THE MONKEY AS A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATOR.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2531, 29 September 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE MONKEY AS A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATOR.

An interesting story is told by the American Naturalist for May on •' The Monkey as a Scientific Investigator." In the " Zoo" connected with the National Museum at Washington there is a fine male grivet monkey, who shares a large cage with four opossums. To human beings he shows himself anything but amiable, but " he takes kindly to Ilia strange companions, and they have been the best friends from the first." The attention of the attendant was lately drawn to the cage by the excitement of a crowd in front of it, and on going to ascertain the cause he was suprised to see the monkey seated in the middle of the cage, with one of the opossnms lying quietly on her back on his lap, and her head under his arm. " The monkey had just discovered the marsupial pouch of the opossum, and was diligently investigating it. Hud he not been a close observer it certainly would have remained unseen, for it was so tightly closed as to be perfectly invisible in its normal condition. The monkey carefully lifted the outer wall of the pouch, and peered into the cavity. Then he reached in with his hand, felt about for a moment, and to the astonishment of everybody took out a tiuy young opossum, about two inches long, hairless, blind, and very helpless, but alive and kicking. Jock held it up to the light, whe' - e he could gut a good view of it, scrutinised it with the air of a navtmt, and presently returned it to the pouch, very carefully. After replacing it he looked into the pouch again, and presently drew out another for examination, which he looked at with solemn interest, smelt it, and then carefully put it hack. It was thii3 it became known to the attendants that the old female opossum had the young ones, which had previously been looked for in vain."