78 QUADRUMANA. 



THE CAPUCIN MONKEY. 



The Capucin monkey, Ccbiis tirpininiis (Plate II., Sapajou), bears in its 

 own home — the southern portion of Brazil — the name oi C\i or Sai, a 

 word which is said to mean in the lanijuaf^e ot the Guarani Indians, "a 

 dweller in the forest." It is one of the larger varieties of the group, and 

 has attained in some instances a length of eighteen inches in the body and 

 fourteen inches in the tail. It is distinguished by its bare, wrinkled, flesh- 

 colored forehead. A brown, more or less deep, is the predominant color, 

 the thinly covered temples, side-whiskers, throat and chest are somewhat 

 lighter. 



The Ccl'us Itypohiicns resembles the Capucin in size, and difl'ers only 

 slightlv in color. Hut the brow is hairy, and the color on the cheeks, 

 throat and other parts are of a bright yellow color, contrasting strongly 

 with the dark-brown hide. 



A variety, Ccbus olivaccus, is somewhat larger than those just men- 

 tioned ; the body measures two feet in length, the tail twcnt}- inches. 

 The face and forehead are thickly covered with hair, a broad dark-brown 

 stripe crosses tin' brow, and honi it a gradually widciiiiig triangular 

 patch of like color extends to the back of the head. The back is brown 

 in color ; the cheeks, shoulders and fore-limbs a pale olive-brown. 



.\ thick growth of hair above the eyebrows covers as with a wig the 

 head of Ccbus Icitcogcnys, a Brazilian species. Its long silky hair is of a 

 grayish-black hue; the hair on the cheeks changes from bright yellow to 

 yellowish-white. 



These species dificr little from each other. The)' are found every- 

 where in the torrid zone, from iJahia to Colombia and across the Andes. 

 They pass their life in trees and are careful to avoid the observation of 

 travelers. Usually the}' occur in bands of five to ten, most of which are 

 females. 



In tlu'ir habits, too, all the species are very similar, so that the descrip- 

 tion of one will serve equallv for anv other. In consequence of their 

 sportive manners they are frequentlv kept in a domesticated state, both 

 bv the native Indians and bv luiropean settlers. Like several other small 

 monkeys, the Capucin often .strikes up a friendship tor tame animals that 

 mav happen to live in or near its home, the cat being one of the most 

 favored of their allies. Sometimes it carries its familiarity so far as to 



