76 THE REASON WHY 



" She stretched in vain to reach the prize ; 

 "What female heart can gold despise ? 

 "What cat's averse to fis h ? OKAY. 



tion results in the well-known phenomena, under this circumstance, of electrical 

 discharges assuming the form of sparks. 



228. WTiy are cats seen to change their position frequently, and 

 to lick themselves incessantly just previously to a storm ? 



Because when a storm is approaching the air is overcharged with 

 the electrical fluid, to which cats are extremely sensitive. The 

 hair of the animal is the first thing to be affected, and instead of 

 lying down smoothly, it becomes ruffled, and probably produces 

 the sensation of itching ; hence she is constantly rubbing her coat 

 and ears to smooth down the hair, and wipe off the cause of the 

 irritation. 



229. By what means is a cat enabled to extend or withdraw 

 its talons ? 



In the foot of the cat, the bone to which the claw is attached 

 has a rotatory movement upon the preceding one ; this movement 

 is effected in one direction by a powerful muscle, which draws the 

 bone downward and causes the claws to project ; whilst there is a 

 ligament composed of ekstic fibrous tissue which draws the bone 

 in the other direction, and retracts the claw within a kind of 

 sheath. 



230. When the animal is walking, running, or leaping, the claws are thus drawn 

 In, without any exertion on the part of the animal, by the simple elasticity of the 

 ligament ; and they are thus secured, either from receiving injury by wear against 

 the gnnind, or from impeding the movements of the animal by becoming entangled 

 in the inequalities of its surface, or in the vegetation that covers it. In this state of 

 the claws the animal bears upon a number of soft cushions, one beneath each toe, 

 which enable it to steal with a noiseless step upon its prey, and thus, by surprising 

 them, to vanquish animals whose size would make their resistance formidable, or 

 whose swiftness would afford them a chance of esoape from direct pursuit. 



231. Why- will a cat refuse vegetable food while a dog will 

 sometimes accept it ? 



Because the cat is the more carnivorous animal of the two, and 

 its teeth and other apparatus are not fitted for the reception of 

 vegetable matter ; while the dog being less carnivorous, will some- 

 times accept vegetable food, although ordinarily he prefers 



