Another story, told by Dr. Wood, is proof of the falsity of the constantly repeated assertion by many naturalists that the Cat is a lover of locality and not of persons, and although it seems almost a matter of superfluity to relate it, I will narrate it in order to fix the truth beyond contradiction, in the minds of doubters of the real fact.

"Many years ago we changed our residence from one part of Oxford to another, and, having been told that Cats have no affection except for localities, my parents thought that they would not distress their Cat by taking her into a house which she would not like, and, accordingly, left 'Nutty' at home. But, after we had been settled down some eight or ten days, Nutty made her appearance among us and displayed by every means in her power her delight at rejoining her old friends. She was terribly emaciated, and had evidently endured great hardships, but in a few days her rich tortoise-shell fur had sleeked itself down and she had recovered her wonted beauty."

I take the following from "Gleanings in Natural History," by Edward Jesse, F.L.S., London, 1838. It demonstrates the love of the feline for persons and the society of human beings and her innate desire to protect both her master and his property, characteristics which have heretofore been attributed alone to the dog and denied existence in the feline animal. Of the latter trait there are thousands of instances which have come under the observation of many people, and have been recited in the numerous volumes which I have consulted in preparing this paper. The story of this old writer is as follows:

"Cats are generally persecuted animals, and are supposed to show but little attachment to those who are kind to them. I have known a Cat, however, to evince great uneasiness during the absence of her owner, and it is stated that when the Duke of Norfolk was committed to the Tower, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, a favorite Cat made her way into his prison room by getting down the chimney.

"Cats have been known, also, to do their best to protect the property of their masters as well as dogs. A man who was sentenced to transportation for robbery informed me, after his conviction, that he and two others broke into the house of a gentleman near Hampton Court. While they were in the act of plundering it a large black Cat flew at one of the robbers and fixed her claws on each side of his face. He added that he never saw any man so much frightened in his life.

"Mr. White, in his 'Natural History of Selborne,' states that of all quadrupeds Cats are the least disposed toward water, and will not, when they can avoid it, deign to wet a foot, much less to plunge into that element. The following fact, however, communicated to me by a friend who lived several years in Jamaica, will prove that, in cases of necessity, they take to water, and is also another instance of the attachment of animals to the places where they are bred. Being in want of a Cat, one was given him which was not full grown. It was put into a canvas bag, and a man on horseback brought him a distance of five miles from the place where it was bred. It had never been removed before. In doing so, he had to cross two rivers, one named the Mino, which is about eighty feet wide and two and a half feet deep, and running strong. The other, called Thomas's River, was wider and more rapid, but less deep. Over these rivers there were no bridges. The Cat, when it arrived, was shut up for some days, and when supposed to be reconciled to her new dwelling she was allowed to go about the house. The next day, however, she was missing, and was found, shortly afterward, at her old abode.

"We had one cunning old black Cat," says a correspondent of Dr. Wood, "whose wisdom was acquired by sad experience. In early youth he must have been very careless, for at that time he was always getting in the way of the men and the wine cases, and frequent were the disasters he suffered from coming into collision with moving bodies. His ribs had been often fractured, and when nature repaired them he must have handed them over to the care of her 'prentice hand, for the work was done in a rough and knotty manner.

"This battered and suffering pussy was, at last, assisted by a younger hero, who, profiting by the teaching of his senior, managed to avoid the scrapes which had tortured the one who was self-educated.

"These two Cats, 'Senior' and 'Junior,' appeared to swear—Cats will swear—eternal friendship at first sight. An interchange of good offices between them was at once established. 'Senior' taught 'Junior' to avoid men's feet, and wine-cases in motion, and pointed out the favorite hunting ground, while 'Junior' offered to his mentor the aid of his activity and physical prowess. 'Senior' had a cultivated epicurean taste for mice, which he was too old to catch, and he therefore entered into a solemn league and covenant with 'Junior' to the following effect: It was agreed between these two low contracting powers that 'Junior' should devote his energies to catching mice for the benefit of 'Senior,' who, in consideration of such feudal service, was daily to relinquish his claim to a certain allowance of cats' meat, in favor of 'Junior.'

