The Book of Cats. 277 



the same source I have learnt some curious facts 

 relating to Puss at sea. "There are," he says, 

 " generally two kinds of rats on board a ship, one 

 kind going out, another coming home. While we 

 were in the East India Docks, the rat-catcher 

 caught twenty-five rats in his traps on board our 

 ship, which we purchased and let loose in a malt 

 bin extending the width of the ship. A Cat which 

 we put among them killed all the brown rats, but 

 did not touch the black ones, of which there were 

 three. When she came in contact with a. black 

 rat she drew back, and made no attempt to harm 

 it, although the black rats were much the smallest. 

 Our ship, coming home from Sydney, was swarming 

 with black rats, but I never knew a Cat to kill one, 

 or even go near it. The reason of this I cannot 

 explain. 



"I have seen a Cat imitate a monkey in climbing 

 up a loose-hanging rope. Of course it took a 

 longer time to do it, but it did do it in the end." 



Aboard ship it would seem sometimes as though 

 Pussy required to have all her nine lives at 

 her disposal, and yet runs some risk of being 

 killed even then. Upon the vessel in which this 

 gentleman served there was a black Cat that had 

 lost its tail in rather a singular manner. 



