MONKEY FAMILY. 



35 



and the great strength of their muscular system, permit them to 

 display an astonishing agility, and nature has moreover, supplied 

 many of these animals with a long prehensile tail, which serves 

 them as a fifth hand, in suspending themselves from branches, 

 to balance themselves in the air, and make their spring when they 

 wish to leap from one tree to another. 



5. Monkeys are essentially frugivorous, and their teeth bear a 

 great similitude to those of man. Their molar teeth are tuber- 

 culated like ours, but their canine are much longer. 



6. Monkeys belong to warm countries ; a single species lives 

 wild in Europe, on the rock of Gibraltar, and what is very re- 

 markable, all those of the new world possess characters which 

 distinguish them from those of the old continent. 



7. These zoological characteristics, so strictly in harmony with 

 the geographical distribution of monkeys, have caused them to be 

 divided into two tribes: monkeys of the old world, and monkeys 

 of America. They may be distinguished by the following char- 

 acteristics : 



" Molar teeth ; five on each side, in each jaw, 



(as in man.) 

 Almost always possess ischiatic callosities, 



species of fleshy cushions placed beneath 



tlie pelvis, 



Tail never prehensile. 

 Nares open beneath the nose, and separated 



by a narrow partition. 

 Checks often hollowed into pouches called 



cheek pouches, which communicate with 



the mouth, and serve as reservoirs of food 



obtained by the animal. 



f OF THE 



OLD CONTINENT. 



Molar teeth ; six on each side, and in each 



jaw. 



Inchiaiic callosities never present. 

 Tail, often p-ehensile. 

 Narf-8, almost always separated by a broad 



partition, and open at the sides of the 



5. On what substances do monkeys feed ? What is the character of their 

 molar teeth ? 



6. In what pirts of the wor'd are monkeys found? Are the monkeys of 

 the old and new world alike ? 



7. How are monkey- divided ? How arc monkeys of the old world dis- 

 tinguished from those o^the new ? Wh it is ihe character of the tail ? Haw 

 do the nares open '( How do the narcs of the monkeys of the new conti 

 rent ooen 7 



4 



