32 
ANIMAL LIFE ON THE 
there being a cat, a dog, and a pig on board — he resolved 
trying its effects on the animals. The cat was first served 
with a small piece, which she devoured with seeming relish. 
The dog was next served with a larger piece; and the re- 
mainder, the greatest quantity, was given to the pig. For 
the first hour no bad symptoms were observed in any of 
the animals, but in the course of the second, the cat began 
to show signs of uneasiness. First she began to mew 
piteously and start running an erratic course along the 
deck as if suffering great pain, and impelled by some un- 
seen power in its career. Then frothing at the mouth 
ensued, and in three hours she was running about the deck 
stark mad, and during the darkness of the night ran 
through the poop netting overboard, and was seen no more. 
In about three hours the dog was also seized with illness, 
but lay very quietly, and next morning was found dead in 
a corner. The pig, on the contrary, for two days showed 
no signs of distress, but on the morning of the third day, 
to the astonishment and amusement of all, he was seen to 
go grunting along the deck on his tiptoes, and for more 
than a week continued like a dancing-master tripping it on 
the light fantastic toe, but gradually resumed his wonted 
health and habits. After this experience the skipper 
ordered the carcass to be preserved as well as possible. 
Strange to say, it kept well during our passage through 
the warmer latitudes, but as soon as we reached the 
humid atmosphere of the English Channel it melted almost 
into pulp, and smelled so badly that we were obliged to 
pitch it overboard. Our skipper reported the matter to 
the Naturalist Society of London, but no one there ever 
saw or heard of such a fish. It was a queer one, and you 
may guess that it was a lesson no man in that ship will 
ever forget." 
