Year: 1879

A correspondent of Nature tells the
following STORY of feline intelligence /:
Many years ago we lived in Cambridge
at the back of Emmanuel College. The
premises were partly cut off from the
road by a high wall; the body of the
house stood back some little distance.
A high tTellis, dividing off the garden,
ran from the entrance door to the wall
in which was another door, or gate. A
portion of the house, gable, faced the
trellis. These particulars are necessary,
as you will see.


We were, after some time of residence,
extremely troubled by runaway-be bell
rings" generally most prevalent at
night, and in rainy, bad or cold weather,
which was great annoyance to tie SER
want girls, who had to cross the space
between the house and the wall, 10 open
the ou er door in the litter, and were
thus exposed to wet and cold. The an
noyance became so great that at length
a cousin and myself, armed with wicked
ash saplings, watched behind tie trees,
bent on administering a sound thrash
ing to the enemy, whoever lie was, that
disturbed our domestic peace. The
rings continued, but no one pulled the
bell handle! Being very old house,
they were now of course set down to
ghosts! But not believing in those
gentry, was puzzled. Chance, how
ever, revealed the originator of the
scare.


Being i'll was confined to the wing
facing the trellis, and one riserable,
blowing. wet day, gazing disconsolately
out of tn" window, espied my favorite
cat-a singularly intelligent animal,
much petted-coming a ng the path,
wet, draggle- tailed, and miserable.
Pussy marched up to the house-door.
sn fled at l., pushed it, m wed, but find
ing it firmly shut, clambered up to the
top of the trellis, some eight or ten feet
from the ground, reached paw over the
edge, scratched till she found the bell
wire which ran along the upper rail
from the wall to the house, caught hold
of it, gave it a hearty pull, then jumped
down, and waited demurely at the door.
Out came the maid, in rushed puss. The
former, after gazing vaguely up and
down the street, returned, muttering
blessings" no doubt. on the ghost, to
be confronted by me in the hall.


Well, Lydia, have at last found
out who rings the bell" Lard, mas
ter! ye harvent, surely "-she was broad
"Zamerzetsheer. 81 have; come and
see. Look out of the breakfast-room
window, but don't show yourself"
Meanwhile l went into the drawing
room, where Mrs. Puss was busy drying
herself before the fire. Catching her
UP, | popped her outside of the door and
ran round to my post of observation.


Puss tried the door and mewed,
thinking. probably, some one must be
near, and after waiting two or three
minutes in vain, again sprang up the
trellis and renewed her attack upon the
bell-wire, of course to be Immediately
admitted by the delighted maid, who
this time did not cross the yard, nor
never again. fear sometimes to the in
convenience of visitors, if puss was
waiting for admission.


Now think that no one ever taught
that cat how to ring the bell by pulling
the wire. To my mind she must have
gone through the following process of
reasoning: |. She noticed whenever
the bell rang the door opened. 2. In
clambering up the trellis to the house
top she accidentally moved the wire,
and caused the bell to ring. This prob
ably occurred several times before she
noticed it, but having once done so, she
repeated it, purposely, whenever she
wanted entrance; | have often made her
do it for the amusement of friends by
turning her out from her snug nest by
the fire on cold or wet days.