OEDER V. THE CAKXIVOKA. 159 



" If I mil up first, it spends a full lialf hour in caressing me ; playing with 

 my fingers like a little dog, jumping on my head and on my neck, and 

 running round on my ai'uis and body with a lightness and elegance which I 

 never found in any other animal. If I present my hands at the distance of 

 three feet, it jumps into them without ever missing. It sliows a great deal 

 of address and cunning in order to compass its ends, and seems to disobey 

 certain prohiljitions merely through caprice. During all its actions it seems 

 solicitous to divert, and to be noticed ; looking, at every jump, and at every 

 turn, to see whether it be observed or not. If no notice be taken of its 

 gambols, it ceases them immediately, and betakes itself to sleep; and when 

 awakened from tlic soundest sleep, it instantly resumes its gayety, and trolics 

 about in as sprightly a manner as before. It never shows any ill-humor, 

 unless when confined, or teased too much ; in which case it expresses its 

 displeasure by a sort of murmur, very different from tiiat which it utters 

 when pleased. In the midst of twenty people, this little animal distinguishes 

 my voice, seeks mc out, and springs over everybody to come to me. His 

 play with me is the most lovely and caressing ; with his two little paws he 

 pats me on the chin, with an air and manner expressive of delight. This, 

 and a thousand other preferences, show that his attachment is real. 



"AVlien he sees me dressed to go out, he will not leave me, and it is not 

 without some trouljle that I can disengage myself from him. He then hides 

 himself behind a cabinet near the door, and jumps u[)on me, as I pass, with 

 so much celerity, that I often can scarcely perceive him. He seems to 

 resemble a squirrel in vivacity, agility, voice, and his manner of mur- 

 muring. During the summer he squeaks and runs all the night long ; 

 but since the commencement of the cold weather I have not observed this. 

 Sometimes, when the sun shines, while he is playing on the bed, he turns 

 and tumbles about, and murmurs for a while. 



"From his delight in drinking milk out of mj' hand, into which I pour a 

 very little at a time, and his custom of sipping the little drops and edges of 

 the fluid, it seems probable that he drinks dew in tlie same manner. He 

 very seldom drinks water, and tlien only for the want of milk, and with 

 great caution, seeming only to refresh his tongue once or twice, and to be 

 even afraid of that fluid. During the hot weather it rained a good deal. I 

 presented to him some rain water in a dish, and endeavored to make him go 

 into it, but could not succeed. I then wetted a piece of linen cloth in it, 

 and put it near him, when he rolled upon it with extreme delight. One 

 singularity in this charming animal is his curiosity ; it being impossible to 

 open a drawer or box, or even to look at a paper, but he will examine it 

 also. If he gets into any place where I am afraid to let him stay, I take a 

 paper or a book, and look attentively at it, when he immediately runs ujjou 



