CAT. 
329 
cage, sit centinel s at the mouth of a mouse-hole, 
and, in a short time, become more expert hunters, 
than if they had received the instruction of art. 
Indeed, their disposition is so incapable of con- 
straint, that all instruction would be but thrown 
away. It is true, that we are told of the Greek 
monks, of the isle of Cyprus, teaching cats to hunt 
the serpents with which the island is infested ; but 
this may be natural to the animal itself, and they 
might- have fallen upon such a pursuit without 
any instruction. Whatever animal is much weak- 
er than themselves, is to them an indiscriminate ob- 
ject of destruction Birds, young rabbits, hares, 
rats and mice, bats, moles, toads and frogs, are 
all equally pursued ; though not, perhaps, equally 
acceptable. The mouse seems to be their favourite 
game ; and, although the cat has the sense of 
smelling in but a mean degree, it, nevertheless, 
knows those holes in which its prey resides. They 
will watch a whole day until the mouse appears, 
and continue quite motionless until it come within 
reach, and then seize it with a jump. Of all the 
marks by which the cat discovers its natural malig- 
nity, that of playing and sporting with its little 
captive, before killing it outright, is the most fla- 
grant. 
The fixed inclination which they discover for 
this peculiar manner of pursuit, arises from the 
conformation of their eyes. The pupil in man, 
and in most other animals, is capable but of a small 
degree of contraction and dilation, it enlarges a 
little in the - dark, and contracts when the light 
pours in upon it in too great quantities. In the 
eyes of cats, however, this contraction and dilation 
of the pupil is so considerable, that the pupil, 
which, by day-light appears narrow and small 
like the black of one’s nail, by night expands ever 
vox. i- 0 u ti 
