I HAVE referred tersely in Chapter I (Zoological Position Of The Cat Family, With A Descriptive List Of The Various Feline Species). to the Wildcat, the Egyptian Cat (which undoubtedly originally was a Wildcat), and the American Wildcat; but I now repeat a description of these, as they are unquestionably the source of origin of the Domestic Cat.

The Wildcat (F. Catus)

While the Wildcat of western Europe is undoubtedly one of the strongest factors in the origin of the ordinary short-haired house-cat of to-day, and the description of it should be original, and that of the house-cat by comparison, the latter is so much more familiar to us all that it is simpler to describe the Wildcat by comparison. The Wildcat differs from the house-cat in being larger and stronger in its body. It has a head which is broader and more heavily boned, and a short, thick tail which does not taper. Its whiskers are more abundant, and the pads of its feet are, in the males, of a deep black. In color it is a yellowish gray, with a dark longitudinal mark along the back, and it has dark stripes descending more or less vertically on the sides and transversely on the legs. Its tail is ringed with black, and is black at the end. In other words, it is marked much like the domestic Tabby.

The Wildcat.

Fig. 8. - The Wildcat.

The Egyptian Cat (F. Caligata)

The Egyptian Cat is a native of northern Africa, and was the parent of the cat tamed by the Egyptians, and undoubtedly also one of the originators of our own house-cats. The Egyptian Cat is considerably smaller than the European Wildcat. It is of a yellowish color, darker on the back, and very light on the belly. The stripes on the body are not well marked, though slightly more so on the legs. The tail is slightly ringed.