Evening star., 1912-11-03

Miss Brewington's monkey is named
Mike. and is of the type known as the
marmossette. In appearance 1t is most
ly tall It's body is tiny, probably not
quite as large as that of an ordinary
gray squirrel. But it's tail is more than
two feet long. Mike is jet black in color.
but he boasts pompadour tuft of hair
and an aggressive beard that are both
however. Mike is only four years old,
and SO far as colorirg is concerned he
has always been just as he is now.
according to Miss Brewington; Mike
human beings. and more than some. In
fact. he knows almost too much. she
says-so much, that except when she IS
petting him, she is forced to keep him
shut up in his cage. Otherwise he gets
into all sorts of mischief.
He tries to initiate everything he sees
me do said Miss Brewington. cuddiing
Mike in her arms as a mother misht hold
a baby as she talked. Il remember
when / first got him. He was only few
months old / used to leave his cage
open. so he could come out when he
pleased. One afternoon ! was powdering
edge of my dresser watching me. / no.
ticed he seemed to be studying me rather
intently. but then Mike nearly always
looks as If he were wrestling with some
weighty problem Of the intellect, SO |
didn't give the matter much thought.
After a while / went out of the room
and left Mike inside. A few moments
later l returned and there he was, big as
life. powder puff in one hand and hand
mirror In the other, daubng powder on
his face as if his life depended on it.
But when he saw me he stopped and
made for his cage. You see, he knew he
had no business to be doing it. They
never get into mischief while you watch
them. but go out of the room and they'll
turn everything topsgturvy.
They're dear pets. though. This is
the third monkey I've had. They don't
live long in this climate. They get con-
sumption. But they are affectionate
as child with their owners. and they re
lots of protection. too. I'd rather have
Mike in my room than a dog. He's little.
but his teeth are sharp, and l believe
he'd attack anybody who attempted to
harm me in minute.
To test the truth Of the statement The
Star man raised his hand as though to
strike Miss Brewington. Instantly Mike
gave vent to peculiar half hiss. half
whistle and his little white teeth We're
barred in an ugly row. Evidently Miss
Brewington was correct.
Almost as strange as the eagle of Miss
Cowan is the pet of Miss Jean Menefee
of the senior class at Washington Col
strange and altogether hideOus bird of
the tropics. Miss Menefee had the bird.
then a baby not yet rid of it's pin feath-
ers, presented to her during a trip to
South America three years ago. Few
toucans are ever caught alive. and fewer
still are ever tanned, but Miss Menefee
brought hers back to Washington and
tanned it to that point where it will eat
from her hand-although it fights vicious
ly whenever any one else comes near it.
Constant feeding and famjli2 rity will
make 1t more friendly.
To most people the mere appearance of
the bird would be ample and sufficient
reason for general undesirability. 1t has
short, squatty body of black. with
wings touched with glaring red. Its legs
are stubby and almost scaly in appear
ance, and it's feet are semi-webbed. It's
head is freakish in it's uglness. Small
and covered with red and black feathers.
it is made to seem out of proportion by
an unusually large unusually bright and
unusually wicked looking eye. The head
slopes downward to an enormous bill, al
most as long as the body; the upper half
is hooked something like that of a large
male eagle. The bill is tinted literally
with all the colors of the rainbow with
yellowish green predominating.
= =
But Miss Menefee declares il is the
dearest of pets 1T doesn't love any
body but me-" she said. land / don't
want it to. / wouldn't have a pet that
would make friends with everybody Oh.
yes; I have cage for it, but / don't
keep 1t there much | let it fly around
my room. Once or twice in the summer.
it has gotten outdoors. but it has always
come back. 1t was rather funny 1t
tried to make friends with other birds.
but they flew away in terror. They seem
ed deathly afraid of it,
Another bird, far more common. but al
most unheard of as a pet, is a huge owl
owned by Miss Evelyn Denmark of 174O
q street northwest. 1t is a peculiar
breed of owl. 1t stands almost two feet
it can see only through a haze in the
daytime. It knows its mistress-proba-
bly, it recognizes her voice-for it allows
her to play with it as she will She will
take it's huge head in her two hands and
shake it from side to side and the owl
will patiently endure. She will press it
to her and the owl will almost seem to
"cuddle up At night time. of course. it
can see-hence, according to Miss Den
mark. it's desirability as pet increases
one hundred fold
Unlike the other unusual birds kent nv
Washington girls pets, Miss Denmark's
owl is not at all dangerous On the con-
trary, 1t is easily frightened Let 4
stranger attempt to touch it at night.
and 1t will run, using a peculiar semi
Waddling step not unlike that of duck.
AS 1T runs 1t tries to fly but its owner
keeps It's wings clipped short and flying
Us Impossible. When stranger ap-
proaches 1t in daytime it does not try to
. Wal OH fn,.