"Any traveller in the Far East - Japan, China, Siam, and the Malay region - who is a lover of animals must have noticed how rarely one meets with a really long-tailed cat in these regions, for instead one meets with the kink-tailed (i.e. those with a bend or screw at the tip of the tail), the short kink-tailed (i.e. those with a screw tail like the bull-dogs), the forked-tailed (i.e. those having tails which start quite straight, but near the tip branch out into two forks), and finally the tailless (or miscalled Manx) cats; and the naturalist Kaempfer states definitely that the specimens of this breed now so common in parts of Russia all came originally from Japan. Again, anyone who breeds these tailless cats, and keeps the breed quite pure, must have noticed how they differ in appearance and habits from the common short-haired cats. They are, and should be, much smaller in size; the coat should be longer and more 'rabbity'; the' call' is much nearer that of the jungle cat of the East than that of the ordinary cat ; and their habits, like those of the Siamese cats, are much more doglike.

In all these points they keep closely to what the writer firmly believes to be their original type, the domesticated cats of the Far East.

Specimen Ok A Manx Tabby (Photo: C. Reid, Wishaw.)

"The photographs illustrating this article give some idea of the general appearance of these delightfully quaint little creatures, and one notices immediately the great point that all judges look for, viz., the high hind quarters, which is so typical of the tailless breed of cats, the few hairs, which represent the spot where the tail should be, constantly appearing even a few hours after birth, although there is not a sign of a caudal appendage beneath them.

"Kink-tailed, screw-tailed, fork-tailed, and absolutely tailless cats have all been exhibited at British shows of recent years, and the writer, from a personal knowledge of nearly all breeds, has no hesitation in recommending the latter as companions, their quaint and doglike ways making them general favourites whenever they are met with.

"There are at present six distinct types of Manx, or' rumpy,' cats being exhibited at our shows, viz. : The long straight-backed cat, the long roach-backed cat, the long straight-backed cat with high hind quarters, the short straight-backed cat, the short roach-backed cat, the short-backed cat with high hind quarters. The last type is the correct one, the first is the worst and commonest type, the others are intermediate and should be judged accordingly.

"Manx cats should always be judged in a good, large, empty pen, and never in their own pens, or when held by the judge.

"Coat. - Exactly the opposite to the ordinary domesticated short-haired cat. A long and open outer coat and a soft, close under coat is the correct thing."

At one time, we may presume, the Manx cat was kept pure in the Isle of Man; but, alas ! the natives, with an eye to the main chance, have been led into manufacturing a spurious article, and many more tailless cats and kittens than ever were born have been sold to tourists eager to carry home some souvenir of the island to their friends on the mainland. I have been told that the landing pier is a frequent resort of dealers in so-called Manx cats, where the unwary traveller is waylaid and sold ! On some out-of-the-way farms on the island I believe none but tailless cats have been kept for generations, and some genuine specimens may thus be picked up, if the tourist gives himself the trouble to go off the beaten tracks.

The following letters which appeared in Our Cats. in the issue of June 30th, 1900, will be read with interest. They were written by two gentlemen of prominent position in the Isle of Man, but as they did not wish to be identified as authorities on cats their names were not given :

[Letter I.]

Castletown, Isle of Man,

12th July, 1898.

I received yesterday your letter respecting Manx cats. I fear I am unable to aid you much in your inquiries as to the Manx cat, for any personal information I can give.

When I was a boy there was a kind of tradition that the tailless cat was brought here by the Spanish Armada. We have a headland called " Spanish Head," where it has been believed that some tailless cats escaped and took refuge here, and that from such cats all the so-called Manx cats have been derived. During my life I have frequently met persons who have travelled in Spain, and I think I have always asked from such persons if they had ever met with tailless cats there, but I never met anyone who had seen them. I never heard any other traditional) origin of the Manx cat alleged. They are very common here, but not so common as cats with tails. Both cats with and cats without tails associate together. In my own house we have always kept cats, and in almost every litter of kittens there arc some with and some without tails. I have two tailless cats now - one is a kitten of a few weeks old. It has no sign of a tail, but is (as designated here) a pure rumpy. The mother is one also, but she has a little fur tuft.

I have frequently seen kittens having a very small " rudimentary tail," such as one or two bones.

I have seen, I think, Manx cats of most of the colours mentioned by you, but the most common are the grey or tabby.

I have never heard of wild cats found here, and I do not think there is any tradition about them.

A few years ago I had a very fine torn cat (bred in my own house), black all over, and with no sign of a tail. I lost it. I presume it was stolen by some tripper. Trippers are frequently on the look-out for Manx cats, and I fear that many tailed kittens are deprived of their tails to meet the demand.

[Letter II.]

Ramsey,

17th July, 1898.

Thank you for letting me see the interesting letters about Manx cats. I suppose the Society wants to have a standard by which to judge them. . . . I am sure we should all be interested to hear what they have to say on the subject, and we may be able to add some general information.

