194 



THE LOWER PRIMATES 



natives have associated certain almost supernatural attributes with these 

 animals. For example, it is claimed that these monkeys are capable of form- 

 ing a bridge to span a river by means of their tails. But while the prehensile 



Courtesy, New York Zoological Garde; 



FIGS. 97 AND 98. TWO VIEWS OF MYCETES SENICULUS, 

 THE RED HOWLING MONKEY. 



tail makes possible many leats of locomotion little short ot miraculous, it 

 seems clear that these bridge-building propensities arc quite legendary. Not 

 only is the thumb of mycetes well developed and opposable, but the hand 

 as a whole is highly specialized. The face is naked with the exception of a 

 heavy beard which hangs beneath the chin. The movements of the howling 

 monkey are relatively slow when compared to those of the lemur or even of 

 the spider monkey. The animals appear to be sullen in temper, and are practi- 

 cally untamable, soon dying in captivity. Whether or not their intelligence 

 is of a low order and their adaptability to conditions outside of their natural 

 environment small, it is certain that they are among the least attractive of 

 all the primates in disposition. Their fur is usually black, but in some cases 

 it is brown or reddish-brown. In most species the sexes are alike in color. 



