<hw>Cat-fish</hw>, <i>n</i>. The name is applied in the Old World to various fishes of the family <i>Siluridae</i>, and also to the Wolf-fish of Europe and North America. It arises from the resemblance of the teeth in some cases or the projecting "whiskers" in others, to those of a cat. In Victoria and New South Wales it is a fresh-water fish, <i>Copidoglanis tandanus</i>, Mitchell, brought abundantly to Melbourne by railway. It inhabits the rivers of the Murray system, but not of the centre of the continent. Called also <i>Eel-fish</i> and <i>Tandan</i> (q.v.). In Sydney the same name is applied also to <i>Cnidoglanis megastoma</i>, Rich., and in New Zealand <i>Kathetostoma monopterygium</i>. <i>Cnidoglanis</i> and <i>Cnidoglanis</i> are Siluroids, and <i>Kathetostoma</i> is a"stargazer," i.e. a fish having eyes on the upper surface of the head, belonging to the family <i>Trachinidsae</i>.
1851. J. Henderson, `Excursions in New South Wales,' vol. ii. p. 207:
"The Cat-fish, which I have frequently caught in the McLeay, is a large and very ugly animal. Its head is provided with several large tentacatae, and it has altogether a disagreeable appearance. I have eat its flesh, but did not like it."
1880. Mrs. Meredith, `Tasmanian Friends and Foes,' p. 213 [Footnote]:
"Mr. Frank Buckland . . . writing of a species of rock-fish, says—`I found that it had a beautiful contrivance in the conformation of its mouth. It has the power of prolongating both its jaws to nearly the extent of half-an-inch from their natural position. This is done by a most beautiful bit of mechanism, somewhat on the principle of what are called `lazy tongs.' The cat-fish possesses a like feature, but on a much larger scale, the front part of the mouth being capable of being protruded between two and three inches when seizing prey.'"
<hw>Cat, Native</hw>, <i>n</i>. a small carnivorous marsupial, of the genus <i>Dasyurus</i>. The so-called native cat is not a cat at all, but a marsupial which resembles a very large rat or weasel, with rather a bushy tail. It is fawn-coloured or mouse-coloured, or black and covered with little white spots; a very pretty little animal. It only appears at night, when it climbs fences and trees and forms sport for moonlight shooting. Its skin is made into fancy rugs and cloaks or mantles.
The animal is more correctly called a <i>Dasyure</i> (q.v.).
The species are—
Black-tailed Native Cat
<i>Dasyurus geoffroyi</i>, Gould.
Common N.C. (called also <i>Tiger Cat</i>, q.v.)—
<i>D. viverrimus</i>, Shaw.
North Australian N.C.—
<i>D. hallucatus</i>, Gould.