94 Lloyd's natural history. 



Eelation to Domestic Cats. — It has long been a question whether 

 the Domestic Cat is a descendant of the Wild Cat, or whether 

 its origin is to be traced to some other species of the Felida. 

 On the whole, the available evidence is in favour of the latter 

 view ; and it is probable that the Caffre or Egyptian Cat 

 (Felis caffra) of Northern Africa is the real progenitor of 

 " Pussy." It is, however, a well-ascertained fact that the 

 various smaller wild species of Cats will interbreed with the 

 Domestic Cats of their respective countries ; and it is accord- 

 inglyhighlyprobable that the prevalence of "tabbies' among the 

 Domestic Cats of Europe generally, and England in particular, 

 may be largely due to intercrossing with the Wild Cat. On the 

 other hand, in India, where Domestic Cats are frequently 

 spotted, it is quite likely that the whole race may have OBgin- 

 ated from a wild spotted species very markedly distinct from 

 the striped Caffre Cat. It may be added that during the 

 Pleistocene period the range of the latter species extended into 

 South-western Europe, so that there were ample opportunities 

 for its domestication, even if this did not take place in 

 Egypt. 



THE DOGS, WOLVES, AND FOXES. FAMILY 



CANID^. 



Easily distinguished therefrom externally by their long, 

 sharp muzzles, as well as general appearance, the Dog-tribe 

 dilfer from the Felida in many important structural features. 

 In the skull, for instance, the auditory bulla, although bladder- 

 like and rounded, is not divided into two chambers by a 

 vertical partition; while the teeth are much more numerous 

 and different in form. Then, again, the blind appendage, or 

 caecum, of the intestine is of considerable length, and generally 

 folded upon itself. Except in the Hunting-Dog {Lycaon) of the 

 Cape, the toes are numerically the same as in the Cats ; but 



