Jeff wrote :
>Probably. But they do differer from the RL lynx considerably --
>certainly in dexterity. What about that cat they are finding on the
>moors in Scotland recently? If nothing else, they ARE hard to find...
>
I assume this the infamous 'beast of bodmin moor' rather than the scottish wild cat. If the latter, we are of course talking about a vicious flat-headed tabby - but not spectacularly different from the cats who live with me.
Skipping over the fact that the cats are in southwest england, not scotland, they are ahrd to say much about. The evidence for their existence so far is some corpses that SOME people claim isn't dogs - others disagree - and some obscure sightings. The photos, etc. taken so far make it difficult to even size them, although some appear to sceptical me to be perfectly normal, black house cats. Until someone actually comes up with real evidence - dung, tracks, hair, a living specimen - most of us will remain sceptical.
If they do exist, the black panther would seem favourite for species.
>>Logic, common sense, cultural values are all things that people assume are
>>universal and they aren't. They aren't.
>
>Very true -- there was an interesting article about this in Science
>News recently. Researchers asked a question like "All bears north of
>the arctic circle are white. Jon saw a bear while north of the arctic
>circle. What color was the bear?" A westerner would answer, "White,"
>but Siberian nomads would all say, "I don't know, why don't you ask
>Jon?" Interesting roleplaying challenge!
>
I've come across similar results reported for studies in Kenya, among the Masai. Appears that it is us westerners who are in the minority - we are the only ones trained to play these word games.
Graham
Superstition, idolatry, and hypocrisy have ample wages, but truth goes a-begging.
Martin Luther
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