FELTS, the cat, in natural history, a genus of Mammalia, of the order Fem. Generic character : six foreteeth, inter mediate ones equal, three grinders on each side ; tongue prickly backwards ; claws retractile. Animals of this com prehensive class never unite in compa nies for mutual defence, but accomplish their ferocious and bloody purposes with solitary energy. They are swift and strong, have many of them a peculiar fa cility in climbing trees, and falling from any considerable height, alight on their feet. They spring on their prey with the suddenness of lightning, and suck its blood before they devour it. They will eat vegetables only when other food is not within their reach. They are prin cipally distinguished by their large and pointed claws, which are lodged in a sheath, and protruded or withdrawn at pleasure. The numerous species of this genus differ extremely in size and in co lour, but in form and character possess a family resemblance, and are crafty, fierce, and sanguinary. There are twenty-three species, of which we shall notice those which follow.
F. leo, or the lion. 'MIAs the largest species of the Fells genus, and has occa sionally been known to measure eight feet in length, exclusively of its tail, which is about three or four. Its colour is of a pale tawny, and the possesses an extremely full and flowing mane. The female is destitute of this, and is consi derably smaller than the male. It has been known to live, in a state of confine ment, to the age of sixty-three or seven ty years, though, from aphilosophical ex amination of its general structure, it would be concluded that its average du ration would not exceed twenty-five. The parental affection of the lioness is extreme : in support of her young she braves the most formidable dangers, and is wrought up to a pitch of agitation and exertion, which render her, in such cir cumstances, a more terrible adversary than the lion himself. She produces her young in the most remote and sequester ed situations, and to provide for their wants, engages in the most rapid excur sions, and most daring attacks, returning to her cubs with the fruit of her toils and dangers, with the most impatient impe tuosity, and feeding them with the yet convulsed members of her prey. It is re ported, by some authors, that she endea vours, occasionally, to obscure the track to her den, by brushing out the marks of it with her tail, and when suspicious of particular danger to her young, will re move them in her mouth to a place of greater security, with looks of unutter able menace and antipathy at any crea ture, however formidable, which may shew the slightest disposition to impede her progress. She produces but one lit
ter, consisting of four or five in number, in the year. These are at first extremely small, little exceeding the size of a half grown kitten, and they are five years in attaining their full growth.
The lion is found in the warmer re gions of Asia, but attains his highest per fection in the interior of Africa. His strength is such, that with a single stroke of his paw he has broken the back of a horse, and he has been known, not un frequently, to carry off a young buffalo between his teeth. lie rarely engages in full daylight in the pursuit of prey, but on the approach of night quits his habits-. tion, and with a roar which can be re sembled only to a peal of thunder, and overwhelms the other inhabitants of the wilderness or forest with consternation, commences his career of havock. His sense of smell is far from being acute, and he depends in the chase only upon actual sight or probable inference. He fre quently consumes at one repast sufficient to satisfy him for two or three days ; he breaks the bones of the buffalo with per fect ease, and frequently swallows them ; and the reversed prickles on his tongue are of extraordinary strength and exten sion. After a full repast, he returns to his den and enjoys a state of slumberand repose, till the calls of hunger rouse him to fresh activity, and impel him to recom mence the work of blood. The lion, in the exertion of his full energies, must present one of the most impressive im ages that can be conceived. The gene ral majesty of his countenance, surround ed by his full mane intensely erected, and lighted up by the glaring indignation of his eye, connected with the thunder of his voice, and all the apparatus of de struction in his mouth and paws, has, in every age, caused him to be considered as furnishing admil'able materials for sub lime and terrific imagery.