82 THE SPEECH OF MONKEYS. 



visit her, I gave her the match-box to open again. 

 On this occasion, however, she was in her cage, 

 and could not reach the wall through its meshes, 

 and hence had nothing against which to strike 

 the spring to force it open. After looking 

 around her in all directions and striking the box 

 against the wires of her cage a few times, she 

 discovered a block of wood about six inches in 

 length and breadth by an inch thick. ; this she took 

 and mounted her perch. Balancing the block on 

 the perch, she held it with the left foot while 

 with her right foot she held on to the perch, and 

 with her tail wound through, the meshes of her 

 cage to steady herself, she carefully adjusted the 

 match-box in her hands in such a manner as to 

 protect her fingers from the blow. Then strik- 

 ing the spring against the block of wood the lid 

 flew open, and she fairly screamed with delight 

 and held the box up with pride, wanting me 

 to close the lid again, in order that she might 

 open it. 



Finding that the late hours which I kept were 

 beginning to tell on Nellie, and that during the 

 day from time to time I would catch her taking 

 a little nap, I concluded to use some curtains 

 around her cage to avoid disturbing her rest. I 



