Intelligence in Animals

Abstract

SOME years since, when calling on the late Hon. Marmaduke Maxwell of Terregles, our conversation happened to turn on the subject of intelligence and instinct of animals, Mr. Maxwell said if I would walk down to the stables with him he would show me a curious instance. On reaching the stable he pointed out an empty stall in which five well grown young rats were running about—a board had been fixed at the end of the stall to prevent the rats getting out. Some time before the cat had a litter of five kittens, three were taken from her and drowned; the following morning it was found she bad brought in three young rats, which she suckled with the two kittens that had been left; a few days afterwards the two kittens were destroyed, and the next morning it was found the cat had brought in two more young rats. While we were looking at this strange foster family the cat came into the stable, jumped over the board and lay down, when the rats at once ran under her and commenced sucking. What makes the matter the more singular is, the coachman told me the cat was a particularly good ratter, and was kept in the stable for the purpose of keeping down rats.