S Memoir upon the j4pes with imperfect Hands. 



be coirprised in the same genus : I here allude to the full- 

 bottomed monkeys of Pennant. The drawing and descrip- 

 tion given by this gentleman represent the full-bottomed 

 monkey with all the characteristics of our guenoiis, and it 

 is asserted that they come from the same place; but, on the 

 other hand, Boddaert ascribes to the latter, among other 

 characters, that of a prehensile tail. At first sight one is al- 

 most inclined to recognise this ape as an atele, and to sup- 

 pose that Pennant has been deceived by inaccurate informa- 

 tion, when he ascribes his species to Guinea, and talks of 

 the high value attached by the negroes to their skin, which, 

 according to his account, forms one of the most cosily ar- 

 ticles of dress. 



Admitting the existence of this latter species, this new 

 ffcnus, of the general characters and habitudes of which I 

 have presented a view, would be composed of five species, 

 viz. the chamek, the coaita, the ape of Brown, the belze- 

 but, and the full -bottom of Pennant. The following are 

 the distinguishincc characters of each : 



1. The chamek. It has never yet been distinguished from 

 the coaita, nor is it even described as distinct by BuflTon. 

 This ape, which came from the coast of Bancet, in Peru, 

 vias presented to him alive some years before he began to 

 write the last volume of his History of Quadrupeds. M. Buf- 

 fon intrusted his draftsman with takingadrawingof it, which 

 he did very minutely. Having afterwards compared this de- 

 scription with that of the coaita by M. Daubenton, and hav- 

 ing found them different in some respects, he thought proper 

 to publish them both, without renouncing the opinion he 

 entertained, that the chamek and the coaita were one and the 

 same animal. '•, "^ ''' 



The carcase of this chamek was not preserved iii the mu- 

 seum ; but we possess another which was taken at Guiana, 

 and for which we are indebted to the enlightened zeal and 

 indefatigable activity of M. Martin, botanist to the govern- 

 ment of Cayenne^ I took this carcase, upon its arrival, for 

 that of the coaita. I was imposed upon by the colour of 

 the skin being similar in both species; but the presence of 

 ^a thumb, however short it may be, creates such a great dif- 

 ference 



