ROYAL CAT OF SIAM.

POINTSHead10Small, broad across the eyes, rather long than short, nosemedium length, all well-formed.Eyes15Orange-yellow, slightly tinged with green, large, round,full, and bright.Nose and Feet10Nose dark red, edged with black; tips and cushions of feetblack, also the back of the hind-legs.Fur15Soft, rather woolly hair, yet soft, silky, lustrous, andglossy, short, smooth, even, and dense.Ears10The usual size of the ordinary English cat, but a little morerounded, with not much hair in the interior, black at theapex.Colour20A rich, dun brown, ticked with black and orange, or darker onlighter colours, having a dark or black line along the backextending to the end of the tail, and slightly annulated withblack or dark colour. As few other marks as possible. Insideof fore-legs and belly to be orange-brown. No white.Size and Condition10Large; coat glossy and smooth, fitting close to the body;eyes bright and clear.Carriage and Appearance10Graceful, lithe, elegant, alert and quick in all itsmovements, head carried up, tail trailing, in walkundulating.---Total100

Small, broad across the eyes, rather long than short, nosemedium length, all well-formed.

Orange-yellow, slightly tinged with green, large, round,full, and bright.

Nose dark red, edged with black; tips and cushions of feetblack, also the back of the hind-legs.

Soft, rather woolly hair, yet soft, silky, lustrous, andglossy, short, smooth, even, and dense.

The usual size of the ordinary English cat, but a little morerounded, with not much hair in the interior, black at theapex.

A rich, dun brown, ticked with black and orange, or darker onlighter colours, having a dark or black line along the backextending to the end of the tail, and slightly annulated withblack or dark colour. As few other marks as possible. Insideof fore-legs and belly to be orange-brown. No white.

Large; coat glossy and smooth, fitting close to the body;eyes bright and clear.

Graceful, lithe, elegant, alert and quick in all itsmovements, head carried up, tail trailing, in walkundulating.

N.B.—The Abyssinian Silver Gray, or Chinchilla, is the same in all points, with the exception of the ground colour being silver instead of brown. This is a new and beautiful variety.

POINTSHead10Small, broad across and between the eyes, tapering upwardsand somewhat narrow between the ears: forehead flat andreceding, nose long, and somewhat broad, cheeks narrowingtowards the mouth, lips full and rounded, ears rather largeand wide at base, with very little hair inside.Fur10Very short, and somewhat woolly, yet soft and silky to thetouch, and glossy, with much lustre on the face, legs, andtail.Colour20The ground or body colour to be of an even tint, slightlydarker on the back, but not in any way clouded or patchedwith any darker colour; light rich dun is the preferablecolour, but a light fawn, light silver-gray, or light orangeis allowable; deeper and richer browns, almost chocolate, areadmissible if even and not clouded, but the first is the truetype, the last merely a variety of much beauty andexcellence; but the dun and light tints take precedence.Markings20Ears black, the colour not extending beyond them, but endingin a clear and well-defined outline; around the eyes, and allthe lower part of the head, black; legs and tail black, thecolour not extending into or staining the body, but having aclear line of demarkation.Eyes15Rather of almond shape, slanting towards the nose, full andof a very beautiful blue opalesque colour, luminous and of areddish tint in the dusk of evening or by artificial light.Tail5Short by comparison with the English cat, thin throughout, alittle thicker towards the base, without any break or kink.Size and Form10Rather small, lithe, elegant in outline, and graceful, narrowand somewhat long; legs thin and a little short thanotherwise; feet long, not so round as the ordinary cat; necklong and small.Condition10In full health, not too fat, hair smooth, clear, bright, fullof lustre, lying close to the body, which should be hard andfirm in the muscles.---Total100

Small, broad across and between the eyes, tapering upwardsand somewhat narrow between the ears: forehead flat andreceding, nose long, and somewhat broad, cheeks narrowingtowards the mouth, lips full and rounded, ears rather largeand wide at base, with very little hair inside.

Very short, and somewhat woolly, yet soft and silky to thetouch, and glossy, with much lustre on the face, legs, andtail.

The ground or body colour to be of an even tint, slightlydarker on the back, but not in any way clouded or patchedwith any darker colour; light rich dun is the preferablecolour, but a light fawn, light silver-gray, or light orangeis allowable; deeper and richer browns, almost chocolate, areadmissible if even and not clouded, but the first is the truetype, the last merely a variety of much beauty andexcellence; but the dun and light tints take precedence.

