beginning show a disposition to cruelty; they often look wistfully towards the cage, sit centinels at the mouth of a mouse-hole, and in a short time become more expert hunters than if they had received the instructions of art. Indeed, their disposition is so incapable of constraint that all instruction would be but thrown away. It is true, that we are told of the Greek monks of the isle of Cyprus teaching cats to hunt the serpents with which the island is infested; but this may be natural to the animal itself, and they might have fallen upon such a pursuit without any instruction. Whatever animal is much weaker than themselves is to them an indiscriminate object of destruction. Birds, young rabbits, hares, rats and mice, bats, moles, toads, and frogs, are all equally pursued though not, perhaps, equally acceptable. The mouse seems to be their favourite game; and, although the cat has the sense of smelling in but a mean degree, it nevertheless knows those holes in which its prey resides. I have seen one of them patiently watch a whole day until the mouse appeared, and continue quite motionless until it came within reach, and then seized it with a jump. Of all the marks by which the cat discovers its natural malignity, that of playing and sporting with its little captive before killing it outright is the most flagrant.

The fixed inclination which they discover for this peculiar manner of pursuit arises from the conformation of their eyes. The pupil in man, and in most other animals, is capable but of a small degree of contraction and dilatation; it enlarges a little in the dark, and contracts when the light pours in upon it in too great quantities. In the eyes of cats, however, this contraction and dilatation of the pupil is so considerable, that the pupil, which appears narrow and small like the black of one's nail, by night expands over the whole surface of the eye-ball, and, as every one must have seen, their eyes seem on fire. By this peculiar conformation their eyes see better in darkness than light, and the animal is thus better adapted for spying out and surprising its prey. Although the cat is an inhabitant of our houses, yet it cannot properly be called a dependent: although perfectly tame, yet it acknowledges no obedience; on the contrary, it does only just what it thinks fit, and no art can controul any of its inclinations. In general it is but half tamed, and has its attachments rather to the place in which it resides than to the inhabitant. If the inhabitant quits the house the cat still remains; and if carried elsewhere seems for a while bewildered with its new situation. It must take time to become acquainted with the holes and retreats in which its prey resides, with all the little labyrinths through which they often make good an escape.

The cat is particularly fearful of water, of cold, and of ill smells. It loves to keep in the sun, to get near the fire, and to rub itself against those who carry perfumes. It is excessively fond of some plants, such as valerian, marum, and cat-mint: against these it rubs, smells them at a distance. and, at last, if they be planted in a garden, wears them out.

This animal eats slowly and with difficulty, as its teeth are rather made for tearing than chewing its aliments. For this reason it loves the most tender food, particularly fish, which it eats as well boiled as raw. Its sleeping is very light; and it often seems to sleep the better to deceive its prey. When the cat walks it treads very softly, and without the least noise; and as to the necessities of nature, it is cleanly to the last degree. Its fur, also, is usually sleek and glossy; and for this reason the hair is easily electrified, sending forth shining sparks if rubbed in the dark.

The wild cat breeds with the tame, and therefore the latter may be considered only as a variety of the former; however, they differ in some particulars. The cat in its savage state is somewhat larger than the house-cat

and its fur, being longer, gives it a greater appearance than it really has; its head is bigger and its face flatter; the teeth and claws much more formidable; its muscles very strong, 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 leg are always black; the fur is very soft and fine: the general colour of these animals in England is a yellowish white mixed with a deep grey. These colours, though they appear at first sight confusedly blended together, yet, on close inspection, will be found to be disposed like the streaks on the skin of the tiger, pointing from the back downwards, rising from a black list that runs from the head along the middle of the back to the tail. This animal is found in our larger woods, and is the most destructive of the carnivorous kinds in this kingdom. It inhabits the most mountainous and woody parts of these islands, living mostly in trees, and feeding only by night. It often happens that the females of the tame kind go into the woods to seek mates among the wild ones. It seems that these, however, are not original inhabitants of this kingdom, but were introduced first in a domestic state, and afterwards became wild in the woods by ill usage or neglect. Certain it is, the cat was an animal much higher in esteem among our ancestors than it is at present. By the laws of Howel, the price of a kitten before it could see was to be a penny; till it caught a mouse, twopence; and when it commenced mouser, fourpence. It was required, besides, that it should be perfect in its senses of hearing and seeing, be a good mouser, have the claws whole, and be a good nurse. If it failed in any of these qualities, the seller was to forfeit to the buyer the third part of its value. If any one stole or killed the cat that guarded the prince's granary he was to forfeit a milch ewe, its fleece, and lamb; or as much wheat as, when poured on the cat suspended by the tail (the head touching the floor), would form a heap high enough to cover the tip of the former. From hence we discover, besides a picture of the simplicity of the times, a strong argument that cats are not naturally bred in our forests. An animal that could be so easily taken could never have been rated so highly; and the precautions laid down to improve the breed would have been superfluous in a creature that multiplies to such an amazing degree.

