Kitabı oku: «Birds and Nature Vol. 11 No. 2 [February 1902]», sayfa 5

MIDWINTER

 
The air is like a beryl, clean and clear,
Intensified by gleaming points of blue.
Sharp-outlined, distant sounds come ringing near
And crisply pierce the brittle silence through.
 
 
The sturdy trees that yester-eve were gray
In dim and foggy veils, and half effaced
By winter rain that compassed them, to-day
Arise like knights in crystal armor laced.
 
 
The stiff, brown-fibered weeds beside the walk
Have pinned, with each dull spike, a shivered star.
An icy chime is rung from every stalk
To wandering step that clashes them ajar.
 
 
The wood is bright as when the summer lost
Her sun-gems in the deep, soft shadow-seas —
Only the light is dagger-edged with frost,
And breaks in spangles on the ice-mailed trees.
 

– Hattie Whitney in The Ladies’ World.

A CATASTROPHE IN HIGH LIFE

Tertius, as his name signifies, was the third Maltese cat to occupy a very warm place in the hearts of a certain pet-loving family that lived on a quiet, tree-shaded street in a beautiful Eastern city.

His predecessors were both noted for their wonderful sagacity and great achievements, so he felt that he must improve all his opportunities if he was to keep up to their high standard. Just how they had obtained their reputation he did not know, and perhaps it was this ignorance that caused him to make his fatal mistake.

The beautiful house in which he lived had a large veranda on one side, over which ran a grapevine, and in this grapevine a pair of robins, most unwisely, decided to build their nest.

“It is a very beautiful spot,” said Mrs. Robin.

“Yes, and that arrangement in the center there will be splendid to lay the foundation on,” replied Mr. Robin.

“It is so picturesque,” returned Mrs. R., in a rapture of delight.

“And there will be such a nice shade for you, my dear, when the leaves are out,” added the thoughtful husband.

“It is a much finer situation than Mr. and Mrs. English Sparrow have for their nest in the eaves up above. Don’t you think so, Rob?”

“Indeed I do, wifey; but we must to work, for the morning is advancing. Now, you stay here, while I fly off and get the material.”

In a very few days as pretty a little nest was in the spot selected as you would want to see. Mr. Robin had brought all the material, while his helpful little wife had constructed the nest.

All this time their movements had been watched by the large, admiring, but greedy eyes of the ambitious Tertius, and one morning the chance he had so patiently waited for came. Mr. Robin started out, thinking in his kind little heart that he would get “little wifey” a particularly large and tasty worm for her breakfast, and he was so intent in scratching in the newly turned garden for it that he did not see the slyly, softly creeping Tertius. One bound, and poor little Rob was caught. He screamed, he scolded, but all to no purpose. Now was Tertius proud. He would carry his prize to his mistress, and she would surely say that his skill and prowess was far beyond that of either of his illustrious ancestors. So, thinking, with arched back and curling tail, he hastily gained the house and at once carried his prize to his mistress’ room. But alas for his well-laid plans! Alas for the praise he had looked for! Instead, to his intense surprise and anger, he was greeted with a cry of pain and alarm. The mistress who should have praised rated him well, the hand that should have stroked his smooth coat wrenched his prize from him. In his anger he tried to scratch her in return, but she had been too quick for him, and Robin was saved. Tenderly he was laid in a bed of cotton and placed on an upper veranda, once more in the sweet, balmy air. Cautiously he lifted his head, and as no shining green eyes or sharp paw were to be seen, ventured to hop to the edge of the basket in which his kind preserver had placed him. One more look around and he stretched out his wings and soared away.

“Oh, my dear Rob! I heard your cry. Where have you been? Do tell me all about it!” exclaimed Mrs. Robin on Mr. Robin’s return, and he, in a most graphic manner, granted her request; but, as we already know all about it, we won’t stay to listen.

As to Tertius, he has decided that to win his way to fame he must confine himself in the future to a war on mice.

