ANECDOTES ABOUT CATS 275 



looking-glasses, and at last convinced themselves of their 

 being illusions." 



Now, we know that cats like to be taken notice of, and 

 the more attention they are paid the more effusively patron- 

 ising they become, until there is scarcely any part of your 

 anatomy they do not crawl over and test their claws upon. 



A writer in Science Gossip says he is satisfied that an 

 intelligent cat of his, on looking in the mirror, satisfied 

 himself that it was in some way his own image. 



" Even if my deduction be wrong, the first part of his 

 proceedings was so singularly like those in Dr Romanes' 

 accounts that it seems a uniform law of cat nature to act 

 in this way, and so far it may not be altogether un- 

 interesting. I put the cat on the table in front of a 

 small toilet mirror. After looking at his reflection for a 

 short time, he went behind the glass, then he returned 

 to his seat in front and watched it attentively. 



" After a few moments he dashed rapidly behind it ; he 

 again returned to his place in front of the glass, and while 

 retaining his seat and keeping his eye fixed on the image, 

 he struck about behind the glass with his paw in different 

 directions. 



" His next action was, I think, suggested by seeing the 

 image apparently strike with its paw also. 



" Keeping his seat and retaining his eyes fixed on the 

 image, he proceeded to, if I may use the term, posture in 

 front of the glass. He raised his paws alternately, licked 

 them, touched the glass, moved his head, etc. 



" I have tried to simply describe the facts and, so far as 

 possible, avoid drawing conclusions." 