Ears black, the colour not extending beyond them, but endingin a clear and well-defined outline; around the eyes, and allthe lower part of the head, black; legs and tail black, thecolour not extending into or staining the body, but having aclear line of demarkation.

Rather of almond shape, slanting towards the nose, full andof a very beautiful blue opalesque colour, luminous and of areddish tint in the dusk of evening or by artificial light.

Short by comparison with the English cat, thin throughout, alittle thicker towards the base, without any break or kink.

Rather small, lithe, elegant in outline, and graceful, narrowand somewhat long; legs thin and a little short thanotherwise; feet long, not so round as the ordinary cat; necklong and small.

In full health, not too fat, hair smooth, clear, bright, fullof lustre, lying close to the body, which should be hard andfirm in the muscles.

POINTSHead10Small, round, but tapering towards the lips, rather broadacross the eyes, nose medium length, ears rather small, broadat base and sloping upwards to a point.Eyes10According to colour, as shown in other varieties.Fur10Short, of even length, smooth, silky, and glossy.Colour15To range the same as other short-haired cats, if self same asself, if marked same as the marked varieties, with lesspoints, allowing for the tail points in this variety.Form15Narrow, long, neck long and thin, all to be graceful in line;shoulders narrow, well-sloped; fore-legs medium length andthin; hind-legs long in proportion and stouter built; feetround and small.Tail25To have no tail whatever, not even a stump, but some truebred have a very short, thin, twisted tail, that cannot bestraightened, this allowable, and is true bred; but thickstumps, knobs, or short, thick tailsdisqualify.Size and Condition15Large, elegant in all its movements, hair smooth, clean,bright, full of lustre, and lying close to the body, allbetokening good health and strength.---Total100

Small, round, but tapering towards the lips, rather broadacross the eyes, nose medium length, ears rather small, broadat base and sloping upwards to a point.

According to colour, as shown in other varieties.

Short, of even length, smooth, silky, and glossy.

To range the same as other short-haired cats, if self same asself, if marked same as the marked varieties, with lesspoints, allowing for the tail points in this variety.

Narrow, long, neck long and thin, all to be graceful in line;shoulders narrow, well-sloped; fore-legs medium length andthin; hind-legs long in proportion and stouter built; feetround and small.

To have no tail whatever, not even a stump, but some truebred have a very short, thin, twisted tail, that cannot bestraightened, this allowable, and is true bred; but thickstumps, knobs, or short, thick tailsdisqualify.

Large, elegant in all its movements, hair smooth, clean,bright, full of lustre, and lying close to the body, allbetokening good health and strength.

MR. CLARKE'S "MISS WHITEY."MR. CLARKE'S "MISS WHITEY."

POINTSHead10Round and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size;nose rather short, pink at the tip; ears ordinary size, butlooking small, being surrounded with long hair, which shouldalso be long on the forehead and lips.Eyes15Large, full, round or almond-shape, lustrous, and of abeautiful azure blue. Yellow admissible as five points only.Green a defect.Ruff or Frill15Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over theshoulders, and covering the neck and chest thickly.Fur15Very long everywhere, mostly along the back, sides, legs, andfeet, making tufts between the toes, and points at the apexof the ears.Quality of Fur10Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with a slightlywoolly texture in the Angora, and still more so in theRussian.Tail10In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, butsomewhat longer at the base. Angora more like the brush of afox, but much longer in the hair. Russian equally long inhair, but full tail, shorter and more blunt, like a tassel.Size, Shape, and Condition15Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is onaccount of the length of hair. Body long, legs short, tailcarried low—not over the back, which is a fault. Fur clean,bright and glossy, even and smooth, and flakey, which givesan appearance of quality.Colour10White, with a tender, very slightly yellow tint; cushions offeet and tip of nose pink.---Total100

Round and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size;nose rather short, pink at the tip; ears ordinary size, butlooking small, being surrounded with long hair, which shouldalso be long on the forehead and lips.

Large, full, round or almond-shape, lustrous, and of abeautiful azure blue. Yellow admissible as five points only.Green a defect.

Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over theshoulders, and covering the neck and chest thickly.

Very long everywhere, mostly along the back, sides, legs, andfeet, making tufts between the toes, and points at the apexof the ears.

Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with a slightlywoolly texture in the Angora, and still more so in theRussian.

In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, butsomewhat longer at the base. Angora more like the brush of afox, but much longer in the hair. Russian equally long inhair, but full tail, shorter and more blunt, like a tassel.

Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is onaccount of the length of hair. Body long, legs short, tailcarried low—not over the back, which is a fault. Fur clean,bright and glossy, even and smooth, and flakey, which givesan appearance of quality.

White, with a tender, very slightly yellow tint; cushions offeet and tip of nose pink.

POINTSHead10Round, and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size;nose rather short and dark at tip, excepting in the red, whenit should be pink; ears ordinary size, but looking small,being surrounded with long hair, which should also be long onthe forehead and lips.Eyes10For black, orange; orange-yellow for blue; deep yellow forgray; and gold, tinged with green, for red; large, round, oralmond-shaped, full and very bright.Ruff or Frill15Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over theshoulders, and covering the neck and chest thickly.Fur15Very long everywhere; mostly so along the back, sides, legs,and feet, making tufts between the toes, and points at theapex of the ears.Quality of Fur10Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with slightlywoolly texture in the Angora, and still more so in theRussian.Tail10In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, butsomewhat longer at the base; Angora like the brush of a fox,but longer in the hair; Russian equally long in hair but morefull at the end, tail shorter, rather blunt, like a tassel.Size, Shape, and Condition10Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is onaccount of the length of the hair; body long, legs short;tail carried low, not over the back, which is a fault; furclean and glossy, even, smooth, and flakey, which gives anappearance of quality.Colour20Black, dense, bright brown-black, with purple gloss; blue, abright, rich, even dark colour, or lighter, but even in tint;gray, a bright, light, even colour; red, a brilliant, sandy,or yellowish-red colour.---Total100

Round, and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size;nose rather short and dark at tip, excepting in the red, whenit should be pink; ears ordinary size, but looking small,being surrounded with long hair, which should also be long onthe forehead and lips.

For black, orange; orange-yellow for blue; deep yellow forgray; and gold, tinged with green, for red; large, round, oralmond-shaped, full and very bright.

Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over theshoulders, and covering the neck and chest thickly.

Very long everywhere; mostly so along the back, sides, legs,and feet, making tufts between the toes, and points at theapex of the ears.

Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with slightlywoolly texture in the Angora, and still more so in theRussian.

In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, butsomewhat longer at the base; Angora like the brush of a fox,but longer in the hair; Russian equally long in hair but morefull at the end, tail shorter, rather blunt, like a tassel.

Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is onaccount of the length of the hair; body long, legs short;tail carried low, not over the back, which is a fault; furclean and glossy, even, smooth, and flakey, which gives anappearance of quality.

Black, dense, bright brown-black, with purple gloss; blue, abright, rich, even dark colour, or lighter, but even in tint;gray, a bright, light, even colour; red, a brilliant, sandy,or yellowish-red colour.

POINTSHead10Round and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size;nose rather short; ears ordinary size, but looking small,being surrounded with long hair, which should also be long onthe forehead and lips.Eyes10Orange-yellow for brown and blue tabby, very slightly tintedwith green; deep, bright yellow for silver; gray, and goldenyellow for white tabby; large, full, round, or almond-shaped,and very lustrous.Ruff or Frill10Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over theshoulders, and covering the neck and chest thickly.Fur10Very long everywhere, mostly so along the back, sides, legs,and feet, making tufts between the toes, and points at theapex of the ears.Quality of Fur10Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with slightlywoolly texture in the Angora, and still more so in theRussian.Tail10In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, butsomewhat longer at the base; Angora like the brush of a fox,but longer in the hair; Russian equally long in the hair, butmore full at the end; tail shorter, rather blunt, like atassel.Size, Shape, and Condition10Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is onaccount of the length of the hair; body long; legs short;tail carried low, not over the back, which is a fault; furclean and glossy, even, smooth, and flakey, which gives anappearance of quality.Colour15Ground colour, deep, rich reddish-brown, more rufous on thenose, ears, mane, and inside the legs and belly; tip of nosered, edged with black; blue, bright, deep, rich, even, darkcolour; silver, lighter and equally even tint; and so lightgray; and white ground, pure white.Markings15Jet-black lines, not too broad, scarcely so wide as theground colour seen between, so as to give a light andbrilliant effect. When the black lines are broader than thecolour space, it is a defect, being then black marked withcolour, instead of colour marked with black. The lines mustbe clear, sharp, and well-defined, in every way distinct,having no mixture of the ground colour. Head, legs, and tailregularly marked, the latter with rings, the lines on thethroat and chest being in no way blurred or broken, butclear, graceful, and continuous; lips, cushions of feet, thebacks of the hind-legs and the ear-points black.---Total100

Round and broad across and between the eyes, of medium size;nose rather short; ears ordinary size, but looking small,being surrounded with long hair, which should also be long onthe forehead and lips.

