The Book of Cats. 23 



The jaws of a Cat are comparatively strong, and 

 worked by powerful muscles ; it has thirty-four 

 teeth, but they are for the most part very tiny 

 teeth, like pin's points. What, I wonder, were the 

 dimensions of this ferocious animal with the iron 

 jaws ; and how many courageous souls were engaged 

 in its destruction. If this story is, however, rather 

 hard to swallow, the next is not less so. Says 

 our authoress — 



" I also know an Irish gentleman, who being an 

 only son without any playmates, was allowed, when 

 he was a child, to have a whole family of Cats 

 sleeping in the bed with him every night. 



" One day he had beaten the father of the family 

 for some offence, and when he was asleep at night, 

 the revengeful beast seized him by the throat, and 

 would probably have killed him had not instant 

 help been at hand. "The Cat sprang from the 

 window, and was never more seen." (Probably 

 went away in a flash of blue fire.) 



What do you think of these very strange stories } 

 If they surprise you, however, what will you say to 

 this one .^ " Dr. C — , an Italian gentleman still 

 living in Florence (the initial is just a little un- 

 satisfactory), who knew at least one of the parties, 

 related to the authoress the following singular story. 



