THE FAERY YEAR 



often seen blackbirds, both at Tunbridge Wells 

 and North London, " fluttering in a semi-circle 

 always narrowing, and uttering a peculiar cry." 

 Going up to them, she has always found the cat 

 at work. 



The cat is a hated, dreaded foe of birds, and, 

 during the nesting season especially, they will mob 

 it as they mob a hawk and sometimes cow it. This 

 may go far to explain why birds so often come 

 within striking distance of the crouching, glaring 

 cat. I am not persuaded that cats practise mesmer- 

 ism or fascination ; that it is part of their ordinary 

 equipment. There is evidence that points this way, 

 but not enough as yet. Mesmeric influence clearly 

 exists among wild animals, but it is another thing to 

 say that such and such an animal regularly practises 

 mesmerism. Some African natives say that the 

 lion's power to fascinate is so compelling as to draw 

 people out of their beds at night away into the 

 fatal forest. It shows how completely the idea of 

 mesmerism or fascination takes possession of the 

 mind. 



The Earth'doud 



Nothing of every day is more overlooked and 

 nothing fuller of ethereal beauty than the form of 

 clouds. Besides the known and named configura- 

 tions as " mares'-tails " of the cirrus cloud and 

 " mackerel-backs " of that cloud which is a kind of 

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