METROPOLIS OF MONKEYDOM. 265 



by name. It is that wrinkle-browed, old-faced fellow that sits 

 hugging and cuddling its companions with such imperturbable 

 gravity before you, and which may often be seen plying its 

 nimble fingers amongst its neighbour's fur, performing the kindly 

 office of hunting down those dapper little gentlemen which, it 

 would seem, are no less annoying to Monkeys than to men. A 

 very " monkey " for its wickedness and inveterate propensity to 

 mischief is the Toque, and, as a matter of course, a prime fa- 

 vourite with the crowd which in all zoological gardens is sure to 

 gather around the Monkey-house. It is this same fellow, if we 

 do not mistake, that Sir E. Landseer has taken for his admirable 

 picture of " Cat's Paw." 



The continent of Africa may be properly regarded as the head- 

 quarters of the ordinary long-tailed Monkeys, as the south-east 

 of Asia undoubtedly is of the Apes. In no other portion of the 

 world do the Monkeys swarm in anything like the same abun- 

 dance ; and, what is more, with the exception of one small 

 group, the Monkeys of Africa all exhibit in full development the 

 distinctive characters of the Monkey tribe. All along the coast 

 of western Africa these animals occupy the woods in countless 

 numbers, each species having its particular district of the forest, 

 and promptly uniting in strength to expel from its haunts any 

 intrusive members of another tribe. Man himself is no privileged 

 visitor, for, though mostly of small size, and incapable of doing 

 any harm to the traveller, they still collect around him, and by 

 their chattering and grimace and violent passion, endeavour to 

 deter him from penetrating into their territory. Most of these 

 Monkeys are capricious, petulant little fellows, vivacious and 

 restless, and preserving this disposition even in confinement, 

 always being amongst the most active and amusing inmates of 

 the monkey-cage. The Mona ( Cercopithecus mono), whose name 

 is supposed to have been the original of our word " monkey," and 

 the beautiful Diana Monkey ((7. Diana), famous for its silvery 

 " beard of formal cut," and of which it is particularly careful, both 

 belong to this group of monkeys, together with several other less 

 familiar species. By far the most commonly met with, however, 

 is the Green Monkey ((7. soicews), to be seen in every mena- 

 gerie, and a frequent companion of the organ-man. It is a 

 native of Senegal and the Cape de Verde Islands, where they 

 exist in countless multitudes. Our principal knowledge of this 



