MAMMALIA. FER£. Cat. 153 



ftiff ; the tail is very fhort, reaching only to about the middle of the hind legs. The Serval inhabits 

 the mountains of India, remaining almoft always on trees, where he makes his neft, leaping with 

 great agility from tree to tree, and preying on birds: The inhabitants of Malabar call tliis animal Ma- 

 rapute or Maraputa. 



19. Common Cat.' — 12. Pelts Catus. 6. 



Has a long annulated tail. 



Felis, or Cat, having a long tail and fmooth rounded ears. Faun. Suec. 3. 



Inhabits the woods of Europe and Eaftern Aha, and is domefticated almoft ever)- where.— When 

 tranquil the Cat makes a peculiar noife, called purring, and erects the tail, waving it about ; it is ex- 

 ceedingly active in all its motions, and climbs trees with great facility ; when irritated, it makes a pe- 

 culiar hilling noife, fpits, and ftrikes with the fore feet, at which time the breath fmells ftrongly of 

 mulk : The eyes fbine in the dark, and, during the day, the pupils are perpendicularly oblong and 

 narrow, but, in the dark, they are round and very wide ; the claws are hooked, ftrong, and very 

 fharp pointed, but, being retractile, are always kept in their fheaths when the animal walks : The 

 eructations of this animal are extremely fetid ; the urine of the male is corrofive, and has a very dif- 

 agreeable odour ; and it always buries the excrement. The amours of the Cat are carried on with 

 ftrange quarrellings, and a horrible mewling noife ; but it is very playful with its kittens, which it 

 fummons by a peculiar cry, or with any thing trailing along the ground : When watching for prey, 

 it moves the tail from fide to fide ; it preys moftly on mice and rats, and, when in the wild ftate, on 

 many kinds of fmall quadrupeds, and on birds; it eats all kinds of fleih and fifli, but rejects hot things, 

 falted meat, and vegetables, and drinks fparingly. On the approach of ftormy weather, the Cat walhes 

 its face with its fore paws, licking them with its tongue. The fur is electrical, when rubbed in the 

 dark, efpecially when placed on filk ; and it is not infefted with fleas. It engenders in the beginning 

 of fpring ; the female goes fixty-three days with young, and brings forth from three to fix kittens, 

 which are blind for nine days after birth. It is particularly fond of Marum, Valerian, and Catmint. 

 When thrown from a height, the Cat always lights on its feet, and is proverbially tenacious of life, 

 being faid to have nine lives. The Cat is a ufe'ful but deceitful and thievifh animal, of which many 

 people have a ftrong but unaccountable diflike. 



There are many varieties found in different parts of the world, which will not admit of any fyfte- 

 matic defcription; but the following are thofe which are beft marked. 



a. Wild Cat. — Fel. Catus forus. 6. a.. 



Has a long tail, annulated with brown bars ; the body is marked with blackifh flripes, 

 of which three are difpofed longitudinally on the top of the back, while thofe on the 

 fides are perpendicular or fpiral. Schreber, hi. 397. t. cvii. A. a. 



Cat, Felis, variegated with yellowifh brown and whitifh ; the tail being barred alternately with 



blackifh and dirty white. BrifT. quad. 192 Felis fylveftris, Catus fylveftris, Chat fauvage, or 



Wild Cat. Aldrov. 582. fig. p. 583. Jonft. quad. 127. t. 72. Gefn. quad. 352. Klein, quad. 75. 

 Sm. Buff. iv. 49. pi. xlvi.— Wild Cat. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 166. Bk.it. zool. i. 67. — Wilde 

 Kaze. Ridinger, wild, th, t. 240, 



. Vol. I. U g. 