Orange-yellow for brown and blue tabby, very slightly tintedwith green; deep, bright yellow for silver; gray, and goldenyellow for white tabby; large, full, round, or almond-shaped,and very lustrous.

Large, very long, flowing, and lion-like, extending over theshoulders, and covering the neck and chest thickly.

Very long everywhere, mostly so along the back, sides, legs,and feet, making tufts between the toes, and points at theapex of the ears.

Fine, silky, and very soft in the Persian, with slightlywoolly texture in the Angora, and still more so in theRussian.

In the Persian the hair long and silky throughout, butsomewhat longer at the base; Angora like the brush of a fox,but longer in the hair; Russian equally long in the hair, butmore full at the end; tail shorter, rather blunt, like atassel.

Large, small in bone, looking larger than it really is onaccount of the length of the hair; body long; legs short;tail carried low, not over the back, which is a fault; furclean and glossy, even, smooth, and flakey, which gives anappearance of quality.

Ground colour, deep, rich reddish-brown, more rufous on thenose, ears, mane, and inside the legs and belly; tip of nosered, edged with black; blue, bright, deep, rich, even, darkcolour; silver, lighter and equally even tint; and so lightgray; and white ground, pure white.

Jet-black lines, not too broad, scarcely so wide as theground colour seen between, so as to give a light andbrilliant effect. When the black lines are broader than thecolour space, it is a defect, being then black marked withcolour, instead of colour marked with black. The lines mustbe clear, sharp, and well-defined, in every way distinct,having no mixture of the ground colour. Head, legs, and tailregularly marked, the latter with rings, the lines on thethroat and chest being in no way blurred or broken, butclear, graceful, and continuous; lips, cushions of feet, thebacks of the hind-legs and the ear-points black.

In chocolate, mahogany, red, or yellow long-haired tabbies, the markings and colours to be the same as in the short-haired cats; but in points to count the same as the last in all qualities.

Spotted tabbies to count the same in all points, the only difference being that instead of stripes, the cats are marked with clear, well-defined spots.

All fancy colours to be shown in the "any other variety ofcolour" class, and judged according to quality of coat, beauty, and rarity of colouring or marking. The small, thin, broken-banded tabby should go in this class, as also those with thin, light, wavy lines.

All foreign, wild, or other cats of peculiar form to go into the class for "any other variety or species."

"SYLVIE.""SYLVIE."

Cats, like many other animals, both wild and domestic, are subject to diseases, several being fatal, others yielding to known curatives; many are of a very exhaustive character, some are epidemic, others are undoubtedly contagious—the two worst of these are what is known as the distemper and the mange. Through the kindness of friends I am enabled to give recipes for medicines considered as useful, or, at any rate, tending to abate the severity of the attack in the one, and utterly eradicate the other. Care should always be taken on the first symptoms of illness to remove the animal at once from contact with others. My kind friend, Dr. George Fleming, C.B., principal veterinary surgeon of the army, has courteously sent me a copy of a remedy for cat distemper from his very excellent work, "Animal Plagues: their History, Nature, and Prevention," which I give in full.

"Cats are, like some other of the domesticated animals, liable to be attacked by two kinds of Catarrhal Fever, one of which is undoubtedly very infectious—like distemper in dogs—and the other may be looked upon as the result of a simple cold, and therefore not transmissible. The first is, of course, the most severe and fatal, and often prevails most extensively, affecting cats generally over wide areas, sometimes entire continents being invaded by it. FromA.D.1414 up to 1832 no fewer than nineteen widespread outbreaks of this kind have been recorded. The most notable of these was in 1796, when the cats in England andHolland were generally attacked by the disease, and in the following year when it had spread over Europe and extended to America; in 1803, it again appeared in this country and over a large part of the European continent.

"The symptoms are intense fever, prostration, vomiting, diarrhœa, sneezing, cough, and profuse discharge from the nose and eyes. Sometimes the parotid glands are swollen, as in human mumps. Dr. Darwin, of Derby, uncle to Charles Darwin, thought it was a kind of mumps, and therefore designated itParotitis felina.

