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ON THE OEIGIN OF THE DOMESTIC CAT, 

 FELIS CATUS, var. DOMESTICUS. 



By Thomas Graham Ponton. 



Many attempts have been recently made to trace out the origin of the 

 several varieties of the domestic dog, but none, as far as I am aware, to 

 discover the stock from which the varieties of the domestic cat have sprung. 



The domestic cat, although not presenting so many and well-marked 

 distinctions of form and colour as the dog, yet presents several decided 

 varieties. Most of these consist of differences in the colour and markings of 

 the skin, but there is also in some cases a decided difference in size, of which 

 I shall presently speak. 



Two theories have at various times been proj^ounded by naturalists as to 

 the origin of the domestic cat. Some, as the author of "The Menageries," 

 consider the wild cat of Britain and Europe, Felis Catiis, Linn, to 

 be the progenitor of our domestic animal. Others, as M. Rlippell, M. 

 Temminck, and Sir William Jardine, on the other hand, maintain that its 

 true original is the Egyptian Cat, Felis maniculata. Professor Bell, in his 

 work on British quadrupeds, differs from all of these several theorists, and 

 argues on various grounds that it is highly improbable that either of the 

 above-mentioned animals can be the progenitor of our domestic cat, and 

 thinks that the stock from which it sprung is still undiscovered. 



To facilitate the further elucidation of the subject, I shall here briefly 

 describe the two wild animals mentioned, 



Felis Catus, Linn. — Head triangular, strongly marked ; ears rather 

 long, triangular, pointed; body robust, markedly more S3 than in the 

 domestic cat. Tail of nearly equal size throughout, slightly larger at the tip 

 and bushy. Hair soft, long, and thick. Colour of the face yellowish grey 

 with a band of black spots on the muzzle ; whiskers yellowish white ; fore- 

 head brown ; head grey, marked with two black stripes passing from the 

 eyes over and behind the ears. Back, sides, and limbs grey, with a dark 

 Stripe down the middle of the back, and numerous pale curved ones on the 

 sides, becoming obsolete towards the belly, which is white. The tail is 



No. 58, Fehruary 1. k ^ 



