THE TAMARINS. 139 



Distribution. — The Silky Tamariii is found in the forests of 

 South-eastern Brazil, in the coastal forests of New Granada, 

 and as far north as the Isthmus of Panama. 



Habits. — The " Marakina," as this exceedingly beautiful 

 species is often called, lives in small troops, ascending to the 

 slender branches at the tops of the highest trees in the forest. 

 The species is very playful and intelligent. 



Closely related to the Silky Tamarin, if indeed it is really 

 distinct from it, is the Maned Tamarin {M. leom7iiis, of 

 Humboldt), which inhabits the same region, and is only seven 

 inches in length, exclusive of the tail. " It is named leojtimis" 

 remarks Mr. Bates, " on account of the long brown mane 

 which depends from the neck, and which gives it very much 

 the appearance of a diminutive Lion." In referring to their 

 intelligence, the same writer continues, " Isidore Geoffroy St. 

 Hilaire relates of a species of this genus, that it distinguished 

 between different objects depicted on an engraving. M. 

 Audouin showed it the portraits of a cat and a wasp ; at these 

 it became much terrified, whereas at the sight of a figure of 

 a grasshopper or beetle it precipitated itself on the picture as 

 if to seize the objects there represented." 



Another species, the Golden-headed Tamarin {M. chryso- 

 melaSj of Kuhl), which is in general colour black, with the head, 

 fore-arms, hands, and a line beneath the tail, golden-yellow, is, 

 according to Dr. Gray, " very like a melanism of Leontopithe- 

 cus ( = Midas) rosalia ; but the hands and feet, which are 

 sometimes blackish in that species, are yellow — that is to say, 

 not changed." 



II. GEOFFROY'S tamarin. MIDAS GEOFFROYI. 



Midas xdipus^ var. Spix, Sim. et Vespert. Bras., p. 30, pi. 23 

 (1823). 



