NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 311 



Cat is likened to a Leopard," &c. Now the translation of the 

 Latin work of Bartholomseus de Glanvilla (or Glanville, as we 

 may call him), which Wynkyn de Worde printed (probably in 

 1495), happens to have been made by John Trevisa. From 

 this we conclude that Dr. Hamilton has not looked very 

 closely into the matter. Nor is it really of much importance ; 

 for whoever the translator was, or whatever the date of publica- 

 tion, the extract quoted is not worth the trouble of transcription 

 so far as English records of the Wild Cat are concerned. It 

 may be of interest, however, to note, en passant, that this 

 particular folio from the printing press of Wynkyn de Worde 

 happens to be the first book which was printed on paper made in 

 England. It was manufactured at Hertford, by one John Tate, 

 whose name is mentioned in the ' Prohemium.' 



But this by the way. We cannot follow Dr. Hamilton through 

 his collected "records of the Wild Cat in England and Wales" 

 (pp. 16-21) "and Scotland" (pp. 22-26), for to do so would 

 necessitate our suggesting several corrections and numerous 

 additions, which for the present must be reserved. With regard 

 to its alleged existence in Ireland, Dr. Hamilton quotes Thompson's 

 remark (Nat. Hist. Ireland, vol. iv.) that "it cannot with certainty 

 be given as a native animal," and recapitulates the negative 

 evidence which he had previously placed on record (Proc. Zool. 

 Soc, 1885). He concludes that "further investigations since 

 Thompson's time all tend to prove the non-existence of this 

 species in the sister island." 



The volume concludes with a section on " the interbreeding 

 of the wild and tame races," and another on " the propensity of 

 the domestic race to assume the colour of the wild race." In 

 support of the latter proposition, the truth of which has often 

 been forced upon our notice, he quotes Darwin and Wallace as 

 authorities for the statement, but does not, as he might have done, 

 furnish the reason in Darwin's own words, namely, " oddly coloured 

 and conspicuous animals would suffer much from beasts of prey, 

 and from being easily shot " (' Variation of Animals and Plants,' 

 vol. ii. p. 33, ed. 1868). Those of our readers who are accus- 

 tomed to pheasant shooting must have frequently remarked how 

 quickly a tortoiseshell or black-and-white cat is detected in 

 covert, and how inconspicuous, even when in motion, is the 

 animal which mimics in colour the true Felis catus. 



