376 Proceedings of tit e Royal Physical Society. 
on whom to vent a mischievous humour ; and the popular 
myth that a cat has nine lives, deadens the conscience of 
the thoughtless hoy, and of others hesides boys. 
But the cat is not only a useful animal, holding the place 
in the world of living beings which has been assigned to it 
by the Creator. It has social qualities of a high order ; and 
if the dog is rightly characterised as being man's coujpanion 
on the road and in the field, the cat is equally entitled to be 
considered as his companion in the house. 
I have no intention to ascribe to the cat qualities which 
she does not possess. We usually say she, perhaps because 
the cat is so much associated with females in domestic life. 
Her softer skin unfits her for many of the rough out-of-door 
occupations in which the dog is concerned. But her limbs 
have more flexibility ; and her whole structure is arranged 
for the kind of life which has been designed for her. The 
dexterity which she shows in some of those actions, which 
we call thefts, is very remarkable. The neatness with which 
she presents her soft paw to a friend, while it is transformed 
into a powerful weapon of offence to an enemy, cannot be 
forgotten by any one. The noiselessness of her movements, 
when she has any purpose to serve, is not excelled by any 
other animal. 
She must be held much inferior to the dog in intelligence 
and fidelity. But no one who is acquainted with her char- 
acter, can ascribe to her only selfishness and cunning. Va- 
rious as are the colours and markings of her fur, as various 
are her mental, and what we may call moral qualities also. 
The colour of the fur varies in different individuals, from 
pure white to pure black, with intermediate tints. The 
forms in which these colours are arranged are also very 
various. The markings are striped, tiger-like, or spotted, 
leopard-like, or waved, as tortoise-shell.* But besides, some 
cats are clever, while others are stupid. Some are social, 
affectionate, grateful ; others are morose, irritable, revenge- 
ful. Some love to sit or lie near one of the family ; othei-s 
slink away or rush away, unwilling to be noticed. Some 
* I am informed that tortoise-shell in the male is scarcely ever seen. 
