ATELEUS 29 



Genl. Char. Face naked, flesh color ; fur coarse, hair long ; rudi- 

 ment of thumb sometimes present. 



Color. Entirely black ; body, limbs, hands, feet and tail. 



Measurements. Skull: total length, 118; occipito-nasal length, 98; 

 Hensel, 80; zygomatic width, 67; intertemporal width, 51; palatal 

 length, 36 ; breadth of braincase, 62 ; median length of nasals, 14 ; 

 length of upper molar series, 24 ; length of mandible, 71 ; length of 

 lower molar series, 28. Vertebras: Cervical, 7; Dorsal, 13; Lumbar, 

 4 ; Sacral, 3 ; Caudal, 31. 



Bates speaking of the Monkeys in the forests in the neighborhood 

 of Obydos, refers to one which in all probability was the present 

 species, but called pentadactylus on account of the presence in the 

 individual of a rudimentary thumb. He states that one species of 

 Coaita has a rudiment of thumb without a nail. The flesh of this 

 monkey is much esteemed by the natives in this part of the country, 

 and the Military Commandant of Obydos, Major Gama, every week 

 sent a negro hunter to shoot one for his table Coaitas are more 

 frequently kept in a tame state than any other kind of monkey. The 

 Indians are very fond of them as pets, and the women often suckle 

 them when young at their breasts. They become attached to their 

 masters, and will sometimes follow them on the ground to considerable 

 distances. I once saw a most ridiculously tame Coaita. It was an 

 old female which accompanied its owner, a trader on the river, in all 

 his voyages. By way of giving me a specimen of its intelligence and 

 feeling, its master set to and rated it soundly, calling it scamp, heathen, 

 thief, and so forth all through the copious Portuguese vocabulary of 

 vituperation. The poor monkey, quietly seated on the ground, seemed 

 to be in sore trouble at this display of anger. It began by looking 

 earnestly at him, then it whined, and lastly rocked its body to and fro 

 with emotion, crying piteously, and passing its long arms continually 

 over its forehead, for this was its habit when excited, and the front 

 of the head was worn quite bald in consequence. At length its master 

 altered his tone. It is all a lie my old woman ; you're an angel, a flower, 

 a good affectionate creature and so forth. Immediately the poor 

 monkey ceased its wailing and soon after came over to where the 

 man sat. The disposition of the Coaita is mild in the extreme; it 

 has none of the restless vivacity of its kindred the Cebi, and no trace 

 of the surly, untamable temper of its still nearer relatives the Mycetes 

 or Howling Monkeys. It is, however, an arrant thief and shows con- 



