18 



February 14, 1832. 



Dr. Such in the Chair. 



The Monkey described at p. 105 of the First Part of the * Pro- 

 ceedings' of the Committee, under the name of Semnopilhecus ? ai- 

 bogularis, having died, it was placed upon the table; and Colonel 

 Sykes remarked that notwithstanding its large facial angle, nearly 

 equal incisors, very small callosities, mild disposition, and gravity 

 of manner, which had induced him to class it provisionally with the 

 Semnopitheci, its more essential anatomical characters were those of 

 the genus Cercopithecus. The posterior molar tooth of the lower 

 jaw has only the four tubercles characteristic of that genus, without 

 any prolongation backwards; and the cheek-pouches, although not 

 very large, are distinct and capable of moderate dilatation. For 

 these reasons, and to avoid the inconvenience resulting from the 

 too great multiplication of genera, he preferred considering it as a 

 species of Cercopithecus. The peculiarities above noticed indicate, 

 however, a remarkable transition between the African and Indian 

 groups of Monkeys in an animal believed to have been brought from 

 an intermediate locality, the island of Madagascar. To the Lemu- 

 rine groups hitherto supposed to be the exclusive quadrumanous 

 inhabitants of that island, it approaches in the great development 

 of its canines, which form fangs of a large size, and have their pos- 

 terior edge acutely angular, and as sharp as that of a knife. 

 Its admeasurements are as follows: 



ft. in. 

 Length of the head and body taken in a straight line 1 9- 



the tail 2 7| 



the muzzle anterior to the eyes l;f 



the fore-leg from the axilla to the end of 



the longest finger 1 2 



the hind-leg to ditto 1 6 



the thumb of the anterior hands in its free 



portion OJ 



Diameter of callosities when exposed by the separa- 

 tion of the hair \\ 



The general appearance of the animal is massive and thick- set, 

 and the limbs, especially the anterior, are strong and muscular. On 

 the body the hairs are close-set and measure generally from 2 

 to 3 inches in length - } they are for the most part soft and ad- 

 pressed; on the fore-limbs they are more rigid, and become gra- 

 dually shorter as they approach the hands. 



Mr. Owen read the following notes on the Anatomy of the Cc 

 ■pithecus albogularis, Sykes. 



rco- 



