Evening star., 1948-04-17
This and That
Bu. Charles E. TraceUell
... GARFIELD STREET.

Dear Sir:
your piece recently about cats reached me
at the same time as letter from my pfolnel
in New England.
II am copying a paragraph from that letter.
It may be little long but can't help thinking
1t will amuse you and your readers.
"The Butch mentioned is huge cat. Like
all cats, he owns the family which houses MN,
and knows it. But he does wear bell at all
times and all the feeding stations are well
defended against him. The place is in the
country about 80 miles south OF Boston.
'I have Just bought place not far from my
brothers and I leave Washington soon One
of nv regrets will be that no longer will see
your daily column.
Cordially yours. D. R. c.
The addendum is as follows:
ut may not be strictly true to say that noth-
ing gets wasted around here, though any one
who has observed the methods OF this house
hold will have to admit that thoroughgolng
effort is made in that direction Some umes
that effort leads to forms OF conservation wnlcn
perhaps would not occur to you. Take Butch
for example. (No, don't take him, just CONSIDER
him for q minute and keep your hands where
they belong) In the winter he grows him an
extra heavy fur coat, and come spring the way
he gets it off is by constant licking, rolling in
the grass and lying in Mummy's chair Peo-
pie with dark suits eventually remove the sur
plus fur from the chair0 But Mummy gets TO
thinking about the fur ball that must be pil1ng
up somewhere in his gizzard, and with view
to helping him out she keeps hne-tooth
comb somewhere out near the east stoop, and
when there is balmy bit of sunshine out there
she puts one thumb through his collar and
gives him good going over. The amount OF
superfine, downy fur gathered by this process
is something you would have to see to believe;
and it goes from the comb into large enve-
lope. And right here comes the point for which
YOU have been waiting through this paragraph
We have on the east wall of the house dis
penser filled with bits of wool, string and other
textile fibers thoughtfully provided and Kept
in readiness for those of our birds who are
running up summer homes. So into this dis
penser goes Butch's fur coat, and the word has
gone around that for mattresses or even a
light blanket against the cool evenings 1t is
pretty choice stuff go on to say that tnls
was not Butchs idea, and 1t Is Mummy that
the oiseaux have to thank for the nest
upholstery"
The above gives us good chance to continue
our dissertation on the cats eye.
AS pleasing as the eye Is In the dayngnt, IL Is
even better at night.
The cat eye is famous the world around, Of
course for the way it shines in the dark,
but few persons have realized that this shine"
is colored.
Little Gray, whose eyes are green, iadS ioSe
coiored eyes in the dark.
Let the light hit them just right, at the cor
rect lowered illumination, and this beautiful
color is seen.
1t is more than matter of shine, it is color,
and each cat thus has two colors for his eyes,
the daylight color and the night color
The eyes of the wildcat, or bobcat, are cele-
brated. They once struck fear into the hearts
Of pioneers.
Tiger eyes must be altogether lovely, actually,
although human fright no doubt would make
most persons fail to realize the beauty at the
time.
The tiger head is perhaps the most beautiful
of any animal.
Sometimes this is overlooked in all the talk
about the majestic lion, etc. 1t is the name,
with its wave, that creates an Illusion of beauty
for the lion.
The tiger has a marvellous head. fine ears.
fine eyes, plenty Of symmetry, noble express
sion; as the great granddaddy of all the cats.
he occupies a unique place in the animal
kingdom. The lion may be the king of beasts,
but the tiger is king Of the cats. Don't let that
old lion fool you. He is not half the creature
the tiger Y.