214 Descriptive Notice of 



has perhaps become more watchful, and more easily flisturbed, 

 than was the case with M. Vosmaer's ; who says that, during 

 the day, he could clean out his cage without even disturbing 

 him. In this animal, a very slight touch of his cage or the box 

 in which he sleeps is sufficient to arouse him, and he then ob- 

 serves all your motions with rather a jealous eye. He is very 

 sensible to cold, and his thick fur coat was no doubt given him 

 by his bountiful Creator as a protection against it. Incapable, 

 from his slow habits and nature, of taking exercise violent 

 enough to warm him during the winter, he is enveloped in 

 this thick mantle, which renders him, in a great measure, in- 

 dependent of moving about ; and, rolling himself up like a 

 ball, in a sheltered situation on the branch of a tree, grasping 

 it strongly with his hind paws, he passes any short season of 

 cold in as comfortable a manner, no doubt, as it is possible for 

 such a slow animal to do, till the returning season of heat 

 brings him warmth and comfort again. 



His temper, in cold weather especially, is very quick; but, 

 in general, he is rather timid, and never offers any injury 

 unless incautiously touched, teased, or provoked : he then 

 makes a shrill plaintive cry, evidently expressive of much 

 annoyance, and bites very sharply. This cry has been men- 

 tioned either by Vosmaer or Sir W. Jones, and described 

 as resembling the sound ai ai^ shrilly sounded, and repeated 

 several times successively. When the cat annoys him, 

 which she does very frequently, by leaping over him, he 

 repeats the cry nearly a dozen times : it is always, however, 

 expressive of anger. He has also another sort of cry, ex- 

 pressive of eagerness to obtain any thing : this is much gruffer 

 in sound, not shrill nor loud, but apparently made by forcing 

 the air out of his nostrils. He likes much to be stroked under 

 the chin and throat, and also under the arms, turning his head 

 round to the hand like a cat, and lifting his arm, stretching it 

 out beyond his head. Though not a very sensible animal, he 

 is still evidendy capable of feeling kindness, and showing re- 

 sentment. He allows his throat and fore arm to be stroked, 

 but refuses to let the same liberty be taken with his hinder 

 limbs. For some time, while in China, a little Chinese dog 

 was his companion, sleeping in the same cage with him ; and, 

 with the exception of a few occasional jars, they lived very 

 comfortably together. As the dog grew up, however, they 

 were separated. A cat, the only animal in the house besides 

 himself, has made many overtures to him, and, when he is 

 allowed to get out of his cage, he is followed up and down the 

 room by his fehne companion, who evidently wishes to make 



