The Oologist. 



Vol. XXXIII. No. 5. Albion, N. Y., May 15, 1916. Whole No. 846 



Owned and Published Monthly, by R. M. Barnes, Albion, N. Y., and Lacon, III. 



THE DOMESTIC CAT 



This is too good to be lost in the wilds of the waste basket and should, 

 by all means, be preserved to posterity by publication in these columns. 

 Strange as it may seem however, THE OOLOGIST will not suspend publica- 

 tion because of the cancellation of this subscription, but will continue to give 

 its readers bright, live bird news and leave the cats to the mollycoddles and the 

 old maids. 



DISCONTINUE SENDING ME "THE OOLOGIST." 



I am somewhat amazed at the intemperate tenor of your outburst in the 

 April OOLOGIST against the domestic cat. Hitherto, I have not observed that 

 the most extreme ranters have gone so far as to counsel the unrestrained killing 

 of cats. I doubt not that there are many of your subscribers, particularly of 

 the younger, thoughtless, and inexperienced class, who regard as legal and eth- 

 ical any advice or suggestion contained in THE OOLOGIST. Many of these 

 undoubtedly will be encouraged, after reading your editorial, to commit the 

 most flagrant violations of the rights of their neighbors who own pet cats, and 

 who forfeit the right to own them only when the cats depredate upon other 

 people. For aught that appears in your editorial, the readers of your magazine 

 are advised to enter the premises of an owner of a cat, and finding the cat 

 quietly asleep on its owner's front porch, to kill it. Your editorial encourages 

 l)reaches of the peace, and aside from its pernicious effect, is highly improper 

 and ill advised. 



I have no idea that your interest in birds is any greater than my own. 

 Nor do I believe that your efforts have been any greater for their protection 

 and preservation. I claim the right to own a cat, and exemption from forfeiture 

 of that right until the cat depredates upon my neighbor. There are a great 

 many people who do not share your and my interest in birds, but who are inter- 

 ested in cats. These people have some rights. They, of course, have no 

 right to allow their cats to invade the premises of other people and catch the 

 birds there. The owner of the premises has a right to have the birds if he 

 wants them, and the owner of the cat has no right to object if the owner of the 

 premises takes necessary measures to enforce his right to have the birds. I 

 want the birds and I want the cats. I expect the cats to be restrained within 

 proper limits. I have had both all my life. 



Yours truly, 

 Washigton, D. C, April 15, 1916. R. H. Williams. 



