66 Tlje Book of Cats. 



wailing of pain." For myself, I seldom hear a 

 catawauling without thinking of that droll picture 

 in Punch of the old lady sitting up in bed and 

 pricking up her ears to the music of a mewing 

 Cat. 



" Oh, ah ! yes, it's the waits," says she, with a 

 delighted chuckle ; " I love to listen to 'em. It 

 may be fancy, but somehow they don't seem to 

 play so sweetly as they did when I was a girl. 

 Perhaps it is that I am getting old, and don't hear 

 quite so well as I used to do." 



Few, even amongst Pussy's most ardent admirers, 

 who possess the faculty of hearing, and have heard 

 the music of Cats, would desire the continuance of 

 their "sweet voices"; yet a concert was exhibited 

 at Paris, wherein Cats were the performers. They 

 were placed in rows, and a monkey beat time to 

 them, as the Cats mewed ; and the historian of the 

 facts relates that the diversity of the tones which 

 they emitted produced a very ludicrous effect. 

 This exhibition was announced to the Parisian 

 public by the title of " Concert Miaulant." 



This would seem to prove that Cats may be 

 taught tricks, which is not generally believed, but 

 is nevertheless the case. 



In Pool's Twists and Turns about the Streets of 



