-^66 



NATURE 



\_Marck 7, 1878 



Park, this pretty monkey, with a red chest and belly, and 

 slim tail, was very timid, but it liked to be petted by the 

 keeper, being somewhat distrustful of its more romping 

 companions. It would take food out of his hand, and 

 seemed pleased, and generally played with his fingers 

 without attempting to bite. The canine teeth were very 

 moderately grown (Fig. 2). 



" This monkey inhabits Western Africa, and is at once 

 known by the red belly and chest, the white beard and 

 whiskers, and the black band across the forehead. It 

 has, moreover, a yellow crown." 



As a last illustration we select that of a most remark- 

 able animal, the West African River Shrew {Potamogale 

 velox, Fig. 3). 



" This was originally described by its discoverer, M. 

 du Chiillu, as a carnivore, under the name of Cynogale 

 velox, but as its characters were very doubtful, the name 

 Potamogale was suggested for it in case of its proving to 

 belong to a distinct genus. The late Dr. Gray described 

 it as a rodent under the name of Mythomis. Some years 

 later Prof. AUman and Prof. Barboza du Bocage procured 

 perfect specimens, and proved the animal to belong to the 



Fig. 2. — Red-bellied Monkey {Ccrco/>it/u:cns erythrogasto). 



insectivora, the latter naturalist describing it under the 

 new name of Bayonia velox. Thus within a few years it 

 received no less than three different names. 



When the insectivorous nature of Du Chaillu's River 

 Shrew was ascertained, it was found to be most nearly 

 allied to the Centetidae or Tanrecs, with special affinities 

 to the West Indian Solenodens. It is, however, generally 

 regarded as constituting a distinct family, characterised, 

 among other things, by the less cylindrical skull, the 

 absence of clavicles, the union of the two bones of the 

 shank towards the extremity, the presence of anal glands, 

 and the compressed form of the tail. The teeth, as in the 

 true Tanrecs, are forty in number, but the molars difier con- 

 siderably in form, as will be seen from the annexed figures. 



This little beast, which has given rise to] so much dis- 

 cussion among zoologists, and received so many names, 

 is only a little larger than our common stoat, measuring 

 about nine inches in length, exclusive of the powerful tail, 

 which is of about the same length. In its appearance it 

 very much reminds one of a miniature otter, from which, 

 however, it differs considerably in the form of the head, 

 which terminates in a broad flattened muzzle, having its 

 sides furnished with a most luxuriant crop of stiff bristle- 

 like whiskers. The hair of the upper part of the body 

 and limbs is brown and soft, although rather coarse, and 

 that of the lower surface yellowish ; and the coat consists 

 of two kinds of hairs, namely, an inner coat of very fine 

 short silky hairs, through which longer hairs of a very 



