STRANGE ANIMALS AND THEIR WAYS. 363 



a nick-name and a juvenile pun — " Nosie's nose knows 

 too much ! " Inappeasably inquisitive, she was incessantly 

 intruding that organ into everything. Having made no 

 allowance for an extra-tropical temperature, this little South 

 American made a failure in an attempt to lift with her 

 nose the lid of a pot in the cook's domain. 



3. The next attempt, a successful one, was on the knife- 

 box, whose closely fitting lid was pried open and every ar- 

 ticle inspected, in happy ignorance of the proverb about 

 edged tools. It was enough that anything was hollow to 

 excite her curiosity, which was of a thoroughly simian 

 type. The dinner-bell w r as turned over ; but, unable to 

 detach the clapper and chain, it was soon abandoned in dis- 

 gust. A round sleigh-bell received more persevering at- 

 tention. Unable to get her nose or paws into the little 

 hole at the side, the clatter within set her wild with excite- 

 ment, and evoked a desperate attack on the little annoy- 

 ance with her teeth. She then gave it up as a bootless job. 



4. A bottle of hartshorn was next made the subject of 

 investigation. We had purposely loosened the cork, and 

 promised ourselves a ' ' nice sell " ; and we got it — not No- 

 sie. She was not in the least disconcerted by the drug. 

 In fact, she had a strong nose for such things. A man 

 gave her his tobacco-box. Besting it on the floor between 

 her two paws, which possessed uncommon flexibility, she 

 turned it over and over, round and round, exercising alter- 

 nately her nose, claws, and teeth upon it with great energy, 

 but to no avail. It seemed that the smell of its contents 

 infatuated her, as she showed no disposition to stop. The 

 man opened the box for her. She was in rapture. In 

 went the nose, also both front paws. Very soon that won- 

 derfully mobile organ had separated every fiber, so that the 

 mass seemed trebly increased. The same man let her have 

 his dirty pipe, when her velvety nose was instantly scpieezed 

 into the rank nicotian bowl. 



