THE CAT. 263 



toilet-making passion in the cat was exhibited in 

 an amusing way a short time ago by the l^itten 

 mentioned above. It was dihgently cleaning it- 

 self in characteristic feline fashion when a boy 

 rather roughly tilted the chair on which it was 

 sitting, so that it fell off on to the ground. 

 Not for one moment did the little animal cease 

 from licking- its toes and rubbing them over its 

 ears and face ; in fact it was so completely 

 absorbed in the pursuit of cleanliness that it 

 did not appear to notice the sudden tumble on 

 to the floor. 



Now we may get a hint as to the importance of 

 this habit of the cat by investigating the surround- 

 ings of many woodland creatures. In this soap- 

 and- water epoch we can have no idea as to the part 

 played by dirt and vermin of all kinds in settling 

 the destinies of our forefathers and their humbler 

 contemporaries. Many wild animals are so per- 

 secuted by ticks, forest leeches, and many minute 

 enemies of like bloodthirsty habits, that they 

 languish and die unless they can get help in free- 

 ing their skins from such pests. The cat, being 

 a solitary animal, could not rely upon the kind 

 offices of friends, as do our neighbourly kinsmen 

 the apes. It therefore was obliged to devote un- 