In our climate we know but of one variety of the wild cat; and, from the accounts of travellers, we learn that there are but few differences in this quadruped in all parts of the world. The greatest difference, indeed, between the wild cat and the tame one is rather to be found internally than in their outward form. Of all other quadrupeds the wild cat is, perhaps, that whose intestines are proportionably the smallest and the shortest. The intestines of the sheep, for instance, unravelled out and measured according to their length, will be found to be above thirty times the length of its body; whereas the wild cat's intestines, being measured out, will not be found above three times the length of its body. This is a surprising contrast; but we may account for it from the nature of the food in the two animals— the one living upon vegetables, which require a longer and a more tedious preparation before they can become a part of its body; the other living upon flesh, which requires very little alteration in order to be assimilated into the substance of the creature that feeds upon it. The one, therefore, wanted a long canal for properly digesting and straining its food; the other but a short one, as the food is already prepared to pass the usual secretions: however, a difficulty still remains behindthe intestines of the wild cat are one-third shorter than those of the tame one. How can we account for this? If we say that the domestic cat, living upon more plentiful and more nourishing provision, has its intestines

enlarged to the quantity with which it is supplied, we shall find this observation contradicted in the wild boar and the wolf, whose intestines are as long as those of the hog or the dog, though they lead a savage life, and, like the wild cat, are fed by precarious subsistence. The shortness, therefore, of the wild cat's intestines is still unaccounted for; and most naturalists consider the difficulty inextricable. We must leave it, therefore, as one of those difficulties which future observation or accident are most likely to discover.

This animal is one of those few which are common to the new continent as well as the old. When Christopher Columbus first discovered that country, a hunter brought him one which he had discovered in the woods, which was of the ordinary size, and the tail very long and thick. They were also common in Peru, although they were not rendered domestic. They are likewise well known in Africa and many parts of Asia. In some of these countries they are of a peculiar colour, and inclining to blue. In Persia, Pietro dello Valle informs us that there is a kind of cat, particularly in the province of Chorazan, of the figure and form of the ordinary one, but infinitely more beautiful in the lustre and colour of its skin. It is of a grey blue, without mixture, and is soft and shining as silk. The tail is very long, and covered with hair six inches in length, which the animal throws upon its back like the squirrel. These cats are well known in France, and have been brought over to England under the name of the "blue cat," which, however, is not their

colour.

Another variety of this animal is called by us the "lion cat," or, as others more properly term it, the "cat of Angora." These are larger than the common cat, and even than the wild one. Their hair is much longer, and hangs about their head and neck, giving this creature the appearance of a lion. Some of these are white, and others of a dun colour. These come from Syria and Persia-two countries which are noted for giving a long soft hair to the animals bred there. The sheep, the goats, the dogs, and the rabbits of Syria are all remarkable for the length and fine glossy softness of their hair; but particularly the cat, whose nature seems to be inflexible, conforms to the nature of the climate and soil, loses its savage colour, which it preserves in almost every other part of the world, and assumes the most beautiful appearance. There are some other varieties in this animal, but rather in colour than in form; and in general it may be remarked, that the cat when taken into other countries alters but very little, still preserving its natural manners, habits, and conformations.

THE LION.-The influence of climate upon mankind is but very small: he is found to subsist in all parts of the earth, as well under the frozen poles as beneath the torrid zone; but in animals the climate may be considered as congenial, and a kind of second nature. They almost all have their particular latitudes, beyond which they are unable to subsist-either perishing with a moderate cold or dying for want of a frozen air, even in a temperate climate. The rein-deer is never seen to depart from the icy fields of the north; and, on the contrary, the lion degenerates when taken from beneath the line. The whole earth is the native country of man; but all inferior animals have each their own peculiar districts.