M. Leila Dawson.

THE DOMESTIC CAT

In the old, old writings of the sacred Sanskrit language, that ancient language of the Hindoos, nearly two thousand years ago reference was made to the Domestic Cat. And so we know that Cats existed long ago and are a very ancient animal. But by means of pictures we are able trace their origin to still earlier times, for the Egyptian monuments abound in pictured Cats, and, stranger yet, in Egypt are found mummies of both the domestic and common jungle Cat. How very important it must have been considered! Think of burying the body of every forlorn, luckless Cat, and then realize the pains taken, not only to give it a burial, but to preserve it for ages to come; and this the Egyptians did, for doubtless it was to them the most sacred of all sacred animals.

Herodotus says that when one of their houses was on fire they first thought of saving the Cat, and afterward considered the matter of putting out the fire; also when a Cat died they cut off their own hair as a sign of mourning. When a person unintentionally caused the death of one of these animals he forfeited his life. We can readily imagine that small boys did not find amusement in chasing and plaguing stray Cats at that period of the world’s existence.

While we really do not absolutely know where the ancestors of our modern Cat were found, it is the general opinion that the Egyptian Cat was the first to be domesticated and that it gradually spread northward and eastward and westward, although the spotted Cats of India may have had a different origin.

In the tenth century the Cat had reached Wales, as laws were recorded fixing the price of Domestic Cats, and also penalties were fixed for their ill treatment and killing. After a kitten caught its first mouse its value was doubled, and a mother Cat was expected to have perfect eyes, ears and claws, to know how to catch mice and how to bring up her kittens properly.

The Domestic Cat is so common an animal that we do not realize how very interesting the study of it may become. First of all, we must remember that our pet kittens belong to that important division of animals known as “The Cat Tribe,” and which includes such ferocious and feared beasts as the lion, the tiger, the wildcat, the leopard, the panther and many others less common and less generally known.

All of these animals are most symmetrical and graceful; all have the round head set on a stout neck, the limbs of moderate length, the long tail and the soft fur which correspond in general color to its native surroundings. Because they are beasts of prey the teeth are adapted to life-destroying action; the tongue is thick and muscular, with fine, horny thorns which point toward the throat. With these the animal can most beautifully smooth and dress its hair, as well as strip the meat from off the bone when making a meal. The claws, ordinarily drawn up and out of sight, make an effective weapon when the angry animal stretches its paws. On account of its cushioned feet its step is silent and stealthy. All Cats can jump many times their own length, and most species are great climbers. The sense of hearing is most acute, and they see well at short range. The sense of touch is extremely well developed, and the most sensitive organ is the whiskers. A Cat with the whiskers cut off is indeed in a most uncomfortable position; it is at a loss to know what to do. The sense of smell is not very acute.

Our Domestic Cat shares all these qualities with the other members of the Cat tribe, but it has many valuable qualities of its own.

It is much more intelligent than people are willing to concede. It is often compared with the dog, but they are so entirely different that it is an unfair comparison. The dog becomes very dependent upon man, while the Cat has kept a certain amount of individuality and independence through all its generations of domestic life. When a Cat is very much petted it develops an affection for its master, but otherwise it becomes more attached to the house and locality in which it lives, preferring to return to its old home and live among strangers rather than to follow its owner to a new home.

How remarkable is the fact that no one can cause a Cat to alight except upon its feet, no matter how short or long may be the distance from which it jumps or is thrown! A Cat can also swim, though in the main it abhors the water. Occasionally its great appetite for fish will overcome its dislike of getting wet, and it will jump into a pond and do its own fishing.

Mr. Scheitlin understandingly describes the Cat in the following language: “The Cat is an animal of a high order of intelligence. Its bodily structure alone indicates this. It is a pretty, diminutive lion, a tiger on a small scale. It shows the most complete symmetry of form, no one part of it too large or too small. That its every detail is rounded and beautiful is even shown by an examination of the skull, which is more symmetrical than that of any other animal. Its movements are undulating and graceful to the extent that it seems to have no bones. We value our Cats too slightly because we detest their thievish propensities, fear their claws and love their enemy, the dog, and we are not able to show equal friendship and admiration for those two opposite natures.

