intruders were kept out of the beds. One
morning the servant, while arranging the
bedding, screamed aloud; her friends, in
alarm, rushed into the room, and found that
four rats—a nice little whist-party, in search
of a snug place to carry on their game—had
crept under Mr. Williams's pillow. Their
irreverent audacity cost them their lives.
Other members of the mission were worse
inconvenienced, though in a different way.
Mr. and Mrs. Pitman were possessed of
travelling trunks covered with skin, on which
the rats operated as effectually as they had
done before on the unfortunate bellows; and
Mrs. Pitman, having one night neglected to
put her shoes in a place of safety, sought for
them the following morning in vain. These
nocturnal ramblers had devoured them
utterly, upper-leathers and soles; and the
loss of a pair of shoes in the midst of the
South Sea Islands is not a misfortune to be
treated with levity. It was the last drop
which made the vessel of wrath run over;
a decree of extermination was issued against
the whole race of rats. After school-time,
man, woman and child armed themselves
with serviceable weapons ; the signal for
onslaught was given, and the massacre
began. Baskets were made of cocoa-nut
leaves, about five or six feet in length, in
which to deposit the bodies of the slain; and
in about an hour, no less than thirty of these
family coffins were filled. Notwithstanding
this wholesale destruction, there did not
appear the slightest diminution in the legions
of rats. Cats, therefore, were a real blessing
to bestow on the island. Even they, however,
did not destroy so many rats as the pigs,
which were exceedingly voracious, and took
greedily to the rodent diet.

The Chinese, it seems, learn the hour of
the day by looking into the eyes of their
cats; but I imagine that if the cats could
speak Chinese, they would tell us not only
what o'clock it is, but also what is the day
of the week. When a boy, I was a great
pigeon-keeper; pigeon-keeping, in a town,
leads to excursions on the roofs. Excursions
over roofs lead sometimes to neck-breaking,
sometimes to strange discoveries. Our neighbour,
at the back, was a large coach-builder,
and the nearest buildings were his forges.
On week days, I beheld during my airy
rambles, nothing but the blacksmiths
hammering away at bolt and spring and tire and
nail; but on Sundays, except in case of
inclement weather, the warm tiles that covered
the forges were tenanted by numerous parties
of cats. There they sat, all day long,
admiring one another, holding silent deliberations,
determining in their minds which
partner they should select for the evening's
concert and ball. While daylight lasted, it
was a Quakers' meeting, silent and sober ;
but after dusk, the darker the better, leaps
and friskings were audible, with vocal effects
of long-swelling notes, such as called forth
Peter Pindar's Ode to the Jewish cats of
Israel Mendez, whose opening line is,

Singers of Israel! O ye Singers sweet!

From Monday morning till Saturday night,
not a cat was to be seen. They knew when
Sunday came round, as well as I did; from
the low temperature of the tiles.

We learn from Lady Cust when kittens
are born, they are, like puppies, blind and deaf,
the eyelids and ears being firmly closed; the
former, if opened, showing the power of sight
immatured. In about nine days, sometimes
sooner, sometimes later, they commence their
functions. A humane warning is, that it is
very injurious to the mother, to destroy the
whole litter, particularly at once; and if the
practice is repeated, it is sure to cause cancers,
a complaint common to cats. Cats suffer
much when deprived of all their kittens, as
may be seen by examining them under the
circumstances. The hint is worth consideration
by humane mothers who do not suckle
their offspring. We are furnished with
remedies suitable for cats, in case of bodily
ailments, tested by practical experience,—a
pharmacopœia of feline specifics. But how
to administer these? the veterinary student
asks.

Roll gently the sick cat in a large
cloth, such as a table-cloth, carefully
including all the claws so as to resemble
a mummy, leaving only the head out.
Then place it upright between the knees of
a sitting person, place another cloth under
the jaw to keep that clean, and then with a
gloved hand open the mouth wide, but gently,
at one effort, holding it open and pouring the
medicine from a teaspoon down the open
throat; a very little at once, not to cause
choking; but letting it be comfortably
swallowed in very small quantities. Do not put
the spoon into the mouth, as the cat will bite
it and spit out the contents; but pour it
from the small spoon. Then with a sponge
and chilled water wipe off the least impurity
from the mouth and chin, rub it dry with a
clean cloth, unswathe the patient, and put it
in a quiet, warm, comfortable place for about
an hour and a half. Do not give food or
drink during that time. As in human beings,
it is necessary to watch the effect of your
medicine. You must make a temporary
hospital of some unused, uncarpeted room,
with a fire, as warmth is half the cure, and
every creature in illness requires it more than
at other times. Have a comfortable bed for
your patient, leave a dish of water in case of
thirst (where it would not be pernicious), and
do not allow anyone but yourself to enter,
as quiet and sleep are nature's own and best
remedies; without them there is no cure.

Thanks, then, to Lady Cust. May her
protégés always have enough to eat, and
never too much! May their meals be regular,
their digestion good, and their slumbers
undisturbed! May they have a sufficiency of
grass to eat, and a scant of flies! May they