Chap. II. CEBI MONKEYS. 101 



and alights on the dome of yielding foliage belonging 

 to the neighbouring tree, maybe fifty feet beneath ; all 

 the rest following the example. They grasp, on falling, 

 with hands and tail, right themselves in a moment, and 

 then away they go along branch and bough to the next 

 tree. The Caiarara owes its name in the Tupi lan- 

 guage, macaw or large-headed (Acain, head, and Arara 

 macaw), to the disproportionate size of the head com- 

 pared with the rest of the body. It is very frequently 

 kept as a pet in houses of natives. I kept one myself 

 for about a year, which accompanied me in my voyages 

 and became very familiar, coming to me always on wet 

 nights to share my blanket. It is a most restless 

 creature, but is not playful like most of the American 

 monkeys ; the restlessness of its disposition seeming to 

 arise from great nervous irritability and discontent. 

 The anxious, painful, and changeable expression of its 

 countenance, and the want of purpose in its move- 

 ments, betray this. Its actions are like those of a way- 

 ward child ; it does not seem happy even when it has 

 plenty of its favourite food, bananas ; but will leave 

 its own meal to snatch the morsels out of the hands 

 of its companions. It differs in these mental traits 

 from its nearest kindred, for another common Cebus, 

 found in the same parts of the forest, the Prego mon- 

 key (Cebus cirrhifer?), is a much quieter and better- 

 tempered animal ; it is full of tricks, but these are 

 generally of a playful character. 



The Caiarara keeps the house in a perpetual uproar 

 where it is kept : when alarmed, or hungry, or excited 

 by envy, it screams piteously ; it is always, however, 



