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Show 126 ~l'EUIAL EXPUES~lON~ : UHAl'. v. of North America likewise depressed it::; ear::; iu a slight degree. But I believ that foxes never lick the hand::; of their masters, and I have been assured that when frightened they never tuck in their tails. If the explanation which I have given of the expression of affection in doo·s be admitted, then it would appear 0 that animals which have never been domesticated-namely wolves, jackals, and even foxes-have neverth less acquired, through the principle of antithesis, certain expressive gestures; for it is not probable that these animals, confined in cages, should have learnt them by i1nitating dogs. Oats.-! have already described the actions of a cat (fig. 9), when feeling savage and not terrified. She assumes a crouching attitude and occasionally protrudes her fore-feet, with tho claws exserted ready for striking. The tail is extended, being curled or lashed from side to sjde. The hair is not erected-at least it was not so in the few cases observed by me. The ears are drawn clos ly baclnvards and the teeth are shown. Low sa.vage growls are uttered. We can understand why the attitude assumed by a cat when preparing to £ght with another cat, or in any way greatly irritated, is so widely different fron1 that of a dog approaching another dog with hostile intentions; for the cat uses her forefeet for striking, and this renders a crouching position convenient or necessary. She is also much more accustomed than a dog to lie concealed and suddenly spring on her prey. No cause can be assigned with certainty for the tail being lashed or curled from side to side. This habit is common to many other ani1nals-for instance, to the puma, when prepared to spring ;6 but 6 Azara, 'Qmulrnpcdc. du Part' guay,' 1801, tom. i. p. 136. CAT. 1:27 it is not con11non to doo· , or to fo .. 'e , as I infer fron1 b . l\Ir. St. John's account of a fox lying in wait antl seizing a hare. vVe have already seen that sotne kinds of lizards and various snakes, when excited, rapidly vibrate tho tip. of their tails. It would appear as if, under strong excitem nt, there existed an uncontrollable desire for movement of some kind, owing to nerve-force being freely liberated from the excited sensorium; and that as the tail is left free, and as its movement doe::; not disturb the gen ral position of tho body, it is curled or lashed about. All the 1novements of a cat, when feeling affectionate, are in complete antithesis to thoso just described. She now stands upright, with slightly arched back, tail perpendicularly raised, and cars erected; and she rubs her cheeks and flanks against her master or mistress. The desire to rub something is so strong in cats under this state of mind, that they may often be seen rubbing themselves against the legs of chairs or tables, or against door-posts. This manner of expressing affection probably originated through association, as in the caso of dogs, from the mother nursing and fondling her young; and perhaps from the young themselves loving each other and playing together. Another and vory different gesture, expressive of pleasure, has already been described, namely, the curious manner in which young and even old cats, when pleased, alternately protrude their fore-feet, with separated toes, as if pushing against and sucking their mother's teats. This habit is so far analogous to that of rubbing against something, that both apparently are derived from actions performed d tuing the nursing period. Why cats should show affection by rubbing so much n1ore than do dogs, though the latter delight in contact with their rna ters, and why ratA only occasionally lick the l1andR of their |