"The treatment consists in careful nursing and cleanliness, keeping the animal moderately warm and comfortable. The disease rapidly produces intense debility, and therefore the strength should be maintained from the very commencement by frequent small doses of strong beef-tea, into which one grain of quinine has been introduced twice a day, a small quantity of port wine (from half to one teaspoonful) according to the size of the cat, and the state of debility. If there is no diarrhœa, but constipation, a small dose of castor oil or syrup of buckthorn should be given. Solid food should not be allowed until convalescence has set in. Isolation, with regard to other cats, and disinfection, should be attended to.

"Simple Catarrh demands similar treatment. Warmth, cleanliness, broth, and beef-tea, are the chief items of treatment, with a dose of castor oil if constipation is present. If the discharge obstructs the nostrils it should be removed with a sponge, and these and the eyes may be bathed with a weak lotion of vinegar and water."

"As regards inoculation for distemper," Dr. Fleming says, "it has been tried, but the remedy is often worse than the disease, at least as bad as the natural disease.Vaccinationhas also been tried, but it isvalueless. Probably inoculation with cultivated or modified virus would be found a good and safe preventative."

I was anxious to know about this, as inoculation used to be the practice with packs of hounds.

It will be observed that Dr. Fleming treats the distemperas a kind of influenza, and considers one of the most important things is to keep up the strength of the suffering animal. Other members of the R.C.V.S., whom I have consulted, have all given the same kind of advice, not only prescribing for the sick animal wine, but brandy, as a last resource, to arouse sinking vitality. Mr. George Cheverton, of High Street, Tunbridge Wells, who is very successful with animals and their diseases, thinks it best to treat them homœopathically. The following is what he prescribes as efficacious for some of the most dire complaints with which cats are apt to be afflicted.

For a full-grown cat give 3 grains of santonine every night for a week or 10 days; it might be administered in milk, or given in a small piece of beef or meat of any kind. After the course give an aperient powder.

The best possible remedies for this disease are arsenicum, 2×trituration, and sulphur, 2×trituration, given on alternate days, as much as will lie on a threepenny piece, night and morning, administered as above.

A most useful lotion is acid sulphurous, 1 oz. to 5 oz. of water, adding about a teaspoonful of glycerine, and sponging the affected parts twice or thrice daily.

The symptoms are twofold, usually there is constant sneezing and discharge from the nose. Aconite, 1×tincture, 1 drop given every 3 hours in alternation with arsenicum, 3×trituration, will speedily remove the disease. Should there be stuffing of the nose, and difficult breathing, give mercurius biniod., 3×trituration, a dose every 3 or 4 hours.

The short, hard, dry cough will always give way to treatment with belladonna, 3×trituration, 3 grains every 3 or 4 hours.

For the difficult breathing, with rattling in the chest and bronchial tubes, with distressing cough, antimonium tartaric., 2×, grains iij every 2, 3 or 4 hours, according to the severity of the symptoms.

Early symptoms should be noted and receive prompt attention; this will often cut short the duration of the malady. The first indications usually are a disinclination to rest in the usual place, seeking a dark corner beneath a sofa, etc. The eyes flow freely, the nose after becoming hard and dry becomes stopped with fluid, the tongue parched, and total aversion to food follows. The breathing becomes short and laboured, the discharges are offensive, and the animal creeps away into some quiet corner to die—if before this its life has not been mercifully ended.

On discovery offirstsymptoms, give 2 drops aconite and arsenicum in alternation every 3 hours. When the nose becomes dry, and the eye restless and glaring, give belladonna.

When internal, drop into the affected ear, night and morning, 3 or 5 drops of the following mixture:

Tincture of Hydrastis Canadensis 2 drachms.Carbolic Acid (pure) ½ "Glycerine, to make up to 2 oz.

If external, paint with the mixture the affected parts.

Get a chemist to rub down a medium-size croton bean with about 40 grains of sugar of milk, and divide into four powders. One of these powders given in milk usually suffices. Large cats often require two powders. The dose might be repeated if necessary.

Dose, when drops are ordered, 2 drops." " trituration is ordered, 2 to 3 grains.

Aconite, 1×tincture. Arsenicum, 2×trituration. Antimonium tartaricum, 2×trituration. Belladonna, 3×trituration. Mercurius biniodatus, 3×trituration. Hydrastis canadensis, [Greek: phi] tincture. Sulphur, 2×trituration. Santonine.

