26 . ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



her he would go to the bush (forest), and fetch wood 

 to build her a new house. He went away, and in a few 

 hours brought some wood. The next day his wife told 

 him to go and fetch some more. Again he went away, 

 stayed all day, and only brought home a few sticks, 

 which made her so angry that she took the biggest and 

 beat him with it. The man went away a third time, 

 and stayed all night, not bringing home any wood at all, 

 saying that the trees which he had cut down were so 

 heavy that he could not bring them all the way. Then 

 he went and stayed two days and nights, which made 

 his wife very unhappy. She cried very much, entreated 

 him not to leave her, promised not to scold or beat him 

 any more, and to live contentedly in the kitchen ; but 

 he answered, " No ! you made me go to the bush ; now 

 I like the bush very much, and I shall go and stop 

 there for ever." So saying, he rushed out of the cook- 

 house into the bush, where he turned into a monkey, 

 and from him came all other monkeys.' 



BATS. 



A RACE of beings, to which the epithet mysterious may 

 be with some truth applied, affords more interest from 

 its peculiar habits, than from any proof which can be 

 given of its mental powers ; and its place in this work 

 is due to the marvellous histories which have been re- 

 lated concerning it, and which have made it an object 

 of superstitious alarm. 



Bats, or Cheiroptera, are particularly distinguished 

 from all other creatures which suckle their young, by 



