366 COMMON CAT. 
the Tower, was surprised by a visit from his fa- 
vourite Cat, which, says tradition, reached its 
master, by descending the chimney of his apart- 
ment. 
No animal, whose habits and manners we have 
the opportunity of accurately observing, exhibits 
a greater degree of maternal tenderness than the 
Cat: the extreme assiduity with which she at- 
tends her young, and the fondness which she 
shews for them, afford the most pleasing entertain- 
ment to a philosophic observer. She even pos- 
sesses a propensity to nurse with tenderness the 
young of a different individual ; and it is a gene- 
ral observation, that a domestic Cat will com- 
monly suckle and nurse any young kitten that is 
newly introduced to her. 
Nothing can be more beautiful than the expe- 
riment of setting a young Cat, for the first time, 
before a looking-glass. The animal appears sui'- 
prised and pleased with the resemblance, and 
makes several attempts at touching its new ac- 
quaintance; and, at length, finding its efforts 
fruitless, it looks behind the glass, and appears 
highly surprised at the absence of the figure : it 
again views itself; tries to touch with its foot; 
suddenly looking at intervals behind the glass : it 
then becomes more accurate in its observations, 
and begins, as it were, to make experiments, by 
stretching out its hand in different directions; 
and when it finds that these motions are answered 
in every respect by the figure in the glass, it 
