THE CAT QUESTION 291 



that are neighbours and personally known to 

 one another often have the habit of going in at 

 one place. All night long they are at their 

 merry games ; you may sometimes see them 

 scampering over the turf playing with one 

 another like wild rabbits, and in the breeding 

 season they sup on many an incubating bird 

 caught on its eggs, and on many a nest full of 

 fledglings. In the early morning they are back 

 at their houses, if they are not of the homeless 

 ones, innocently washing their faces in the 

 breakfast room, waiting for the customary 

 caress and saucer of cream. But these luxuries 

 do not alter the animal's nature : his ' fearful 

 symmetry ' was for all time, the sinews of his 

 heart cannot be twisted in any other way, and 

 his brain is as it came from the furnace. 



The following incident will serve to show 

 the spirit that is in a London cat. Some time 

 ago it was discovered that a very big and a very 

 black one had established himself on an island in 

 the lake at Battersea Park. ' Then he must 

 have crossed over in a boat, as cats don't swim/ 

 cried the superintendent. On going to the 

 place it was found that the cat had killed 

 and partly devoured one tufted duck and two 



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