22 
QUADRUPEDS. 
[ Clafs I. 
ver the tip of the former. This laft quotation 
is not only curious, as being an evidence of the 
limplicity of antient manners, but it almoft 
proves to a demonftration that cats are not 
aborigines of thefe iflands } or known to the 
earlieft inhabitants. The large prices fet on 
them, (if we confider the high value of fpe- 
cies at that time f) and the great care taken 
of the improvement and breed of an animal 
that multiplies fo fall, are almoft certain proofs 
of their being little known at that period. 
f Howell dda died in the year 948, after a reign of thirty-three 
years over South Wales, and eight years over all Wales. 
The W I LD CAT. 
Felis pilis ex fufco flavicante, et 
albido variegatis veftita, cauda 
annulis alternatim nigris et ex 
fordide albo flavicantibus cincta. 
Briffbn quad. 265. 
Baffin, Tom. 6. 20. Tab. 1. 
Morton Horthampt. 443. 
Gefner. quad. 325. 
Catus fylveftris ferus vel feralis 
eques arborum. Klein, quad. 75. 
Britijh , Cath goed 
French , Chat Sauvage 
Italian , 
Spanijh , Gato Montis 
v NAMES-' 
Portug. 
German,VFMQ katze. Boumrutter 
Dutch , 
Swedijh , 
HIS animal does not differ fpeci- 
I fically from the tame cat; the latter 
—being originally of the fame kind ; 
but altered in color, and in fome other trifling 
accidents, as are common to animals reclamed 
from the woods and domefticated. 
The cat in its favage ftate is three or four 
times as large as the houfe cat; the head 
larger ; and the face flatter. The teeth and 
claws, tremendous, its mufcles very ftrong j 
as being formed for rapine; the tail is of a 
moderate length, but very thick and flat, 
marked with alternate bars of black and white, 
the end always black : the hips, and hind 
part of the lower joints of the legs, are always 
black: the fur is very foft and fine: the general 
color of thefe animals is of a yellowifh white, 
mixed with a deep grey: thefe colors, tho’ 
they appear at firft fight confufedly blended 
together, yet on a clofe infpedfion will be found 
to be difpofed like the ftreaks on the fkin of 
the tiger, pointing from the back downwards, 
rifing from a black lift that runs from the 
head alone the middle of the back to the tail. 
This animal may be called th & Britijh tiger; 
it is the fierceft, and moft deftnftftive beaft we 
have; making dreadful havoke among our 
poultry, lambs, and kids. It inhabits the 
moft mountanous and woody parts of thefe 
iflands, living moftly in trees, and feeding only 
by night. It multiplies as faft as our common 
cats ; and often the females of the latter will 
quit their domeftic mates, and return home 
pregnant by the former. 
They 
-s 