“Let us examine the Cat’s qualities. We are impressed by its agility, yet its mind is as flexible as its body. Its cleanliness of habit is as much a matter of mental bias as physical choice, for it is constantly licking and cleaning itself. Every hair of its fur must be in perfect order; it never forgets as much as the tip of its tail. It has a discriminating sensibility as to both color and sound, for it knows man by his dress and by his voice. It possesses an excellent understanding of locality and practices it, for it prowls through an entire neighborhood, through basements and garrets and over roofs and haysheds without bewilderment. It is an ideally local animal, and if the family moves it either declines to accompany them, or, if carried to a new residence, returns at the first opportunity to the old homestead; and it is remarkable how unerringly it will find its way back, even when carried away in a sack for a distance of several miles.”

Large families are the custom with Cats, for usually five or six kittens are born at one time. As these cunning little objects are totally blind for nine days after birth, the devoted mother Cat must work industriously to properly care for them and especially to preserve them from danger. They must be hidden away from harm, as the father Cat would be perfectly willing to devour them, and would attack them as readily as he would a rat or a mouse. The mother Cat lifts her helpless little ones very tenderly by compressing the skin of their necks between her lips and gently carries them to a place of safety.

While attending to the duties of motherhood the Cat is in a sympathetic frame of mind and will sometimes care for the young of other animals as well as for her own. Mr. Brehm tells us that, when a boy he brought a little squirrel, yet blind, to one of his Cats, which accepted the strange child among her own and tenderly cared for it, and after her own kittens had been given away she regarded it with increased affection. They became inseparable companions and understood each other perfectly, though each talked in its own language.

Cats frequently form friendships for other animals, and even dogs and Cats become friendly, in spite of the impression to the contrary.

While living in a large city where yards were small and infrequent, I was the happy owner of a beautiful tree, which stood near the rear of the house. There were many pet Cats in the neighborhood, and all delighted to visit my tree. Undoubtedly some were attracted by the English sparrows which were almost omnipresent among the upper branches, but all enjoyed clawing, stretching and scratching up the friendly trunk. One day a strange kitten appeared, and although smallest and youngest of all the Cats, by its superior intelligence it soon became king among them and ruled them all, causing many a commotion in the previously tranquil group. This young Cat gained entrance to my next door neighbor’s house and made itself at home with an “I am come to stay” air. In fact, it refused to be evicted, and by its determined persistence became a member of the household.

The other family pet was an old pug dog – Jack – cross and uninteresting, but tolerated because he gave some amusement to an invalid daughter of the family. Jack, jealous and annoyed, received the newcomer in the most hostile manner, and the kitten seemed to take special delight in tormenting the dog in every possible way. In fact, the lack of harmony between the pets became so annoying that it was decided to sacrifice the kitten, and it was taken to a remote place. For a number of weeks quiet prevailed in the rear yards of the neighborhood, but in time, to everyone’s surprise, the Cat reappeared and refused to be turned away. Its courage and daring won recognition, and again it was received into the family circle. I wondered what Jack would do now that the kitten was restored to favor. About this time business called me from the city, and some time elapsed before my return. On reaching home again, one night I heard the dog crying and whining till nearly morning. I could not imagine the cause, but to my astonishment learned the next day that the dog and Cat had become such firm friends that the dog was perfectly inconsolable when the Cat was absent, and as his kingship had chosen to wander outside that particular night, the dog had mourned for hours. In fact, after causing the family a sleepless night, his master was obliged to rise and punish him before he would cease his cries. Such devotion put to flight all my previous theories of the inborn antagonism between Cats and dogs.

The different varieties of Domestic Cats are distinguished from one another by the difference of color, length of hair or, more rarely, length of tail.

The Cats of India are spotted, those of the Isle of Man are practically tail-less, but the European Cats are commonly “tabby,” black, white, sandy, tortoise shell, dun, gray or the so-called blue.

The most beautiful of all are the highly prized Persian or Angora Cats, with their long, silky hair and bushy tails.

John Ainslie.