MONKEY. 



271 



ability of working it with skill. The reason which 

 makes the natural history of this part of the world in 

 its more characteristic animals, and their appropriate 

 habits and haunts, difficult, is a very obvious one. The 

 forests of South America are not only the most exten- 

 sive and the most difficult to beexplored of any that are 

 to be found on the surface of the earth, but they are 

 at. the same time the most permanent in their nature. 

 The high mountains, the vast rivers, and the heavy 

 rains of South America, together with the flooding 

 of the ground by those rains, are sure bulwarks to 

 vegetable and animal life against the invasion of the 

 desert. In many instances, too, those munitions of 

 nature are such as to set all the efforts of man at de- 

 fiance ; and thus there is no chance that this portion 

 of the globe shall ever become forcstless. In conse- 

 quence of this we have the animals there in their 

 habitations as they have been, and as they will be, 

 during a lapse of years of which we know neither the 

 beginning nor the end ; and thus they will remain a 

 permanent subject for naturalists of successive ages ; 

 so that, from the time that the language of natural 

 history became the language of truth grounded upon 

 actual observation, the naturalists of every succeeding 

 age may go on to build upon the labours of their 

 predecessors as a sure foundation, the stability of the 

 fabric being beyond question, and the height to which 

 it may be raised beyond even the fondest hopes 

 which we can entertain in the present state of our 

 practical knowledge on the subject. But to return 

 to the sapajous. 



As compared with the former species of American 

 monkeys, the sapajous are agreeable creatures. 

 They are full of life and intelligence ; and, though 

 very active in all their motions, they are mild in their 

 dispositions, very docile, susceptible of education, 

 and can show a good deal of attachment to those 

 who are kind to them. They are accordingly more 

 frequent in Europe than almost any other genus 

 of monkeys. In their native forests they live in 

 numerous bands, and are chiefly met with in the 

 higher branches of the lofty trees ; but, notwithstand- 

 ing their gregarious habit, the males are said to be 

 strictly monogamists, and the pair are very much 

 attached to each other. As is the case with the 

 whole order, their principal food is vegetable fruits 

 when they can obtain them. But when their vege- 

 table food fails they can become miscellaneous in 

 their feeding, and live upon insects, worms, and mol- 

 luscous animals. They will also, at least in a state 

 of confinement, eat flesh ; but it does not appear that 

 they show the slightest disposition to kill any warm- 

 blooded animal. As is the case with the howling 

 monkeys, they produce but one at a birth. This one 

 is carried on the back of the mother as she moves 

 about ; but when she rests she attends and fondles it 

 with much apparent affection. It is sometimes said 

 that these animals will not breed in our climates ; but 

 this is not the fact, as has been proved by numerous 

 instances. These monkeys have not generally the 

 disagreeable voices of the howlers, or the offensive 

 chattering of the Lagothrici. Their usual sound, 

 when in good temper, and not annoyed, is soft and 

 murmuring, and heard at a very short distance. 

 When, however, their passions of any kind are 

 strongly excited (and animals of so much activity and 

 resource are necessarily very excitable), their cries are 

 harsh, sharp, and loud, and heard at a considerable 

 distance. But even then the sound which thev utter 



is a sort of yelping or squeaking, and not howling ; 

 and their calls to each other are always made in the 

 soft, voice. 



Some of the sapajous are known by the name of 

 musk-monkeys, and others by that of weeping mon- 

 keys, or rather perhaps those names are given to the 

 same ones at different, times. They have always a 

 slight musky smell, which is indeed a smell very 

 general among South American animals ; but in the 

 season of heat this smell becomes far stronger than 

 at other times. The weeping does not imply that 

 they shed tears ; it merely alludes to the sound which 

 they utter when frightened, which sound bears no 

 inconsiderable resemblance to the crying of a child. 



The north and east parts of South America are 

 the localities where the sapajous are most abundant, 

 or at all events where they have been most observed. 

 Many species have been enumerated, but it is doubt- 

 ful whether some or even the greater part of them 

 may not be merely accidental, as their chief distinc- 

 tions are those of colour. We shall content ourselves 

 with short notices of a few of those which are best 

 established. 



The Weeper Monkey (C*. appclla). This species 

 is well known in Europe, better perhaps than any 

 monkey of this or of any other genus. In so far as 

 beauty can be ascribed to a monkey in its appearance 

 (for all animals are beautiful in their adaptations), 

 this one may be said to be a very pretty little crea- 

 ture, though sober in the colours of its attire. It is 

 only about a foot in length from the nose to the tail, 

 and the tail is rather more than a foot. The upper 

 part is of a pleasing and rather bright brown colour, 

 though it does not always show very well in this 

 country, because, though nobody would feel disposed 

 to ill use a creature which is perhaps the most inof- 

 fensive of all its order, and certainly one of the most 

 playful, an animal of tropical climates cannot always 

 be made to feel at home in temperate countries ; and, 

 when animals are not in good condition, the falling 

 off tells first in the diminished beauty of the fur. 

 The under part is yellowish, and the upper part of 

 the head, with a line down each side of the face, the 

 tail, and the extremities of the feet, are black. It is, 

 however, subject to very considerable varieties of 

 colour, and is understood to alter, with difference of 

 climate, even in the same individual. With us it is 

 much more healthy, and can stand the weather better 

 than almost any other species of monkey. It is 

 usually brought to Europe from Guiana, which ap- 

 pears to be its head-quarters, and it is found there in 

 considerable troops. 



The White-fronted Sapajau (C. albifrons} is about 

 the same size as the weeper monkey last described, 

 but differently coloured ; the forehead and a portion 

 round the eyes are pure white, and hence the name 

 that it h;:s received. The general colour of the body- 

 is greyish-olive, rather paler on the middle of the 

 back and on the under part, and having a slight, 

 yellowish tinge there. Hurnboldt found this species 

 in great abundance in the forests of the Upper 

 Orinoco and the adjoining parts. Numerous indivi- 

 duals live in the same troop. They are by no means 

 alarmed at the approach of man ; and both the 

 Indians and the Europeans, and their descendants, 

 are fond of keeping them in their houses as pets. In 

 their dispositions they are said to be more gentle 

 than even the weeper monkeys, and also more play- 

 ful. Ourapavi is the name given to this species by 



