CARNIVORA. 
15 
of the tiger assume either shape, and that it is equally 
active day and night ; that the puma, like the tiger, 
is equally disposed for action at all times, though its 
eye-pupils, unlike those of that animal, are always 
circular; that one lynx has the pupils changeable 
as to shape, while the other has them only varying 
in size, and that both their habits accord ; and lastly 
that the common cat, which has the pupils varying 
greatly in shape, though we know it sees with little 
light, seems to possess in the day a vision as perfect 
as those animals which merely increase or decrease 
the size of the pupil, though it continues always 
round ; we seem led to a conclusion, that there is a 
fallacy in adopting the form of the pupil as a physical 
characteristic of the disposition and habits of the 
animal. 
A very prevailing, if not a generic, character di- 
stinguishes a large proportion of the felinae, which 
is, a white spot on the back of the ears. Those that 
are uniform in colour, as the lion, the puma, and the 
black species, as well as the common varieties of the 
domestic cat, seem to be without it ; but it is cer- 
tainly to be found in the tiger, panther, jaguar, 
ounce, hunting-leopards, ocelots, lynxes, and several 
others. 
The head of the cat tribe is very short and round ; 
the tongue is aculeated, with the prickles inclining 
backward ; their ears are small and acuminated ; their 
tail varies considerably in length in the different 
species ; they have five toes on the fore feet, and 
four only on those behind. 
