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
object 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 until attended to,
varied by a kind of coughing or pumping noise very similar to
that which is made by the adult animal.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 66 of 419
Words from 17686 to 17941
of 114260
