THE UAKARI. 453 



to that of the coaitas they are much sought after for pets. 

 They live exclusively on fruits. 



THE UAKARI. 



On the western side of the River Yapura, near where it 

 pours its waters into the Amazon a forest region inundated 

 during the greater part of the year there lives in small 

 troops, high up among the crowns of the lofty trees, where 

 it feeds on fruits of various descriptions, a small, almost tail- 

 less monkey, its face glowing with the most vivid scarlet hue. 

 Its body, about eighteen inches in height, exclusive of limbs, 

 is clothed from head to tail with very long, straight, shining, 

 whitish hair. Its head, nearly bald, is sprinkled over with a 

 short crop of thin gray hair ; whilst round its ruddy counte- 

 nance, bushy whiskers, of a sandy colour, meet under the chin. 

 It has reddish-yellow eyes. It belongs to the Cebidae family. 

 The Indians call it the white uakari. It inhabits, as far as 

 is known, no other district. 



In spite of its want of tail, it is an active little creature, 

 running up and down the larger branches, but seldom leaping 

 from one to the other. The mothers, as is the custom with 

 the other monkey orders, carry their young on their back. 

 They are highly valued as pets ; but being of a delicate con- 

 stitution, seldom live long when transported from their native 

 district. 



The native hunter, on wishing to obtain one of these 

 creatures alive, goes forth with his blow-pipe, and arrows 

 tipped with diluted wourali poison. This poison, though pro- 

 ducing so deadly an effect on animals, as well as human beings 

 who exist without salt, appears to have little or no effect on 

 salt-consuming Europeans. Salt, indeed, is the great antidote 



29 B 