Most terrestrial animals are found larger, fiercer, and stronger in the warm than in the cold or temperate climates. They are also more courageous and enter prising all their dispositions seeming to partake of the ardour of their native soil. The lion produced under the burning sun of Africa is of all others the most terrible the most undaunted. The wolf or the dog, instead of attempting to rival him, scarce deserve to attend bis motions or become his providers. Such, however, of these animals as are bred in a more temperate climate,

or towards the tops of cold and lofty mountains, are far more gentle-or, to speak more properly, far less dangerous than those bred in the torrid valleys beneath. The lions of Mount Atlas, the tops of which are covered with eternal snows, have neither the strength nor the ferocity of the lions of Bildulgerid or Zaara, where the plains are covered with burning sands. It is particu larly in these frightful deserts that those enormous and terrible beasts are found that seem to be the scourge and terror of the neighbouring kingdoms. Happily, indeed, the species is not very numerous; and it seems to be diminishing daily; for those who have travelled through these countries assure us that there are by no means so many there at present as there were formerly; and Mr. Shaw observes, that the Romans carried fifty times as many lions from Lybia in one year to combat in their amphitheatres as are to be found in the whole country at this time. The same remark is made with regard to Turkey, to Persia, and the Indies, where they are found to diminish in their numbers every day. Nor is it difficult to assign the cause of this diminution: it is obvious that it cannot be owing to the increase of the force of other quadrupeds, since they are all inferior to the lion, and, concequently, instead of lessening the number only tend to increase the supplies on which they subsist; it must therefore be occasioned by the increase of mankind, who is the only animal in Nature capable of making head against these tyrants of the forest and preventing their increase. The arms even of a Hottentot or a Negro make them more than a match for this powerful creature; and they seldom make the attack without coming off victorious. Their usual manner is to find out his retreat, and with spears headed with iron to provoke him to the combat; four men are considered as sufficient for this encounter; and he against whom the lion flies receives him upon his spear, while the others attack him behind; the lion, finding himself wounded in the rear, turns that way, and thus gives the man he first attacked an opportunity to recover. In this manner they attack him on all sides, until at last they entirely disable and then despatch him. This superiority in the numbers and the arts of man, that are sufficient to conquer the lion, serve also to enervate and discourage him; for he is brave only in proportion to the success of his former encounters. In the vast deserts of Zaara, in the burning sands that lie between Mauritania and Negroland, in the uninhabited countries that lie to the north of Caffraria, and, in general, in all the deserts of Africa where man has not fixed his habi tation, the lions are found in great numbers, and preserve their natural courage and force. Accustomed to measure their strength with every animal they meet, the habit of conquering renders them intrepid and terrible. Having never experienced the dangerous arts and combinations of man, they have no apprehensions from his power. They boldly face him, and seem to brave the force of his arms. Wounds rather serve to provoke their rage than to repress their ardour. They are not daunted even with the opposition of numbers; a single lion of the desert often attacks an entire caravan; and, after an obstinate combat, when he finds himself overpowered, instead of flying, he continues to combat, retreating, and still facing the enemy till he dies. On the contrary, the lions which inhabit the peopled countries of Morocco or India, having become acquainted with human power and experienced man's superiority, have lost all their courage, so as to be scared away with a shout, and seldom attack any but the unresisting flocks or herds, which even women and children are sufficient to protect.

This alteration in the lion's disposition sufficiently shows that he might easily be tamed, and admit of a certain degree of education. In fact, nothing is more common than for keepers of wild beasts to play with this animal, to pull out his tongue, and even to chastise him without a cause. He seems to bear it all with the utmost

composure; and we very rarely have instances of his revenging these unprovoked sallies of impertinent cruelty. However, when his anger is at last excited the consequences are terrible. Labat tells us of a gentleman who kept a lion in his chamber, and employed a servant to attend it, who, as is usual, mixed his blows with caresses. This ill-judged association continued for some time; till one morning the gentleman was awakened by a noise in his room, which at first he could not tell the cause of; but, drawing the curtains, he perceived a horrid spectacle-the lion growling over the man's head, which he had separated from the body, and tossing it round the floor. He immediately, therefore, flew into the next room, called to the people without, and had the animal secured from doing further mischief. However, this single account is not sufficient to weigh against the many instances we every day see of this creature's gentleness and submission. He is often bred up with other domestic animals, and is seen to play innocently and familiarly among them; and if it ever happens that his natural ferocity returns, it is seldom exerted against his benefactors. As his passions are strong and his appetites vehement, one ought not to presume that the impressions of education will always prevail: so that it would be dangerous in such circumstances to suffer him to remain too long without food, or to persist in irritating and abusing him however, numbers of accounts assure us that his anger is noble, his courage magnanimous, and his disposition grateful. He has been often seen to despise contemptible enemies, and pardon their insults when it was in his power to punish them. He has been seen to spare the lives of such as were thrown to be devoured by him, to live peaceably with them, to afford them a part of his subsistence, and sometimes to want food himself rather than deprive them of that life which his generosity had spared.

It may also be said that the lion is not cruel, since he is so only from necessity, and never kills more than he consumes. When satiated, he is perfectly gentle; while the tiger, the wolf, and all the inferior kinds, such as the fox, the pole-cat, and the ferret, kill without remorse, are fierce without cause, and by their indiscriminate slaughter, seem rather to satisfy their malignity than their hunger.

