FELIS. 
mountainous tracts of Mexico and Brazil 
these animals are abundant, hiding them- 
selves amidst the foliage of trees, whence 
they spring upon their prey beneath. They 
are reported frequently to stretch them- 
selves out motionless on the branches of 
trees, to induce the monkey to approach 
and examine them, which with his usual 
curiosity he is in such circumstances 
prompted to do ; this curiosity, however, is 
only the instant prelude to his destruction. 
These animals are scarcely capable of being 
tamed, and in captivity display incessant 
restlessness and ferocity. 
F. ligrina, or the Cayenne cat, resembles 
the wild cat in size, habit, and character ; 
is most elegantly spotted with black on a 
tawny ground, and is frequently to be found 
in various parts of South America. It is 
extremely wild and untameable. The spot- 
ted species of this genus of animals have 
been often so imperfectly marked by tra- 
vellers, that much remains to be done be- 
fore a complete description of them can be 
obtained : and the remoteness of their 
haunts from human habitations, which 
can be approached only amidst dangers in- 
superable by all but extraordinary minds 
and constitutions, will, there is reason to 
presume, long preclude their correct defi- 
nition and full detail. 
F. catus, or the common cat. The nu- 
merous varieties of the domestic cat are 
supposed to have proceeded from a race 
native in the north of Europe and Asia. 
In the wild state its tail is somewhat shorter 
than in the state of domestication ; its head 
is more flat, and its limbs are more muscu- 
lar and bony. The general colour of the 
wild cat is that of a pale yellowish -grey, 
with dusky stripes and variegations ; there 
are, however, great varieties both of colour 
and size. Wild cats are found not only in 
Europe and Asia, but also in America,- 
where they existed before its discovery by 
Columbus. In Great Britain they are found 
chiefly in the mountainous and woody dis- 
tricts of the island ; and, as being the most 
rapacious quadrupeds in the country, have 
been designated by Mr. Pennant as the 
British tigers. They range by night in 
quest of prey, and commit fatal depreda- 
tions on kids, poultry, and lambs ; they 
likewise devour hares, small birds, and va- 
rious species of vermin. They breed and 
principally reside in trees ; and are 
equally prolific with the domestic cat. In 
the neighbourhood of the former the latter 
will often quit its residence tor a short 
time, and after associating during this inter- 
val with the wild cat, will return to irs for- 
mer mansion. These animals are frequently 
destroyed by means both of traps and guns; 
the latter of which mode, however, is at- 
tended with some danger, as, if only slightly 
wounded, they will, without hesitation, 
attack the assailant in their turn and inflict 
no contemptible revenge. In the county 
of Cumberland one of these animals was 
killed, not many years since, which mea- 
sured from its nose to the end of its tail 
upwards of five feet. The cat is generally 
imagined to see best in the dark ; and so 
peculiar is the structure of its eye that the 
pupil is capable of contraction and dilata- 
tion, in proportion to the degree of light 
affecting it. This circumstance gives it a 
most important advantage in exploring 
and seizing its prey. The character and 
manners of these animals in their state of 
domestication, are so generally known as 
almost to preclude the necessity of at all 
noticing them. Their expressions, whether 
of pain, anger, or love, are piercing, clamor- 
ous, and extremely harsh and hideous to 
the human ear. On the utterance of the 
sounds of distress by a single individual, 
multitudes will often assemble and appear 
to express their compassion by the most 
disgusting squalls and yellings. The result, 
however, frequently is, that the sufferer from 
disease or accident, from which the original 
call proceeded, is torn to pieces by its com- 
panions, who, not uncommonly, afterwards 
fall upon each other with the most savage 
fierceness, inflicting wounds and death with- 
out the least sensibility or discrimination. 
These sanguinary contests are uniformly 
carried on by night, and instances are relat- 
ed, on respectable authority, in which they 
have been conducted with the most de- 
structive havoc. Cats are remarkably fond 
of certain perfumes, both vegetable or 
mineral; and, on this account are often 
very injurious to a garden or green-house, 
destroying the plants to which they are so 
partial. Cold and wet are avoided by these 
creatures with particular care, and their ha- 
bits are peculiarly neat and cleanly, their fur- 
being preserved by them, until in extreme 
age, from the slightest soil ; and the most 
elegant and splendid furniture being in no 
danger from annoyance by them. The 
female is frequently obliged to conceal her 
young from the male, to preclude their 
being injured and even devoured by him ; 
yet, in some instances, the female herself 
has been ascertained, in opposition to one 
