the Cat, a genus of quadrupeds belonging to the order of ferae, the characters of which are these: The fore teeth are equal; the molares or grinders have three points; the tongue is furnished with rough sharp pricks, and pointing backwards; and the claws are sheathed, and retractile. This genus comprehends seven genera, viz.
1. The Leo, or Lion. The largest lions are from eight to nine feet in length, and from four to eight feet high: those of a smaller size are generally about 5½ feet long, and about 3½ high. His head is very thick, and his face is beset on all sides with long bushy yellowish hair; this shaggy hair extends from the top of the head to below the shoulders, and hangs down to his knees: the belly and breast are likewise covered with long hair. The rest of the body is covered with very short hair, excepting a bush at the point of the tail. The ears are roundish, short, and almost entirely concealed under the hair of his front. The shagginess of the fore-part of his body makes the hinder part have a naked appearance. The tail is long and very strong; the legs are thick and fleety; and the feet are short; the length of the claws is about an inch and a quarter, are of a whitish colour, very crooked, and can be extended or retracted into the membranous sheath at pleasure: Their points are seldom blunted, as they are never extended but when he seizes his prey.
The female, or lioness, has no mane, or long hair about her head or shoulders; in her we see distinctly the whole face, head, ears, neck, shoulders, breast, &c. all these parts being in some measure concealed under the long hair of the male, give the female a very different appearance: besides, she is considerably less than the male. The hair of both male and female is of a yellowish colour, and whitish on the sides and belly.
In warm countries, quadrupeds in general are larger and stronger than in the cold or temperate climates. They are likewise more fierce and hardy; all their natural qualities seem to correspond with the ardour of the climate. The lions nourished under the scorching sun of Africa or the Indies, are the most strong, fierce, and terrible. Those of mount Atlas, whose top is sometimes covered with snow, are neither so strong or so ferocious as those of Biledulgerid or Zaara, whose plains are covered with burning sand. It is in these hot and barren deserts, that the lion is the dread of travellers, and the scourge of the neighbouring provinces. But it is a happy circumstance, that the species is not very numerous: they even appear to diminish daily. The Romans, says Mr. Shaw, brought many more lions out of Lybia for their public shows, than are now to be found in that country. It is likewise remarked, that the lions in Turkey, Persia, and the Indies are less numerous than formerly. As this formidable and courageous animal makes a prey of most other animals, and is himself a prey to none, this diminution in the number of the species can be owing to nothing but an increase in the number of mankind: for it must be acknowledged, that the strength of this king of animals is not a match for the dexterity and address of a Negro or Hottentot, who will often dare to attack him face to face, and with very slight weapons.
The ingenuity of mankind augments with their number; that of other animals continues always the same. All the noxious animals, as the lion, are reduced to a small number, not only because mankind are become more numerous, but likewise because they have become more ingenious, and have invented weapons which nothing can resist. This superiority in the numbers and industry of mankind, at the same time that it has broke the vigour of the lion, seems likewise to have enervated his courage. This quality, though natural, is exalted or lowered according to the good or bad success with which any animal has been accustomed to employ his force. In the vast deserts of Zaara; in those which seem to separate two very different races of men, the Negroes and Moors, between Senegal and the boundaries of Mauritania; in those uninhabited regions above the country of the Hottentots; and, in general, in all the meridional parts of Africa and Asia, where mankind have disdained to dwell, lions are still as numerous, and as ferocious as ever. Accustomed to measure their strength by that of all other animals which they encounter, the habit of conquering renders them haughty and intrepid. Having never experienced the strength of man, or the power of his arms, instead of discovering any signs of fear; they disdain and set him at defiance. Wounds irritate, but do not terrify them: they are not even disconcerted at the sight of numbers. A single lion of the Defart has been known to attack a whole caravan; and if, after a violent and obstinate engagement, he found himself weakened, he retreats fighting, always keeping his face to the enemy. On the other hand, the lions which live near the villages or huts of the Indians or Africans, being acquainted with man and the force of his arms, are so daftly as to fly and leave their prey at the sight of women or children.
