| Show CLEVER BIRDS AND ANIMALS Magpies and Cats Possess Unusual Intellect In In- Interesting Interesting Tale of Kitten and Tom Cat Magpies are as clever as they are noisy One was offered an extinguished extinguish extinguish- ed cigar stump which it began to tear apart But apparently changing Its ts mind the bird proceeded to rub the the i stump held In Its beak over every part of Its body including the wings In a most careful and methodical man man- ner nero The experiment was subsequently subsequent subsequent- ly repeated many times always with the same result The magpie Is so BO fond of tobacco that it repeatedly has snatched a lighted cigar from a mans man's hand against his will It also picks up fallen cigar ashes and strews them over its feathers It U is thought that these actions have a purpose the destruction of parasites par and are determined by atavism or Inherited instinct In the wild state some unidentified plant must have been used as an Insecticide instead instead in in- stead of tobacco The magpies magpie's action furthermore seems to be an unquestionable unquestionable unquestionable Instance of the me use of or tools by a lower animal Cats too are famously clever A kitten about six months old was taken to a house houge a few miles from Its birthplace birthplace birthplace birth birth- place confined In a room and tenderly tender tender- ly cared for during a week and then set at liberty It Was supposed to have become accustomed to Its new surroundings but It returned to its old home on the day of Its release The sense of locality and direction was exhibited still more strikingly by byan byan byan an old tom torn cat which was stolen and carried a distance of 20 miles confined confined con con- fined In a bag The cat was Imprisoned Imprison imprison- ed but made its escape and in a few days reappeared in a pitiable state at the home of Its former master which was separated from that of the thief by a high wooded cliff |
