Page:Natural History (1848).djvu/85

Rh love of persons in such cases is stronger than that of places. It is recorded that when the Earl of Southampton was committed to the Tower for high treason in the reign of Elizabeth, a favourite Cat found her way into her loved master’s society, by descending the chimney of his prison.

In the family of a friend of ours, one of the children had a kitten given him, when quite an infant. It soon became his pet, and he was accustomed to fondle it continually, delighting to hie down on the hearthrug, and roll about with the Cat in his embrace. As it grew up, the animal manifested a very spiteful disposition to every member of the family, except Johnny its little patron; to such a degree, that, if the lady of the house but touched it accidentally with her foot in the slightest way, it would instantly snarl like an angry dog, and snap at her. To Johnny, however, it was always affectionate, seeking and delighting in his society. One day, when about six years old, he was playing on the floor with a brother a little older, and in the height of his romps screamed out; the Cat, who had appeared perfectly inattentive to their game, on hearing her favourite’s scream, suddenly flew at the brother with the utmost virulence, and would doubtless have done what mischief she could, had not Johnny come to the rescue, by whom she suffered herself to be removed.

Mr. Jesse, among many interesting anecdotes of animals, in his « Gleanings in Natural History,” records the following instance of faithful zeal in a Cat. ‘Cats have been known also to do their best to protect the property of their masters, as well as dogs. A man who was sentenced to transportation for a robbery, informed me, after his