374 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



with a smaller number of animals, appear to know the names of 

 the different members of the family, and of articles of domestic 

 use. An instance is cited from Clark Rossiter of a cat that knew 

 the name of each member of the household, and, his seat at the 

 table. If asked about an absent one, she would look at the vacant 

 seat, then at the speaker, and, if told to fetch him, would run up- 

 stairs to his room, take the handle of the door between her paws, 

 mew at the key-hole, and wait to be let in. 



The mistress of Topsey, of Belfast, an invalid, expressed a 

 desire to have a partridge or a chicken for a broth. Some one 

 spoke of having seen a flock of young birds in the morning, and 

 immediately afterward Topsey sprang into the window with a 

 partridge and laid it at her mistress's feet. The mistress com- 

 mended the cat, and added, " If you will go and get another, you 

 and I will have a nice dinner to-morrow." She w T ent out, and 

 shortly brought in another bird, which she also laid at her mis- 

 tress's feet. Although very fond of birds, she declined to eat these 

 herself. She was told not to catch any more birds, and brought 

 no more to the house. 



Dollie, of North Monroe, Maine, had one of her legs torn off 

 by a railroad train. Her mistress, believing her case a hopeless 

 one, begged two boys, in her presence, to take her away and kill 

 her. " Instantly," says the teller of the story, " the look of patient 

 trust with which she was regarding her mistress as she pitied and 

 petted her, changed to one of terror as she got up and rushed out 

 of the house." She was found, and fed, but would not return to 

 the house till her wound was healed. Daisy, of Belfast, persisted 

 in laying her kitten in her mistress's bed till the lady, looking her 

 in the eye, told her if she did so again the kitten should be 

 drowned, when she ceased offending. June, of Stockton, Maine, be- 

 haved in such a way as to lead the family to suppose that her kit- 

 tens, which she had hidden under the floor of a back room, had 

 died. The matter was talked about in the presence of the cat, 

 who seemed to be sleeping on a lounge, and the relator of the 

 story remarked that she " would give ten dollars in a moment if 

 the kittens were out from under the floor." June rose at once 

 and went to the door. It was opened for her, and she went up 

 the stairs. After going up and down several times, she rattled at 

 the door-knob ; when the door was opened she looked into the 

 lady's face and mewed. Three of her dead kittens were lying on 

 the floor. The lady said : "Well done, June ; go and get the other 

 one." She went and brought it, then looked into the lady's face 

 and mewed again. Spot, of Camden, Maine, answered when she 

 was asked if she wanted anything to eat ; and if her answer was 

 negative, she would not eat, even if she was fed. Coonie, of Bel- 

 fast, when directed in the morning to " go call the children," 