This softening in the temper and disposition of the lion, shows that he is capable of culture, and susceptible, at least to a certain degree, of the impressions that he receives: accordingly, history informs us of lions yoked in triumphal chariots, trained to war, or the chase; and that, faithful to their masters, they never employed their strength or courage but against their enemies. It is, however, certain, that a lion taken young and brought up among domestic animals, will easily be accustomed to live and sport with them; that he is mild and caressing to his master, especially when he is young; and that, if his natural ferocity sometimes breaks out, it is rarely turned against those who have been kind to him. But, as his passions are impetuous and vehement, it is not to be expected that the impressions of education will at all times be sufficient to balance them; for this reason it is dangerous to let him suffer hunger long, or to vex him by ill-timed teasing; bad treatment not only irritates him, but he remembers it long, and meditates revenge. On the other hand, he is exceedingly grateful, and seldom forgets benefits received. He has been often observed to disdain weak or insignificant enemies, to despise their insults, and to pardon their offensive liberties. When led into captivity, he will discover symptoms of uneasiness, without anger or peevishness; on the contrary, his natural temper softens, he obeys his master, caresses the hand that gives him food, and sometimes gives life to such animals as are thrown to him alive for prey; by this act of generosity he seems to consider himself as forever bound to protect them; he lives peaceably with them, allows them a part, and sometimes the whole of his food, and will rather submit to the pangs of hunger than fill his stomach with the fruit of his beneficence. We may likewise observe, that the lion is not a cruel animal; he kills rather from necessity than choice, never destroying more than he eats, and whenever his appetite is satisfied he is mild and peaceable.
The aspect of the lion does not detract from the noble and generous qualities of his mind. His figure is respectable; his looks are determined; his gate is stately; and his voice is tremendous. In a word, the body of the lion appears to be the best model of strength joined to agility. The force of his muscles is expressed by his prodigious leaps and bounds, often 20 feet at once; by the brisk motion of his tail, a single sweep of which is sufficient to throw a man to the ground; by the ease with which he moves the skin of his face, and particularly of his forehead; and, lastly, by the faculty of erecting and agitating the hair of his main when irritated.
Lions are very ardent in their amours: when the female is in season, she is often followed by eight or ten males, who roar incessantly, and enter into furious engagements, till one of them completely overcomes the rest, takes peaceable possession of the female, and carries her off to some secret recess. The lioness brings forth her young in the spring, and produces but once every year.
All the passions of the lion, the soft passion of love not excepted, are excessive; the love of offspring is extreme: the lioness is naturally weaker, less bold, and more gentle than the lion; but she becomes perfectly rapacious and terrible when she has young. Then she exhibits more courage than the male; she knows no danger; she attacks indifferently men and all other animals, kills them, and carries them to her young ones, whom she thus early instructs to suck their blood and tear their flesh. She generally brings forth in the most secret and inaccessible places; and, when afraid of a discovery, she endeavours to conceal the traces of her feet, by returning frequently on her steps, or rather by effacing them with her tail; and, when the danger is great, she carries off her young and conceals them somewhere else. But, when an actual attempt is made to deprive her of her young, she becomes perfectly furious, and defends them till she be torn to pieces.
The lion seldom goes abroad in the middle of the day; he goes round in the evening and night, in quest of prey. He is afraid of fire, never approaches the artificial fires made by the shepherds for the protection of their flocks; he does not trace other animals by the scent, but is obliged to trust to his eyes. Many historians have even misrepresented him as incapable of finding out his prey; but that he is obliged to the jackal, an animal of exquisite scent, in order to provide for him, and that this animal either accompanies or goes before him for this purpose. The jackal is a native of Arabia, Lybia, &c., and, like the lion, lives upon prey; perhaps sometimes he follows the lion, but it is with a view to pick up what he leaves behind, not to provide for him; for, being a small and feeble animal, he ought rather to fly than to serve the lion.
The lion, when hungry, will attack any animal that presents itself; but he is so very formidable, that all endeavour to avoid his rencontre; this circumstance often obliges him to conceal himself, and lie in wait till some animal chances to pass. He lies squat on his belly in a thicket; from which he springs with such force and velocity, that he often seizes them at the first bound. He endures hunger longer than thirst; he seldom palies water without drinking, which he does by lapping like a dog. For his ordinary subsistence, he requires about 15 pounds of raw flesh each day.
