THE MARMOSET. 



75 



Bates, in his " Naturalist on the Amazon," 

 speaks of the same behavior in the relatives 

 of my pet in South America. He says that so 

 long as the Midas Ursula is in any way con- 

 fined, it refuses to be familiar, but when allowed 

 the freedom of the house, it becomes exceed- 

 ingly tame. 



Never was a four-handed creature more in- 

 quisitive than my marmoset, and his attitudes 

 were curiously human as he daintily lifted one 

 corner of a cloth or paper, and leaned far over 

 to peer beneath it. He was suspicious of a mys- 

 tery concealed under the towel I spread over 

 the cold marble for him, and he seemed to ex- 

 pect that a terrific bugaboo would some day 

 appear through the door that looked into the 

 dark hall. 



Unlike the common marmoset, which destroys 

 everything it touches, he was naturally gentle. 

 A white moth, which was once given him to eat, 

 he took in his dainty fingers, examined it closely 

 on all sides, and then let it go without hurting 

 it in the least. 



During the summer and early fall the mar- 

 moset had perfectly regular habits of sleeping. 

 At five o'clock he retired to his bed, in the 

 blanket-lined box. But although so " early to 

 bed " the little sleepy head did not carry out 

 the old proverb, for not before eleven in the 



