All of these animals are most symmetrical and graceful; all have the round head set on a stout neck, the limbs of moderate length, the long tail and the soft fur which correspond in general color to its native surroundings. Because they are beasts of prey the teeth are adapted to life-destroying action; the tongue is thick and muscular, with fine, horny thorns which point toward the throat. With these the animal can most beautifully smooth and dress its hair, as well as strip the meat from off the bone when making a meal. The claws, ordinarily drawn up and out of sight, make an effective weapon when the angry animal stretches its paws. On account of its cushioned feet its step is silent and stealthy. All Cats can jump many times their own length, and most species are great climbers. The sense of hearing is most acute, and they see well at short range. The sense of touch is extremely well developed, and the most sensitive organ is the whiskers. A Cat with the whiskers cut off is indeed in a most uncomfortable position; it is at a loss to know what to do. The sense of smell is not very acute. Our Domestic Cat shares all these qualities with the other members of the Cat tribe, but it has many valuable qualities of its own. It is much more intelligent than people are willing to concede. It is often compared with the dog, but they are so entirely different that it is an unfair comparison. The dog becomes very dependent upon man, while the Cat has kept a certain amount of individuality and independence through all its generations of domestic life. When a Cat is very much petted it develops an affection for its master, but otherwise it becomes more attached to the house and locality in which it lives, preferring to return to its old home and live among strangers rather than to follow its owner to a new home. How remarkable is the fact that no one can cause a Cat to alight except upon its feet, no matter how short or long may be the distance from which it jumps or is thrown! A Cat can also swim, though in the main it abhors the water. Occasionally its great appetite for fish will overcome its dislike of getting wet, and it will jump into a pond and do its own fishing. Mr. Scheitlin understandingly describes the Cat in the following language: “The Cat is an animal of a high order of intelligence. Its bodily structure alone indicates this. It is a pretty, diminutive lion, a tiger on a small scale. It shows the most complete symmetry of form, no one part of it too large or too small. That its every detail is rounded and beautiful is even shown by an examination of the skull, which is more symmetrical than that of any other animal. Its movements are undulating and graceful to the extent that it seems to have no bones. We value our Cats too slightly because we detest their thievish propensities, fear their claws and love their enemy, the dog, and we are not able to show equal friendship and admiration for those two opposite natures.