eS 
KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 
morial of one of the gentlest and most playful 
of the long-tailed tribe that I ever met with. 
in the course of a tolerably long acquaintance 
with most branches of natural history. 
In the course of the summer of 1849, I be- 
came the possessor of a young female Mau- 
gabey monkey (Cercopithecus Fuliginosus). 
For the information of those of your readers 
who may not be intimately acquainted with 
the modern sub-divisions in zoological no- 
menclature, it may be as well to mention 
that the genus Cercopithecus includes all the 
monkeys, properly so called, which have 
cheek pouches, and _ perfectly - develoved 
thumbs on the anterior extremities. The 
whole of the Cercopithecus tribe are of a light 
and active make; the head round, the face 
comparatively short, and the eyes bright and 
somewhat prominent. 
general, slender; the limbs long; and vivacity 
and activity characterise every movement. 
In disposition, the individuals of this genus 
are mostly playful and gentle; and if some 
display occasionally a little impetuosity in 
confinement, yet all are free from the dis- 
gusting habits and propensities exhibited by 
other varieties of the Quadrumana. 
The monkey in question soon became very 
familiar, and answered to the name of Jean- 
nette as readily asa dog would do. Brought 
from a very warm climate—the eastern coast 
of Africa—we quickly discovered the neces- 
sity of preserving an even temperature in the 
place where she was kept. During the 
summer, her dwelling-place was a very large 
cage in the garden, which, in the winter, was 
exchanged for a hutch of considerable size 
in the kitchen, with a sleeping-box attached 
to it, warmly stuffed with hay; into this 
she was accustomed to retire at night. 
Her color, as may be imagined from the 
name of the species, fuliginosus, was of a 
dark, sooty, blue-black ; the hair, very fine 
and long, gradually shading into a light grey 
as it approached the breast and stomach.: She 
seemed to take great pleasure in smoothing 
and dressing her delicate coat, and was most 
remarkable for her general cleanliness of 
habit in all respects. Finding how gentle 
and tractable she appeared to be whenever any 
one approached her, I resolved one evening 
to let her out, free from a chain or any other 
restraint, in the room where I was sitting. 
It was winter, and a fire was burning brightly 
in the grate, protected by a fire-guard—for 
fear of accident to any of my young olive- 
branches. 
No sooner did Miss Jeannette find herself 
at liberty, than she performed a deliberate 
circuit of the room, until her attention was 
suddenly arrested by the blaze and warmth 
of the fire. She made instantly towards it, 
without perceiving the sleeping figure of 
Zoé, a pet Italian greyhound, that lay curled 

The, body is, m. 





133 
up ona corner of the soft Turkey rug in front 
of the grate. The peculiar shrill, bird-like 
chatter by which the monkey was accustomed 
to express her sense of pleasure, roused the 
slumbering greyhound in a moment. Dog 
and monkey stood for a few seconds staring 
at each other, until the latter softly extended 
her long velvetty arm, and patted the grey- 
hound on the head. Zoé, seeing no hostile 
demonstration, received these approaches 
with great cordiality ; and the intimacy thus 
begun was never afterwards interrupted. 
Monkey and dog would play with each other 
in the most amusing manner for hours to- 
gether; and frequently on a winter’s night, 
after gambolling until they were tired, the 
dog would stretch herself before the fire at 
full length, while Jeannette would curl her- 
self up on the hearth-rug, and make a pillow 
of Zoé’s back. 
Before the monkey had been in my pos- 
session three months, her playfulness and 
docility were such that she would gambol with 
my children and suffer them to do almost 
anything with her, without on any occasion 
showing the slightest malice or ill-temper. 
Indeed an anecdote that I am now about to 
relate, would almost make one believe that 
the creature entertained a vivid sense of 
gratitude for kindness. Fond as she was of 
all my children, she was peculiarly attached 
to my eldest little daughter; and would sit on 
her lap by the hour, dozing and murmuring 
gently like a kitten. On one occasion, the 
child had been petting the monkey, as she 
lay on her lap, as usual; and feeding her with 
nuts and other monkey-dainties ; when Jean- 
nette suddenly leapt down, ran to the fire- 
place, and began searching eagerly among 
the cinders, until she found one apparently 
to her liking. With the cinder in her paw, 
she sprang again into my little daughter’s 
lap; and, as if presenting her with the greatest 
delicacy imaginable, thrust the cinder into 
her lips. The child, it need scarcely be said, 
refused the proffered treat; and, after a 
few more ineffectual attempts, the monkey, 
finding her present scorned, put the cinder 
into her own mouth, and quickly crushed and 
swallowed it. It is worth noting that we 
found cinders, chalk, and calcareous sub- 
stances in general, eagerly seized by the 
monkey; and small pieces at once devoured. 
Another amusing instance of the monkey’s 
singularity of taste, occurred one afternoon 
when I was absent. My wife was sitting by 
herself in the parlor, when her attention was 
excited by a tapping against the door. Fancy- 
ing it was one of the children, she exclaimed, 
“Come in!”’ but no one came, and the noise 
was repeated. Somewhat puzzled as to the 
cause of the knocking, she rose and opened 
the door ; when, to her amazement and not a 
little to her consternation, in bounded Jean- 
ea ea 