To take the questions in order I should say that grey tabby (barred, not spotted) is the most natural and correct, if one may so speak. I think it is certainly most common. I have known tortoiseshell, black-and-white, black, white, and perhaps others, which I now forget. The eye, so far as I know, is the same as in the common English tabby.

Certainly we have cats with tails - the rumpy being the rare form. Perhaps one in a litter, and one or two of them with half-tails.

As to what they are supposed to be, I have of course heard the Spanish Armada story. My own belief is that they have originated in a sport, e.g. as we find in dogs and fowls, and have been perpetuated as curiosities, and in modern times on account of their commercial value.

I do not know that there is any type which can be said to be more true than another with regard to size and shape of head, etc. The height at the hind legs is perhaps more apparent than real, caused by the abrupt ending, without the falling tail as in ordinary cats.

Professor Owen made a preparation, which may be seen at the British Museum, showing the bones (if any) of the tail. I think in a perfect specimen there should be no bones. Of course, there are all degress of stumps.

It is only of recent years that any English fanciers have tried to breed true Manx cats. Miss Samuel has been very successful in establishing a strain which again and again breeds true to type. The " Golfsticks" and "Kangaroo," two noted winners, are owned by her. In former days Miss Bugden's "Gorrie," Mr. Woodiwiss's "Manx King," "Pickles," "Belle," and "Beauty," all good cats, accounted for most of the prizes. Miss Jay, whose name is more familiarly known in connection with blue Persians, has always been partial to Manx cats, and used to exhibit at the Crystal Palace. The last time I visited the Holmwood cattery I was much struck with the number of tortoiseshell Manx cats running about the stable yard. Miss Jay has quite a family of these ; but, needless to say, they are all of the female sex ! Mrs. Herring has not been unmindful of this breed, and has exhibited some good specimens. Miss Dresser has owned Manx cats for many years and shown some good ones. Her "Belle Mahone" and "Moonlight" were nice tabbies, free from tail, and "Bonhaki Junior" was a very fine-shaped silver tabby-and-white; but, unfortunately, he had a stump which always kept him back. Mrs. Mosely has exhibited some good blacks.

Lady Alexander owned several prize-winning Manx, but t he s e have passed into the hands of Miss Hester Cochran. The best of these are " Balloch-myle Bell Stump," a curiously spotted tabby, absolutely tailless. "Bell Spitz" and "Strathcona" are also good specimens in Miss Cochran's possession. Mr. Gambier Bolton owned and bred some fine cats. "Manx Primrose," a black, and "D-Tail," a silver tabby, won respectively first and second at the Westminster show in 1902. It is so usual to see " Breeder and pedigree unknown " after almost all the entries in the Manx classes that these two cats were distinguished by having a certified pedigree. It was a grievous loss when "D-Tail " disappeared very mysteriously from his home in St. John's Wood. " Manx Silverwing " passed from Mr. Bolton's possession to that of Mr. Foulstonc's, and was later purchased by Mr. A. Ward, the well-known cat specialist. As will be seen from the illustration on page 251, this puss is almost a spotted tabby.

Lady Marcus Beresford has lately shown a great partiality for Manx. I think I am right in stating that the first one that inhabited the Bishops-gate cattery was a beautiful white called "Mona," that I procured for her. This fine specimen was brought from the island direct, and proved herself a splendid ratter ; but, alas ! she did not live long to enjoy the luxuries of her new home. There are, however, no fewer than five Manx now at Bishopsgat e - "Jack," a silver tabby; "Patch," a tort oiseshell; "Satanella." a black female ; and "Stumps," a brown tabby male. The most recent addition is "King Clinkie," whom I have before mentioned as being owned by Mrs. H. C. Brooke. Does he ever think of his former struggling existence, now that his ways are those of pleasantness and peace ? One of the latest of the specialist clubs is the Manx Club, formed by Miss Hester Cochran in 1901, with an annual subscription of 10s. ; this has been reduced to 5s., and the members in the beginning of 1903 numbered about twenty. The club has, as far as possible, devoted its limited funds to guaranteeing a better classification for Manx cats at the principal shows, and when unable to afford a guarantee has given special prizes for competition.

The efforts of this small body of fanciers have been substantially rewarded by the great improvement in the quantity and quality of the Manx cats exhibited during the last eighteen months. Miss H. Cochran, who has given up all other cats for Manx, is the hon. secretary, and Lady Alexander hon. treasurer. Committee : Lady Alexander, Miss H. Cochran, Mrs. Herring, and Miss White Atkins. No doubt in time the officials and members of the Manx Club will be able to add to their number.

Orange Manx Owned BY Mrs. Clinton Locke. (Photo : S. S. Finley, Chicago.)

Mrs. H. C. Brooke's Manx, "Katzenjammer." (Photo: A. R. Pickett, Bexley Heath.)

The following is translated from a paragraph in a German weekly paper called Mutter Erde, and appeared in Our Cats of March 1st. 1900 :