'^ SALAMANDERS'' AND ''SALAMANDER'' CATS. 563 



pened to be February this gave, of course, two more than a " sala- 

 mander " a day. 



One other curious observed feature of this new variety of cats 

 is their want of fecundity. The mother tabby seldom has more 

 than one kitten at a birth. The writer once owned a fine female 

 of this breed that scrupulously adhered to the traditional habits 

 of her race. 



This particular pussy, like the rest of us, had her family trou- 

 bles. Her one kitten — probably from its mixed parentage — was 

 always inclined to rebel at the " salamander " diet. There was 

 something amusing to a degree and suggestively human in the old 

 cat's methods of discipline. When she had succeeded in catching 

 a salamander she would always first bring it and lay it down be- 

 fore her mistress, to make sure of the praise and the petting. 

 Then, with a motherly " meow,^^ she would call her kitten. That 

 frisky little youngster was always quite ready for his breakfast, 

 but showed a decided preference for the " maternal font." Then 

 the old cat would give him a " cuff " that would send him spin- 

 ning. Then she would take up the " salamander " and put it down 

 before her hopeful offspring with an air that said as j^lainly as 

 words could do: "There, now! Eat that or go hungry! " Then 

 her mother love would get the better of her and she would go to 

 licking and petting her disobedient baby, and it would usually end 

 in the kitten's having its own way and satisfying its hunger with 

 milk from the " original package." By persistence and the force 

 of example the old cat finally succeeded in accustoming her off- 

 spring to what she evidently thought the orthodox diet of her race. 



The writer is quite well aware of the intrinsic difficulties in- 

 volved in the spontaneous development of any new variety of cats. 

 Still, such branching of types has occurred in the past, and of course 

 is possible now. When his attention was first called to the matter 

 he was inclined to consider it merely an instance of animal educa- 

 tion. A fact that came under his personal observation seems, 

 however, hard' to reconcile with this or any theory that does 

 not concede the hereditary transmission of acquired habits and 

 tastes. 



A kitten of the breed of cats in question was taken when very 

 young and reared nearly a mile away from its mother. When 

 grown it developed the same skill in hunting " salamanders," and 

 the same love for the sport as that for which its mother was cele- 

 brated. 



Dogs, of course, have long been noted for the readiness with 

 which acquired knowledge, habits, and tastes manifest and per- 

 petuate themselves in hereditary forms. The setter, pointer, col- 



