No. L] KKl'Oirr OF 8TA'rE 0Ki\lTI10L0(JlST. 349 



of the cat. At suitable places along the remoter Leaches 

 terns were atteni|)tini;- to breed, but wherever cat tracks were 

 to be found in any numbers on the sands the birds had failed 

 to establish themselves. The only localities where many 

 youni;; birds were found were far from dwellings, where 

 there were but few, if any, cat tracks. 



The cat is a very ini})ortant factor in the destruction of 

 the least tern. In 1907 a considerable colony of these birds 

 was established not far from the Monomoy Point Lighthouse ; 

 but the birds met with no success in rearing their young, on 

 account of the cats which then roamed the beach. In 1908 

 the colony evidently had been broken up, as no birds re- 

 mained, and the beach was pitted with many cat tracks. 

 Some of these cats are kept at the lighthouses and life-saving 

 stations, but more are vagrants that have been turned loose by 

 their former owners to pick up their living. They congregate 

 about the life-saving stations, and find shelter beneath the 

 buildings. 



The cat is a handsome, strong, active and graceful animal. 

 She is the type of feline ferocity and activity. She does not 

 possesses the noble and self-sacrificing qualities of the dog, 

 but is his superior in nocturnal activity, versatility and 

 courage. Her chief claim upon mankind was stated years ago, 

 in Robert B. Thomas' " Almanack," in substantially these 

 words : " The cat is a good mouse-trap, and it is easy to set." 

 Notwithstanding the number of cats supported by our popu- 

 lation, rats and mice are nevertheless among the most de- 

 structive of all pests, and are constantly increasing in 

 numbers ; therefore in most homes the cat is regarded as a 

 necessity, notwithstanding the fact that she carries diph- 

 theria and other diseases that are peculiarly fatal to children. 

 The increase and distribution of the cat is not regulated or 

 restricted in any way by law in this country. This is a 

 question which our legislators must take up sooner or later. 

 In the mean time, the people can do much to mitigate the 

 cat nuisance. Xo one living in the country should keep 

 more than one adult cat. It should be well fed, and confined 

 as much as possible from May to September, when young 



