THE KINKAJOU. 



17 



Americans call him kinkajou, and the natives of 

 Central America, conyeuse. 



My little South American was one of the most 

 nervous and observing creatures I ever saw ; not 

 a movement or a sound escaped his notice when 

 awake. He would lie on my shoulder or the 

 back of a chair by the hour, and watch the 

 shadows — especially his own — as they fell on 

 the carpet ; he listened to the noises outside, 

 cats, dogs, the elevated railroad, the latter with 

 manifest disapproval. 



He never liked to have any one come up be- 

 hind him. A sudden noise startled him greatly, 

 and his tiny hand had always a nervous jerk 

 when I held it in mine. He had a most sensitive 

 organization. At a distance, he liked to sit up 

 and look at us, but if we moved to approach 

 him, he turned his back, cuddled into a corner 

 or buried his head under a blanket. It was not 

 fear, for he readily came up on us, and, in fact, 

 became troublesomely familiar at last. 



He was playful in a quiet way. He amused 

 himself with a string, as a kitten does, lying on 

 his back and using all fours to toss it up and 

 pull it around. In the same way he played with 

 a long gold chain, biting and tossing it around, 

 and he was extremely ticklish. His principal 

 plaything was his own tail, which had a curious 

 appearance of independent motion. It curled 



