The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-18

4 Great Cat-0how.
PET vRLIxes FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD Al
cMYsrAL PALAcE--s0nK cBARMINo STUDIES
vnoM MATURE.
London Teiserxph.I
II the old Egyptians who worshipped
cats could only leave their "reyerenced
cere-cloths" and visit the Crystal Palace
they would return TO their mummy cases
more fanatical adorers than ever. For Mr..
Harrison Weir has this year collected the
best, and by far the largest. exhibition OF
any OF the fifteen that have been held, and
among the creatures under display are
some that might almost Justify the whimsi.
cal homage Of ancient Thebes and Memphis.
Not that cat-worshlp Is altogether extinct.
am curious variation OF the cultus obtains.
For there, In the land OF the white ele-
plant, there Is n royal breed OF cat, and,
so II Il said, IL Is death for any one 10 take
one beyond the precincts OF the palace.
The color Of these illustrious grlmalkins
Is very striking. being something between
bnff and tan, with ears, nose, and other
"pointsv let black. Indeed, with little
trimming here and there, they might pass
for tolerable pug-dogs. But we need hard.
" 60 80 far as Bangkok for vestiges Of the
old worship, for Il was obvious to the most
casual observer yesterday, from the epithets
applied by visitors to the cats under exhibit
ton and the EXPLANATIONS OF pious rapture
that there are plenty Of persons OF both
sexes who, II they do not actually set uE
on an altar and sacrifice TO II with music
and incense and temple rites, as was done
In the palmy days OF the Pharaohs, are suf
ficiently in love with the species to be en-
thusiastic In admiration. To hear fierce
old Russian cat described As "adorable y
and q snowy Persian apostrophized q:
"divine" bridges over the interval be-
tween the crystal palace and the cat
temples OF Bubastis. and narrows the
chasm somewhat between Mr.. Harrison
Weir and Pharaoh-Necbo. On first entering
the show the silence OF the animals strikes
the visitor, but after awhile there grows
upon the ear confusion OF familiar noises
that gives queer impression OF its being
midnight or early morning In some very
cat-populous suburb. They are subdued,
II Is true, but the well.known voices OF the
creatures that nocturnslly peambulate the
garden walls, give long recitati0ns from
the might Thoughts" and foregather in
corners for woful dialogue, are not to be
mistaken.
As O rule people look upon cats as being
without variety. They know that these
animals catch mice, have evil designs upon
cream-iugs and csnaries, scratch the baby.
and hold melancholy concerts In the back
garden. But beyond these points, com
mon to all the species, the great majority
Of people have no standards OF distinction.
1t IL true that the creatures vary in color;
but somehow, as a rule, we lump them all
together into the "common or garden cat"
and regard them as being OF monoto-
nous sort. An exhibition such as has
this year been produced goes very
long way, however, 10 upsetting such
opinions, for out OF the hundreds
Of cats and kittens now on show there is
lust as much variety "a among the apples
I'm Chiswick greenhouse or the chrysan-
themums at the temple. Some, for IN
stance, are pure wild animals IN miniature
Here is an undeniable lynn. only half-siZe,
and there mimic ocelot; In another cage
an imitation puma, and in fourth an en-
cellent stimulation OF raccOOn. In color.
OF course, the range is very large, from
pure whites and blacks to smudged tor
toise shells, rabbit and hare colors, soft blue
grays, silver stripes and spots, producing
In combination or by accident OF position
the most singular results of expression.
Indeed, nothing Is more surprising than
the immense diversity OF character which
the faces illustrate. Placid dignity and
strcet-boy impudence are Gagged side by
side, and a very little trouble would give
an artist the whole series OF human types.
The cat with black blotch in the middle
OF white countenance Is obviously bur-
glar among his kind, and what deeds of
midnight violence would be too dreadful for
some OF those smudge-faced toms to commits
They seem 10 have deliberately disguised
themselves, US IL they were thugs out on
murderous errand, and peer at you, as |
from behind a mask, from confusion OF |
red and tan and black fur, like the demon |
at the japanese. No one would think OF
leaving such cat in room with the Gu. |
nary, or hardly, indeed, with ones purse. |
But there are abundant examples of the |
comfortable creature that has come by long |
familiarity to be looked upon almost as Il
part OF "home," and the sale 81 the kit |
tens OF these gentle-mannered, glossy-coat- |
ed things Is very brisk.
A very large number Of the animals ex- |
hibited have brought their families with |
them. and these households all in a row af- |
ford some charming studies from nature |
The kitten, OF course, has no sort of respect
for anything, and when Judges poke the
mother with pencil to get her TO stand up,
her children misunderstood the gesture al !
together, aud, under the impression that
the man OF science Is playing with them
proceeds to wrestle with 1t. Their ribbons |
and labels are In the same frivolous |
way regarded as part OF the fun. |
and pleasant change as play |
Ting after each others tails. So they |
tim their backs upon the visitors, and |
romp and roll about exactly as II they were |
It home. AS TO the award OF the Judges |
tAey do not care scrap, and, except that |
= prize-ticket stuck between the bars ai- |
fords them another amusement, they are
quite. content to be undistinguished so long |
a. they are left with their mother and each |
other. And what innocent little flufi-
nesses they seem. Is II possible that such |
kittens could ever descend to the surrepti. |
tious consumption Of the family canary {: |
Or that such guileless little faces could |
ever be stained with the purloined |
bloa,ery A great number OF the cats, |
Of course, sleep placidly through the |
ordeal. They have no intention whatever |
Of altering their usual habits Just to |
humor the public, and because there hap |
pens to be a show, and II the COMMITTEE, |
want 10 see their tails they had better un- |
curl them for themselves. The cats are not |
going to get up TO do 1t. Indeed, adjudg- |
Ing the prizes Is task requiring some con- |
siderable sleight-of-hand, for as q rule 1t Is |
not easy to take liberty with cat without
getting scratched IN return. II Is quite
true that u, when II strikes at your hand
With Its paw, you have the presence OF
mind, instead OF snatching Il away, to
push Il toward the cat, you will escape be-
Ing scratched. But how many people are
there who can resist the temptation to
snatch away hand when u cat strikes at