THE SPIDER MONKEY. 



143 



colder, I often had to go out in the night, roused 

 by their cries, and give them more bedding. 



Children did not usually come very near them, 

 but one little girl, a neighbor, was very fond of 

 them. She would play with them, feed them, 

 take their hands for a promenade, and slap 

 them, too, if they did not please her. 



One morning we saw her come up behind 

 them, take them one by one under the arms, and 

 jump them up and down several times. They 

 seemed to like it, too. 



I soon found I did not enjoy keeping a me- 

 nagerie, so I sent the four to the Philadelphia 

 Zoological Gardens, where they all died one 

 after another of consumption, as do nearly all 

 the monkeys that come here. I sent also the 

 ocelot, who had grown too big to be a pleasant 

 pet in a house. 



Of course I never thought of parting from 

 Gila, and now I gave away most of my parrots, 

 so as to devote myself wholly to her. But she 

 did not revive as I hoped she would. She had 

 never been the same monkey since the day she 

 was put into a cage. 



Now I hoped she would be well again, but I 

 soon noticed that she was growing thin, and her 

 appetite was most dainty. I sent for the choicest 

 fruit, white grapes and everything I could think 

 of to tempt her, but it was all of no use. 



