HOWLING MONKKY. 97 



caught one of the legs or arms of the bathers to feed with. It 

 is true that these casualties were rare, but nevertheless it 

 occurred several times during my stay in Granada. When it 

 occurred, they frightened the animal with their discordant 

 cries, and several times the monster was caught, and paid the 

 penalty of death for its audacity. 



I believe that the Indians of Nicaragua are as much at 

 home in the water as on land. They are truly amphibious. 

 From the time of their birth, we may say that they go in the 

 water, and when they are full grown, it seems to be their 

 natural element. They swim splendidly. 



At the beginning of March birds appeared in large quan 

 tities, and I made some fine hunting expeditions in the 

 neighbouring primeval forests bordering the lake. In one of 

 them, I killed a fine specimen of the Howling monkey (Mycetes 

 palliatus) . Their native name is Congo, probably in honour of 

 their black colour, alike that of the inhabitants of that African 

 country. Two species of this genus are known, one peculiar 

 to South America, and this one peculiar to Central America. 

 They are the largest American species known, measuring 

 about four feet, exclusive of the tail. They are remarkable for 

 the great development of the organ of their voice, which 

 consists of a peculiar kind of bony drum, formed by a 

 convexity of the hybroidal bones and communicating with the 

 larynx. The noise produced by these howlers, at day-break, at 

 sun-set, and sometimes during the night, is perfectly appalling. 

 It is more like the roaring of jaguars than any thing else. 

 I was a long time before ascertaining that such an infernal 

 noise was produced by this monkey. Many are the nights 

 which I passed sleeplessly, when encamped in the forest, 

 fearing an attack of jaguars or other ferocious animals, and all 

 this, due to the vociferous cries of these monkeys. 



It was a great satisfaction to me when I discovered it, 

 because these animals are quite harmless, and I cannot 

 conceive what can be the meaning of their noisy howls. 



They are sociable animals, and live in troops in the 

 deep forests. As many as forty of them are sometimes 

 seen together. They are fond of their offspring, and very 

 active, and it is a grand sight to see a troop of these 

 monkeys running away- with their young, firmly attached to 

 their backs, or gambolling among the creepers. The male 

 is rather dangerous to approach when wounded, but it never 

 attacks man. 



They are great enemies of the Indians in consequence of 



