2 o6 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



game as it can find there. It likewife breeds with the 

 wild one. It is no uncommon thing for females of the 

 tame fpecies to quit their houfes during the time they are 

 in feafon, go in queft of male Wild-Cats, and return 

 to the fame habitations impregnated by them. It is by 

 this means, that fome of our domeftic Cats fo perfectly 

 refemble thofe of the wild breed. 



The hair of the Wild-Cat is foft and fine, of a pale- 

 yellow colour, mixed with grey; a dufky lift runs along 

 the middle of the back, from head to tail; the fides are 

 ftreaked with grey, pointing from the back downwards ; 

 the tail is thick, and marked with alternate bars of black 

 and white. It is larger and ftronger than the tame Cat, 

 and its fur much longer. 



It inhabits the mo ft mountainous and woody parts of 

 this ifland, lives in trees, and hunts for birds and fmall 

 animals, fuch as rabbits, hares, rats, mice, moles, &c. 

 It frequently makes great havock among poultry ; will 

 even kill young lambs, kids, and fawns; and is the 

 fierceft and mod deftrudlive beaft of prey in this king- 

 dom. 



It is taken either in traps, or by mooting. There is 

 frequently danger in the latter mode ; for if it be only 

 flightly wounded, it will attack the perfon who has in- 

 jured it, and is not eafily repelled. 



Wild-Cats are found, with very little variety, in almoft 

 every climate. — They exifted in America before its difco- 

 very by the Europeans. One of them was brought to 

 Columbus, which was of the ordinary fize, of a brown- 

 ifrVgrey colour, with a long tail.— They are common in 

 many places of Afia and Africa. — Sparrman gives a de- 

 fcription of one which he (hot at the Cape, which was in 

 every refpett fimilar to thofe of this country. It was of 



