HABITS OP CATS. 
41 
before they kill them. It seems such real 
cruelty.” 
“ I don’t believe they mean to be cruel,” 
said Annie, prompt as ever in the defence 
of her favourites. “ They don’t know that 
it hurts them.” 
“ I don’t know about that,” replied Sid¬ 
ney. “ They never do so to birds. They 
bite their heads off directly, because they 
know the bird can, get away; and so they do 
to big rats. It is only little things which 
cannot defend themselves that they play 
with and tease.” 
Annie now looked really vexed. “ They 
do just so with balls and pieces of paper,” 
she said; “and I don’t believe they do it to 
be cruel. Do you, aunt?” 
“I do not know, my dear, I am sure,” 
replied Miss Winston. “It looks very 
much like it, certainly; but I hardly think 
it likely that they would do it for that rea¬ 
son alone.” 
“I used to think I never could like Punch 
so well again after I saw him play with a 
mouse one day,” said Sydney. “And I 
never can like cats as well as dogs, for that 
very reason.” 
