A few days ago, says a correspondent of Forest and Stream, some corn meal mixed with arsenic was set in my yard to exterminate the many rodents which were infesting it. The plate of poison was soon surrounded with rats, each one eager to obtain its full share. At length one much larger and apparently much older than the rest made his appearance, walked cautiously around the festive group, snuffed the air, then advanced closely, tasted the morsel, and by a significant wave of the nose caused the other members of the party to withdraw to a respectful distance until his appetite was satisfied.
    The next day a neighboring cat took her accustomed position on the dividing fence, where she had been frequently seen to pounce upon the unwary vermin and carry them across the fence to her family. She was not stationed long before her tail began to twirl nervously from side to side, and every muscle in her system seemed to be in motion. She glided softly down the side of the fence and across the yard until she confronted a rat; with their heads not more than eight inches apart cat and rat stood motionless and coolly surveyed each other for a minute or two, when the rat started for its hole unpursued. The rat showed signs of sickness by its ruffled coat, and there is no doubt but that the feline’s instinct was sufficient to warn her of the danger of taking the poisoned rat.
Post a Comment