THE DOMESTIC CAT. 



A curious fact Maternal courage. 



public alms, which were very adequate to the 

 purpose. The patience, vigilance, cleanliness, 

 and utility of the cat, have also obtained for it 

 the highest degree of protection in the Oriental 

 mythology ; so far indeed, that it is esteemed 

 the noblest species of its tribe. 



The following curious fact in the natural his- 

 tory of this animal, is related by Dr. Anderson, 

 jn his Recreations in Agriculture: A cat be- 

 longing to Dr. Coventry, the ingenious professor 

 of agriculture in Edinburgh, which had no ble- 

 mish at its birth, accidentally lost its tail when.it 

 was young. It had several litters of kittens; and 

 in every one of these there was one or more that 

 wanted the tail, either wholly or in part. 



It is pretty generally acknowledged, that the 

 dog often reaches to the point of human saga- 

 city : the following instance of maternal courage 

 and affection in a cat is no less deserving of ad- 

 miration. 



A cat, who had a numerous brood of kittens, 

 one sunny day in spring, encouraged her little 

 ones to frolic in the vernal beams of noon, about 

 the stable-door; while she was joining them in a 

 thousand sportive tricks and gambols, they were 

 discovered by a large hawk, who was sailing 

 above the barn-yard in expectation of prey; and 

 in a moment, swift as lightning, darted upon one 

 of the kittens, and had as quickly borne it off, 

 but for the courageous mother, who seeing the 

 danger of her offspring, flew on the common ene- 



ypi,. if. #o. xn. 2 B 