The roaring of the lion is so strong and loud, that it resembles the rumbling of distant thunder. His roaring is his ordinary voice; but when he is irritated, his cry is shorter, repeated more suddenly, and is still more terrible than the roaring: besides he beats his sides with his tail, stamps with his feet, erects and agitates the hair of his head and main, moves the skin of his face, shows his angry teeth, and lolls out his tongue.
The gait of the lion is stately, grave, and slow, though always in an oblique direction. His movements are not equal or measured, but consist of leaps and bounds; which prevents him from stopping suddenly, and makes him often over-leap his mark. When he leaps upon his prey, he makes a bound of 12 or 15 feet, falls above it, seizes it with his fore-feet, tears the flesh with his claws, and then devours it with his teeth.
The lion, however terrible, is hunted by large dogs, well supported by men on horseback: they dislodge him, and oblige him to retire. But it is necessary that both the dogs and horses be trained before-hand; for almost every animal frets and flies as soon as he feels the very smell of a lion. His skin, although hard and firm, does not resist either a ball or a javelin; however, he is seldom killed by a single stroke; and is more frequently taken by address than force. They put a live animal above a deep pit covered with light substances, and thus decoy him into the snare.
2. The Tiger. The size of this animal, according to some authors, is larger, and, according to others, somewhat less than the lion. M. de la Lande-magon assures us, that he has seen a tiger in the East-Indies 15 feet long, including undoubtedly the length of Fig. 1. Falco Haliætus or Fishing Hawk
Plate LXXVI
Fig. 2. Felis Domesticus Cat of Angora Fig. 1. Felis Leo or Lion
Fig. 2. Felis Tigris or Tiger Plate LXXIX.
Fig. 1. Felis Pardus or Panther
Fig. 2. Felis Leopardus or Leopard the tail, which, supposing it to be four feet, makes the body of the tiger about 10 feet in length. The skeleton preserved in the cabinet of the French king, indicates that the animal was about 7 feet long from the point of the muzzle to the origin of the tail; but then it must be considered that he was caught young, and lived all his days in confinement. The head of the tiger is large and roundish; and the ears are short, and at a great distance from each other. The form of the body has a great resemblance to that of the panther. The skin is of a darkish yellow colour, striped with long black streaks; the hair is short, excepting on the sides of the head, where it is about four inches long. The point of the tail is black, and the rest of it is interspersed with black rings. His legs and claws resemble those of the lion, only the legs are much shorter in proportion to the size of the animal.
The tiger is more ferocious, cruel, and savage than the lion. Although gorged with carnage, his thirst for blood is not appeased; he seizes and tears in pieces a new prey with equal fury and rapacity, the very moment after devouring a former one; he lays waste the country he inhabits; he neither dreads the aspect nor the weapons of men; puts to death whole troops of domestic animals; and attacks young elephants, rhinoceroses, and sometimes even braves the lion himself. The tiger seems to have no other instinct but a constant thirst after blood, a blind fury which knows no bounds or distinction, and which often stimulates him to devour his own young, and to tear the mother in pieces for endeavouring to defend them. He lies in wait at the banks of rivers, &c., where the heat of the climate obliges the other animals to repair for drink. Here he seizes his prey, or rather multiplies his massacres, for he no sooner kills one animal, than he flies with equal fury upon the next, with no other view but to plunge in his head into their bodies and drink their blood. However, when he kills a large animal, as a horse or a buffalo, he sometimes does not tear out the entrails on the spot; but, to prevent any interruption, he drags them off to the wood, which he executes with incredible swiftness. This is a sufficient specimen of the strength of this rapacious animal.
Neither force, restraint, or violence can tame the tiger. He is equally irritated with good as with bad treatment: he tears the hand which nourishes him with equal fury as that which administers blows; he roars, and is enraged at the sight of every living creature. Almost every natural historian agrees in this horrible character. When viewing the beautiful tiger which is at present exhibiting in the city of Edinburgh, we at first suspected that his character was not so bad or ferocious as represented by historians: he allowed the keeper not only to come near him, but to stroke his head and take his paw in his hand. However, this appeared to be only a forced complaisance; he was chained so close to the floor, that he had only just room to stand; he snarled and roared when his master troubled him more than he inclined; and, upon throwing him a piece of flesh, his eyes instantly sparkled with rage; he put himself in a posture of defence, set up the most horrible roarings, and made several bounds to get at the keeper as well as the spectators.
