The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-01-28
Ghilaren's Column.
A Rogui.sh Household Pet

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Jenny. Jenny is very pretty lit
tie beast, somewhat like a small mon
goose or very large rat. His head is as
like the head of hedgehog as can be
imagined. His color is light brown, with
dark stripes down the sides. He is an
African animal, and lives in burrows on
the plains, hence he is sometimes called
the African prairie dog or the meercatze.
Captain Adams tells me that, when in
South Africa, he has frequently come
across camp of Jemmys The plain
will appear covered with them sitting
UI motionless like so many ninepins; at
the least notice, they simultaneously and
in an instant disappear down their holes
Jenny was allowed the free range of the
whole house. He was full of curiosity,
and restlessness, running continually from
one room to another. He very seldom
walked his pace, on the contrary was
short gallop, or rather canter. When
breakfast came up he would dance round
me on his hind legs watching for some
thing. | often put him on the breakfast
table, if | did not put him up he would
climb up unlimited 1t was very anus
ing to see him go and smell an egg, and
IN his own language, swear at it for be-
ing hot. He could not understand its
being hot enough to burn his nose raw
eggs We're his special favorites. His
great delight was to be allowed to upset
the sugar basin, and then scratch about
among the Jumps of sugar He was also
very fond of cream, and it waa most
amusing to see him try to get the little
drops of cream 1 had left for him out
OF the cream can, as left by the milk
woman. | am obliged to have my cream
IN this little can, as the cats, marmoset,
or something else would be sure to have
1T before | come down. 1 placed the cream
can on the floor, and it was fun to see
Jenny try to force it open with his
teeth, to get the cream out he used quite
to lose his patience with this metal
cream can.
After breakfast, Jenny generally had
stand up fight with the monkeys. He
would inspect (from the outside) the bot
tom of the monkey cage If he discover
ed any portion of the monkeys breakfast
which he thought might suit him, he
would Immediately try to steal it by
thrusting his arms through the bars.
The monkeys invariably resented this in
dignity. The carroty, old, crippled mon
key, Jane, could only make eyes and
faces at him. The wicked, impudent
9 Eittle Jack would Jump up and down
like an India rubber ball, all the time
we'll inside the cage, where Jenny could
not get at him. When Jenny was fight
ing the monkeys, he would stand on his
hind legs and show his lovely white,
carnivorous teeth at them, turning up
his sharp mole-hke nose in a most CON
temptuous manner, all the time keep
ing a continuous bark, into which fun the
parrot generally entered and barked like
Jenny also.
One morning, in the middle of the
fight, Jenny forgot himself for the mo-
ment in turning round, and gave the ever
vigilant Little Jack chance Little
Jack seized Jemmy's tail with screams of
delight, and pulled him straight up to the
bars. Carroty Jane then Joined in, and
they were getting the best of it, when
suddenly Jenny turned sharp round and
made his teeth meet Little Jacks hand.
Little Jack skirmished round the cage
three or four times on three legs; then
holding up his wounded hand, gazed
mournfully and piteously at it, every
now and then leaving off looking to make
fercer faces, and cock his ears at Jenny.
Never since has Little Jack ventured his
hands outside the bars when a Jenny
fight came on.
One of the funniest scenes that ever
happened with Jenny was as follows
Some seaside specimens had been sent
me, and among the seaweed was live
shore crab about the size of a five shilling
piece Little Chick Chick, the mar.
moset, who will eat any quantity of meal
worms, blue bottle flies, etc, came down
at once off the rnantelpiece and examined
Mr.. Crab, who was crawling about the
floor. None of my animals had evidently
seen live crab before The monkeys
were very much frightened, and made
the same cry of alarm as when I show
them snake or the house broom
Chick Chick evidently thought the crab
was huge insect The crab put out his
two nippers at full length, and gave the
1narmoset such pinch that he retreated
to the mantelpieCe, and from this safe
height gazed down upon the still threat
ening crab uttering loud cries Of Chick
chick, chickl" alterRated with his plain
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