Incidents frequently occur illustra tive of the reasoning power of the lower animals. The following curious freaks of some water rats were ob served by a Plymouth gentleman re cently in the Exeter canal. On the side where he was walking a dead dog wag/lying in the water. A rat emerged from a hole on the opposite side of the canal, and, taking to the water, soon appeared to be sniffing something. The rat at last reached the dog, and after smelling about a short time, appearing quite satisfied with its ex amination, swam back to its hole. The gentleman then moved the dog with his stick a short distance from where the rat examined it. Presently the rat again emerged from its hole, followed by several other rats. They all took to the water, led by the pio neer, and swam across to where the dog first lay. The leader again in duced in sniffing and moving about in an excited state. He swam round about the spot for some little time, evidently looking for the dog. At last the poor rat seemed complete ly puzzled as to what bad become of his and his friends' dinner. He ap peared to give up the search, and gave a long and piercing scream which quite startled the observer, and iu an instant the other rata set upon the leader and killed him. The poor thing seemed aware of what was await ing him. He had apparently told them a lie, and led them on a false errand, and for this the punishment wai death, by tat lawr-JSwropm

THE MONKEY AND THE CATS. Two hungry cats, having stolen some cheese, could not agree between themselves how to divide their booty. They therefore went to law, and fr cunning monkey was to decide their! cause. " Let us see," said the judge (with as arch a look as could be): " Ay, ay,;', this slice truly outweighs the other," and so saying he bit off a large piece,' in order, as he told them, to make the shares equal The other scale had now become too heavy, which gave Ibis npright judge a pretence to help him self to a mouthful from the seoond slice. 