Mr. Frank Upjohn, of Castelnau, Barnes, has also kindly forwarded me his treatment of some few of the cat ailments. Mindful of the old proverb that "In a multitude of counsellors there is wisdom," I place all before my friends, and those of the cat, that they may select which remedy they deem best:

Take yellow basilicon, 1 oz.; flowers of sulphur, ½ oz.; oil of juniper, 3 drachms. Mix for ointment. Then give sulphide of mercury, 3 grains, two or three times on alternate nights.

Nothing like castor oil for purgation; half the quantity of syrup of buckthorn, if necessary, may be added.

Two or three grains of santonine in a teaspoonful of castor oil, for two or three days.

Cold in the eyes and sneezing may be relieved by sweet spirits of nitre, 1 drachm; minocrerus spirit, 3 drachms; antimony wine, 1 drachm; water to 1½ oz. Mix. Give 1 teaspoonful every two or three hours.

Two drachms pure carbolic acid to 6 oz. of water well mixed for a lotion, and apply night and morning.

Red oxide of mercury, 12 grains; spermaceti ointment, 1 oz. Mix.

The above prescription was given to me many years ago by the late Dr. Walsh (Stonehenge), and I have found it of great service, both for my own eyes, also those of animals and birds. Wash the eyes carefully with warm water, dry off with a soft silk handkerchief, and apply a little of the ointment. Dr. Walsh informed me that he deemed it excellent for canker in the ear, but of that I have had no experience.

In the early stages of mange, flowers of sulphur mixed in vaseline, and rubbed in the coat of the cat, is efficacious, giving sulphur in the milk, the water, and on the food of the patient; also give vegetable diet.

Another remedy: give a teaspoonful of castor oil; next day give raw meat, dusted over with flowers of sulphur.Also give sulphur in milk. If there are any sore places, bathe with lotion made from camphorated oil in which some sulphur is mixed. Oil, 2 oz.; camphor, ¼ oz.; sulphur, a teaspoonful.

As a rule, when the animal is of value, either intrinsically or as a pet, the best plan is to consult a practitioner, well versed in the veterinary science and art, especially when the cat appears to suffer from some obscure disease, many of which it is very difficult to detect, unless by the trained and practised eye. Of all the ailments, both of dogs and cats, distemper is the worst to combat, and is so virulent and contagious that I have thought it well to offer remedies that are at least worthy of a trial, though when the complaint has firm hold, and the attack very severe, the case is generally almost hopeless, especially with high-bred animals.

It is not generally known that the much-admired laburnum contains a strong poison, and is therefore an exceedingly dangerous plant. All its parts—blossoms, leaves, seeds, even the bark and the roots—are charged with a poison namedcytisin, which was discovered by Husemann and Marms in 1864.

A small dose of juice infused under the skin is quite sufficient to kill a cat or a dog. Children have died from eating the seeds, of which ten or twelve were sufficient to cause death. The worst of it is that there isno remedy, no antidote against this poison. How many cases have happened before the danger was discovered is of course only a matter of conjecture, as few would suspect the cause to come from the lovely plant that so delights the eye.

It has, however, long been known to gamekeepers and others, and used by them to destroy "vermin." When quite a boy I remember an old uncle of mine telling me to beware of it even in gathering the blossom.

The wild cat is said to be now extinct in England, and only found in some of the northern parts of Scotland, or the rocky parts of the mountains of the south, where I am informed it may yet occasionally be seen. The drawing I give above was made from one sent to the first Crystal Palace Cat Show in 1871, by the Duke of Sutherland, from Sutherlandshire. It was caught in a trap by the fore-leg, which was much injured, but not so as to prevent its moving with great alacrity, even with agility, endeavouring frequently to use the claws of both fore-feet with a desperate determination and amazing vigour. It was a very powerful animal, possessing great strength, taking size into consideration, and of extraordinary fierceness.

Mr. Wilson, the manager of the show, though an excellent naturalist, tried to get it out of the thick-barred, heavy-made travelling box in which it arrived, into one of the ordinary wire show-cages, thinking it would appear to better advantage; but in this endeavour he was unsuccessful, the animal resisting all attempts to expel it from the one into the other, making such frantic and determined opposition that the idea was abandoned. This was most fortunate, for the wire cages then in use were afterwards found unequal to confining even the ordinary domestic cat, which, in more than one instance, forced the bars apart sufficiently to allow of escape. As it was, the wild cat maintained its position, sullenly retiring to one corner of the box, where it scowled, growled, and fought in a most fearful and courageous manner during the time of its exhibition, never once relaxing its savage watchfulness or attempts to injure even those who fed it. I never saw anything more unremittingly ferocious, nor apparently more untamable.

