182 Quadrupeds. 



THE CAPUCHIN AND SPIDER MONKEYS, 

 (Cebus Capucinv.s and Ateles paniscus^ 



ARE both natives of South America ; they live in large 

 troops, feeding on roots, fruits, and insects, and are much 

 more gentle than those of the old world. Of the Capuchin 

 there are many species, differing from each other in 

 colour only ; they are very lively, active, and amusing, 

 and about a foot long. The Spider Monkey, like the 

 Capuchin, has a long prehensile tail, which it uses like 

 a fifth hand. Nature seems by this addition to have 

 more than recompensed them for the want of a thumb, 

 for by it, when they are unable to leap from one tree to 

 another, on account of the distance, they form a kind of 

 chain, with their young upon their backs, hanging down 

 by each other's tails. One of them holds the branch 

 above, and the rest swing to and fro like a pendulum, 

 until the undermost is enabled to catch hold ; the first 

 then lets go his hold, and thus oomes undermost in his 

 turn ; in this way they can travel a great distance with- 

 out ever touching the ground. Curious illustrations of 

 this are daily seen at the Zoological Gardens, where 

 there are several of these Monkeys. 



