their toil. Now, as these pools are completely 

 isolated — having neither drains nor ditches into or 

 out of them — how come the eels to be found there ? 

 The foresters account for their presence without a 

 moment's difficulty, by saying they are brought 

 by the herons and cranes. There will be found 

 no great difficulty in believing that, until killed 

 by the gastric juice of the bird's stomach, an eel 

 must be expected to make strenuous efforts to 

 escape from the heron's maw, and that occasion- 

 ally the bird may be glad to get rid of so trouble- 

 some a guest; and thus the existence of eels in 

 isolated pools may be accounted for. One of 

 your correspondents, I observe, speaks of the 

 migration of eels to salt water. Extensive op- 

 portunities of observation, and many years' ex- 

 perience, enable me to say, that more than one 

 kind of eel makes those yearly migrations; but 

 there is reason to believe that the finest species of 

 silver eel (there appear to be more than one 

 species of the silver eel) remains all the year 

 round in one locality. The River Windrush, 

 which runs between Burford and Witney, in 

 Oxfordshire, abounds with silver eels, which are fre- 

 quently taken in baskets at the grist-mills, weigh- 

 ing from 5 to 9 lbs. apiece. But although the 

 Windrush falls into the Thames without any ob- 

 struction to the passage of its fish, no silver, or 

 indeed any other kind of eel of larger weight than 

 3 lbs., has been taken between Windsor and 

 Richmond in gins, wears, baskets, or by night- 

 lines, or other " engines," in the memory 

 of the oldest "fishermen," who there ply 

 their vocation. It is clear therefore that the 

 large eels of the Windrush do not pass down the 

 Thames to the sea. But still, silver eels of a 

 small size — that is, seldom or never exceeding 

 2 lbs. in weight, are met with and taken all the 

 way down the Thames. I have, however, not 

 only seen, but eaten, of a 9 lbs. silver eel taken out 

 of the Windrush, which eel was roasted on a spit 

 with a dry stuffing inside, and served up on the 

 table of Mr. Hyett, of Painswick House, late 

 M.P. for Stroud, and proved the best-flavored 

 eel I ever tasted. N.B. — The use of the stuffing 

 was to absorb the extra richness of the fish. — 

 R. D. 



More Anecdotes of the Domestic Cat. — Being 

 a subscriber to your valuable Journal, and having 

 for some years been a close observer of the in- 

 structive (and I may say reasoning) habits of 

 animals, I herewith send you one or two recol- 

 lections of the Domestic Cat, as I perceive you 

 have been publishing "Reminiscences, by a 

 Lady." The following circumstances can be 

 attested by numerous individuals, who will re- 

 cognise the source from whence they came. 

 Some time ago I had a favorite cat, who followed 

 me about the house just as a dog would do. 

 Being fond of shooting near home (where Hived 

 we had a large garden, and an orchard of some 

 extent attached), I used the common air-gun to 

 shoot sparrows, chaffinches, and the like small 

 fry ; and it was most amusing to watch the 

 looks of " pussy " the moment she saw me pre- 

 paring to charge the gun with air. She knew, 

 as well as I did, when I commenced pumping, 

 what was going to follow. We then proceeded 

 in search of " game," and it was most amusing 



to witness her actions. She would follow close 

 at my heels, and when I presented the gun, 

 would make a dead stand ; and as soon as I tired 

 would run and pick up the bird. She has been 

 known to do the same thing very frequently. 

 The other anecdote is equally amusing, but dif- 

 ferent of its kind, and by another cat. My cara 

 sposa having noticed from time to time, a short 

 time after we had our breakfast or tea, that the 

 cream-jug was regularly emptied, felt rather 

 puzzled to account for it ; more especially as we 

 had no children in the house. At last, she spoke 

 to me about it, and I suggested that probably 

 " the cat did it." [Cats generally " do " every- 

 thing, as every family man knows.] She looked 

 incredulous, and wondered how I could be so 

 foolish, seeing that the cream-jug was so small. 

 However, I watched "pussy's" actions, and was 

 much amused at the business-like manner in 

 which she accomplished her object ; for it was 

 " the cat " after all ! As soon as we had finished 

 tea, we left the room, and setting the door ajar, 

 so that we could perceive the whole proceeding, 

 lay in wait to watch. My lady tabby first 

 mounted my chair, then cautiously got on the 

 tea-tray; and going straight to the cream-jug, 

 dipped her paw into it. She then leisurely with- 

 drew it, and commenced licking it with evident 

 gusto, nor did she quit till she had emptied it. She 

 did this so regularly, that we have many times in- 

 vited our friends to come and see her do it. Most 

 truly amusing was it, to witness the gravity with 

 which pussy went through her performances. 

 Now, Mr. Editor, whether you will call these two 

 facts reason or instinct, I know not; but will just 

 observe that, if not quite reason, it is much akin 



to it.— W. L>. 



Original Anecdote of the Fox.-— In order that 

 your readers may marvel with myself, at the 

 strange " sagacity" of animals, let me relate an 

 interesting and authentic anecdote of the fox. 

 One summer's evening, as a sportsman was re- 

 clining beneath the shade of an old tree, his 

 attention Avas suddenly attracted by hearing a 

 rustling noise behind him ; and quickly turning 

 his head, he perceived a fox busily engaged in 

 uprooting a tuft of grass, which he carried away 

 in his mouth towards a lake in a valley not far 

 off. The sportsman, curious to see the result, 

 followed at a distance; and observed the fox 

 stealthily enter the water and swim towards the 

 centre of the lake, where some restless wild-ducks 

 were hovering on the wing. The tuft of grass 

 which he carried in his mouth, he permitted, as 

 it were, to float on the surface of the water; 

 while he himself moved unperceived towards 

 the object of his prey, beneath. In a few mi- 

 nutes, the sportsman saw an unsuspecting bird 

 alight on the green floating island; and in 

 another instant, he beheld it suddenly drawn 

 under the water, After a short lapse of time, 

 the fox re- appeared at the margin of the lake, 

 bearing his well-merited prize in his mouth. 

 He then proceeded to place it in the cavity of a 

 rock; carefully covering it over with sand, and 

 dry leaves, which lay scattered near. He then 

 hastened to secure another tuft of grass, and 

 proceeded, as before, stealthily underneath the 

 surface of the water, towards the centre of the 

 lake. The sportsman now quickly hastened 



