642 



THE NATURALIST ON THE RIVER AMAZONS. 



or hands, are not opposable to the other fin- 

 gers. I do not mean to imply that they have 

 a near relationship to squirrels, which belong 

 to the Rodents, an inferior order of mam- 

 mals ; their resemblance to those animals is 

 merely a superficial one. They have two 

 molar teeth less in each jaw than the Cebidse, 

 the other family of American monkeys ; they 

 agree with them, however, in the sideway 

 position of the nostrils, a character which 

 distinguishes both from all the monkeys of 

 the old world. The body is long and slender, 

 clothed with soft hairs, and the tail, which is 

 nearly twice the length of the trunk, is not 

 prehensile. The hind limbs are much larger 

 in volume than the anterior pair. The Midas 

 ursulus is never seen in large flocks ; three 

 or four are the greatest number observed to- 

 gether. It seems to be less afraid of the 

 neighborhood of man than any other mon- 

 key. I sometimes saw it in the woods which 

 border the suburban streets, and once I espied 

 two individuals in a thicket behind the Eng- 

 lish consul's house at Nazare h. Its mode 

 of progression along the main boughs of the 

 lofty trees is like that of the squirrel ; it does 

 not ascend to the slender branches, or take 

 those wonderful flying leaps which the Ce- 

 bidae do, whose prehensile tails and flexible 

 hands fit them for such headlong travelling. 

 It confines itself to the larger boughs and 

 trunks of trees, the long nails being of great 

 assistance to the creature, enabling it to cling 

 securely to the bark ; and it is often seen 

 passing rapidly round the perpendicular cylin- 

 drical trunks. It is a quick, restless, timid 

 little creature, and has a great share of curi- 

 osity, for when a person passes by under the 

 trees along which a flock is running, they 

 always stop for a few moments to have a 

 stare at the intruder. In Para, Midas ursulus 

 is often seen in a tame state in the houses of 

 the inhabitants. When full grown, it is 

 about nine inches long, independently of the 

 tail, which measures fifteen inches. The 

 fur is thick, and black in color, with the ex- 

 ception of a reddish-brown streak down the 

 middle of the back. When first taken, or 

 when kept tied up, it is very timid and irri- 

 table. It will not allow itself to be ap- 

 proached, but keeps retreating backward 

 when any one attempts to coax it. It is 

 always in a querulous humor, uttering a twit- 

 tering, complaining noise ; its dark, watch, 

 ful eyes, expressive of distrust, observant of 

 every movement which takes place near it. 

 When treated kindly, however, as it generally 

 is in the houses of the natives, it becomes 

 very tame and familiar. I once saw one as 

 playful as a kitten, running about the house 

 after the negro children, who fondled it to 

 their hearts' content. It acted somewhat 

 differently toward strangers, and seemed not 

 to like them to sit in the hammock which 

 was slung in the room, leaping up, trying to 

 bite, and otherwise annoying them. It is 

 generally fed on sweet fruits, such as the 

 banana ; but it is also fond of insects, espe- 

 cially soft-bodied spiders and grasshoppers, 

 Which it will snap up with eagerness 



within reach. The expression of counte- 

 nance in these small monkeys is intelligent 

 and pleasing. This is partly owing to the 

 open facial angle, which is given as one of 

 60 ; but the quick movements of the head, 

 and the way they have of inclining it to one 

 side when their curiosity is excited, contrib- 

 ute very much to give them a knowing ex- 

 pressioa. 



On the Upper Amazons I once saw a tame 

 individual of the Midas leoninus, a species 

 first described by Humboldt, which was still 

 more playful and intelligent than the one just 

 described. This rare and beautiful little 

 monkey is only seven inches in length, ex- 

 clusive of the tail. It is named leoniuus on 

 account of the long brown mane which de- 

 pends from the neck, and which gives it very 

 much the appearance of a diminutive lion. 

 In the house where it was kept it was familiar 

 with every one ; its greatest pleasure seeming 

 to be to climb about the bodies of diffeient 

 persons who entered. The first time I went 

 in, it ran across the room straight way to the 

 chair on which I had sat down, and climbed 

 up to my shoulder ; arrived there, it turned 

 round and looked into my face, showing its- 

 little teeth, and chattering, as though it; 

 would say, "Well, and how do you do?"' 

 It showed more affection toward its master 

 than toward strangers, and would climb up- 

 to his head a dozen times in the course of an 

 hour, making a great show every time of 

 searching there for certain animalculse. Isi- 

 dore Geoff roy St. Hilaire relates of a species 

 of this genus, that it distinguished between 

 different objeeis depicted on an engraving. 

 M. Audouin showed it the portraits of a cat 

 and a wasp ; at these it became much terri- 

 fied : whereas, at the sight of a figure of a 

 grasshopper or beetle, it precipitated itself 

 on the picture, as if to seize the objects there 

 represented. 



Although monkeys are now rare in a wild 

 state near Para, a great number may be seen 

 semi-domesticated in the city. The Brazil- 

 ians are fond of pet animals. Monkeys, 

 however, have not been known to breed in 

 captivity in this country. I counted, in a 

 short time, thirteen different species, while 

 walking about the Para streets, either at the 

 doors or windows of houses, or in the native 

 canoes. Two of them I did not meet with 

 afterward in any other part of the country. 

 One of these was the well-known Hapale 

 Jacchus, a little creature resembling a kitten, 

 banded with black and gray all over the body 

 and tail, and having a fringe of long white 

 hairs surrounding the ears. It was seated 

 on the shoulder of a young mulatto girl, as 

 she was walking along the street, and I was 

 told had been captured in the island of Mara- 

 jo. The other was a species of Cebus, with a 

 remarkably large head. It had ruddy-brown 

 fur, paler on the face, but presenting a 

 blackish tuft on the top of the forehead. 



In the wet season serpents are common in 

 the neighborhood of Para. One morning, in 

 April, 1849, after a night of deluging rain. 



