70 HOWLING OF THE APES. 



one premeditated. The Indians have a dislike and a pre- 

 dilection for certain races of monkeys ; they love the viu- 

 ditas, the titis, and generally all the little sagoins ; while 

 the araguatos, on account of their mournful aspect, and 

 their uniform howling, are at once detested ana abused. 

 In reflecting on the causes that may facilitate the pro- 

 pagation of sound in the air during the night, I thought 

 it important to determine with precision the distance at 

 which, especially in damp and stormy weather, the howling 

 of a band of araguatos is heard. I believe I obtained proof 

 of its being distinguished at eight hundred toises distance. 

 The monkeys which are furnished with four hands cannot 

 make excursions in the Llanos; and it is easy, amidst vast 

 plains covered with grass, to recognize a solitary group of 

 trees, whence the noise proceeds, and which is inhabited by 

 howling monkeys. Now, by approaching or withdrawing 

 from this group of trees, the maximum of the distance may 

 be measured, at which the howling is heard. These dis- 

 tances appeared to me sometimes one-third greater during 

 the night, especially when the weather was cloudy, very hot, 

 and humid. 



The Indians pretend that when the araguatos fill the 

 forests with their howling, there is always one that chaunts 

 as leader of the chorus. The observation is pretty accurate. 

 During a long interval one solitary and strong voice is gene- 

 rally distinguished, till its place is taken by another voice of 

 a different pitch. We may observe from time to time the 

 same instinct of imitation among frogs, and almost all 

 animals which live together and exert their voices in union. 

 The Missionaries further assert, that, when a female among 

 the araguatos is on the point of bringing forth, the choir 

 suspends its bowlings till the moment of the birth of the 

 young. I could not myself judge of the accuracy of this 

 assertion ; but I do not believe it to be entirely unfounded. 

 I have observed that, when an extraordinary incident, the 

 moans for instance of a wounded araguato, fixed the atten- 

 tion of the band, the bowlings were for some minutes 

 suspended. Our guides assured us gravely, that, " to cure 

 an asthma, it is sufficient to drink out of the bony drum of 

 the hyoidal bone of the araguato." This animal having so 

 eitraordinary a volume of voice, it is supposed that its 



