242 OUR HOME PETS 



though quaint and playful, and he was a most 

 enticing pet. 



The second of the parlor pets was a lemur 

 the black -handed lemur from Africa and 

 he was a born rogue, as full of pranks and 

 drolleries as a monkey. He was also about 

 the size of a cat, with dark-brown woolly fur 

 and a long tail, by which he did not object to 

 being carried. He, too, was half nocturnal, 

 sleeping all day, and coming out at night for 

 his exercise. 



By some contrivance as to quarters, and 

 about an hour's daily care, both of these little 

 animals were kept safely and agreeably to the 

 household. Though they were at liberty in a 

 parlor from about four o'clock till ten every 

 evening, they did no harm, because their keep- 

 er was always there. No monkey or other 

 pet ever furnished more amusement to a fam- 

 ily than they did. Neither of them cared to 

 eat anything but banana, and that only in the 

 evening. 



Another interesting pet is the nasua, or 

 coati, or nose-bear, from the tropical regions 

 of our country. He is very comical in looks, 

 as his name suggests, and is one of the most 



