Page:Scientific Monthly, volume 14.djvu/537

 become such an inveterate hunter of birds and young chickens that her life had been declared forfeit. This cat could not be trusted for a moment when the chicks were about, as my neighbor observed when one evening he tried to entice her from the barn with a dish of fresh milk; thinking, however, that they would be safe as long as we stood by, a brood was released; the cat came to call, but was no longer interested in milk; like a flash she snapped up a chick from under our noses and made off with it to the barn; and this was the third victim of that day. I mention the incident to show how well this animal was able to take care of itself; whatever its history might have been, an experiment to follow proves conclusively, I think, that it had never been a vagrant over those parts of the country to which it was soon to be introduced.

Seven successive returns were made by this cat from points varying from one to three miles from its home, on June 4-23 (See table); she was secured in a sack, carried to the release station by motor car, and placed under a wooden box which was weighted with

FIG. 2. HOMING OF CAT: EXPERIMENT NO. 2

Home-territory conventionally indicated by circle of one-fourth mile radius. Cat taken blindfolded one mile on course, marked by dotted line, to releasebox, R. B. Long arrow marks direct course from release station to center of home-territory; path of cat after release indicated by arrows and irregular line; cat oriented correctly and started in the home-direction, but later re versed her course and made for the cover of woods (crosses) when disturbed by dogs; animal under observation 35 minutes after release. Cleveland Heights, Ohio: June 4, 1920.