362 ZOOLOGY 



Euweuzori,* the white hair is reduced to a miiiimiim, the female being 

 mainly black all over. Lastly, there are two species of colobus which are 

 not black and white. One was found in the i^lantl of Zanzibar, and is now 

 nearly extinct. It was chiefly chestnut I)rown, with a little black and white. 

 We discovered, however, another colobus in the forests of Western Torn, 

 to the east of Kuwenzori, which has no black or white on it, Init is a 

 combination of bright chestnut red and pinkish grey. 'J'his I took to be 

 an animal new to science, but it appears that an identical red colobus 

 monkey was discovered by Dr. Peters on the Tana Kiver. If the red 

 colobus of \\'estern Toro (which is the only spot where it is found in the 

 Uganda Protectorate) and that of tiie 'i'ana Kiver are the same species, it 

 is a rather remarkable instance of interrupted distribution. The red colobus 

 of Toro answers to its (ireek name in the adults, which have only four lingers 

 on the hands, and the minutest trace of a thumbnail in the place where the 

 thumb is missing. But the young colobuses of this species have a complete 

 thumb, only a little smaller than this finger would be in the Cercop'.theci. 

 As the animal grows to raaturit}', so its thumb dwindles, until in a very old 

 male there may be absolutely no trace left of the missing finger. 



All the colobu.ses live in dense forest. The common black and white 

 species may be found at altitudes of 9,000 feet on Kuwenzori,f and also on 

 Elgon and the Nandi Plateau; luit the same animal is ecpially abundant in 

 the tropical forests of Toro and Uganda. ("onsecpiently the same s})ecies 

 inhabits districts where the temperature often descends to freezing point, 

 and others where the heat is that of a luxuriant tropical forest. The colobus 

 monkeys live ahnost entirely on leaves, and, unlike most other monkeys, seem 

 to dislike animal food. Several native tribes in the Protectorate eat this 

 monkey, and some, like the Andorobo, make it their favourite article of 

 diet, declaring its flesh to be sweet and succulent. These monkeys do not, 

 as a rule, live long or healthily when in captivity, for a rather curious 

 reason. The creature is so absolutely used to an arboreal life that when 

 taken away from the trees and obliged to live on the ground it is per- 

 petually .sitting down on its haunches. When in the trees it is accustomed 

 to defecate as it sits over a branch or as it jumps from tree to tree. 

 Consequently, when on the ground, it is unable to void the excreta in a 

 cleanly manner, and soon a pad of mud and excrement forms over the 

 nates. This breeds grubs and parasites, and very often the monkey dies 

 from a painful disease caused in this way, unless, of cour.se, it happens to be 

 the property of a European who takes care to have it kept in a cleanly state. 



A strange-looking monkey comes from the District of Unyoro, and is 



* Named Colobtis ruicenzoi-ii by Mr. Oldfield Thomas. 



t As already related, a species of black colobus new to science was discovered by 

 us to exist in the dense forest on the north-west flank of Euwenzori. 



