THE CAT. 69 



about her, and the swallows, dreaming of no harm, 

 pounced down on the flies ; when puss, perceiving her 

 prey within reach, made a rapid spring, and at her 

 pleasure struck down with her paw a poor thoughtless 

 bird. The best marksman knows how difficult it is to 

 shoot a swallow on the wing ; yet the cat found her 

 patience, cunning, and activity rewarded by unfailing 

 success, whenever a swallow ventured within her reach. 



The following almost incredible instance of saga- 

 city is related by De la Croix. " I once saw," he says, 

 " a lecturer upon experimental philosophy place a cat 

 under the receiver of an air-pump, for the purpose of 

 demonstrating the very certain fact, that life cannot be 

 supported without air and respiration. The lecturer 

 had already made several strokes with the piston, in 

 order to exhaust the receiver of its air, when the animal, 

 who began to feel herself very uncomfortable in the 

 rarified atmosphere, was fortunate enough to discover 

 the source from whence her uneasiness proceeded. She 

 placed her paw upon the hole through which the air 

 escaped, and thus prevented any more from passing out 

 of the receiver. All the exertions of the philosopher 

 were now unavailing : in vain he drew the piston, 

 the cat's paw effectually prevented its operation. 

 Hoping to effect his purpose, he let air again into the 



