THE MONKEY KIND. 



415 



hands are alone sufficient to show its incapacity 

 of running with any degree of swiftness ; but, 

 to counterbalance this inconvenience, it climbs 

 trees with great ease and expedition.* It 

 chiefly subsists upon birds ; and hides among 

 the leaves of the trees, to seize them by sur- 

 prise. It often also hangs by the tail, which 

 is long and muscular; and, in this situation, 

 for hours together, with the head downwards, 

 it keeps watching for its prey. If any lesser 

 animal, which it is able to overcome, passes 

 underneath, it drops upon it with deadly aim, 

 and quickly devours it. By means of its tail, 

 the oppossum also slings from one tree to 

 another, hunts insects, escapes its pursuers, 

 and provides for its safety. It seems to be a 

 creature that lives upon vegetables, as well as 

 animal substances, roots, sugar-canes, the bark, 

 and even the leaves, of trees. It is easily 

 tamed, but it is a disagreeable domestic, as 

 well from its stupidity and figure, as its scent, 

 which, however fragrant in small quantities, 

 fails not to be ungrateful when copiously sup- 

 plied. 



An animal greatly resembling the former, b is 

 the MARMOSE, which is found in the same con- 

 tinent. It seems only to differ in size, be- 

 ing less ; and, instead of a bag to receive its 

 young, has only two longitudinal folds near 

 the thighs, within which the young, which are 

 prematurely brought forth, as in the last in- 

 stance, continue to suckle. The young of 

 these, when first produced, are not above the 

 size of a bean ; but continue sticking to the 

 teat, until they have arrived at greater maturity. 



The CAYOPOLIN is somewhat larger than the 

 former, and a good deal resembling it in habits 

 and figure, except that its snout is more point- 

 ed, its tail longer in proportion, and its colour 

 different, being of an ash, somewhat inclining 

 to yellow ; however, I should suppose it to 

 be only a variety of the former. 



To this number we may add the PHALAX- 

 GER, so called by Mr. Buffon ; a good deal re- 

 sembling the former, but distinguished by the 

 fashion of its hinder hands ; the thumb and 

 fore-finger being joined together, except at the 

 extremities. This animal is about the size of 

 a rat, and has, accordingly, by some, been 

 called the RAT OF SURINAM. 



The last animal of this class is called, by 



Buffon, vol. xxi. p. 1~4. 



Mr. Buffon, the TARSIER. This extraordinary 

 little animal resembles the former, in having 

 four hands, and a long tail ; but it differs very 

 much in the extreme length of its -hinder legs, 

 which are longer than the rest of its whole 

 body. The bones of that part of the foot call- 

 ed the tarsus, are likewise so very long, that 

 from thence the animal has received its name: 

 the tail is naked in the middle, and hairy only 

 at both extremities : its hair is woolly, soft, and 

 of a deep ash colour. As to the rest, it is un- 

 known from what country this animal was 

 brought ; but the naturalist from whom we 

 have this description, supposes it to be a native 

 of America. 



From this general description of four-handed 

 animals, we perceive what few advantages 

 the brute creation derive from those organs, 

 that, in man, are employed to so many great 

 and useful purposes. They being able to pluck 

 their food from the trees, the capacity of cling- 

 ing among the branches, and at most of con- 

 verting one of those branches into a weapon 

 of offence, are the highest stretches of their 

 sagacity, and the only use their hands have 

 hitherto been employed in ; and yet some su- 

 perficial men have asserted, that the hands 

 alone are sufficient to vindicate the dominion 

 of mankind over other animals ; and that 

 much of his boasted reason, is nothing more 

 than the result of his happier conformation : 

 however, were this so, an ape or a monkey 

 would in some instances be more rational than 

 we ; their fingers are smaller, and, in some of 

 them, more finely formed than ours. To what 

 a variety of purposes might they not be em- 

 ployed, if their powers were properly exerted! 

 Those works which we, from the largeness of 

 our fingers, are obliged to go clumsily about, 

 one of these could very easily perform with 

 the utmost exactness ; and if the fineness of 

 the hand assisted reason, an ape would be one 

 of the most reasonable beings in the creation. 

 But, these admirably formed machines, are 

 almost useless both to mankind and themselves; 

 and contribute little more to the happiness of 

 animal life, than the paws of the lowest quad- 

 ruped. They are supplied, indeed, with the 

 organs ; but they want the mind, to put them 

 into action ; it is that reasoning principle 

 , with which man has been endowed, 



Buffon, vol. xxi. p. 212. 



