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728 CAT. 
CATABROSA. 
takes its name from the supposed resemblance of | a shorter, thicker tail, and, indeed, would seem 
the branches of its trees to the feathers of the 
cassowary. Nearly a dozen species were intro- 
duced to Britain during the 50 years preceding 
1825; one of these, the muricated, was brought 
from India, and all the others from Australia and 
Polynesia; three, the glaucous, the knot-flowered, 
and the equisetum-leaved, produce the male and 
the female flowers on the same plant, and the others 
produce them on different plants; two, the four- 
valved and the most slender, attain heights of 
respectively about twenty and about twelve feet, 
and all the others usually grow to the height of 
about sixteen feet. 
CAT. A well-known domesticated, carnivor- 
ous quadruped, whose attachment appears to be 
rather to the dwellings than the persons of her 
| protectors ; in which respect her conduct is very 
opposite to that of the dog, whose alliance with 
man is founded upon disinterested, personal at- 
tachment, not to be affected by changes of place 
or fortune. Her youthful sportiveness, beautiful 
fur, and gentle demureness of manner in after 
life, dispose mankind to regard the animal with 
kindness ; but the most persevering attempts to 
cultivate her good dispositions are followed with 
such slight success, and met with so much of de- 
ceit and ingratitude, as to weary the patience of 
the most benevolent. The cat is capable of show- 
ing considerable fondness for an individual. but 
never appears to confide fully, even in the warm- 
est demonstrations of kindness. Her treacherous 
calmness of disposition needs but slight provoca- 
tion to be changed to vengeful malignity. When 
hurt, or much alarmed, she is ready to attack 
her best benefactor with as much fury as a stran- 
ger. Being highly sensitive, and fond of ease, 
the cat evinces little anxiety, except for the con- 
tinuance of her enjoyment, and is ever prepared 
to seek more comfortable quarters, whenever the 
condition of her patrons may render a movement 
politic. At what period cats became inmates of 
human habitations, it is scarcely possible, at this 
period, to determine. Beyond doubt, their use- 
fulness in destroying rats, mice, and other small 
animals, first introduced them to notice. The 
first mention we find made of them, in profane 
history, is by Herodotus, the father of historians, 
in his account of Egypt. He speaks of them as 
diminishing the vermin infesting human dwell- 
ings ; states some of the Egyptian superstitions 
relative to them, as well as some observations 
upon their breeding, dispositions, &c. The cele- 
brated naturalist Temminck, in his excellent 
monography of the genus felvs, adduces strong 
reasons for believing that the cat was originally 
domesticated in Egypt, and that the gloved-cat, 
F. maniculata—the chat ganté of Southern Africa 
—is, in all probability, the original stock of the do- 
mestic cat. Its strong resemblance in size, pro- 
portions, &c., renders this opinion more accept- 
able than that which attributes the origin to the 
common European wild-cat, which is smaller, has 
rather to be the domestic cat returned to the 
savage state, than its original stock. The sub- 
tlety and circumspection of the common cat are 
evinced by all its habits and movements; and 
the observation of this disposition has obtained 
for it the name it bears in most of the living 
languages of Europe. In Latin it was called cat- 
us, from the adjective signifying cunning, wary, | 
subtle, &c. From this name catus, we have the 
English cat, the German katze, the French chat, &c. 
The domestic cat belongs to a genus—felis— 
better armed for the destruction of animal life | 
The short and pow- 
than all other quadrupeds. 
erful jaws, moved by vigorous muscles, are sup- 
plied with most formidable trenchant teeth ; | 
a cunning disposition, combined with noctur- | 
nal habits and much patience in pursuit, gives 
them great advantages over their prey; and 
their keen lacerating claws, which are always | 
preserved in the most acute state by the peculiar 
arrangement that keeps them concealed when 
not in use, enables them to inflict a death-blow 
on their victims with as much certainty as ease. | 
The cat, in a degree, partakes of all the attributes — 
of her race,—lies in ambush for her prey, and | 
seizes it by a sudden leap,—plays with her cap- | 
tives before putting them to death,—and does © 
not limit her destruction to the mere gratifica- | 
Cold and wet are disagreeable | 
tion of appetite. 
to the cat, and electricity is especially feared by 
SS 
her: advantage may be taken of the latter cir- | 
cumstance to avert the troublesome visits of the 
animal. After having once received a shock 
from a Leyden vial, but little apprehension need 
be entertained of the cat’s return to the same 
place. Of various aromatic substances, as catnep | 
or catmint, &c., puss is remarkably fond ; and | 
the odour of valerian appears to throw her into | 
an ecstasy of pleasure. 
The food of the cat, in a | 
state of domestication, is necessarily very various, | 
but always of flesh or fish, if it can be obtained. | 
A desire to possess herself of the latter article of | 
diet, proves one of the strongest temptations to — 
theft that the cat is exposed to: in fact, it takes | 
a very severe education to make her any better — 
than a thief under any circumstances. 
The cat | 
is remarkable for the fetor of its eructations, as _ 
well as the powerfully offensive and phosphorus- | 
But, personally, it | 
like odour of its urine, &c. 
is a very cleanly animal, avoiding to step in any 
sort of filth, and preserving its fur in a very neat 
condition. Of its habits, when well taken care 
of and much petted, it cannot be necessary to 
speak here, as they are universally known. 
brings forth from three to six at a litter, which 
remain blind for nine days. 
CATABROSA,—popularly Whorl grass, or Food 
grass. A small genus of aquatic grasses, of the 
glyceria tribe. Only two species are known, the 
aquatic and the greenish ; and they take their 
name of catabrosa, signifying “food,” from the 
The | 
cat goes with young for sixty-three days, and — 
