82 THY COAITA., 
The Chameck is a native of various parts of Brazil, where it is found rather profusely. 
From all accounts, it seems to be a very gentle creature, and susceptible of a high amount 
of cultivation. It does not appear to be so capricious of temper as the monkeys “of the Old 
World, and although playful when in the humour for sport, is not so spitefully tricky as 
its transatlantic relatives. It soon learns to distinguish those persons who treat it with 
kindness, and will often enter into playful mock combats, pretending to inflict severe 
injuries, but never doing any real damage. 
It is not a very large animal, the length of its body being about twenty inches, and the 
tail just over two feet in length. The fur is tolerably long, and falls densely over the body 
and limbs. 
On referring to the engraving, it will be seen that the hair is longer than usual 
by the region of the hips, and rather thickly overhangs the hinder quarters. This 
arrangement seems to stand the creature in place of the. callosities which have so often 
been alluded to, and which are not possessed by the Cebide. These monkeys are also 
destitute of cheek-pouches, but, as if to compensate them for the want of these appendages, 
they are furnished with an additional supply of teeth, having thirty-six instead of thirty- 
two, which is the ordinary complement. 
The nostrils are very different from those of the monkeys which have already been 
described, as they open at the sides mstead of underneath, and are separated from each 
other by a wide piece of cartilage. The ear is less unlike that of man than is the case 
with the greater part of the monkey tribe, the greatest distinction between the two 
being that the ear of the monkey is destitute of that soft lower lobe, which is so 
characteristic of the human ear, and through which ladies barbarously hook their 
auricular trinkets. 
If the reader will refer to the illustration of the Chameck, he will see that the 
tail is the most conspicuous member of the animal. For the greater part of its leneth 
it is thickly covered with long drooping fur, but the last seven or eight inches are nearly 
denuded of hair on the upper surface, and entirely so on the lower. Towards the base 
it is extremely thick, and is furnished with muscles of great strength and marvellous 
flexibility, destined to aid the member in the performance of those curiously active 
movements for which these monkeys are so renowned. 
The tail of these animals is to them equivalent, and more than equivalent, to a fifth 
hand. The naked extremity is endowed with so sensitive a surface that it can be applied 
to most of the uses to which the hand can be put, while the powerful muscles that move 
it are so strong and lithe that they can exert a singular amount of strength, even so as 
to suspend the entire weight of the animal. 
In ascending trees or traversing the branches, the monkeys continually aid their 
progress by twining the end of the tail round the neighbouring boughs. Sometimes 
they even suspend themselves wholly by their tails, and. after giving their bodies a few 
oscillating movements, boldly swing themselves from one beincn “to another, clearing 
considerable spaces in the effort. On account of these capabilities, the tail is known 
by the name of “ prehensile.” 
The colour of the Chameck is nearly black, and of an uniform tint over the head, 
body, and limbs. Its hair is rather long and thick, in some parts taking a slight curl. 
The head is very small in proportion to the rest of the body. During the life of the 
animal the face is of a deep brown colour, as are the ears, cheeks, and chin, on which 
some long black hairs are scattered at distant itervals. Its lips are possessed of some 
mobility, but not equal to those of the chimpansee or orang-outan. 
The Coarra, or QUATA, as the word is frequently written, resembles the chameck 
in many characteristics. 
It is one of the best known of this group of animals, which are called by the name 
of Spider Monkeys, on account of their long sprawling limbs, and their peculiar action 
while walking. 
Tt is very remarkable, that although these creatures appear to be much less calculated 
for bipedal locomotion than the large apes, they should really be better walkers than 
most of the monkey tribe. When placed on a level surface and desirous to walk 