It is happy for other animals, that the species of the tiger is not numerous, and that they are confined to the warm climates. They are found in Malabar, Siam, Bengal, the interior parts of Africa, and, in general, in all the regions that are inhabited by the elephant and rhinoceros.
The tiger has always been a more rare animal than the lion, and yet brings forth an equal number of young, namely, four or five at a litter. The female is furious at all times; but, when her young are attempted to be taken from her, her rage is redoubled: she braves every danger; she pursues the ravishers, who are obliged, when hard pressed, to drop one of the young in order to retard her motion; she stops, takes it up, and carries it into some secret part of the forest; but she instantly returns and pursues the hunters into their villages or boats.
The tiger moves the skin of his face, grinds his teeth, and roars, like the lion; but the sound of his voice is different.
3. The Panther.—It is about the size of a large dog, and has a great resemblance to a domestic cat. The tongue is rough and remarkably red; the teeth are strong and sharp; the skin is exceedingly beautiful, being of a yellow colour, variegated with roundish black spots, and the hair is short.
The panther has a cruel and ferocious aspect; his motions are brisk and lively; his cry resembles that of an enraged dog, but more strong and rough. He is not so perfectly ungovernable as the tiger: but, notwithstanding all attempts to render him obedient and tractable, he may rather be said to be subdued than tamed; for he never entirely loses his natural ferocity. Accordingly, when kept with a view to hunting bucks, goats, or other animals, great care is necessary in training him, and still greater in conducting him. When leading out to the field, they put him in a cage and carry him on a cart. When the game is sprung, they open the door of the cage; he instantly springs towards the animal, often seizes him in a few bounds, throws him to the ground, and strangles him. But, if he happens to miss his aim, he becomes mad with rage, and sometimes falls upon his master, who, in order to prevent accidents of this kind, generally carries along with him pieces of flesh, or perhaps a lamb or a kid, which he throws to him in order to appease his fury.
The panther is no where to be found but in Africa, and the regions of the Indies.
4. The Onca or Once, is less than the panther; the tail is longer; the hair is likewise longer, and of a whitish grey colour. The once is easily tamed; and is employed in hunting in several parts of Asia, where dogs are very scarce. He has not the delicate scent of a dog; does not trace other animals by the smell; neither can he run them down in a fair chase; but lies in wait for their approach, and then darts upon them unawares. He leaps so nimbly, that he easily clears a ditch or a wall several feet high: besides, he often climbs trees, waits till some animal passes, and instantly leaps down upon them. This method of catching their prey, is practised by the panther and leopard, as well as the once.
5. The Leopard differs from the panther and the once in the beauty of his colour, which is a lively yellow, with smaller spots than those of the two latter, and... disposed in groups. He is larger than the once, and less than the panther. The manners and disposition of the leopard are nearly the same with those of the panther. He is never tamed or employed in hunting. The panther, once, and leopard, are inhabitants of Africa and the warmer regions of Asia. In general, these animals delight in thick forests, and frequent the banks of rivers, and the neighbourhood of solitary villages, where they lie in wait to surprise domestic animals and the wild beasts that come in quest of water. They seldom attack men, even when provoked. With regard to their skins, they are all valuable, and make excellent furs.
6. The Lynx is about 2½ feet long and 15 inches high. He has a great resemblance to the cat; but his ears are longer, and his tail is much shorter; his hair is streaked with yellow, white, and black colours. The lynx is an inhabitant of Muscovy, Poland, Canada, &c. His eyes are brilliant, his aspect is soft, and his air is gay and sprightly; like the cat, he covers his urine with earth; he howls something like the wolf, and is heard at a considerable distance; he does not run like the dog or wolf, but walks and leaps like a cat; he pursues his prey even to the tops of trees; neither wild-cats nor squirrels can escape him; he lies in wait for hags, goats, hares, &c., and darts suddenly upon them; he seizes them by the throat and sucks their blood, then opens the head and eats the brain; after this, he frequently leaves them and goes in quest of fresh prey; the colour of his skin changes according to the season or the climate; the winter furs are more beautiful than those of summer.
