de, as if in the dizziness of approaching death.
I saw plainly that my fire was fatal; but I had too much experience to
approach this enemy until I could no longer discover signs of life. I
therefore reloaded my rifle, and with a second shot I pierced
immediately behind the ear. Its head then dropped between its paws, and
all was quiet.

"On examining the panther, no marks of violence appeared, except where
my rifle balls had passed completely through, within a foot of each
other: but on turning the animal on its back, I discovered it to be a
female, and a mother, who, by the enlargement of her teats, had
evidently been suckling her young. From this circumstance, I supposed
the bear had made inroads on her lair, and probably had destroyed her
kittens. I was the more convinced of this from the fact, that I never
knew, from my own experience, nor could I learn from the oldest hunters
of my acquaintance, an instance wherein a bear and a panther engaged in
combat; and again, no circumstance but the above would be sufficient to
awaken that vindictive perseverance, in the passions of a panther,
which would lead to the annihilation of so formidable an animal as a
bear."

THE CAT.

This animal, which is chiefly known in a domestic state, was originally
wild, and is still found in that condition in the forests of Europe and
Asia. It was not a native of the American continent, but was brought
hither by the European settlers. The quadruped found in our woods, and
sometimes called by the name of _wild-cat_, is a lynx. In a domestic
state, the savage habits of the cat are exchanged for a soft, gentle,
and confiding character, which renders her a favorite around every
fireside. Nor is puss to be admired only for these winning qualities,
and her utility as a mouser. She possesses considerable genius, and the
memoirs of her race are scarcely less remarkable than those of her
natural rival, the dog.

_Miscellaneous Anecdotes._--The following story is furnished by a
correspondent of the Penny Magazine: "I was once on a visit to a friend
in the country, who had a favorite cat and dog, who lived together on
the best possible terms, eating from the same plate and sleeping on the
same rug. Puss had a young family, and Pincher was in the habit of
making a daily visit to the kittens, whose nursery was at the top of
the house. One morning, there was a tremendous storm of thunder and
lightning. Pincher was in the drawing-room, and puss wa