Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20
WHERE DO CATS COME rRon.
Theories ~ To Their Deriv.sien-Huntin
Cats of India.

Theories ~ tn Their NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Cats of India.
'From what source IL the domestic cat de-
rived?'
A distinguished mammalogist was asked the
question by STAR reporter and his reply was
that no one knew. Said he:
Three theories quite distinct are held on the
subject. Some think that the domestic puss is
derived from the European wildcat which is
gray with black spots and strongly resembles
the common tabby of the household. though IL is
much larger and very fierce. For long time
this belief was pretty generally accepted, but it
is not so any longer.
The second theory is that the domestic cat
is descended from the wildcat of North Africa
which also resembles the tabby, having a
longer tail than the European wildcat But
the third belief. which is chiefly adhered 10 to-
day. Is that pussy is derived from a mixed
origin. by crosses between wildcats of various
sorts, which have produced different strains in
different parts Of the world-as the Persian
breed, the maltese and Others
1T is well known that the Egyptians do
mesticated the cat, which. in fact they wor-
shipped. Representations of the animal appear
numerously upon their monuments. though
not upon those which date back much farther
than 2.o00 wears before Christ. This shows that
the creature must have become known to them
as household pet for the rirst time at about
that period. They were accustomed 10 pre-
serve their cats in the shape OF mummies the
feline corpses wrapped, like those OF human
beings. in windIngs of cloth Only a short
time ago discovery was made OF great cave in
Egypt filed with Thousands end thousands of
mummitied cats. which wers promptly dug out
and exported 10 England. where they were sold
az ihe rate OF si5 a ton tor manure. Some of
them. however. were carefully unwrapped and
dlssected for scientific purposes Ii was found
that they were very much like the pussies Of
today. although to the eve of the anatomist
they exhibited certain very perceptible differ
ences. in the formation OF their skulls the
breadth of their shoulder blades and other
points. In short. they approached in type
more nearly to the wildcat
1T is fact that the domestic puss will cross
with many varieties OF wildcats and thus NAV
have been produced many of the VARYING spe-
cles found in the world. In the Isle of Man
there Is a cat, native TO no other spot on earth,
which has no tail In Maine there is a very pc
culiar variety known up there as the coon cat
OF winch ignorant people confidently assert
that II is a cross between the domestic tabby
and the raccoon. Such a cross. of course
would be as impossible a cross between the
cat and the dog. We get our word cat from
the Latin ,catus,' applied by the Romans TO the
animal and meaning sly
There is In India another specios of the cat
tribe which is commonly domesticated. Ii is
as big as large dog and is called the 'cheeta'
or hunting leopard People in that country
keep cheetas as We do mastiffs and allow them
the same freedom. The beast is of all known
animals the swiftest in running so that il is
even able TO oyertake the antelope in flight. IL
Is used FOR hunting purposes to n great extent.
One peculiarly il has which distinguishes il az
belonging TO a separate branch of the cat fam
lily 1t Is unable TO draw in its claws at will