Cats
coats and pendulous ears derive from a series of mistranslations and the confusion of two
entirely different animals! A Polish Jesuit missionary to south China, Michael Boym (ca.
1612-1659), first described the Sumxu in his illustrated book Flora Sinensis (1656) in which
he also described Chinese fauna. "Sum Xu" was the Portuguese rendering of songshu,
meaning "pine rat". Though Boym's illustration resembles a squirrel, the description indicates
the Yellow Throated Marten (Martes flavigula) found in the region. Boym wrote that the
Sumxu was a pretty yellow-and-black animal that was commonly tamed and wore a silver
collar. They were valued as hunters of mice and sold for up to 9 silver coins (indicating their
usefulness or rarity).
The cat-like Sumxu was described in early 1700s as a curiosity, and in 1796 when a droop-
eared cat brought back from China. But how did the Sumxu name end up attached to a variety
of cat?
annaabi.ee 
