THE POLICE OF NATURE. 
215 
to have some milk. Indeed that was ail she ever gave him, 
because ho got his own living ! 
And this is the way that thousands of people keep cats 
at others' expense. But, unfortunately, cats are only held as 
vermin ; consequently there is no law to make their owners 
responsible for their depredations. 
On another occasion, in the place where I kept my 
pigeons, some one had the kindness over night to leave the 
door open ; and upon my going in, in the morning, a great 
carroty Tom cat waddled out, and made its escape ! 'Now 
whether he had had any one to supper with him, I know 
not ; but he left me only the legs, wings, and feathers of 
five choice tumbler pigeons. 
Not long after that, my son had a handsome young rabbit, 
about three months old; it was considered a choice specimen 
of the fancy lop-eared breed, and was very much prized. 
However, one morning a hungry half-starved looking cat 
managed to get at it, and bent the wires of the hutch in 
dragging it through. I found her in act of eating it, though 
the rabbit was nearly as big as herself 
As to chickens, I, on one occasion, at some trouble and 
expense, managed to get five eggs of a very fine breed of 
Spanish fowls, and succeeded in hatching five chickens both 
sound and healthy. When they were a fortnight old, I 
loosened one of the bars of the coop, to let them have a run 
in the garden without the hen. I was much delighted with 
their appearance ; they seemed sprightly and vigorous. After 
a time I went in to dinner, and left them to enjoy their run 
among the flowers. However, upon my return, I missed 
two ; and while wondering what had become of them, down 
jumped a great Tom cat, and seized a third. Over the vv^all 
he bounced with the chicken in his mouth, and away he 
went before I could get anything to send after him. 
Thus it is quite clear that large cats are just as destruc- 
tive among pigeons, rabbits, and poultry, as any other car- 
nivorous animal. 
The most useful cats for farmers, are little, shy, agile, 
and mostly glossy black, with a small flat head, large 
eyes, and longish ears, are excellent mousers, and will 
often fight a rat with great determination. These small 
cats should be taken great care of, and the breed encouraged, 
