ened to distraction, and with singed and sore tails they went hurrying to their dens?

IO. THE KITTEN AND THE FALLING LEAVES.

SEE the kitten on the wall,
Sporting with the leaves that fall,
Withered leaves-one-two-and three-
From the lofty elder tree!

But the kitten, how she starts,

Crouches, stretches, paws, and darts!

First at one, and then its fellow,
Just as light and just as yellow;

There are many now-now one--
Now they stop and there are none:
What intenseness of desire
In her upward eye of fire!

With a tiger-leap half way

Now she meets the coming prey,

Lets it go as fast, and then

Has it in her power again:

Now she works with three or four,

Like an Indian conjurer;

Quick as he in feats of art,

Far beyond in joy of heart.

Were her antics played in the eye
Of a thousand standers-by,

Clapping hands with shout and stare,
What would little Tabby care

For the plaudits of the crowd?
Overhappy to be proud,
Overwealthy in the treasure
Of her own exceeding pleasure!

II. VELVET PAWS AND COVERED CLAWS.

SOFTLY, slyly, modestly, when the morning comes and the door is opened, she glides into the room on her velvet paws. She was at work

enough to toast her through, but not hot enough to scorch her. There she will lie down, curl up, put up her nose, and have a royal sleep.

First, however, she must rub against her mistress's dress, and sing a thrumming tune, just to

Puss

show that she is still a friend. As for a moment she sits down to meditate, reach for one of those velvet paws. She pulls it away from you. is choice of the tools she hides in her paws. Presently she wants to stretch. She bends down her back, spreads out her fore feet, and scratches. the floor. Now they are all out, the sharp, hooked claws, which she draws back again each into its little sheath.

And this is why she moves so still. She steps on her toes. If her claws, like those of the dog, were exposed, their keen points would wear off, and they would rattle as they strike the floor. But when they are drawn back into their covers, nothing hits the floor but the soft cushions under the claws.

Why must she be so careful of her claws? Because they help her to escape from danger, and assist her in catching her prey. When a dog gets after Puss she must dart up a tree, or climb

and hold it fast when she springs upon it, she must uncover and throw out her claws.

As Puss sits down and looks up and winks to her human friends, how

touches them, the pupils contract, until only slits can be seen running up and down across the balls of her eyes.

Eyes that can see in the dark are more necessary to the cat than to the dog, because she uses the nose less than he, and she prowls by night. More than the dog, too, does she need to hear the sly movements of her prey. Her ears, therefore, are erect, so as to catch the sound. A certain Chinese cat alone has drooping ears. Black cats have yellow eyes. White cats have eyes either blue or of a greenish color. When the cat's eyes are blue, its ears are usually deaf.

PART 2.

THE cat has always been used by man to catch his mischievous pests. She can thrive by her own wits better than the dog can. Puss can go

back to the woods and live like her wild ancestors if she wants to. The dog would starve if left to himself. Some cats catch mice only, while others catch rats, and take little notice of mice. Cats show less affection for persons than dogs do, though they usually remember the hands that feed and pet them. They love home, as their wild ancestors loved their dens or lairs. They nearly always bring home their game before they eat it.

There are several kinds of cats. The common tabby is striped or brindled. The tortoise-shell is sandy, or fawn spotted with black. The Car