98 VOYAGE UP THE TAPAJOS. Chap. II. 



dense, and broad sunny paths skirted by luxuriant beds 

 of Lycopodiums, which form attractive sporting places 

 for insects, extend from the village to a swampy hollow 

 or ygapo, which lies about a mile inland. Of butter- 

 flies alone I enumerated fully 300 species, captured or 

 seen in the course of forty days within a half-hour's 

 walk of the village. This is a greater number than 

 is found in the whole of Europe. The only monkey I 

 observed was the Callithrix moloch — one of the kinds 

 called by the Indians Whaiapu-sai. It is a moderately- 

 sized species, clothed with long brown hair, and hav- 

 ing hands of a whitish hue. Although nearly allied 

 to the Cebi it has none of their restless vivacity, but 

 is a dull, listless animal. It goes in small flocks of five 

 or six individuals, running along the main boughs of 

 the trees. One of the specimens which I obtained 

 here was caught on a low fruit-tree at the back of our 

 house at sunrise one morning. This was the only 

 instance of a monkey being captured in such a position 

 that I ever heard of. As the tree was isolated it must 

 have descended to the ground from the neighbouring 

 forest and walked some distance to get at it. The 

 species is sometimes kept in a tame state by the 

 natives : it does not make a very amusing pet, and 

 survives captivity only a short time. 



I heard that the white Cebus, the Caiarara branca, a 

 kind of monkey I had not yet seen, and wished very 

 much to obtain, inhabited the forests on the opposite 

 side of the river ; so one day on an opportunity .being 

 afforded by our host going over in a large boat, I 

 crossed to go in search of it. We were about twenty per- 



