406 CUE TEATELI.IWO MENAGERIE. 



began. The small number of missions founded, or rather 

 re-established, since that period, owe their existence to the 

 Fathers of the Observance ; for the soldiers now distributed 

 among the missions are dependent on the missionaries, or 

 at least are reputed to be so, according to the pretensions 

 Df the ecclesiastical hierarchy. 



The Indians whom we found at San Francisco Solano 

 were of two nations; Pacimonales and Cheruvichahenas. 

 The latter being descended from a considerable tribe settled 

 on the Bio Tomo, near the Manivas of the Upper Guainia, I 

 tried to gather from them some ideas respecting the upper 

 course and the sources of the Rio Negro ; but the interpreter 

 whom I employed could not make them comprehend my 

 questions. Their continually-repeated answer was, that the 

 sources of the Rio Negro and the Inirida were as near to 

 each other as "two fingers of the hand." In one of the 

 huts of the Pacimonales we purchased two fine large birds, 

 a toucan (piapoco) and an ana, a species of macaw, seven- 

 teen inches long, having the whole body of a purple colour. 

 We had already in our canoe seven parrots, two manakins 

 (pipa), a motmot, two guans, orpavas de monte, two mana- 

 viris (cercoleptes or Viverra caudivolvula), and eight mon- 

 keys, namely, two ateles,* two titis,t one viudita,^ two 

 douroucoulis or nocturnal monkey s,|| and a short-tailed 

 cacajao. Father Zea whispered some complaints at the 

 daily augmentation of this ambulatory collection. The 

 toucan resembles the raven in manners and intelligence. 

 tt is a courageous animal, but easily tamed. Its long and 

 stout beak serves to defend it at a distance. It makes 

 itself master of the house, steals whatever it can come at, 

 and loves to bathe often and fish on the banks of the river. 

 The toucan we had bought was very young; yet it took 

 delight, during the whole voyage, in teasing the cusicusis, 

 or nocturnal monkeys, which are melancholy and irritable. 

 I did not observe what has been related in some works of 

 natural history, that the toucan is forced, from the structure 



* Marimonda of the Great Cataracts, (Simla belzebuth, Brisson.) 

 f- Simla sciurea, the saimiri of Buffon. 



% Simia lugens. 



|| Cusiensi, or Simia trivirgata. 



I Simla melanocephala, (mono/eo.) These last three species are new. 



