THE MARMOSET. 



99 



way made balls of it, I hardly know how. They 

 were more tame than my little pet was, and they 

 ate or drank from a teaspoon in the hand of 

 their mistress. 



The funniest thing, however, was to see the 

 actions of a half -grown kitten about the cage. 

 To her it was a constant circus, and she spent 

 hours gazing at them. Generally she was quiet, 

 and merely looked on at what happened ; but 

 sometimes she seemed to feel that they were 

 having too good times, and longed to share them. 

 On these occasions she went to the top of the 

 cage, the coarse wire gauze making a convenient 

 ladder, and looked down at them. Then they 

 would come up near her and thrust out their 

 little hands. Woe to her long tail if she let it 

 rest on the wires ; and woe also to her feet if she 

 looked not where she stepped. The four little 

 hands below were all ready, and four little eyes 

 were sharp to see a chance. 



But pussy was cautious. She walked care- 

 fully on the narrow board of the frame, and she 

 lay down over the top of their sleeping-box, and 

 they could not touch her. Then she would thrust 

 her paws out and pat the wires, upon which the 

 marmosets would tumble over each other in their 

 scramble for the other side of the cage. Then 

 she turned her face away, and they would hasten 

 back to give her a nip if they could reach her. 



