THE GUENONS 99 



person on board ship, but so seriously lacerated three other monkeys, its fellow- 

 passengers, that two of them died of the wounds. It readily ate meat, and would 

 choose to pick a bone, even when plentifully supplied with vegetables and dried 

 fruits." 



THE MONA MONKEY (Cercopithecus mono) 



One of the most familiar of all the guenons is the mona monkey, represented 

 in the upper figure of the illustration on p. 98. This beautiful little monkey 

 may be always easily recognized by the presence of a large and distinct white spot 

 of an oval shape, situated on each hip immediately in front of the root of the tail, 

 the feature being quite peculiar to the species. In size it is rather smaller than the 

 patas. 



The mona is a West African monkey, and has no real right to its name, which 

 is merely the Moorish word for monkeys in general. The general hue of the fur of 

 this monkey is described by Dr. Gray as blackish-olive, finely grizzled with yellow ; 

 this gradually darkens towards the hinder parts of the body, so that the tail and the 

 outer surfaces of the limbs are nearly black. The under surface of the body is of a 

 nearly pure white, these white parts being separated from the darker regions by an 

 abrupt division ; and we have already alluded to the distinctive white spot on each 

 side near the root of the tail. The naked portions of the face are purplish, with the 

 exception of the lips and chin, which are flesh colored. The bushy whiskers, 

 which come forward so as to conceal a large part of the cheeks, are straw colored, 

 with a mixture of a few black hairs. A black transverse band, surmounted by a thin 

 streak of gray, extends from above the eyebrows to the base of the ears ; the latter, 

 together with the hands and feet, being of a livid flesh tint. 



Writing of this species, which may be described as decidedly more docile and 

 gentle than some of its allies, the French naturalist, Cuvier, observes that "if 

 elegance of shape, gracefulness of movement, gentleness and simplicity of char- 

 acter, united with penetration and intelligence of expression, can inspire affection or 

 make an animal sought after and admired, all these qualities are united in the small 

 group of monkeys allied to the mona, itself distinguished not less by the 

 variety of its colors than by its temper and disposition" a somewhat flattering 

 description applicable as a rule only to young individuals of both sexes, and to 

 females of all ages, for the adult males are awkward and capricious creatures to 

 manage. 



THE DIANA MONKEY (Cercopithecus diana) 



Before noticing some of the beardless species more nearly allied to the mona, 

 we must mention the well-known West African diana monkey, which derives its 

 name from the distinct white crescent on the forehead above the eyebrows. Its 

 most characteristic feature is, however, the long pointed white beard, so well shown 

 in the lower figure of the illustration on p. 98; while the white streak on the 

 haunches near the root of the tail is also distinctive. 



