CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 5. CARNIVORA. 271 



that she would give her a few drops of blood from the tail of her black kitten, not only to bring 

 luck to her hearth, but to keep pestilence from her doors. A working woman told her once, not 

 to turn a stray black cat from her house ; for, if she did, she would never have any prosperity 

 afterward. Captain Brown tells us that on Hallowe'en, it was usual in Scotland for families to tie 

 up their cat, in order to preserve it from being used as a pony by the witches that night. Those 

 who neglected this precaution, ran the risk of seeing their cat scampering through the fields, with 

 a witch on its back, on the high road to Norway. A black cat was commonly sacrificed by the 

 ancients to Hecate, or among the Scandinavians to Frea, the northern Hecate. A black cat, sent 

 with a prayer-book and a bag of sand into a new house, so as to precede the proprietor in posses- 

 sion, was formerly deemed essential to insure prosperity to the person changing his abode. To 

 steal a black cat and bury it alive, is, in the Irish Highlands, considered as a specific for a disorder 

 in cattle, termed " blacklegs," which otherwise proves fatal. 



Another very curious thing is, that while most persons are pleased with cats, others have an 

 instinctive and uncontrollable aversion toward them. What is still more remarkable is this, that 

 those persons entertaining this dislike can instantly tell that a cat is in a room, even though it is 

 out of sight. An instance of this kind is thus related in regard to Rev. Dr. B : 



He had a horror of cats and kittens, and such was its intensity as to endow him with clair- 

 vovance, so that he could easily detect one of these creatures in the room, though it might be out 

 of sight, or even confined in a closet. Frequent attempts were made to deceive him, but without 

 success. His instinct was infallible. When he was seen coming, the first thing attended to 

 was to shut up the whole purring family, and they were kept under lock and key till the good 

 doctor had departed. Once upon a time, while dining with a friend, he suddenly threw down his 

 knife and fork, his face being pale with horror. 



"What is the matter?" ejaculated his host in great excitement; 



" It is a cat," said the doctor, in a hollow voice. 



" A cat !" was the thrilling reply. " Impossible ; we were particular to shut up the cat and 

 kittens as soon as you came." 



" I say, there's a cat in the room," said the doctor, with fearful emphasis. 



A hurry-scurry ensued, and after a long search a kitten was found slumbering in the cradle, 

 under the clothing, and snugged down beside the baby ! 



The evening serenades of cats, called cater wauling s, in towns and cities, are notorious ; they are 

 supposed to be courtings, but are usually attended with a good deal of biting and scratching. 

 At all events, they are rather annoying. The humors of a late Scottish judge, Lord Eldin, are 

 worth repeating in this connection : " He kept a numerous company of cats, to whose general 

 accommodation he devoted a large apartment, and had them duly fed and attended, endeavoring 

 to make them a happy as well as an orderly society. Civil wars were, however, constantly break- 

 ing out among them, to the disturbance of the neighborhood ; and at last they became so noisy, 

 that, at a late hour one evening, he went in person to enforce the neoessity of observing the king's 

 peace, even on the part of his quadruped subjects. The Toms and Tabbies, for the whole colony 

 were up in arms, paid not the least attention to the presence or admonition of the learned gentle- 

 man. He retired, sent for his clerk, and desired him to fetch the riot act from the library. This 

 being obtained, the two proceeded to the territory of the conflicting cats, the clerk with the riot 

 ict, and the barrister — which Eldin then was — with a horsewhip. After proclamation duly 

 nade, the riot act was read with the necessary solemnity, and the cats warned of the conse- 

 juences if they did not return to an orderly deportment before the expiry of the statutable time. 

 That time passed without any abatement of the riot, upon which the governor bolted the door, 

 ind bestowed on them a hearty discipline with the whip." 



The Wild-Cat, Felis catus ferns. — We have thus far been speaking of the cat in her tamed 

 md civilized condition ; we must now speak of her in her savage state. There are many kinds 

 >f wild-cat, some of wmich we have already noticed, but that from which the. domestic cat is sup- 

 >osed to have sprung is called the Common European Wild-Cat, and is found in most parts of 

 hat quarter of the globe, as well as in Asia and Africa ; it is also sometimes met with in this 



ountry. When America was first discovered, this species, either tame or wild, was not found 



