trasted with the gravity of their seniors, which might be presumed as delighting in the fun, but far too staid and wise to let it appear. There is a regard, however, to discipline; and whenever any foolish juvenile behaves decidedly ill, the mamma will be seen to jump into the throng, seize the offender by the tail, and administer exactly that extreme kind of chastisement which has so long been in vogue among human parents and Yorkshire schoolmasters.

That there is merriment-genuine, human-like merriment— in many of the lower animals, no one can doubt who has ever watched the gambols of the kid, the lamb, the kitten and monkey.

Examples of docility and patience are suggested to us, in a forcible degree, by the beautiful reindeer, the camel, and the horse the former, it is known, is of indispensable value to the Laplander, as the camel is to the wanderer over the sultry and sandy wastes, where there are no cool shades, nor refreshing water-courses. Caravans, consisting of from 500 to 3000 merchants, are often saved from perishing from thirst, in their weary passage over the arid and trackless desert, by the acute sense of smelling possessed by the camel; they are able to scent water at the distance of two miles. This remarkable faculty they seem to possess in an equal degree with the dog; they also evince a like teachable and tractable spirit with that favorite animal, while the noble and intelligent horse exhibits a no less striking example of these characteristics. To say nothing of the symmetrical beauty and graceful bearing of this universally esteemed creature, which it will be remembered is to be seen in all its pride of beauty in the land of its nativity, the East, its many excellent qualities would, apart from its attractive form, commend it to preference. Like other quadrupeds, it possesses the faculty of memory in a singular degree, and also evinces no less its attachment for its owner. It may, moreover, be trained to many ingenious tricks, such as dancing, as the feats of the circus sufficiently attest. Among others, there is a story told of a horse

kept by a gentleman of Leeds, who used to pump water from a well with wonderful dexterity, for his own use, by taking the handle in his mouth, and working it with his head, in imitation of his groom; he also was taught to open and shut the gate for himself. In this connection, we might refer to the mule, the zebra, and the poor, despised ass, as exhibiting examples of patience under suffering and burdens-for, with the exception of the beautiful yet untamed zebra, they have been subjected to severe tests in this respect. The ass, indeed, seems almost behind the age, his movements being too tardy, and his laggard pace being rendered the more marked by the lightning speed of the locomotive. Although almost unknown to us, yet, in early times, and in the East, his fame was in the ascendant; and it will be recollected this was the animal chosen by the Saviour when He made his entry into Jerusalem. This demure-looking and docile creature retains a strong love of home, and is also possessed of no mean share of intelligence, although his name is made synonymous with stupidity. It is true, he is sometimes obstinate, and addicted to kicking; but he is, in this particular, no worse than many a biped under circumstances of like provocation. Another zoological specimen which we propose to introduce to the notice of the reader is the cat— a sort of counterpart to the dog in most domestic establishments. Cats have the reputation of great vital tenacity—the possession of nine lives; and juveniles seem by common consent resolved to test the fact. The cat also has the wretched reputation of always falling upon her feet, from whatever height she may be thrown, and many a cruel experiment has been made to ascertain that fact. We repeat that people. having a taste for dogs are seldom catholic enough in their animal fondness to extend it to cats. You never heard of drowning dogs, or pelting dogs, or having dogs worried for mere amusement. The creature's more conspicuous gifts are appreciated by those rougher-judging estimates, which are unable to make out the subtler delicacies of the cat organiza

tion. The man with a prime terrier for rats-or a mastiff which can throttle a bull-dog-or a hound which can pull down a red-deer-or even a poodle which can sit upon its hind legs and yelp at the word of command-not one of these amateurs but will discover and admire the points and motions of the creatures while performing these achievements; but it is twenty to one that they never studied, or never thought it worth while studying, one of the most perfectly graceful things beneath the sun-a cat curving herself for a spring; or one of the most dexterous performances which animal nature is capable of a cat picking her way among a series either of movable or hurtful petty articles, without touching a single one.*

