NATURAL HISTORY. 41 



at an age rendering it impossible that any instruction could 

 have been given them by their parents. 



" That instinct is an inherent or innate quality of animals 

 is clearly proved by experience. The cat possesses the in- 

 stinct of catching and eating mice, and the mouse that of 

 shunning the cat as its most dangerous enemy. Once, in 

 Rome, I happened to open a drawer which I seldom had occa- 

 sion to use, when I saw a mouse jumping out of it, and found 

 among the papers a nest with five young mice, naked arid blind, 

 and of a pale-flesh colour. I placed them on a table, handled 

 them, &c., and they evinced no symptoms of fright, nor any 

 inclination to get away, but only appeared eager to approach 

 each other for the sake of warmth. There happened to be in 

 the house a very young cat who had never tasted anything 

 but milk. I placed it near the little mice by way of experi- 

 ment, but to my astonishment it did not even look at them, 

 nor perceive them, even when I turned its eyes in the proper 

 direction, until at last, when I had repeatedly approached its 

 nose to the mice, it suddenly caught a scent which made it 

 tremble with desire. The propensity became more and more 

 violent, and the cat smelled at the mice, touching them with 

 its nose, when all at once the pale-coloured creatures became 

 suffused with blood, and began to make great exertions to get 

 out of the way of imminent danger, whilst the cat as eagerly 

 followed them." 



The Cat displays a great affection for her kittens, and her 

 pride when they first run about is quite amusing. While I 

 was an undergraduate at College, a cat belonging to the 

 baker's department formed a great friendship for me, and 

 used to come every morning and evening to obtain her share 

 of breakfast and tea. She continued her attentions for some 

 time, but one morning she was absent from her accustomed 

 corner, nor did she return until nearly a week had passed, 

 when she came again, but always seemed uneasy unless the 

 door were open. A few days afterwards she came up as usual, 

 and jumped on my knee, at the same time putting a little 

 kitten into my hand. She refused to take it back again, so I 

 restored it to its brothers and sisters myself. A few hours 

 afterwards, on going into my bedroom, I found another black 

 kitten fast asleep on the bed. 



