INTELLIGENCE IN ANIMALS. 209 



apparently, entering his head) till the noise or his 

 successive failures attracted notice and brought help. 

 We had several times been annoyed by joints of 

 meat having been gnawed, and often found on the 

 floor of the cellar; of course the cat, about three- 

 quarters grown, was rightly blamed as being the 

 delinquent. The maid repeatedly denied having left 

 the cellar door open, but was for some time dis- 

 believed, and I am sorry to say blamed, until one 

 night, going into the kitchen after the family had 

 retired, I found pussy, naught abashed, busily pawing 

 away at the thumb-piece of the latch. I left her for 

 a short time, and on returning found the cellar door 

 open, and pussy busy with the meat. On examination 

 I found the door would immediately swing open on 

 the lever of the latch being pressed. Next day I had 

 a spring put to the latch, and, needless to say, pussy 

 has not troubled since, though it is not for the want 

 of trying. She still lets herself into the kitchen from 

 the garden the outer door having a similar latch, 

 climbing up the verandah until level with the latch, 

 and pawing away industriously until the door swings 

 open. 



JOHN HUMPHREY. 



Correspondents of Knoivledge, in treating of cats, 

 do not seem to have remarked some acts of intelli- 

 gence which may be observed daily in the streets of 

 London. At the cry of the cat's-meat man all the 

 cats are in commotion, but all are not excited by the 



p 



