there is much difference of opinion
in regard to the subject. Although they bear great resemblance to
each other, there are several points of distinction between the
two; one of the most decided differences being in the comparative
length of the tails. The tail of the wild cat is little more than
half the length of that of the domestic cat, and much more bushy.

The color of the wild animal is much more uniform than in the great
raft of "domestic" mongrel specimens which make night hideous with
their discordant yowls, although we sometimes see a high bred individual
which, if his tail was cut off at half its length, might easily
pass as an example of the wild variety.

The ground tint of the fur in the wild cat is yellowish grey,
diversified with dark streaks over the body and limbs, much after
the appearance of the so-called "tiger cat." A row of dark streaks
and spots extends along the spine, and the tail is thick, short
and bushy, tipped with black and encircled with a number of rings
of a dark hue. In some individuals the markings are less distinct,
and they are sometimes altogether wanting, but in the typical wild
cat they are quite prominent. The fur is rather long and thick,
particularly so during the winter season, and always in the colder
northern regions.

The amount of havoc which these creatures often occasion is surprising,
and their nocturnal inroads, in poultry yards and
[Page 167]
sheep folds, render them most hated pests to farmers in the countries
where these animals abound. They seem to have a special appetite
for the _heads_ of fowls, and will often decapitate a half dozen
in a single night, leaving the bodies in otherwise good condition
to tell the story of their midnight murders. The home of the wild
cat is made in some cleft of rock, or in the hollow of some aged
tree, from which the creature issues in the dark hours and starts
upon its marauding excursions. Its family numbers from three to
six, and the female parent is smaller than the male, the total
length of the latter being three feet.

[Illustration]

Inhabiting the most lonely and inaccessible ranges of rock and
mountain, the wild cat is seldom seen during the daytime. At night,
like its domestic relative, he prowls far and wide, walking with
the same stealthy step and hunting his game in the same tiger-like
manner. He is by no means a difficult animal to trap, being easily
deceived and taking a bait without any hesitation. The wild