584 The Naturalist Brazilian Expedition. [June, : 
A female opossum was brought to us with six well-grown 
young ones, as large as three weeks’ old kittens ; they clung to the 
‘mother’s back, twisting their prehensile tails around hers, and 
apparently looking upon her as their protector; but during the 
‘succeeding night they all escaped through a hole, leaving the 
mother, who could not follow, behind. One or two small 
opossum rats are also met with; they climb over the small 
branches of trees and, like the large species, are unable to see in 
the daytime. I could learn nothing of their habits. 
Passing by some less interesting species, I may here devote å 
‘page to our tame monkey, Bildad or Billy as we generally called 
him. This was a very small gray marmoset from Pernambuco, 
which I had bought of a sailor in Rio de Janeiro. Being much 
petted, and allowed to run about as he pleased, he became very 
tame ; rather an unusual thing with this genus, for the marmosets 
are generally rather wild and timid. Even at his best Billy es 
somewhat fractious, always biting if we attempted to seize him, 
though he came to us readily enough if we offered a hand. He 
was especially attached to my wife, spending hours 45 ed 
shoulder or on her head, his four arms spread out and his se 
clinging fast to her hair; if she put her hat on over him so M e 
the better, if neither head nor shoulder could be had he wou 
crawl up a. sleeve or under a vest, always turning err 
his inquisitive face out to see if we were observing him. i 
in a playful mood he delighted, as a child might, ima gr as 
“peek-a boo,” dodging from side to side behind a ae 
and keeping up the game as long as anybody would a 
him. About once a day Billy was seized with a wild cee a 
and a tremendous romp took place. He would leap from Pe 
the other, rushing over us from feet to head, sipe 4 
: ‘ our 
‘noses, pulling our eye-winkers, playing bo-peep from ae l 
and throwing himself on his back to bite his own ene 
ecstasy of enjoyment. Suddenly, in the midst of a rush, ait 2 
stop short, draw back the corners of his eyes, epee 
indescribable face at one of his observers; seen for pau Bil 
time this always provoked us to shouts of laughter, W Some- 
would scuttle away and turn a somersault on a ie pet- 
times for a joke we would put him inside of a "a rather t° 
flower or in a lamp-chimney or tumbler, and he ppe he 
enjoy his imprisonment. When left to his ow ng tree | 
ran about the house, sunned himself in a neighboring 7 
dusans ire arty aie. oe inane 
