V. 



THE LAST OF THE KINKAJOU. 



As time passed, and he became better ac- 

 quainted and lost all fear, the little kinkajou 

 became more affectionate and sociable. Espe- 

 cially so with his particular friend and mistress, 

 to whom he had always shown partiality. In 

 his wildest days, he would always put one soft 

 hand, sometimes two of them, through the wires 

 to be held, or to seize a finger to lick. He 

 liked to have me hold my face near the wires, 

 and let him put his hands on it. Almost every 

 moment that he was out he insisted on being 

 upon me, — my lap, my arm, or, best of all, 

 my shoulder, where he would lie at full length, 

 head outwards, to watch the room, with his tail 

 around my neck as an anchor. Nor did he lie 

 quiet even there. One moment he would sud- 

 denly turn and lick my cheek ; then, as unex- 

 pectedly, would he take a gentle nip at my ear ; 

 and first and last and always jerk at my hair, 

 which he seemed to regard as made for him to 

 pull down, tangle, and play with. 



Of this he made a business, standing on my 

 shoulder, putting both hands on my head, and 



