346 
ON THE PHILOPHOGENITIVENESS OF THE CAT, 
upon their fluidity than their nutritious properties, would, were facts wanting on 
the other side, go far to give weight to the opinion of capillary attraction being 
a main cause of the ascent of sap in the branches. 
The vital energy must he considered as indispensably necessary for the proper 
regulation and the continuance of the propelling action, and in conjunction with 
this must be taken into consideration the Influence of the absorption of sap from 
below, consequent upon the continual exhalation of moisture from the surfaces of 
the leaves, &c. I shall not at all enter upon the second query, as I have not 
sufflcient information to lead me to adopt the conclusion intimated in your cor¬ 
respondent's question. 
Ywk^ July 19, 1837* E. 
ON THE PHILOPROGENITIVENESS OP THE CAT. 
By W. R. Scott, 
Corresp. Memb. of the Edinbuagh Phrenological Society. 
The instinct for the love of young is very strongly exhibited in many of the 
lower animals, but a rather rare manifestation of it met my observation a few 
days ago, an account of which may not be altogether uninteresting to the readers 
of The Naturalist. I have been shewn a Cat nursing four young Rabbits with 
two of her own offspring, and becoming to them a careful and affectionate foster- 
mother. Soon after she had brought forth her own progeny a nest of young Rab¬ 
bits was found by the person to whom she belongs, and as she had before shown 
some affection for the young of other animals at a similar interesting period, it 
was thought possible that she might not withhold her kindness from these helpless 
sucklings. They were put beside her young, and she has ever since bestowed 
upon them all the attention of a careful and watchful mother. They have been 
now with her between three and four weeks, and are all doing very well. 
I mentioned that she had previously shown some wish to extend her affections 
to the young of other animals at a time when she had kittens. This makes the 
case yet more interesting. She has thrice had young, and at each of these times 
has indicated a strongly-excited Philoprogenitiveness. The first time she brought 
a puppy to the place where she had her young, and wished to adopt it as one of 
her own, taking every means to induce it to suck. The next time she brought 
a young Lapwing (Vanellus gavia)., which was running in an adjoining garden, 
and placed it in a box with her kittens. This child of her adoption, however, 
could not rest satisfied with its new mode of life, and as often as she put it into 
her nest, so often it lept out. This was allowed to continue until the people of 
the house were sufficiently amused with the curiosity^ when the bird was taken 