The outward form of the lion seems to speak his internal generosity. His figure is striking, his look confident and bold, his gait proud, and his voice terrible. His stature is not overgrown like that of the elephant or rhinoceros; nor is his shape clumsy, like that of the hippopotamus or the ox. It is compact, well proportioned, and sizeable-a perfect model of strength joined with agility. It is muscular and bold, neither charged with fat nor unnecessary flesh. It is sufficient but to see him in order to be assured of his superior force. His large head surrounded with a dreadful mant all those muscles that appear under the skin swelling with the slightest exertions-and the great breadth of his paws, with the thickness of his limbs, plainly evince that no other animal in the forest is capable of opposing him. He has a very broad face, that, as some have imagined, resembles the human. It is surrounded with very long hair, which gives it a very majestic air. The top of the head, the temples, the cheeks, the under jaw, the neck, the breast, the shoulder, the hinder part of the legs, and the belly, are furnished with it, while all the rest of the body is covered with very short hair, of a tawny colour. The length of the hair in many parts, and the shortness of it in others, serves a good deal to disguise this animal's real figure. The breast, for instance, appears very broad, but in reality it is as narrow and contracted in proportion as that of the generality of dogs and horses. For the same reason the tail seems to be of an equal thickness from one end to the other, on account of the inequality of the hair with which it is encompassed-it being shorter near the insertion where

the flesh and bones are large, and growing longer in proportion as its real thickness lessens towards the point, where it ends in a tuft. The hair about the neck and breast is not different from that on the rest of the body, except in its length; nor is each hair pointed as in most other animals, but of an equal thickness from one end to the other. The neck is very strong, but not composed of one solid bone, as Aristotle has imagined; on the contrary, though very short and muscular, it has as many bones as the camel or the horse; for it is universal to all quadrupeds to have seven joints in the neck, and not one of them have either more or less. However, the muscles in the neck of the lion that tie the bones together are extremely strong, and have somewhat the appearance of bones; so that ancient authors who have treated of this animal have mistaken the whole for a singe bone. The tongue is rough, and beset with prickles as hard as a cat's claws; these have the grain turned backwards; so that it is probable a lion, if it should attempt to lick a man's hand, as we are told it sometimes does, would tear off the skin. The eyes are always bright and fiery; nor even in death does this terrible look forsake them. In short, the structure of the paws, teeth, eyes, and tongue are the same as in a cat; and also in the inward parts these two animals so nearly resemble each other, that the anatomists's chief distinction arises merely from the size.

The lion has, as was observed before, a large mane, which grows every year longer as the animal grows older; the lioness is without this ornament at every age. This mane is not coarse or rough as in a horse, but composed of the same hair with the rest of the body, lengthened and shining. The mane as well as the rest of the body is of a yellow colour; nor is there ever any difference to be found in the colour of one lion from that of another. What the ancients might have said concerning black lions, or white, or streaked like the tiger, is not confirmed by modern experience; so that these varieties have never been seen, or exist no longer. It is usually supposed that the lion is not possessed of the sense of smelling in such perfection as most other animals. It is also observed that too strong a light greatly incommodes him. This is more than probable from the formation of his eyes, which, like those of the cat, seem fitted for seeing best in the dark. For this reason he seldom appears in open day, but ravages chiefly by night; and not only the lion, but all other animals of the cat kind, are kept off by the fires which the inhabitants light to preserve their herds and flocks; the brightness of the same dazzles their eyes, which are only fitted for seeing in the dark; and they are afraid to venture blindly into those places which they know to be filled with their enemies. It is equally true of all this kind that they hunt rather by the sight than the smell; and it sometimes happens that the lion pursues either the jackall or the wild dog while they are hunting upon the scent; and when they have run the beast down he comes in and monopolises the spoil. From hence, probably, may have arisen the story of the lion's provider: these little industrious animals may often, it is true, provide a feast for the lion; but they have hunted merely for themselves, and he is an unwelcome intruder upon the fruits of their toil.

The lion, when hungry, boldly attacks all animals that conie in his way; but as he is very formidable, and as they all seek to avoid him, he is often obliged to hide in order to take them by surprise. For this purpose he crouches on his belly in some thicket or among the long grass, which is found in many parts of the forest; in this retreat he continues, with patient expectation, until his prey comes within a proper distance, and he then springs after it, fifteen or twenty feet from him, and often seizes it at the first bound. If he misses the effort, and in two or three reiterated springs cannot seize his prey, he coutinues motionless for a time, seems to be very sensible