THE CINGALESE MONKEY. '219 



Curious narration of M. D'Obsonville. 



the peas were held, with one paw, and eat with 

 the other, keeping at the same time his eyes 

 steadily fixed on those of M. D' Obsonville. 

 <( If," continues our author, " I laughed or mov- 

 ed, he would break off his repast, and working 

 his lips, make a kind of muttering, the sense of 

 which, his long canine teeth, occasionally shown, 

 plainly interpreted. When I threw a few at a 

 distance, he seemed satisfied that others should 

 gather them; but he grumbled at, and sometimes 

 struck those that came too near me. His cries 

 and solicitude, though in part perhaps the effect 

 of greediness, apparently indicated his fear, lest 

 I should take advantage of their weakness to en- 

 snare them: and I constantly observed that those 

 which were suffered to approach me nearest, 

 were the full-grown and strong males ; the young 

 and the females were always obliged to keep at 

 a considerable distance." 



The maternal care and affection of the females, 

 in a completely wild state, is equally conspicuous 

 and interesting. They suckle, caress, and cleanse 

 their young with unremitting assiduity ; and 

 afterwards, crouching on their hams, delight to 

 see them wrestle or chase one another. They 

 appear, however, to keep them under a due re^ 

 straint, for whenever the young ones appear ma- 

 licious in their antics, the dams spring upon 

 them, and, seizing them with one paw by the tail, 

 correct them severely with the other. On these 

 occasions the little offenders try to escape, but 

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