THE SPIDER-MONKEYS. 



245 



the dark colour of the upper parts. Thumb entirely wanting. 

 Eyes dark yellowish-grey. May be distinguished from the dark 

 form of Geoffroy's Spider-Monkey by the sharp definition of the 

 colours of the upper and under sides of the body. 



Distribution. — This species, also spoken of as the Mexican 

 Spider-Monkey, is known to occur right across Guatemala ; it 

 is by no means uncommon, Mr. Salvin says, in the forest 

 country on the northern part of Vera Paz, and he also saw a 

 troop at the summit of the ridge of mountains which connects 

 the Volcan de Fuego with the main Cordillera, at about 8,000 

 feet above the sea. 



The late Prof. Liebmann, the Danish botanist, obtained a 

 specimen, according to Prof. Reinhardt, "in the neighbour- 

 hood of the small place Mirador, situated not far from the 

 volcano of Orizaba, in the State of Vera Cruz. . . . He 

 met with it also in the eastern parts of the State of Oaxaca. 

 . . . . But at the same time he expressly states that he 

 never met with this Ateks, nor, indeed, with any other Monkey, 

 on the Pacific slope of the Great Cordillera in Oaxaca, and that, 

 as far as he could learn. Monkeys are to be found on the western 

 coast only south of Tehuantepec." This species is the only 

 Spider-Monkey certainly known to range as far north as 

 Mexico. According to M. Salle, the most northern locality 

 for Monkeys with which he was acquainted, was in the State 

 of San-Louis Potosi, about 23^ N. latitude, on the upper part 

 of the basin of the Tampico river. {Alsto?i.) 



Habits. — The Mexican Spider-Monkey is, like the foregoing 

 members of the genus, arboreal, consorting together in small 

 troops, and feeding on fruits. Prof. Liebmann observed it in 

 small troops in the deep barrancas, up to an elevation of 2,000 



