THE GRIVET. 



21 



the upper portions. This distinction is peculiarly well marked in the 

 long tail, which is nearly black above, and beneath takes a grayish 

 hue. 



It is a very graceful little creature, playful, but petulant and coquet- 

 tish, disliking to be 

 touched, but fond of 

 notice and nuts, and 

 often balanced in cu- 

 rious perplexity be- 

 tween its coy shyness 

 and the charms of an 

 offered dainty. When 

 in perfect health, it is 

 seldom still, but flits 

 with light grace from 

 one spot to another, 

 performing the most 

 difficult muscular ef- 



1 \ ji The White-nose Monkey (Cfe»com</tecMsPetowHsto). 



ease, and proiouudly 



sensible of the admiration which its pretty antics never fail to excite 



in the spectators. 



It is by no means a large animal, its head and body only measur- 

 ing fifteen or sixteen inches, the tail being 

 little short of two feet in length. 



We now arrive at a group of small 

 monkeys with exceedingly long names. 

 The term "Cercopithecus" is composed 

 from two Greek words, signifying " tailed 

 ape." 



It is worth notice that the word 

 " monkey " is derived from the name of 

 one of this group, the Mona. The di- 

 minutive of Mona is Monikin, the tran- 

 sition from which word to our " monkey " 

 is sufficiently evident. 



The GmvET — or Tota, as it is called 

 by some writers — is of a sombre green 

 color, the green being produced by alter- 

 nate rings of black and yellow on each 

 hair. The limbs and tail are of a grayer 

 tint than the rest of the body, the yellow portion of the hair being 

 changed to a dull white. The inside of the limbs and the abdomen are 

 slightly tinged with white. In the male animal the canine teeth are 



Grivet {Cercopithecus Engythi- 

 ihia). 