It was a grand animal, however, and most interesting to the naturalist, being, even then, scarcely ever seen; if so, only in districts far away and remote from the dwellings of civilisation. Yet I believe I saw one among the rocks of Bodsbeck, in Dumfriesshire, many years ago, though of this I am not certain, as it was too far away for accurate observation before it turned and stood at bay, and on my advancing it disappeared. The animal shown at the Crystal Palace was very much lighter in colour, and with less markings than those in the British Museum, the tail shorter, and the dark rings fewer, the lines on the body not much deeper in tint than the ground colour, excepting on the forehead and the inside of the fore-legs, which were darker, rather a light red round the mouth, and almost white on the chest—which appears to be usual with the wild cat; the eyes were yellow-tinted green, the tips of the ears, the lips, cushions of the feet, and a portion of the back part of the hind-legs, black; the markings were, in short, irregular thin lines, and in no way resembled those of the ordinary black-marked domestic tabby cat, possessing little elegance of line—in character it was bolder, having a rugged sturdiness, being stronger and broader built, the fore-arms thick, massive, and endowed with great power, with long, curved claws, the feet were stout, sinewy, and strong; altogether it was a very peculiar, interesting, and extraordinary animal. What became of it I never learned.

In 1871 and 1872, a wild cat was exhibited at the Crystal Palace Cat Show, by the Earl of Hopetoun, aged three years, also some hybrid kittens, the father of which was a long-haired cat, the mother a sandy, by a wild cat out of a long-haired tabby, which proves, if proof were wanting, that such hybrids breed freely either with hybrids, the domestic, or the wild cat.

Mr. Frank Buckland also exhibited a hybrid between the wild and tame cat.

The Zoological Society, a pair of wild cats which did not appear to be British.

In 1873, Mr. A. H. Senger sent a fine specimen of hybrid, between the domestic cat and Scotch wild cat.

An early description of the wild cat in England is to be found in an old book on Natural History, and copied into a work on "Menageries," "Bartholomœus de Proprietatibus Rerum," which was translated into English by Thomas Berthlet, and printed by Wynkyn de Worde as early as 1498. There is a very interesting description of the cat, which gives nearly all the properties of the wild animal in an odd and very amusing way. It states: "He is most like to the leopard, and hath a great mouthe, and saw teeth and sharp, and long tongue, and pliant, thin, and subtle; and lappeth therewith when he drinketh, as other beasts do, that have the nether lip shorter than the over; for, by cause of unevenness of lips, such beasts suck not in drinking, but lap and lick, as Aristotle saith and Plinius also. And he is a full lecherous beast in youth, swift, pliant, and merry, and leapeth, and riseth on all things that is tofore him; and is led by a straw, and playeth therewith, and is a right heavy beast in age, and full sleepy, and lieth slyly in wait for mice; and is ware where they bene more by smell than by sight, andhunteth and riseth on them in privy places; and when he taketh a mouse, he playeth therewith, and eateth him after the play; and is a cruel beast when he is wild, and dwelleth in woods, and hunteth there small wild beasts as conies and hares."

The next appears in John Bossewell's "Workes of Armorie," folio,A.D.1597:

"This beaste is called a Musion, for that he is enimie to Myseand Rattes. He is slye and wittie, and seeth so sharpely that heovercommeth darknes of the nighte by the shyninge lyghte of hiseyne. In shape of body he is like unto a Leoparde, and hathe agreat mouth. He dothe delight that he enioyeth his libertye; andin his youthe he is swifte, plyante, and merye. He maketh arufull noyse and a gastefull when he profereth to fighte with another. He is a cruell beaste when he is wilde, and falleth on hisowne feete from most high places: and vneth is hurt therewith.

"When he hath a fayre skinne, he is, as it were, prowde thereof,and then he goeth faste aboute to be seene...."