Cats differ as much in character as human beings do; and like human beings, their character is very much to be predicated from their countenances. No two are ever seen alike, and they vary as much in the conformation of their skulls as do the different races of mankind. Southey, in his "Doctor," gives a curious chapter upon the cats of his acquaintance-a chapter in which humor and natural history are agreeably mingled together; he was evidently a close observer of the habits of poor puss, and took much delight in the whims, frolics, and peculiarities of his favorites. Proofs of the domestication and strong attachment of the cat might be adduced ad nauseam. The story of M. Somnini and his favorite cat may be recollected as a case in point: "This animal," he writes, was my principal amusement for several years: how vividly was the expression of her attachment depicted upon her countenance! how many times have her tender caresses made me forget my troubles, and consoled me in my misfortunes! My beautiful and interesting companion at length perished: after several days of suffering, during which I never forsook her, her eyes, constantly fixed on me, were at length extinguished; and her loss has rent my heart with grief." Among the admirers of the * Angus B. Reach.

In

sleek and gentle cat may be mentioned Mohammed, Rousseau, Petrarch, Johnson, Cowper, and we know not how many other illustrious names. Madame Helvetius had a favorite cat, which, at the death of her mistress, wandered about her chamber, mewing most piteously, and after the body was consigned to the grave, it was found stretched upon the tomb lifeless, having expired from excess of grief! The Earl of Southamptoncompanion of Essex in the fatal insurrection-having been confined some time in the Tower, was one day surprised by a visit from his pet cat, which is said to have reached its master by descending the chimney of his apartment. The following anecdote of combined attachment and sagacity, equals anything that has been told of the dog, and places poor pussy in a much more favorable light than current opinion would allow. the summer of 1800, a physician of Lyons was requested to inquire into a murder that had been committed on a woman of that city. He accordingly went to the residence of the deceased, where he found her extended lifeless on the floor, weltering in her blood. A large white cat was mounted on the cornice of the cupboard, at the further end of the apartment, where he seemed to have taken refuge. He sat motionless, with his eyes fixed on the corpse, and his attitude and looks expressing horror and affright: the following morning the animal was found in precisely the same state, and when the room was filled with officers of justice, he still remained apparently transfixed to the spot. As soon, however, as the suspected persons were brought in, his eyes glared with increased fury, his hair bristled, and he darted precipitately from the room. The countenances of the assassins were disconcerted, and they now, for the first time during the whole course of the horrid transaction, felt their atrocious audacity forsake them. No experiment, says a recent writer, can be more beautiful than that of setting a kitten for the first time before a looking-glass; the little creature appears surprised and pleased with the resemblance, and

makes several attempts at touching its new acquaintance: and at length, finding its efforts fruitless, it looks behind the glass, and appears highly astonished at the absence of the figure. This certainly evinces a degree of intelligence. We might instance cases in which the reasoning process appears to be exhibited; but let the following, related by Dr. Smellie, in which ingenuity of performance was combined with sagacity, suffice. "A cat frequented a closet, the door of which was fastened by a common iron latch; a window was situated near the door: when the door was shut, the cat gave herself no uneasiness, for so soon as she was tired of her confinement, she mounted on the sill of the window, and with her paws dexterously lifted the latch and came out. This practice she continued for years." Many instances of the kind are upon record; let one, however, suffice-of a cat, who, having been neglected at the regular dinner hour, which was usually announced by the ringing of the bell, would agitate the bell-wire. The sagacity of the feline race is so clearly evinced in the following anecdote, that we cannot help inserting it. "Mr. Tiedeman, the famous Saxon dentist, had a valuable tortoiseshell cat, that for days did nothing but moan. Guessing the cause, he looked into its mouth, and seeing a decayed tooth, soon relieved it of its pain. The following day there were at least ten cats at his door-the day after, twenty; and they went on increasing at such a rate that he was obliged to keep a bull-dog to drive them away. But nothing would help them. A cat who had the tooth-ache would come any number of miles to him. It would come down the chimney even, and not leave the room till he had taken its tooth out. It grew such a nuisance at last, that he was never free from one of these feline patients. However, being one morning very nervous, he accidentally broke the jaw of an old tabby. The news of this spread like wildfire. Not a single cat ever came to him afterwards. It is extraordinary how the cats, in the above