MONKEY FAMILY. 39 



each other in pillaging gardens and cultivated fields. Their 

 strength and ferocity render them dangerous, even to man. 

 They nearly all inhabit Africa. 



MONKEYS OF THE NEW CONTINENT. 



20. The monkeys of the new world are distinguished from 

 those of the old, by the characters which we have already pointed 

 out ; but their habits are essentially the same. They inhabit the 

 dense forests of this vast continent, and climb the highest trees 

 with the most surprising agility. They all have a very long tail, 

 which sometimes serves them as a balance-pole in maintaining 

 their equilibrium, and some possess the power of wrapping the 

 tail round objects and seizing them with so much strength that 

 the animal can, in this manner, suspend itself from branches, 

 as it would do with a fifth hand. (Plate I, fig. 8, and9.) Accord- 

 ing to the difference in the conformation of the tail, the monkeys 

 of America are divided into two groups, namely ; 



2 1 . The SAPAJOUS, whose tails are prehensile, and for a part 

 of their length without hair, or naked on the inferior surface. 



22. The SAGOUINS, or SAKIS, in which the tail is not prehen- 

 sile, and never naked on the inferior surface. 



23. The SAPAJOUS are more agile than the Sakis, and almost 

 always live upon trees; this group is divided into many genera, 

 one of which, designated by the name of SAJOU, or Sapajou, 

 properly so called, is recognised by its tail being entirely covered 

 with hair ; it is a species of this genus, very common in Guiana 

 and Brazil, which is so frequently brought to Europe and this 

 country, to amuse the public by its tricks and agility. 



24. Other Sapajous known under the name of Alouattes, 01 

 /tow/ ing monkeys, (Plate 1, fiy. 9.) are equally worthy of our 

 attention on account of their cries and the form of their muzzle; 

 they have a pyramidal head, and an oblique visage, the lower 

 jaw is extremely large, and the Os hyoides (hyoid-bone) is formed 

 in the most singular manner; the body of this bone is very large, 

 and consists of an osseous case with thin and elastic parietes, 

 which contains two membranous pouches that communicate 



20. Do the monkeys of the new continent differ in all respects fiom those 

 of the old continent? What are the general characters of monkeys of 

 America ? Upon the difference in the conformation of what part arc the 

 monkeys of America divided ? 



21. What are the characters of the tails of the Sapajous ? 



22. What are the characters of the tails of the Sagouins ? 



23. Which are most active, the Sapajous or Sakis? What are the char- 

 aclers of theSajou? 



24. What are the peculiarities of the Alouattes ? Why are they called 

 howling monkeys ? 



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