Darwin, your great naturalist and my friend, pronounces the kyn-nûyna̤o a marvel of structural formation, but like myself, he considers the line of demarcation between them and the human as being sharply and unmistakably defined.
In this Acclinum are representatives of all the existing animals of Ento, but for lack of time we can only glance at some of them as we pass along. Those small animals racing across the sward and through the branches of the trees are of the A-Mûista̤ family, and in some localities they so multiply as to become pests. They are very cunning creatures who are given to forming themselves into multitudinous bands, and with a unanimity denoting an understanding of the situation, they swoop down on fields of grains and fruits, eating their fill and deftly carrying off all that their hands will hold. Yonder are two of the little creatures engaged in conversation. One chatters and gesticulates, the other emits some faint, listless sounds. Now the chatterer grows excited and angry, and the other shows its sharp, white teeth and breaks away a little, followed by the aggressor, who strikes out with one hand, now with the other, dodging return blows as it scrambles to the ground followed by the other, and now they are joined by a number of their friends and foes, who are all scratching, screaming, biting and altogether behaving in a most unruly manner.
Gentola—Certainly they are very amusing, droll looking little animals. Their round, upright ears, small, round heads and impish faces give them the appearance of aged dwarfs. See how they wrap their long tails around the tree branches and swing to and fro like so many pendulums. Yes, George, I should like one for a pet, and really it seems strange that I cannot carry anything back to Earth. This body of mine appears to be as substantial as my physical body, and often I forget that I am millions of miles away from it.
George—After you shall have again become a fully freed Spirit you soon will lose all sense of having possessed a physical body, from which, as you are aware, your spiritualized soul body differs only in being composed of more sublimated substance.
Ha-Moufih—Pardon my interrupting you, but we must attend to more commonplace matters. Here is an animal nearly allied to bomûz and bomûza. One of the peculiarities of this species is that always they build their homes near fresh water in which they delight to pass much of their time. They are known as the frilvodii (housekeepers) from the fact that their habitations in the loftiest trees are constructed on a special plan and are kept with much neatness. Observe how this one picks up particles from the floor, thrusting them outward through the bars of his cage. He is a much handsomer animal than is bomûz and the expression of his eyes is remarkably amiable and intelligent. A keeper is entering the cage and frilvodii rushes at him and embraces him, rubs his face against the man's breast, emitting soft, plaintive murmurings suggestive of pleasure and affection. Now he discovers something in the keeper's hand and playfully but earnestly wrestles for its possession, the keeper tantalizingly holding it out of his reach. Frilvodii is a cunning fellow and while he pettishly goes into a corner of the cage and covers his face with his hands he peers between his long fingers at the amused keeper who shows him a luscious scarlet etza̤ (a sweet, pulpy fruit resembling an orange), coaxingly entreating him to come for it. Finding his blandishments of no avail the keeper tosses to him the fruit which he deftly catches in his hands and proceeds to eat it with evident satisfaction and much daintiness.
During my early wanderings I captured a young male of this species and sent him to my parents, who made much of him and he grew to be a general favorite. His intelligence and affection were indeed remarkable and he was permitted to roam at will through our residence and grounds, playing with children, who taught him to carry things and to accompany them in their rambles and frolics. What most delighted the creature was to be arrayed in garments such as the children wore. On such occasions his pride and satisfaction knew no bounds. Once, while decked out in some cast-off finery something angered him and in his fury he rolled over and over in a pool of water, and when he came to his senses he found himself very much bedraggled and the children laughing in derision at his forlorn appearance. Seeming to realize his ludicrous plight, he tore off every shred of his garments and with an air of intense mortification, fled to his own domicile. For some time he refused to be adorned, but finally his vanity got the better of his ill humor and again he strutted about decked in gorgeous habiliments. Poor Dēho; a host of his friends sincerely mourned over his unlooked for, his untimely end. Climbing to the topmost branches of a lofty tree for fruit he attempted to carry some down to the waiting children, lost his footing and falling to the ground was instantly killed.
Gentola—It seems to me that I have seen an animal like this, but I do not recall when or where.
De L'Ester—We have been expecting you to see the resemblance between this living creature and his metallic representative in the mansion we looked through during an early visit to Ento.
Gentola—Ah, I now remember.
Ha-Moufih—We now will proceed to the Rinvoh (aquarium) where, under a wire-covered space you will see some creatures which ever are the marvel of Ento's naturalists and ornithologists. The habitat of the progenitors of these singular birds, perhaps I should say water fowl, now so serenely floating on the bosom of the little lake, is far westward of Indoloisa̤, and is a considerable body of salt water which, until quite recently, was so out of the route of general travel as to be little known to modern Entoans. Yes, once the entire region between it and Indoloisa̤ was densely populated, but during many centuries preceding my birth it, like other unirrigated equatorial regions, was too arid for occupation and few cared to traverse its wastes.