Cats and Kittens. By Henriette Renner. Descriptive Text by Marius
Vachon. Translated from the French by Clara 13011. (Cassell and Co.)—Here we have another sumptuous volume &all- eated to the cult of the cat. Madame Renner devotes her art with an unfailing fidelity to the portrayal of this animal. Limited as is her subject, for the cat type has been but little varied during all the millenniums of its domesticated condition, it never seems monotonous. The charm and grace of the animal's move. meat are indeed inexhaustible. We never tire of seeing it in life, at least if we have not the misfortune to feel the aversion with which some unhappy human creatures are afflicted, and there is an unfailing charm in the efforts of Madame Ronner's most skilful and sympathetic pencil. Her cats are apparently of the Persian kind ; from the artistic point of view she is right, though the Persian's character has some ignoble points about it. M. Vachon's text, well rendered by the practical hand of Mrs. Clara Bell, is eminently readable. The history of the cat is indeed but of limited extent. It was only in Egypt that his merits were properly recognised. The Greeks and Romans did not appreciate him, but then it must be remembered that they did not possess the true cat, the fells being probably a polecat. In modern times he has taken his proper place. About these things M. Vachon discourses pleasantly enough. To every eat-lover we heartily commend these beautiful representations of the most graceful of animals.
Previous page
