1 82 NATURE STUDIES. 



This cannot be explained by any theory of mere 

 instinct. 



In the last story, the cat was an old one, and though 

 this does not modify the conclusion to be deduced 

 from the animal's behaviour, yet it in some degree 

 diminishes our estimate of the activity of Minnie's 

 reasoning power. In the following case, a young cat 

 showed equal intelligence : " I may mention a case," 

 says the writer, " of a kitten about half-grown, having 

 mental reflection of some sort. I was sitting in one 

 of the rooms at a house where I was stopping in 

 Somersetshire, and hearing a knock at the front door, 

 was told not to heed it, as it was only this kitten 

 asking admittance. Not believing it, I watched for 

 myself, and very soon saw this kitten jump on to the 

 door, hang on by one leg, and put the other fore paw 

 right through the knocker and rap twice. The 

 knocker was an ordinary shaped one, fixed in the 

 centre of the door half way up ; the top part of the 

 door was glazed. I saw this performance dozens of 

 times afterwards, and often used to put the kitten 

 outside to see it done. It was never known to knock 

 when any one stood in the garden, but if one went 

 indoors and shut it outside, in a few minutes came the 

 usual knock. A sister kitten to this one was never 

 known to knock, but sat on the doorstep and entered 

 when the door was opened, and in nine cases out of 

 ten the knock was successful. The kitten was never 

 taught in any way ; it would knock at both front and 

 back door." 



