his paw which suggests a monkey's, by the 

 way, in its handlike flexibility. 



Once, on the edge of a wild orchard, I saw 

 him rob a golden- winged woodpecker's nest in 

 this way. The mother bird flew out as Moo- 

 weesuk came scratching up the tree, which 

 assured him that he would find something 

 worth while within. He stretched in a paw, 

 caught an egg, and appeared to be rolling it 

 up, holding it against the side of the tunnel. 

 When the egg was almost up to the entrance 

 he put in his nose to see the treasure. Then 

 it slipped and fell back, and probably broke. 

 He tried another, got it up safely, and ate it 

 whole where he was. He tried a third, which 

 slipped and broke like the first. At this, with 

 the taste of fresh egg in his mouth, he seemed 

 to grow impatient, or perhaps he got an idea 

 from the yellow streaks on his claws. He 

 jabbed his paw down hard to break all the 

 eggs, and drew it up dripping. He licked it 

 clean with his tongue and put it back again 

 into the yellow mess at the bottom. This 

 \vas easy, and he kept it up until his moist 

 paw brought up only shells and rotten wood, 



