70 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
tumbles. Finding it so fond of hair, I endeavoured to make an artificial mother, by wrapping tin a 
piece o; buffalo-skin into a bundle, and suspending it about a foot from the fioor. At first this seemed 
to suit it admirably, jus it could sprawl its legs about and always find some hair, which it grasped with 
the greatest tenacity. I was now in hopes that T had made the little orphan quite happy ; and so it 
seemed for some time, till it began to remember its lost parent, and try to suck. It would pull itself 
up close to the skin, and try about everywhere for a likely place ; but, as it only succeeded in getting 
mouthfuls of hair and wool, it would be greatly disgusted, and scream violently, and after two or three 
attempts, let go altogether. One day it got some wool into its throat, and I thought it would have 
choked, but after much gasping it recovered, and I was obliged to take the imitation mother to pieces 
again, and give up this last attempt to exercise the little creature. After the first week I found I 
could feed it better with a spoon, and give it a little more varied and more solid food. Well-soaked 
biscuit, mixed with a little egg and sugar, and sometimes sweet potatoes, were readily eaten ; and it 
was a never-failing amusement to observe the curious changes of countenance by which it would 
express its approval or dislike of what was given to it. The poor little thing would lick its lips, draw 
in its cheeks, and turn up its eyes with an expression of the most supreme satisfaction when it had a 
mouthful particularly to its taste. On the other hand, when its food was not sufficiently sweet or 
palatable, it would turn the mouthful about with its tongue for a moment, as if trying to extract what 
flavour there was, and then push it all out between its lips. If the same food was continued, it would 
.set up a scream, and kick about violently, exactly like a baby in a passion. After I had had the little 
Mias about three weeks, I fortunately obtained a young Macaque Monkey (Macacos cynomolgus ), 
which, though small, was very active, and could feed itself. I placed it in the same box with the 
Mias, and they immediately became excellent friends, neither exhibiting the least fear of the other. 
The little Monkey would sit upon the other’s stomach, or even on its face, without tlie least regard to 
its feelings. While I was feeding the Mias, the Monkey would sit by, picking up all that was spilt, 
and occasionally putting out its hands to intercept the spoon, and as soon as I had finished would pick 
ofl what was left sticking to the Mias’ lips, and then pull open its mouth to see if any still remained 
inside, afterwards lying down on the poor creature’s stomach as on a comfortable cushion. The little 
helpless Mias would submit to all these insults with the most exemplary patience, only too glad to 
have something warm near it which it could clasp affectionately in its arms. It sometimes, however, 
had its revenge ; for when the Monkey wanted to go away, the Mias would hold on as long as it could 
by the loose skin of its back or head, or by its tail, and it was only after many vigorous jumps that 
the Monkey could make its escape. It was curious to observe the different actions of these two 
animals, which could not have differed much in age. The Mias, like a very young baby, lying on its 
back, quite helpless, rolling lazily from side to side, stretching out all four hands into the air, wishing 
to grasp something, but hardly able to guide its fingers to any definite object, and when dissatisfied 
opening wide its almost toothless mouth, and expressing its wants by a most infantine scream ; the 
little Monkey, on the other hand, in constant motion, running and jumping about wherever it pleased, 
examining everything around it, seizing hold of the smallest objects with the greatest precision, 
balancing itself on the edge of the box, or running up a post, and helping itself to anything eatable that 
came in its way. There could hardly be a greater contrast ; and the baby Mias looked more baby-like 
by the comparison. When I had had it about a month, it began to exhibit some signs of learning to 
run alone. When laid upon the floor it would push itself along by its legs, or roll itself over, and 
thus make an unwieldy progression. When lying in the box it would lift itself up to the edge into 
almost an erect position, and once or twice succeeded in tumbling out. When left dirty, or hungry, or 
otherwise neglected, it would scream violently till attended to, varied by a kind of coughing or 
pumping noise, very similar to that which is made by the adult animal. If no one was in the house, ' 
or its cries were not attended to, it would be quiet after a little while, but the moment it heard a 
footstep would begin again harder than ever. After five weeks it cut its two upper front teeth, but in 
ail this time it had not grown the least bit, remaining, both in size and weight, the same as when I first 
procured it. This was, no doubt, owing to the want of milk or other equally nourishing food. Rice- 
water, rice, and biscuits were but a poor substitute, and the expressed milk of the cocoa-nut, which I 
sometimes gave it, did not quite agree with its stomach. To this I imputed an attack of diarrhoea, from 
which the poor little creature suffered greatly, but a small dose of castor-oil operated well, and cured 
