190 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Imitative manners Mode of opening oysters. 



the Cape. She made her bed very neatly every 

 day, lay upon her side, and covered herself with 

 the bed-clothes. She often bound her head up 

 with a handkerchief, and it was amusing to see 

 her thus hooded in bed. I could relate many 

 other little circumstances which appeared to be 

 extremely singular; but I by no means admired 

 them so much as most other persons did, because, 

 as I knew the design of bringing her to Europe 

 to be exhibited as a show, I was inclined to think 

 that she had been taught many of these tricks, 

 which the people considered as natural to the 

 animal. She died in our ship, about the latitude 

 of the Cape of Good Hope." 



Gemelli Carreri asserts, that when the fruits on 

 the mountains are exhausted, these animals fre- 

 quently descend to the sea coast, where they 

 feed on various kinds of shell-fish, but parti- 

 cularly on a large species of oyster, which com- 

 monly lies open on the shore. But as they are 

 fearful of putting in their paws, lest the oyster 

 should close and crush them, they insert a pretty 

 large stone within the shell, to prevent it from 

 closing; and then drag out their prey and de- 

 vour it at leisure. 