Those who have seen the wild cat of Britain, especially inconfinement, will doubtless be ready to endorse this descriptionas being "true to the life," even to the "rufull noyse," or hisindustry in the way of fighting. Yet even this old chroniclermentions the fact of his being "wilde," clearly indicating asimilar animal in a state of domestication. Later on we findMaister Salmon giving an account of the cat in hisstrangely-curious book, "Salmon's Compleat English Physician; or,the Druggist's Shop Opened,"A.D.1693, in which he relates thatmarvellous properties exist in the brain, bones, etc., of thecat, giving recipes mostly cruel and incredible. He describes"Catus the Cat" in such terms as these:

"The Cat of Mountain, all which are of one nature, and agreemuch in one shape, save as to their magnitude, thewild Catbeing larger than theTameand theCat of Mountainmuchlarger than thewild Cat. It has a broad Face, almost like aLyon, short Ears, large Whiskers, shining Eyes, short, smoothHair, long Tail, rough Tongue, and armed on its Feet, withClaws, being a crafty, subtle, watchful Creature, very loving andfamiliar with Man-kind, the mortal enemy to the Rat, Mouse, andall sorts of Birds, which it seizes on as its prey. As to itsEyes, Authors say that they shine in the Night, and see better atthe full, and more dimly at the change of the moon; as also thatthe Cat doth vary his Eyes with the Sun, the Apple of its Eyebeing long at Sun rise, round towards Noon, and not to be seen atall at night, but the whole Eye shining in the night. Theseappearances of the Cats' Eyes I am sure are true, but whetherthey answer to the times of the day, I never observed." "Itsflesh is not usually eaten, yet in some countries it is accountedan excellent dish."

Mr. Blaine, in his excellent and useful work, the "Encyclopædia of Rural Sports"—a book no sportsman should be without—thus discusses the origin of the domestic cat compared with the British wild cat:

"We have yet, however, to satisfy ourselves with regard to theorigin of the true wild cat (Felis catus, Linn.), which,following the analogies of theFelinægenerally, are almostexclusively native to countries warmer than our own. It is truethat occasionally varieties of theFelinædo breed in ourcaravans and menageries, where artificial warmth is kept up torepresent something like a tropical temperature; but thecircumstance is too rare to ground any opinion on of their everhaving been indigenous here—at least, since our part of theglobe has cooled down to its present temperature. It is,therefore, more than probable that both the wild and the tame cathave been derived from some other extra-European source orsources. We say source or sources, for such admission begetsanother difficulty not easily got over, which is this, that ifboth of these grimalkins own one common root, in which varietywas it that the very marked differences between them have takenplace? Most sportsmen, we believe, suspect that they own onecommon origin, and some naturalists also do the same, contendingthat the differences observable between them are attributablesolely to the long-continued action of external agencies, whichhad modified the various organs to meet the varied necessities ofthe animals. The wild cat, according to this theory, having tocontend with powerful enemies, expanded in general dimensions;its limbs, particularly, became massive; and its long and strongclaws, with the powerful muscular mechanism which operated onthem, fitted it for a life of predacity. Thus its increased sizeenabled it to stand some time before any other dogs thanhigh-bred foxhounds, and even before them also, in any place butthe direct open ground. There exist, however, in directcontradiction to this opinion, certain specialities proper to thewild, and certain other to the domestic cat, besides the simpleexpansion of bulk, which sufficiently disprove their identity. Itwill be seen that a remarkable difference exists between thetails of the two animals; that of the domestic being, as is wellknown, long, and tapering elegantly to a point, whereas that ofthe wild cat is seen to be broad, and to terminate abruptly in ablunt or rounded extremity. Linnæus and Buffon having both ofthem confounded these two species into one, have contributed muchto propagate this error, which affords us another opportunity ofadding to the many we have taken of remarking on the vastimportance of comparative anatomy, which enables us to draw justdistinctions between animals that might otherwise erroneously beadjudged to be dependent on external agencies, etc. Nor need werest here, for what doubt can be entertained on the subject whenwe point at the remarkable difference between the intestines ofthe two?Those of the domestic are nine times the length of itsbody, whereas, in thewild cat, they are little more thanthree times as long as the body."

The food of the wild cat is said to consist of animals, and in the opinion of some, fish should be added. Why not also birds' eggs? Cats are particularly fond of the latter. In the event of their finding and destroying a nest, they invariably eat the eggs, and generally the shells.

Much has been written as to the aptitude of the domestic cat at catching fish. If this be so, are fish necessarily a part of the food of the native wild cat? Numerous instances are adduced of our "household cat" plunging into water in pursuit of and capture of fish. Although I have spentmuch time in watching cats that were roaming beside streams and about ponds, there has never been even an attempt at "fishing." Frogs they will take and kill, often greedily devouring the small ones. Yet doubtless they will hunt, catch, and eat fish, for the fact has become proverbial.

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