^06 THE DOMESTIC CAT. 



of the eye, when the light to be reflected (as in a 

 dark night) is not visible before its entrance into 

 the eye. If a candle be held before the eyes of a 

 Do^, and a person places himself in a line of 

 reflection, the light will be visibly reflected from 

 the eyes, because the illumination is sufficiently 

 strong ; but where there is no visible illumination 

 at all, this cannot account for the like efl'ect. It 

 is, therefore, more reasonable to suppose that this 

 appearance is owing to the light from within the 

 body of the animal ; which, being weaker than the 

 light of the day, but stronger than that of the night, 

 is visible only in the dark. This light is probably 

 similar to that which we observe in putrifying meat, 

 fish, rotten-wood, phosphorus, and the Glow-- 

 worm. 



The fur of the Cat, being generally clean and 

 dry, readily yields electric sparks when rubbed ; and 

 if a clean and perfectly dry Domestic Cat be placed, 

 in frosty weather, on a stool with glass feet or insu- 

 lated by any other means, and rubbed for a little 

 time in contact with the wire of a coated vial, the 

 vial by this means will become efl'ectually charged. 



In the time of Howel Dda, Howel the Good^ 

 Prince of Wales, who died in the year C)48, laws 

 were made, both to preserve and flx the prices of dif- 

 ferent animal>^ ; among which the Cat was included, 

 as being, at that early period, of great importance, 

 on account of its scarcity and utility. The price 

 of a kitten before it could see, was fixed at one 

 penny ; till proof could be given of its having 

 caught a Mouse, two-pence ; after which it was 



