MYCETES. 5 
+ 
2. Mycetes villosus. (Tab. I.) 
Mycetes villosus, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xvi. p. 220 (1845, desc. orig.)’; Sclater, P. Z. S. 
1872, p. 5’; Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, vii. p. 151°. 
Mono of Guatemalans. 
Hab. Guatemata, Vera-Paz (Salvin & Godman, Mus. Brit.2; Mus. Lugd.*). 
A skin of the Guatemalan Howler, sent home by Messrs. Godman and Salvin, was at 
first identified at the British Museum with the Black Howler of South Brazil, Bolivia, 
and Paraguay, Mycetes caraya(Humboldt)=W. niger (Geoffr.). Mr. Sclater? showed that, 
as might have been expected, it was distinct from that southern form, and identified it 
with Gray’s IZ. villosus !,a species founded on a single young example in bad condition 
preserved in the British Museum. This latter is labelled as from ‘‘ Brazil;” but there 
seems to be no doubt that this locality is erroneous, and that Mr. Sclater was correct in 
his identification, which has since been accepted by Professor Schlegel®. Unfortunately 
Messrs. Godman and Salvin’s specimen is peculiar in having its frontal hairs directed 
downwards instead of upwards; and Mr. Sclater naturally pointed this out as a distinc- 
tion from the southern Black Howler*. But Professor Schlegel has clearly shown 
that this character cannot be depended on, not being found in other individuals from 
Guatemala, and varying also in other species of Mycetes®. Better distinctions are to be 
found in the long soft hair of UW. villosus, and in the noteworthy fact that the female 
and young are quite black like the adult male, instead of being pale yellow like the 
corresponding age and sex of I. niger, which latter were formerly supposed to con- 
stitute a distinct species, IZ. stramineus (Geoffr.). In this similarity of the sexes the 
Guatemalan Howler rather resembles the Amazonian species, JM. belzebul (Linn.), 
which, however, differs conspicuously in the rufous colour of its hands, feet, and tail. 
This Howler is only known to inhabit the eastern and north-eastern portions of 
Guatemala; and for all that is recorded of its habits and distribution we are indebted 
to Mr. Salvin, who furnished the following account of it to Mr. Sclater’s paper ?:— 
“The Mycetes of Guatemala is commonly known as the ‘Mono.’ It is abundant 
throughout the virgin forests of the eastern portion of the Republic, but is unknown in 
the forest-clad slopes which stretch towards the Pacific Ocean. In the former region © 
it is found at various altitudes over a wide expanse of country. I have heard its 
cry on the shores of the Lake of Yzabal, and seen it at Quirigua in the valley of 
the River Motagua. All through the denser forests of the valley of the River 
Polochic it is very common, on the steep mountain-road which lies between the 
upland village of Puruld and S. Miguel-Tucuru, and especially in the wilderness of 
uninhabited forest which stretches from Teleman to the Lake of Yzabal. In the 
unbroken forest-country, which occupies the whole of the northern portion of Vera 
Paz from Coban and Cahabon to the confines of Peten, it is also abundant; for seldom 
* To add to the confusion, Mr. Sclater’s cuts of the heads of the two species have been accidentally inter- 
changed, that representing Mr. Salvin’s specimen being named M. caraya, and vice versd. 