"This curious compact was actually and seriously carried out. It was an amusing and touching spectacle to behold young pussy gravely laying at the feet of his elder the contents of his gamebag. On the other hand, 'Senior,' true to his bargain, licked his jaws and watched 'Junior' steadily consuming a double share of cats' meat."

Mr. Bidil writes from the Government Museum of Madras to "Nature," relating this instance of reasoning in a Cat:

"In 1867 I was absent from Madras for two months, and left in my quarters three Cats, one of which was an English tabby, a very gentle and affectionate creature. During my absence the quarters were occupied by two young gentlemen, who delighted in teasing and frightening the Cats. About a week before my return the English Cat had kittens, which she carefully concealed behind bookshelves in the library. On the morning of my return I saw the Cat and petted her, as usual, and then left the house for about an hour. On returning to dress, I found that the kittens were located in a corner of my dressing-room, where previous broods had been deposited and nursed. On questioning the servant how they came there, he at once replied, 'Sir, the old Cat, taking one by one in her mouth, brought them here.' In other words, the mother had carried them, one by one, in her mouth, from the library to the dressing-room, where they lay quite exposed. I do not think I have heard of a more remarkable instance of reasoning and affectionate confidence in an animal, and I need hardly say that the latter manifestation gave me great pleasure. The train of reasoning seems to be as follows: 'Now my master has returned, there is no risk of the kittens being injured by the two young savages in the house, so I will take them out for my protector to see and admire, and keep them in the corner in which all my former pets have been nursed in safety.'

"The attachment of the dog and the Cat is sometimes curiously manifested," says Prof. Wood, and he continues: "In a large metropolitan household there had been a change of servants, and the new cook begged, as a favor, to be permitted the company of her dog. Permission was granted, and the dog took up his quarters in the kitchen, to the infinite disgust of the Cat, who thought her dignity insulted by the introduction of a stranger into her special domain. In process of time, however, she got over her dislike and the two animals became fast friends. At last the cook left and took with her the dog.

"After an absence of some length, she determined on paying a visit to her former companions, her dog accompanying her as usual. Pussy was in the room when the dog entered, and flew forward to greet him. She then ran out of the room and shortly returned, bearing in her mouth her own dinner. This she laid before her old friend, and actually stood behind him as he ate the food with which she so hospitably entertained him.

"This anecdote was related to me by the owner of the cat, and there can be no reason to doubt it.

"In a chateau in Normandy lived a favorite Cat, which was plentifully supplied with food, and had grown fat and sleek on her luxurious fare. Indeed, so bounteously was her plate supplied that she was unable to consume the entire amount of provisions laid before her. This superabundance of food seemed to weigh upon her mind, and one day, before her dinner time, she set off across the fields and paid a visit to a little cottage near the roadside, where there lived a lean Cat. The two animals returned to the chateau in company, and after the feline hostess had eaten as much dinner as she desired she relinquished the remainder in favor of her friend.

"The kind-hearted proprietor of the chateau, seeing this curious act of hospitality, increased the daily allowance of meat and afforded an ample meal for both Cats. The improved diet soon exerted its beneficial effect on the lean stranger, who speedily became as near comfortably sleek as her hostess.

"In this improved state of matters she could not eat as much as when she was half starved and ravenous with hunger, and so, after the two cats had dined, there was still an overplus. In order to avoid waste, and urged by the generosity of her feelings, the hospitable Cat set forth on another journey, and fetched another lean Cat from a village at a league's distance.

"The owner of the chateau, being desirous to see how the matter would end, continued to increase the daily allowance, and had, at last, as pensioners of his bounty, nearly twenty Cats, which had been brought from various houses in the surrounding country. Yet, however ravenous were these daily visitors, none of them touched a morsel until their hostess had finished her own dinner. My informant heard this narrative from the owner of the chateau.

"In the conduct of this hospitably minded Cat there seems to be none of the commercial spirit which actuated the two Mincing Lane Cats, but an open-pawed liberality, as beseems an aristocratic birth and breeding. The creature had evidently a sense of economy as well as a spirit of generosity, and blending the two qualities together, became the general almoner of the neighboring felines. There must have been also great powers of conversation between these various animals, for it is evident that they were able to communicate ideas to each other and to induce their companions to act upon the imparted information."