230 
WILD-CATS AT THE ZOO 
joined battle, like the Border rider at Chevy Chase, 
who — 
“ When his legs were smitten off, 
Did fight upon his stumps.” 
These bold and courageous beasts, fresh from the 
remnants of the Caledonian Forest, have not diminished 
either in size or courage since the wild-cat was de- 
scribed by John Bossewell in 1597 : — “ He is slye and 
wittie, and seeth so sharply that he overcometh the 
darkness of night by the shyninge light of his eyen. 
In shape of body he is like unto a leopard ” — [this is 
not the case, however] — “ and hathe a great mouth. 
He doth delight that he enjoyeth his liberty; and in 
his youth he is swift, plyante, and merye. He 
maketh a rueful noise and a gasteful when he pro- 
fereth to fight with another.” The growling of the 
wild-cats is “ gasteful ” indeed, not only when they 
proffer to fight with another, but whenever a friendly 
visitor proffers to look at them. That owned by 
Lord Lilford, which has been in the Zoological 
Gardens for some time, when exhibited at the cat 
show at the Westminster Aquarium, performed the 
singular and creditable feat in wild-cat annals of 
growling without ceasing for two whole days, varied 
only by explosions of hisses and spitting. This cat is 
somewhat lighter, and has fewer dark markings than 
the Scotch wild-cats ; the ground hue of the fur is 
pepper-colour, its eyes pale-green, its nose very small 
— not a usual feature in wild-cats — and covered with 
fur, its face round and bushy, and its expression 
