THE NATURALIST ON THE R1VE11 AMAZONS. 7 



America than the district just mentioned, pear until two or three hours after the ani- 

 naniely, the banks of the Japura, near its mal WHS quite dead, 1 judged that it was not 

 principal mouth ; and even there it is con- exclusively due to the blood, hut paitly, to 

 lined, as far as I could learn, to the western a pigment beneath the skin, which would 

 side of the river. It lives in small troops probably retain its color a short time after 

 among the crowns of the lofty trees suosist- the circulation had ceased. 

 ing on fruits of various kinds. Hunters say After seeing much of the morose dispoei- 

 it is pretty nimble in its motions, but is not tion of the Uakari, I was not a little sur- 

 much given to leaping, preferring to run up prised one day at a friend's house to find an 

 and down the larger boughs in travelling from extremely lively and familiar individual of 

 t:ee to tree. The mother, as in other species this species. It ran from an inner chamber 

 'f the monkey order, carries her young on straight toward me, after I had sat down 

 lier back. Individuals are obtained alive by on a chair, climbed my legs and nestled in 

 thooting them with the blow-pipe and arrow uiy lap, turning round and looking up with 

 lipped with diluted Urari poison. They run the usual monkey's grin, after it had made 

 considerable distance after being pierced, itself comfortable. It was a young animal 

 utid it requires an experienced hunter to which had been taken when its mother was 

 track them. He is considered the most ex- shot with a poisoned arrow ; its teeth were 

 pert who can keep pace with a wounded one incomplete, and the face was pale and mot- 

 and catch it in his arms when it falls ex- tied, the glowing scarlet hue not superven- 

 hausted. A pinch of salt, the antidote to ing in these animals before mature age ; it 

 the poison, is then put in its mouth, and the had also a feW long black hairs on the eye- 

 creature revives. The species is rare, even brows and lips. The frisky little fellow had 

 in the limited district which it inhabits, been reared m the house among the children, 

 Senhor Chrysobtomo sent six of his must and allowed to run about freely, and take its 

 skilful Indians, who were absent three weeks meals with the rest of the household. There 

 before they obtained the twelve specimens are few animals which the Brazilians of 

 which formed his unique and princely gift, these villages have not succeeded in taming. 

 When an independent hunter obtains one, a I have even seen young jaguars running 

 \ery high price (thirty to forty milreis*) is loose about a house, and Ueated as pets, 

 jisked, these monkeys being in great demand The animals that I had rarely became 

 for presents to persons of influence down the familiar, however long they might remain in 

 river. my possession, a circumstance due no doubt 



Adult Uakaiis, caught in the way just to their being kept always tied up. 

 described, very rarely become tame. They The Uakari is one of the many species of 

 are peevish and sulky, resisting all attempts animals which are classified by the Brazil- 

 to coax them, and biting any one who ven- ians as " mortal," or of delicate constitution, 

 lures within teach. They have no part icu- in contradistinction to those which are 

 lar cry, even whtn in their native woods; "duro," or hardy. A large proportion of 

 in captivity they are quite silent. In the the specimens sent from Ega die before ar- 

 course of a few days or weeks, if not very riving at Para, and scarcely one in a dozen 

 carefully attended to, they fall into a listless succeeds in reaching Rio Janeiro alive. The 

 condition, refuse food, and die. Many of difficulty it has of accommodating itself to 

 them succumb to a disease which I suppose changed conditions probably has some con- 

 fiom the symptoms to l>e inflammation of nectiou with the vry limited range, or con- 

 the chest or lungs. The one which 1 kept flued sphere of life, of the species in its 

 as a pet died of this disorder, after I had had natural statf , its native home being an area 

 11 about three weeks. It lost its appetite in of swamp; woods, not more than about 

 a very few days, although kept in an airy sixty squr' e miles in extent, although no 

 veranda; its coat, which was originally permauer u barrier exists to check its dis- 

 long, emopth, find glossy, became dingy and persal, except toward the south, over a 

 ragged, like that of the specimens seen in much wider space. When I descended the 

 museums, and the bright scarlet color of its river in 1859, we had with us a tame adult 

 face changed to a duller hue. This color, Uakari, which was allowed to ramble about 

 in health, is spread over the features up to the vessel, a large schooner. When we 

 the roots of the hair on the forehead and reached the mouth of the Rio Negro, we had 

 temples, and down to the neck, including to wait four days while the custom-house 

 the flabby cheeks, which hang down below officials at Barra, ten miles distant, made out 

 the jaws. The animal in this condition the passports for our crew, and during this 

 looks at a short distance as though some one time the schooner lay close to the shore, 

 had laid a thick coat of red paint on its with its bowsprit secured to the trees on the 

 countenance. The death of my pet was bank. Well, one morning, scarlet-face was 

 slow ; duiing the last twenty-four hours it missing having made his escape into tkd 

 lay prostrate, breathing quickly, its chest forest Two men were sent in search of 

 strongly heaving ; the color of its face be- him, but returned after several hours' ab- 

 came gradually paler, but was still red when seuce without having caught sight of the 

 it expired. As the hue did not quite disap- runaway. We gave up the monkey for lost, 



until the following day, when he ieappeari-l 



* Thn'e pounds seven shillings to four pounds thir- on the skirts of the forest, and march 1 

 teen Bhillinge. .quirtly .1 >\vu the b nvsprit to his usual p!;cv 



