A STUDY FROM LIFE. 579 



do, he was struck with panic, gave one mighty bound to the man- 

 tel, the bracket of a lamp, the edge of an open door, or the floor, 

 where he stood a few seconds motionless as he alighted. A panic, 

 indeed, struck through him instantly, with curious effect. Whether 

 he were lying quietly on one's knee, standing, sitting, or in what- 

 ever position, on being alarmed by an attempt to capture him, or 

 by an unexpected sound, he instantly disappeared — sideways, back- 

 ward, or forward mattered not — without in any way making ready, 

 or getting upon his legs. It was as if his body were a spring, or 

 as if he were flung by some force outside of himself — he simply 

 went. It is impossible to give an idea of this most remarkable 

 movement ; I never saw anything like it. A curious fashion he 

 had also of leaping against the bare side wall of the room, which 

 he struck flatly with all fours, and then bounded off in another 

 direction. I have seen the same thing done by a squirrel, and 

 also — strange as it seems — by a bird. 



The extreme nervousness of the little lemur seemed to be 

 caused by too much company. When alone with one person, 

 especially if that one were my daughter or myself — his prime 

 favorites — he was as quiet as the family cat. He sat or lay in 

 the lap, and allowed himself to be brushed ; indeed, he enjoyed 

 brushing, and thrust out arms and legs to be operated upon. He 

 sat up with his tail laid over his shoulders in a comical way, and, 

 if he wanted to turn his head, he "ducked" it under the tail and 

 brought it up the other side rather than change its comfortable 

 position. This member was really an important charge to the 

 little beast ; he spent hours in dressing it, and by it he expressed 

 all his emotions. When in quiet mood it hung straight down, as 

 stiffly as if made of wood ; on mischief bent, it assumed a wicked- 

 looking sidewise turn, though still hanging ; during his pranks 

 and in excitement it stood up like a flag-staff, safely out of harm's 

 way ; if his " angry passions rose," it was swished, after the man- 

 ner of a cat ; and when he jumped, it delivered a severe blow, like 

 a smart rap with a stick. 



Never was a living creature more alert than this small brute. 

 So acute was his hearing that it was absolutely impossible to sur- 

 prise him. No matter how quietly and apparently off his guard 

 he sat on a chair, one could not jerk or tip that piece of furniture 

 so quickly as to take him unawares ; at the first sign of movement 

 he appeared on the other side of the room, one could hardly tell 

 how. I wanted much to see him when he did not see me, and to 

 that end several times stole into the room from the front. The 

 back of the cage was toward that side, and he could not possibly 

 see me. I took off my shoes, and moved — to my senses — without 

 the slightest sound over the carpet ; but when I reached the point 

 where I could see the open front of his cage, there he was, waiting, 



