zo6 FROM SPRING TO FALL. 



The unearthly yells of those fierce cats as they 

 answered each other from their dark places of 

 refuge, or from the topmost limb of some tree ; the 

 flitting jack-o'-lanterns or will-o'-the-wisp — spon- 

 taneous combustion of the foul gas in the rotten 

 swamps ; the cry of heron or bittern, coming over, 

 carried on the .breeze, mingled with the wild clang 

 of the fowl, — all had at times terrors and messages 

 of ill omen peculiar to themselves. 



One of my old friends, a born naturalist, captured 

 one of the wild, fierce cats without injuring it. 

 With gentleness and patient perseverance he suc- 

 ceeded in taming it at last, so that it purred on 

 one's knee as contentedly as the tamest of animals. 

 A true British tiger it was at first : three months 

 passed before he dared give the creature liberty. 



The wild cat has now been driven up to the rocks 

 and hillsides of Scotland. There he was until lately 

 in danger of extirpation; happily a new class of 

 naturalists has arisen, such as prefer to watch the 

 wild creatures and their habits without killing them. 

 Even the wild cat may become fairly numerous 

 again in its native haunts. 



An old Surrey mole-catcher gave me his opinions 



