1876.] Animal Humor. 261 
hands by the one finger of each as if he would impress me with 
the fearfulness of simian anger. And how wide open he kept 
his mouth, and how the white teeth shone, as from between 
tushed a torrent of gibbering rage! Now this perfunctory tem- 
pest was exceedingly well gotten up, considering the shortness of 
the notice. The part was well acted; the best make-believe 
anger I ever beheld. Of course it was the sheerest sham. The 
creature would not hurt a hair of my head. His owner’s com- 
mands obeyed, he turned his attention to me from a friendly 
point of view, and began making a minute inspection of my hands, 
especially the lines in the palms, as if he might be practicing” 
palmistry, he looked so grotesquely grave. 
Jack could catch, with either hand, a nut when thrown to him, 
and crack it with a stone as deftly as any one. He had his 
patience once sorely tried with an obdurate black walnut. His 
mistress put a large stone in his reach. It was so heavy that 
Jack had to walk nearly upright in order to keep his balance 
when he sought to carry it; but he succeeded, and down, with 
the nicest aim, came the stone upon the nut, which was fairly 
smashed. But if you would evoke the animal’s genius, it was 
only necessary to tantalize him a little by putting nuts on the 
oor at an inconvenient distance from his cage. With a doubled 
string he would throw the loop, and lasso in the prize. We have 
seen him attain his object by the most persistent and ingenious 
movements of an awkward angular bit of pine wood. 
On one occasion a gentleman called who was bald. Our Cebus 
regarded the visitor with unfriendly wonder. Why should he be 
less like him than other folks were? Had not other men, like 
monkeys, hair upon their heads? Was not this making an in- 
Vidious distinction, perhaps to the disadvantage of capucinus ? 
Of course, no son of Cebidæ could say, “ Go up, thou bald head!” 
Still Cebus was in no reverent mood, albeit he did show off his 
accomplishments in the line of getting the nuts off the floor. He 
Was next ordered to go for the gentleman, which order he exe- 
cuted with alacrity and spirit. As Cebus was securely confined, 
this paroxysm of obedience hurt no one. “ But,” said the gen- 
tleman, as he turned his back upon the cage to address his host, 
Fhe think his dexterity with that stick is wonderful, and shows 
him capable of even stranger developments.” The gentleman 
was correct ; and whether the droll beast was affected by the com- 
Pliment or not, we cannot say. It was an inexplicable incident, 
Wever, that at that especial moment the angular wand was 
