navigation of the Saskatchewan and other waters in their great
territory. The Red River and Lake Winnipeg are embraced in the scheme,
which, when carried out, will open water communications to the base
of the Rocky Mountains. The natural resources of those hitherto
unfrequented regions are so great that any undertaking which promises
to render them available should be encouraged. Their value will prove
to be far beyond that of mere hunting-grounds, especially when the
great thoroughfares cross them from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Out of the proceeds of a munificent bequest, the Academy of Sciences
at Turin have founded a biennial prize, to be given alternately to
foreigners and to Italians. It is called the Bressa prize, from
the name of the testator, a beneficent doctor of medicine; and the
programme sets forth that 'the net interest of the first two years will
be given to that person, of whatever nation or country he be, who shall
have during the previous four years made the most important discovery,
or published the most valuable work on Natural and Experimental
Philosophy, Natural History, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physiology, and
Pathology, as well as Geology, History, Geography, and Statistics.'
The year 1879 is fixed for the award of the first prize, which will
amount to twelve thousand francs, about four hundred and eighty pounds
sterling. In 1881, Italians only will be allowed to compete, and
so on every two years. With so wide a range of subjects, a crowd of
competitors may be expected, and the difficulty of deciding on the best
among so many will be exceedingly great.
CATS.
It is not often that we hear any credit rendered to the cat for either
intelligence or affection; and it is therefore pleasing to be able to
record two instances in which one, if not both of these qualities is
shewn in a remarkable manner in this animal. A gentleman writing from
India to a friend in England, a few mails ago, says of a pet Persian
cat: 'I was lolling on the sofa, drowsily perusing the newspaper a few
mornings ago, when Tom came and stood near me mewing in a plaintive
way, as if to attract attention. Not wishing to be disturbed, I waved
him off. He, however, returned in a minute or so, and this time jumped
on to the sofa, and looking me in the face, renewed his noise more
vigorously. Losing patience, I roughly drove him away. He then went to
the door of an adjoining room, and stood there mewing most piteously.
Fully aroused, I got up and went towards him. As I approached, he
made for the further corner of the room, and began to shew fight,
bristling up and flourishing his tail. It at once struck me that there
was an unwelcome visitor in the room, which Tom wished to get rid of;
and sure enough, in looking towards the corner, I discovered a cobra
coiled up behind a boot-shelf under a dressing-table. The noise made
by our approach aroused the snake, and he attempted to make off; but I
despatched him with my gun, which was ready loaded close by. You should
have seen Tom's satisfaction. He ran between my legs, rubbing himself
against them caressingly, as if to say, "Well done, master!" The snake
measured five feet seven inches in length.'
The friend to whom this incident is related, after reading it to me,
went on to say, that some years ago, when in India with her father, the
family were gathered after tea, one rainy evening, listening to one of
their number who was reading an interesting story. While thus engaged,
a cat of which her father was very fond jumped on to his knee, and
moving about in a restless manner, began to mew in a louder key than
usual. The old gentleman, as was his wont, commenced to caress the cat,
expecting thereby to quiet it; but to no purpose. It shewed signs of
impatience, by jumping down and up again, mewing vigorously the whole
time. Not wishing to be interrupted in what was going on, he called for
a servant to put the cat out of the room; but Puss would not tamely
submit to an indignant turn-out, and commenced clawing at the old
man's feet. This he thought was going too far: he rose to chastise the
cat; but ere he had time to do so, he discovered that it was nothing
less than a timely warning which Puss had given him; for not far from
where he sat there was, under the table, a small venomous snake, which
probably would have bitten him had he molested or trampled on it. The
reptile was immediately killed; and Puss ceased her mewing.
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