7. The Cat, is a well-known domestic animal, and therefore requires no particular description. The wild-cat, the cat of Angora, &c., differ only in the length of their hair, and some small varieties arising from climate and their manner of living.
Of all domestic animals, the character of the cat is the most equivocal and suspicious. He is kept, not for any amiable qualities, but purely with a view to banish rats, mice, and other noxious animals from our houses, granaries, &c. Although cats, when young, are playful and gay, they possess at the same time an innate malice and perverse disposition, which increases as they grow up, and which education learns them to conceal, but never to subdue. Constantly bent upon theft and rapine, though in a domestic state, they are full of cunning and dissimulation; they conceal all their designs; seize every opportunity of doing mischief, and then fly from punishment. They easily take on the habits of society, but never its manners; for they have only the appearance of friendship and attachment. This disingenuity of character is betrayed by the obliquity of their movements, and the ambiguity of their looks. In a word, the cat is totally destitute of friendship; he thinks and acts for himself alone. He loves ease, searches for the softest and warmest places to repose himself. The cat is likewise extremely amorous; and, which is very singular, the female is more ardent than the male; she not only invites, but searches after and calls upon him to satisfy the fury of her desires; and, if the male disdains or flies from her, she pursues, bites, and in a manner compels him. This heat of passion in females lasts but nine or ten days, and happens twice in the year, namely in the spring and autumn; however, in some it happens thrice or four times in the year. The female goes with young 55 or 56 days, and generally produces four or five at a litter. As the male has an inclination to destroy the young, the female takes care to conceal them from him; and, when she is apprehensive of a discovery, she takes them up in her mouth one by one, and hides them in holes or inaccessible places. When she has nursed a few weeks, she brings them mice, small birds, &c., in order to learn them to eat flesh. But, it is worth notice, that these careful and tender mothers sometimes become unnaturally cruel, and devour their own offspring.
The cat is incapable of restraint, and consequently of being educated to any extent. However, we are told, that the Greeks in the island of Cyprus trained this animal to catch and devour serpents, with which that island was greatly infested. This however was not the effect of obedience, but of a general taste for slaughter; for he delights in watching, attacking, and destroying all kinds of weak animals indifferently. He has no delicacy of scent, like the dog; he hunts only by the eye; neither does he properly pursue; he only lies in wait, and attacks animals by surprise; and after he has caught them, he sports with and torments them a long time, and at last kills them (when his belly is full) purely to gratify his sanguinary appetite.
The eye of the cat differs greatly from that of most other animals. The pupil is capable of a great degree of contraction and dilatation; it is narrow and contracted like a line during the day, round and wide in the dark; it is from this conformation of the eye that the cat sees best in the night, which gives him a great advantage in discovering and seizing his prey.
Although cats live in our houses, they can hardly be called domestic animals; they may rather be said to enjoy full liberty; for they never act but according to their own inclination. Besides, the greatest part of them are half wild; they do not know their masters, and frequent only the barns, out-houses, &c., unless when pressed with hunger.
Cats have a natural antipathy at water, cold, and bad smells. They love to bask in the sun, and lie in warm places. They likewise have an affection for certain aromatic smells; they are transported with the root of the valerian.
Cats take about eighteen months before they come to their full growth; but they are capable of propagation in twelve months, and retain this faculty all their life, which generally extends to nine or ten years. They eat slowly, and are peculiarly fond of fishes. They drink frequently; their sleep is light; and they often assume the appearance of sleeping, when in reality they are meditating mischief. They walk softly, and without making any noise. As their hair is always dry, it easily gives out an electrical fire, which becomes visible when rubbed across in the dark. Their eyes likewise sparkle in the dark like diamonds.
The wild, or savage cat, couples with the domestic one, and is consequently the same species. It is not unusual for domestic cats, both male and female, when stimulated by love, to repair to the woods in quest of these savage