, 1873-12-13
CATS AND RATS.
honae Eattiiur Stanp 'I.a4cn UosicrrnAng
tE'ilsnl.

tolae Eautllur Stoup ,1sa4cn Us,sicrrnAng
G'flHtA.
Cath Are tl1stu hH clover III tho nc: nf opening
lntelien wiscI. it a'ita ti,cir purpose 4 fanly iii
good dcnl annoyed with lilo fro1uct lulbory Of
tltotr larler, n small ont-nnHu behind thpi:
dwelling. Legs Of mutton aud other n.tie!en
wcro dcyouyed Gr Gnrrioa of. ind lpo Dllo could
tell how. Tho .hoft WIZ n'yvtery. Quo of tho
acrval.tn determined to Uncover ii. Delinquent
rLi n:1a.,:,gly Watched. shh st.so ni:ll; folnti
tslas Tho tl,oy.s wcro Il h..s OF aaiB bnlnagi,c tp
III. ',uhurt,ool: Tho Mrdsr l,atl II in;c.l wl!Gll
I'D to IL rr.saol down i ol,,,riss; tito door.
t.pn thu y"o,,,t3. 1i!oro pus, however, au nd.
tainf:lH wall. ftuin ~tieli ta!n might Ieap tu
r.t tue dup, eualt Ut thu la.uli Us thoy R,iccra~
slscly .":tf!tl; Ii's:is VIM, they did. They
!,ys,; i, o;;:rssn t:.s l.:cA nlit pasucd, until
QUO ca::. lti:u f;.rsatn t!sa:t tlls ut]ier, mnlu
tito l:anlf.tl depression, with :tn law. Tho door
inulately Will opnAnI, and lcE Ut MUTTON,
we', VIII Ill., II sl ,t a o. rss o os w4s ueeured
ln''ch ssYaclot1s planuis,y IN t4s pieca OF roo-
boyY by cat.: W. think tier, we,-alnosL AB
much aa wo Bce demonstrated III aonle Il! tho
mennur departments Of the human Apeu.ea. TllD
i'cflout i0oli pIaeo 1ately.
Many i:'st,;l:ct nvn i,eon rocol n1 of t!,o dig
Ling vi intofltg 1aco by rain, tn Which We hag
ioase "a add tho following: 4 farinals wife iu
tia wcs't ri Scotland ,elna.ko t!las tho cream
ol tno astIA"c ol tHe milk III Het ualry Wha Ulteb
il.terfercd with. a. first slo =sportoi th.t somo
uf ller cllillrou had taken tho ,lnwGrfa!ta.lu
Liberty nl dipping piosc8 Of brcat iii IL. BIT! nllo
co'd find tnthlnG to confirm this s,'bpiclon;
al!d hy-aAts-!y so Dlico,t strange li;to Htrcalts
of cyuani tue edge. Of tho in:ti oaAina, III II
string l.asl been dipped Ii, aud dras VA out, no M
to leayo II nialk. At lalt hl.o discovered tilu
secret. Tho cream WIS s5oloa by rails, which
got upon tho olgca OF tho oe,tl,enwnro basi,H
cuntain3 tho milk, ai,d, not being ablo to roacl.
n # t1nrttt
to ntten'pt to 20 down, as tlleY conil noyor havo
cltn,hoa up tho n.noolh surface again, dipped III
The tps ur tiIeil long tas, urow tliu1n up loadud
With Tho rlcl, cream. ana lickod them. Au Ar-
could not Get upon the edges Of thoul, put ali
cnd to nll further lH1}redationy Of this kind.
There WIS surely sonotling moro tllan il.stinct
in this caso III tile procedure OF the retu.
We llnvo something still to tell regarding tho
ingenuity Of rats. 4 family III col,ntry house
Il. llertfortsllilo had fancy FOR rcayiug ducka,
but could hot wal do Bo oil account of rats,
which systematically got hold Of end carricd
nway tue young ,.:I .d:I1ek'ngs, oven from closo to
rats, tho maternal due; aid l1or young woro
housed for tho night under coop, which adlnit-
ted Of no opening for the fnllye isitrutlerg.
Tho rats were not to bo 20 crsily cheated Of
tllor proy. On discovering 'that tho ,nothor
duck nltl hor funily woro closely shroulcl from
intrusion, they devised q pretty plau Of Oh
piacerhg, which wnp cMincntly Guccclsful. LII
the colrso of . Hinglo night they oxcaya:od u
tunnel. going hollow the outer odge Of Tao coop
to its interior, aud thus worry neatly, without
producing my alarm. stole ovory tiuckliug from
under the guardianship or tic nothar.
Two rnta belonging to the samo colony per-
formed . feat quite as iugoniuns. A trap which
was baited for their capture WIS hahitually
plunaoscd without securing single rat. Iloy
Ind eviiloti:ly invented. some plan Tor safely
Stealing c Jay tho bait, aud villa; tho plan wus
could only be lcarncd by settling a. watch OH the
trnp. Wo shall oxplain how the thing was
| effected. The trap waB Of tho kind which is
| sonotlmes employed for catching mice. It was
box with a sliding door. which was sustninod
by mechanism connected with tho bait. On tho
Lait being nibb1ed at, the door descends md
makes tug moltae prisoner. Tho two rats saw
through the dosice, md reaortod to tho very
nimplo but eifectuat method to take AWAY tho
butt, which was piece OF toasted chooae, aud yot
escape punishment: Ono of them piaccl itaolt
under tho door, that it might fall OIL itB back,
while the other cropt in and successfully carried
of the morsol Of choose. Tho first rat thu,
draw itsalf from under tho door and Joined its
companion. This demonstration of rat intelli.
gence, liko tho preceding incident, il Of recent
occurrence.