70 



The Living Animals of the World 



SHOET-HAIEED BLUE. 



This champiun cat belongs to Lady Alexander, by whose 

 kind permission it is here reproduced. 



cat of Spain, and in fact that countrv is overran witli 

 the breed, ranging from a dense lilack and hrcnvn to 

 lighter shades of orange-brown and white. The jiure 

 tortoiseshell might be called a black and tan. with no 

 white, streaked like a tortoiseshell condj if I'lossible, and 

 with wonderful amber eyes. It is cliaracteristic of their 

 intelligence that they will invariably find their way 

 home, and will even bring that mysterious instinct 

 to bear which guides them back long distances to the 

 place of their birth ; and, with regard to this cat, the 

 stories of almost impossible journeys made are not one 

 bit exaggerated. The tom-cats of this breed are very 

 rare in England ; I myself have only known of the 

 existence of six in fifteen years, and of these but three 

 are recorded in the catalogues of our cat shows. 



The Black Cat has many of the characteristics 

 of the tortoiseshell. but is essentially a town cat, and 

 is wont to dream his life away iu shady corners, in 

 underground cellars, in theatres, and in all places where he can. in fact, retire to monastic 

 quiet. The black cat of St. Clement Danes Church was one of the remarkable cats of 

 London. It was his wont to climb on to the top of the organ-pipes and enjoy an occasional 

 musical concert alone. A christening or a wedding was his pride ; and many p)eo2ile can 

 vouch for a lucky wedding who had the good-fortune to be patronised by the black cat of 

 St. Clement Danes, which walked solemnly down the aisle of the church in front of the 

 happy couples. 



My old pet Peter was a l)lack-and-white cat, and, like most of his kind, was one of the 

 most remarkable cats for intelligence I have ever knoA^m. A recital of his accomplishments 

 would, however, have very few lielievers — a fact I find existing in regard to all really 

 intelligent cats. There are so many cats of an opposite character, and people will rarely take more 

 than a momentary trouble to win the finer nature of an animal into existence. SufBce it to 

 say, that Peter would lie and die, sit up with spectacles on his nose and with a post-card 

 between his paws — a trick I have taught many people's cats to do. He would also mew silent 

 meows when bid, and wait at the door for my home-coming. I'or a long time, too, it was 

 customarv to hear weird footfells at night outside the bedroom doors, and visitors to the house 

 were a little more superstitious as to their cause than we were ourselves. We set a watch upon 

 the supposed ghost, but sudden opening of the doors discovered only the mystic form of Peter 



sitting jiurring 



on the stairs. He was. 



Fkoto by I. J'ull] 



[U'lku- Stru-l. 



SILVEll TAI'.BY. 

 A beautiful variety of the tyjiiual British cat. 



lowever, ultimately caught in the act of lifting the 

 corner of the door-rug and letting it fall back 

 in its pjlace, and he had grown quite expert in 

 his method of raising and dropping it at regular 

 inter\als until he heard that his signals had 

 [iroduced the required effect, and the door was 

 opened to admit him. 



White Cats 1 might call musical cats, 

 for it is quite characteristic of the albinoes 

 that noises rarely startle them out of theii- 

 simpering, loving moods. The scraping of a 

 violin, which will scare an ordinary cat out 

 of its senses, or the thumping of a piano, 

 which would terrorise e\en strong-nerved cats, 

 would only incite a white cat to a happier 

 mood. Certainly all white cats are somewhat 



