500 Mr. Rennie on the Contrivances 



to be recollected, however, that both its fur and skin are thick ; 

 while the skin of a cat is very thin and tender, which make it 

 both susceptible of cold, and, as Pennant observed, terribly 

 afraid of being beat.* The demoiselle heran (Anthropoides 

 Virgo, VIEILLOT), which Buffon had from the coast of Guinea, 

 was more attentive to its comfort than the little chinchilla; 

 for he tells us, ' it had chosen for itself a room with a fire to 

 shelter it during the night, and in winter (1778) it repaired 

 every evening to the door, sounding for admission ).' This 

 indicates more intelligence, instinct, or whatever it may be 

 called, than occurs in an animal much wiser in appearance. 

 A similar anecdote is related by M. Antoine of a lapwing 

 ( Vanellus cristat us, MEYER), which a clergyman kept in his 

 garden. It lived chiefly upon insects ; but as the winter drew 

 on these failed, and necessity compelled the poor bird to 

 approach the house, from which it had previously remained at 

 a wary distance ; and a servant, hearing its feeble cry, as if it 

 were asking chanty, opened for it the door of the back kitchen. 

 It did not venture far at first, but it became daily more fami- 

 liar and emboldened as the cold increased, till, at length, it 

 actually entered the kitchen, though already occupied by a dog 

 and a cat. By degrees it at length came to so good an under- 

 standing with these animals, that it entered regularly at night 

 fall, and established itself at the chimney-corner, where it 

 remained snugly beside them for the night ; but as soon as the 

 warmth of spring returned, it preferred roosting in the garden, 

 though it resumed its place at the chimney-corner the ensuing 

 winter. Instead of being afraid of its two old acquaintances, 

 the dog and the cat, it now treated them as inferiors, and 

 arrogated to itself the place which it had previously obtained 

 by humble solicitation. This interesting pet was at last choked 

 by a bone which it had incautiously swallowedj. 



The Barbary Ape (Macacus sylvanus, LACEPEDE), which, 

 though a native of Africa, has established a colony on the rock 

 of Gibraltar. Here it is occasionally so cold in winter, that 



* British Zoology, vol. i. f Oiseaux, ART. L' Oiseau Royal. 



I Antoine, Anlmaux Celebres, i. 70. 



