Frank Buckland's Surviving Monkey.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 171, 25 September 1886, Page 2

Frank Buckland's Surviving Monkey.

Monkeys Are greedy omnivorous feeders -- at least, the Albany etreet ones were. Thieves by nature, too, they reeorfc to all sorts of queer devices to pilter food, [ndeed, they appear to enjoy food much more when it is thieved than when it is given to them. A curious instance of thia occurred quito lately with Tiny. She was not well, and refused the moat temping food that wag placed in her cage, Her mistress, well up in the ways of monkeys, Btruck upon a clever device, which proved most successful. She placed the food outride the ' cape, as though it was intended fqr the parrot. Whqji no one was looking, Tiny stretched her claw out, drew the food into the cage, and devoured it with apparent rolieh. For many days this was the only way she could be induced to take anything. As to the things unonkeya will eat,' th.B question is, What they, will not, eat ? I have seen them feeding on the pa ato kept for fixing newspaper cuttings in a book. They are very partial to gum, and at times may be deon munching the coals stolen from the firegrate. In fact, I believe, like the elephant, the monkey's stomach is each that it can accommodate itself to anything. It was amusing to watch the monkeys whl>n they were let loose, and when the master waif taking his breakfast or lunch,, They , watched from some" point of vantage, and if he turned away -from the table for a moment, or even looked away, down they would jump, , seize r what they consideredthe most tempting bite, tumbling over the wino, milk, f&c, and then make off to the top of the bookcase where no one could get at them, and where they dould 1 enjoy' their food in comfort. The poor master hd,B often paid to me when visiting him in the mornings* " I have had no break fust ;"? and when I ask; iiim, " Why npfc?" he, would answer, with, u merj-y ,laugh, VThe< monkeys topki it all." (Sfiny, 1 lam sorry > to say, is now efop vying signs, of increasing age < She . s not (the mer^ry,.. mischievous, little monkey; ehe.was Homej,yaar.s agq ;, however, she is in the beet of bands, ;,, and , every • comfort will be provided^ for her in her declining idaysj. She was, t ,laf:sly,! a presented, by a < kind I iriencL and} a,dtn'M<ec .iwith ,af pretty , washiwg-> i,',cu,p^ajid feaBjip», and a; lurge packet} otswee^j of sejje,, jto-^ywy * loud.Tr-Renry, ; Ff en> riell, in •' Leisure Hpur," < ,>/>«r} \> ,\n i,wi."i :