QUADRUMANA. 43 



The SAKIS, 



(Or those SAKIS which have long bushy tails, and hence have 

 been denominated Fox TAILED MONKEYS ; the term Saki, in its 

 more general application, denoting any American Monkey which 

 has not a prehensile tail.) 



Pilhecia. These are the largest of the SAGOINS. Of this 

 genus, which has a facial angle of 60o, the most remarkable is 

 the Pithecia lugens, (Gr. ntOrjxelu, pithekeia, ape-like ; lugens, . 

 Lat. mourning,) the WIDOW MONKEY, so named from the con- 

 trast of black and white displayed in its natural dress. The 

 general color is black, but the face and hands are white. The 

 Creoles of South America say, " it wears the veil, kerchief and 

 gloves of widowhood," according to the custom in South America. 



Pithecia clieirofaotes. (Gr. x ei 9, cheir, hand ; noTi^g, poles, drinker.) 



THE HAND-DRINKER, so named because with its hands it con- 

 veys water to its mouth, from a vessel or running stream. This 

 animal is the Capuchin of the Oronoko. It is distinguished by 

 two distinct bushy tufts formed by the parting of the hair above 

 the large, sunken eyes, and by its long crisped black beard. The 

 fur is of a reddish chestnut color. It lives in pairs only, and is 

 very shy. 



But a more interesting species of these animals is the lacchus 

 vulgaris, (Gr. "lax/os, lakchos, Bacchus.) The MARMOSET, 

 OUISTITIS, or STRIATED MONKEY. This small species has a body 

 about eight inches long, and a tail eleven or twelve inches. Upon 

 its head are two tufts of white standing hair ; the facial angle is 

 50o ; the fur very soft. Some are black with yellow feet ; others 

 brown, striped with yellow, hence called striated. When re- 

 moved from its native region to a colder climate, the Marmoset 

 nestles itself among the materials of its bed, out of which it sel- 

 dom emerges. It is very fond of insects : in captivity it will eat 

 scores of the largest cockroaches, with many smaller ones, (re- 

 jecting the wing-cases and legs,) three or four times a day. Its 

 chief and favorite food in the wild state, is the banana, though in 

 that state it is almost omnivorous. 



/. argentalus, (Latin, silvered.) This is the least and most 

 beautiful of the SAGOINS, having silvery colored hair, which 

 pleasantly contrasts with a tail of deep brown, inclining to black- 

 ness. In general habits, it is like the preceding. 



What are the two leading groups of the numerous monkeys found in 

 South America ? What is a marked distinction of the SAPAJOUS ? What 



