On Animals depicted on Antique Monuments. 6-J 



TERRESTRIAL MAMMALIA. 



I. QUADRUMANA. 



We find many of the quadrumana represented in the mosaic 

 of Palestriiia. We can recognise at least five species, whicli are 

 all placed towards the upper part of it, that is to say the south 

 side, which refers to Ethiopia. These diflferent species of apes 

 seem to belong, l.yf, the Chimpanse; 2c/, the Callithrix ; 3^, 

 the Magot; 4<A, the Papio ; and, 5th, the Mandrill varieties. 



The first of these kinds is found seated upon a rock, at the 

 side and to the left oi the camelopard, above which we read 

 these words, a^eifiiXoTrtc^xXi .... This kind is known by the 

 form of the head, and the great size of the facial angle, and 

 also- by the paucity of black hairs which covers its body, espe- 

 cially in front. These are the characters which distinguish the 

 Chimpanse [Simia troglodytes^ Lin.) It is still found in Guinea 

 and in Congo. 



According to our view, the second variety is the Callithrix 

 (Sitrtia saba^a, Lin.), an inhabitant of the old world, and prin- 

 cipally found at Senegal. Near to this animal we find placed 

 the word Hovoiciyrxv^x, a name which does not at all agree with it, 

 and which probably has reference to quite a different kind of 

 animal. In fact, the onocentaurs were monsters represented 

 with the form of men from the waste upwards, and all beside 

 apes. This at least is what we must conclude from the descrip- 

 tion iElian has given in his work on animals *, where he ex- 

 pressly says, that the Onocentaurus retains man's nature in all 

 the anterior parts of the body, whilst the posterior parts ap- 

 proach to that of the ape. 



But ^Elian also adds, that there are certain onocentaurs which 

 indifferently employ their hands in running and as instruments of 

 prehension. This part of the description of ^lian agrees per- 

 fectly with these apes, and especially with the callithrix, which, 

 according to Prosper Alpinus, still lives in Egypt and Ethio- 

 pia f. However this may be, this second variety must appa- 

 rently be referred to the callithrix of naturalists. 



" De Natura Animalium, lib. xvii. cap. 9. 

 + Herum /Egypt, lib. iv. cap. 11. 



