Bea. Wt DCA. T. 
very thick, marked with alternate bars of black and 
white, the end always black: the hips and hind 
part of the lower joints of the leg, are always black: 
the fur is very foft and fine. The general color of 
thefe animals is of a yellowifh white, mixed with a 
deep grey: thefe colors, though they appear at firft 
fight confufedly blended together, yet on a clofe 
infpection will be found to be difpofed like the 
{treaks on the fkin of the tiger, pointing from 
the back downwards, rifing from a black lift that 
runs from the head along the middle of the back to 
the tail. 
This animal may be called the Briti/h tiger; it is 
the fierceft, and moft deftructive beaft we have; 
making dreadful havoke among our poultry, lambs, 
and kids. It inhabits the moft mountanous and. 
woody parts of thefe iflands, living moftly in trees, 
and feeding only by night. It multiplies as faft 
as our common cats; and often the females of the 
latter will quit their domeftic mates, and return 
home pregnant by the former. 
They are taken either in traps, or by fhooting : 
in the latter cafe it is very dangerous only to wound 
them, for they will attack the perfon who injured 
them, and have ftrength enough to be no defpi- 
cable enemy. Wild cats were formerly reckon- 
ed among the beafts of chace; as appears by the 
charter of Richard the fecond, to the abbot of 
Peterborough, giving him leave to hunt the hare, 
fox, and wild cat. The ufe of the fur was in lining 
Vor. I. G of 
Sr 
