OUADRUP EDS. 
21 
Clafs I. ] 
4h 
Div.II. DIGITATED QUADRUPEDS. 
GENUS VII. The CAT. 
SPECIES I. The DOMESTIC CAT 
Felis domeftica feu catus. Rail 
Jyn. quad. 170. 
Charlton ex. 20. 
Meyer's an. 1 Tab. 15. 
Gefner quad. 317. 
Briffon quad. 264. 
Buff on. Tom. 6. 3. Tab. 2. 
Felis catus. Lin.fyft. 42. 
Felis cauda elongata auribus 
aequalibus. Faun.fuec,. 3. 
Britijh , Cath, mafc G wreath 
French , Chat 
Italian , Gatto 
Spanijh , Gato 
NAMES 
T HIS animal is fo well known as to 
make a defeription of it unneceflary. 
It is a ufeful, but deceitful domeftic; 
a£tive, neat, fedate, intent on its prey. When 
pleafed purres and moves its tail: when angry 
fpits, hiffes, and ftrikes with its foot. When 
walking, it draws in its claws: it drinks little; 
is fond of fifh : its urine is corrofive: it buries 
its dung: it walhes his face with its fore-foot, 
(Linnecus fays at the approach of a ftorm) the 
female is remarkably falacious; a piteous, fqual- 
ing, jarring lover. Its eyes fhine in the night: 
its hair when rubbed in the dark emits fire : 
it is even proverbially tenacious of life: always 
lights on its feet: is fond of perfumes; Marum , 
Cat-mint , valerian , See. *. 
Our anceftors feemed to have had a high 
fenfe of the utility of this animal. That ex- 
* Vide. Lin.fyft . 
Portug. Gato 
German , Katz 
Dutch , Katte 
Swedijh. Katta 
cellent Prince Hoel dda , xxuwtt tne (Jood \ 
did not think it beneath him (among his laws 
relating to the Prices, &c. of animals*.) to 
include that of the cat 3 and to deferibe the 
qualities it ought to have. The price of a 
kitling before it could fee, was to be a penny ; 
till it caught a moufe two-pence; when it 
commenced moufer four-pence. It was re¬ 
quired befides, that it fhould be perfect in its 
fenfes of hearing and feeing; be a good moufer 5 
have the claws whole, and be a good nurfe: 
but if it failed in any of thefe qualities, the 
feller was to forfeit to the buyer the third- 
part of its value. If any one ftole or killed 
the cat that guarded the Prince’s granary, he 
was to forfeit a milch ewe, its fleece and lamb; 
or as much wheat as when poured on the cat 
fufpended by its tail (the head touching the 
floor) would form a heap high enough to co- 
F 
* Wotton’s Leges Wallicoe. p. 247, 248. 
ver 
