iS2 ODD HOURS WITH NATURE 



of the movement, and advanced over a dozen rows 

 in a succession of rapid loups, without, however, 

 shaking a blade. Another movement of the bird 

 and the cat crouched out of sight, and resumed 

 its stalk in the old way, getting at last, still 'in 

 cover, to within a yard and a half of its prey. 

 There it extended itself flat on the ground. Little 

 nervous, side-to-side movements of the tail indi- 

 cated a state of high muscular and nervous tension, 

 and movements of the hind quarters and of the 

 feet showed the animal preparing for the fatal 

 spring. But just at that moment the still unsus- 

 pecting mavis flew into a neighbouring apple-tree, 

 and pussy's fine work was all thrown away. She 

 took her disappointment very calmly, having, no 

 doubt, already breakfasted delicately on young 

 bird. 



A friend of mine, who has a leopard among' 

 his trophies, has described to me its manner of 

 approaching a goat tethered as a bait. In every 

 detail its action resembled that of the cat approach- 

 ing the bird, even the reflex actions which moved 

 the tail at the approach of the critical moment 

 being the same. The difference is wholly a 

 difference of size. This detailed similarity of 

 almost all the members of the extensive cat family 

 is one of the most remarkable facts about them. 

 It means that the typical form is very ancient, 

 and it means, too, that since the typical form 

 was evolved Nature has been able to make few 

 improvements upon it. The adaptations of the 

 various species have been in the main adapta- 

 tions of size and colour. Save in these regards 



