The Scottish Naturalist. 217 



have sometimes included Natural History, Popular Zoology, 

 the Habits of the Domestic or other Animals : — the object of 

 the donors of the prizes and projectors of the essays being 

 apparently, on the one hand, to stimulate the faculties of Obser- 

 vation and Description, and, on the other, to inculcate lessons of 

 Kindness to the lower animals — a twofold object deserving of 

 all commendation. Thus, in or about 1872, Dr. Stables, R.N., 

 offered, through the Journal in question, a series of prizes for 

 stories, anecdotes, or poems about Cats and their doings ; and 

 many of the resultant facts — illustrative of the affection, sagacity, 

 or other good qualities of these animals — are quoted in a work 

 published by him in 1874;* or rather, it should be said, the 

 Prize Poems appeared in the " Journal," while the Stories or 

 Anecdotes were woven into the text of Dr. Stables' book. 



In December, 1872, I was struck with an article in the 

 " Graphic," entitled " Our Parrot," which was described as 

 possessing the power of appropriate remark and repartee. In- 

 quiry at the Editor, as to the accuracy of the facets or state- 

 ments, elicited the following prompt and courteous reply; and 

 I mention specially that it was both prompt and courteous in 

 contrast with the procedure of certain other Editors who vouch- 

 safed no reply — and might have had good reasons for with- 

 holding one — or whose reply was neither prompt nor satis- 

 factory : — 



" ' The Graphic ' Office, 

 ^ " igo Strand, W.C., London, Jan. 8, 1873. 



" In reply to yours of 6th instant, I beg to say that before inserting ' Our 

 Parrot,' I wrote to ask the author if the facts were authentic, and she 

 assured me they were. Mrs. E. M. Lynch, Warrenstown, Navan, Ireland, 

 wrote the article. (Signed) Arthur Locker, Editor." 



The " Illustrated London News" has frequently reproduced 

 in its pages, or supplements, the pictures of Landseer and 

 other great Animal painters — pictures that in themselves are 

 eloquent exponents of many of the noblest moral and intel- 

 lectual attributes of such animals as the dog and horse; 

 and these pictures are invariably accompanied by descriptive 

 letterpress, occasionally at least embodying "Illustrations of 

 Animal Reason." The same may be said of the "Graphic," and 

 other illustrated newspapers or serials of the best or better class. 



* "Cats : their Points and Characteristics ; with Curiosities of Cat Life, 

 and a Chapter on Feline Ailments," by W. Gordon Stables, M.D., R.N. 

 London, 1874. 



