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Page:The cat. Its natural history, varieties, and management.djvu/15

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THE CAT.

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.

The origin of the domestic cat (Felis domestica) is a subject about which there has been much conjecture and scientific discussion, but without any positive issue. Very long before the cat was kept in this country as a domesticated animal it was possessed by the ancient Egyptians in a tame state, and was, moreover, held in reverence by that remarkable and superstitious