Beeton's book of poultry and domestic animals - Thurman Lodge ...

IHZ CAT.
oat tie &st deciduous molai'-tooth has a relatively thicker
crown, and is supported by three roots, whilst the .corresponding
tooth both of the domestic and wild cat of Europe has a
thinner crown and only two roots.
Mr. Bell, ia his " History of Quadrupeds," handles the cat
question with the same masterly hand as every other he
touches. With regard to the favourite beUef that the common
wild cat is the father of the tame, he states his belief that there
are many reasons for beheving that this opinion is entirely erro-
neous. In the first place, he observes, the general conformation
of the two animals is considerably different, especially
in the length and form of the taU, which in the wild cat is
strong, robust, and at least as large towards the extremity as
at the base and middle, whilst that of the domestic cat tapers
towards the apex. The fur, too, of the former, he remarks, is
thicker and longer, and although the colours are somewhat
like those which occur in some individuals of the ordinary
species, there are, even in this respect, distinctions which can
scarcely be considered otherwise than as essentially specific, as,
for instance, the termination of the tail in a black tuft which
invariably marks the wild cat.
Referring to Sir William Jardine for his opinion on the
origin of FeUs domesUoa, he suggests that since the introduction
of our house cat to this country there may have been
an accidental cross with the wild native species, by which the
difference in form between the wild and tame cat may be
accounted for. " The domestic cat," says Jardine, " is the
only one of this race which has been generally used in the
economy of man. Some of the other small species have shown
that they might be applied to similar purposes ; and we have
seen that the general disposition of this fanuly will not prevent
their training. Much pains would have been necessary
to effect this, and none of the European nations were likely to
have attempted it. The scarcity of cats in Europe in its
earher ages is also well known, and in the tenth and eleventh
centuries a good moaser brought a high price." Although,
however, our opinion coincides with that of Riippel, and we
think that we are indebted to the superstition of the ancient
Egyptians for having domesticated the species mentioned by
Riippel, we have no doubt that since its introduction to this
country, and more particularly to the north of Scotland, there
hd,ve been occasional crossings with our own native species, and
that the results of these crosses have been kept in our houses.