotd hi; Olln,i,ar Anxchiit:] 



SEKVAI, CLI.MIilNd. 

 Ndto the acti\e, CLit-like luethod of cliiiiliing. 



[Bcdiii. 



