236 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN. 



his cry of peewit at the back kitchen door to be let in. 

 As the winter advanced he came into the kitchen, but 

 with much caution, as there were a dog and a cat generally 

 in that part of the house, whose friendship the lapwing, 

 by degrees, so conciliated, that when dark he constantly 

 resorted to the fireside, sitting close to his associates 

 and partaking the warmth ; when spring appeared he 

 left the house, and betook himself to the garden. He 

 frequently washed in the bowl set with the dog's water, 

 and was highly indignant if either of his companions 

 presumed to interrupt him. In the winter crumbs 

 of bread were his principal food, which he preferred 

 to anything else. He died in the winter asylum he 

 had chosen, being choked with some hard substance he 

 had picked up. 



A further instance of friendship between instinctive 

 enemies occurred in 1803, where a starling in the pos- 

 session of Mr. Backer of North Grate Street, Chester, 

 lived in perfect intimacy with a cat. Such was the 

 mutual friendliness of these animals that one platter 

 served for both, and the back of puss was frequently the 

 perch of his feathered companion. 



There is generally a received opinion that cats are 

 more attached to the house than to the persons who re- 

 side in it. In one instance I can refute this opinion. 



Many years ago I had a fine large tom-cat, who was 

 so fond of me that when I took a walk into the country 

 he followed me like a dog, and hunted in the hedge- 

 rows after small birds and mice, and if when thus en- 

 gaged I got some distance from him, he would set off at 

 full speed to overtake me. I had taught him to jump 

 over a stick and sit up. Poor Tommy, I feel certain, 

 came to an untimely fate from his great partiality to 



