ur
pretty birds. I am sure Mr. Adam will not want her to do that, and
will teach her better. But, do you know, I believe it is a fly she
sees, and I hope she will catch that. She surely does look as if she
were planning some mischief as she crouches there ready for anything.

The last little kitten seems to say, "Oh, look at my pretty ribbon! I
am the only one of us that wears a ribbon! Is it not fine?" No wonder
he holds his head so high! His fur is striped, and he looks like a
little tiger kitten.

With such bright eyes and such sharp ears it is no wonder cats hear
and see the little mice that go about so quietly. Do you know why a
cat has whiskers? They say that the whiskers are always as wide as the
widest part of the cat's body, so that when she wants to go through a
hole in the fence, or through any narrow place, she can tell whether
the opening is large enough. If her whiskers just touch, she can go
through all right; but if they are pushed back, then it is of no use
for her to try, for there will not be room enough to pass.

Have you ever noticed the color of little kittens' eyes? They are
nearly always blue when the kittens are very little, but turn yellow
as they grow older. Their eyes are very different from ours, for they
can see in the dark as well as in the daytime.

What soft little cushions they have on their feet! No wonder they can
go about so quietly. When they like you, they keep their claws hidden
in those cushions, and so they do not scratch when they play with you.

Did you ever watch a cat sharpen her claws? She usually sharpens them
on the trunk of a tree, but sometimes she likes to sharpen them on the
carpet or rug. Your mamma does not like that. Even little kittens have
very sharp teeth and claws, and if you tease them, or they are afraid,
they bite and scratch. These little kittens look as if they had never
been teased or felt cross, and we would not be a bit afraid to pet them.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Where do you
suppose Mr. Adam put these kittens when he wanted to paint them? Why
put them in a glass cage? Why have wire over the top? Why do the
kittens like to stay in the cage? Which of the kittens has a ribbon
around the neck? How does he seem to feel? What does the next kitten
seem to be about to do? What color is she? What is the next little
kitten doing? How does a kitten tell us that she is happy? Why does a
cat have whiskers? How do a cat's eyes