THE CAT. 



2S9 



Struck its fangs into his hand and caused him 

 a somewhat severe illness. Supposing- that our 

 prowling carnivore is met with a hissing sound 

 when he seeks to investigate the contents of 



o 



some arboreal nursery, even although his 

 sense of smell may tell him that the hole con- 



tains a litter of kittens, he will undoubtedly 

 think twice before he disregards that blood- 

 curdling threat. How is he to know — ■ sup- 

 posing him for the moment to be much less 

 stupid than he usually is — that a poisonous 

 serpent has not recently invaded the hole for 



