98 THE DOUROUCOULL 
Indeed, among the many names which have been given to the Cacajao, one of them, 
“Mono Rabon,” or short-tailed Mono, refers to this peculiarity. On account of the very 
short tail, and the general aspect of the animal, the Cacajao is supposed by some 
naturalists to be the American representative of the Magot. 
The head of the creature is not only remarkable for its black hue, but for its shape, 
which instead of being rounded, as is the case with most monkeys, is slightly flattened 
at the temples. The general colour of the fur is a bright yellowish-brown, the only 
exceptions being the head and the fore-paws, which are black. The ears are devoid of 
hair, are very large in proportion to the size of the animal, and have something of the 
human character about them. The length of the head and body is said to reach nearly 
two feet in full-grown animals, and the tail is from three to five inches long, according to 
the size of the individual. 
Very little is known of the habits of the Cacajao in a wild state, but in captivity it 
bears the character of being a very inactive and very docile animal. Fruits seem to be 
its favourite diet, and when eating them it has a habit of bending over its food in a very 
peculiar attitude. It is not so adroit in handling objects as are the generality of monkeys, 
and seems to feel some difficulty in the management of its long and slender fingers, so 
that its manner of eating is rather awkward than otherwise. 
Among the names by which this monkey is known, we may mention, “Mono-feo,” 
or Hideous Monkey, Chucuto, Chucuzo, and Caruiri. The term “ Melanocephala” 
signifies Black-headed, while the word “ Leucocephala,”’ which is applied to the Yarke, 
signifies White-headed. 
It seems to be a timid, as well as a quiet animal, as a Cacajao which had been 
domesticated displayed some alarm at the sight of several small monkeys of its own 
country, and trembled violently when a lizard or a serpent was brought before its eyes. 
The localities where it is most generally found are the forests which border the Rio 
Negro and the Cassiquiare, but it does not seem to be very plentiful even in its own 
land. : 
The term “ Nyctipithecus,” or Night-monkey, which is used as the generic title of the 
Dovrovucoutl, refers to its habits, 
which are more strictly nocturnal 
than those of the animals heretofore 
mentioned, The eyes of this little 
creature are so sensitive to light, 
that it cannot endure the glare of 
day, and only awakes to activity and 
energy when the shades of night 
throw their welcome veil over the 
face of nature. 
In its wild state, it seeks the 
shelter of some hollow tree or other 
darkened place of refuge, and there 
abides during the hours of daylight, 
buried in a slumber so deep, that it 
can with difficulty be aroused, even 
though the rough hand of its captor 
drag it from its concealment. During 
sleep, it gathers all its four feet closely 
DOUROUCOULL—Nyetipithécus Trivergitus. together, and drops its head between 
its fore-paws. It seems to be one of 
the owls of the monkey race. 
The food of this Douroucouli is mostly of an animal nature; and consists chiefly of 
insects and small birds, which it hunts and captures in the night season. After dark, the 
Douroucouli awakes from the torpid lethargy in which it has spent the day, and shaking 
off its drowsiness, becomes filled with life and spirit. The large dull eyes, that shrank 
from the dazzling rays of the sun, light wp with eager animation at eventide ; the listless 
