THE RED HOWLER 67 



'No sooner had the bridge cleared the water than the 

 monkeys loosened their grip of one another. In less time 

 than it takes to tell the story, the bridge dropped to pieces, 

 and what never happens to a common bridge the pieces 

 betook themselves to the tops of the trees, and were soon 

 out of sight in the depths of the forest/ 



CO AIT A (A teles paniscus). 



One of the best examples of the Spider Monkey is the 

 Coaita. It is one of the largest of the genus, mainly black 

 with a pink face. Mild and gentle, it is a great favourite 

 with the pet-loving natives of Surinam and Guiana. The 

 monkeys themselves have no cause to be thankful for this 

 fondness, for monkey-flesh is a popular dish. Monkeys are 

 not greatly esteemed as food in the Old World, although 

 they are eaten in some regions for lack of something better ; 

 but in many parts of South America, especially the valley of 

 the Amazon, they figure largely in the everyday fare of the 

 natives. Mr. Wallace found the meat to be not unlike 

 rabbit, but European travellers, when obliged to utilise the 

 monkey, will never consent to serve the head and hands at 

 their tables on account of their hideous resemblance to 

 those of a child. It is not at all improbable that savages 

 have sometimes been accused of cannibalism when they 

 were only indulging in their liking for the quadrumanous 

 beast. The species presented on the plate is the Variegated 

 Spider Monkey (Aides variegatus), Plate IV. Fig. i. 



BED HOWLER (Mycetes seniculus). 

 Coloured Plate II. Fig. i. 



A near relative of the Spider Monkey is the Howler, 

 different species of which vary in length from a foot and 

 a half to three feet, the larger ones being strong and ferocious 

 to a degree. They inhabit the north-eastern parts of South 

 America, and are the largest monkeys in the New World. 

 In nature and disposition they are allied to the baboons. 

 The Red Howler is clothed with red hair, lightening into 



