268 RABBITS, CATS, AND CAVIES 



intently watched the wheel until the ball dropped into 

 a pocket. 



" The cat then stopped the wheel, pulled the ball out, 

 and repeated the operation. 



" This was continued for hours, and each time the ball 

 and wheel were watched as closely as if one of the cat's 

 proverbial nine lives depended on the result." 



"A remarkable curiosity of natural history is re- 

 ported from Swanage; a cat belonging to Miss Vincent, of 

 the Victoria Royal Hotel, was the proud mother of four 

 kittens, which she was rearing in a cow shed. 



" One of the servants on going to the shed was sur- 

 prised to find a rat suckling with the kittens, the cat 

 nursing the rodent with as much solicitude as her own 

 progeny. 



" The interloper was remarkably tame, and it had to 

 be forcibly removed from its comfortable nest, where it 

 appeared to be on the best of terms with its feline foster 

 mother." 



The following is from a correspondent, a keen lover 

 of animals : 



" Some time since, calling at one of the bird shops 

 existing at that time in Great Andrew Street, Holborn, 

 to make a purchase, we saw running over the counters 

 three of the prettiest squirrels we had ever clapped eyes 

 on, quite young and very tame. Hot in pursuit of them 

 was a young black and white cat about six months old, 

 who pounced upon and caught the little creatures, one 

 after the other, in her mouth. 



" The whole party was in a state of the greatest delight 



