ECONOMIC USE OF COLOBUS 



genus, viz. Colobus. This genus of monkeys has the 

 same absence of cheek pouches, and the same sacculated 

 stomach, but it has nearly lost the thumb, which gives 

 it a certain likeness to some monkeys of the New World ; 

 this likeness is a trifle increased by the rather broader 

 nostrils shown in these monkeys, a broadness which 

 suggests the Platyrrhine type rather than the Old 

 World Catarrhine. Nevertheless, in all other particulars 

 the Colobi or Guerezas do not approach the monkeys of 

 America, but clearly range themselves alongside of the 

 Oriental Holy Apes. It is an odd coincidence, in view 

 of this now unquestioned affinity, that in Nigeria Colobus 

 guereza is known to the natives by the name of "Maclam." 

 The coincidence lies in the fact that this word means 

 also a Mohammedan priest in the Haussa language. 

 The idea of sanctity thus attaches itself to Colobus as 

 well as to its near relative Semnopithecus. The black 

 and white excessively long-haired skin of more than one 

 species of Colobus is largely used for ornament, not 

 merely in its native Africa by a warrior, but by peaceful 

 persons in this country ; those long and coarse-haired 

 black muffs are, or used to be, the product of the skin 

 of this monkey. There is a legend to the effect that the 

 Colobus, when, wounded, knowing full well the value of 

 its skin, deliberately tears it with its teeth, so that it 

 shall not come into the possession of its slayer. These 

 apes, like the Holy Apes, go up high upon mountains in 

 Africa ; and a species from Ruwenzori has the peculi- 

 arity of having longer hair than any other species, a 

 peculiarity which is possibly correlated with its Alpine 

 existence. It is said that the bright black and white 

 hues of Colobus do not invariably, as might be expected, 

 render the monkey a conspicuous object, since hopping 

 from branch to branch the contrast of colours is in 

 harmony with dark tree trunks garlanded with white 

 and grey lichens. It is not very often that members 



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