40 MONKEY FAMILY. 



with the larynx. The air finds its way into these cavities, and 

 gives to the hoarse and disagreeable voice of these animals, a 

 tone which has rendered them celebrated, and obtained for them 

 the name of howling monkeys. Their howling, as travellers tell 

 us, may be heard for more than a half a league around, and has 

 something so fearful in it, that it may be mistaken for the noise oc- 

 casioned by the sliding away of mountains. It is particularly at 

 the rising or setting of the sun, or the approach of a storm that 

 they make the forest echo to their frightful cries, and it appears 

 they sometimes have recourse to this howling to alarm their ene- 

 mies. These monkeys are very common in the great forests of 

 Brazil. 



25. The ATELES, (Plate. I, fig. 8.) are the Sapajous in which 

 the thumbs are wanting on the anterior extremities. 



26. Most of the SAKIS or Sagouins live in shrubberies, and are 

 less active than the preceding. 



Some species never quit their retreat except about twilight, 

 and there are some that are altogether nocturnal in their habits. 



FAMILY OF OUISTITIS. 



27. This little group which is nearly related to the family of 

 monkeys, and which for a long time was confounded with it, is 

 peculiar to the new world, and yet, the Ouistitis differ less from 

 the monkeys of the old continent than from those of America : 

 in fact, like these last, they have but twenty molar teeth. The 

 Ouistitis are small, agreeable looking animals, wi^h a round head, 

 flat face, lateral nostrils, without either callosities or cheek-pouches, 

 and a bushy tail which is not prehensile. (Plate \,fig. 10.) On the 

 anterior extremities their thumbs are scarcely opposable to the 

 other fingers ; and all their fingers, except the thumb of the 

 posterior extremities, are armed with compressed nails which are 

 pointed like claws ; by the aid of these nails they climb trees 

 like squirrels, for, the conformation of their hands does not per- 

 mit them to seize hold of branches like monkeys, to which the 

 name of duadrumana is much more applicable. They live upon 

 trees and are reputed to be gay, capricious, irascible and always 

 in motion. 



FAMILY OF MAKIS. 



28. The animals which belong to this family have the four 

 thumbs well developed and opposable to the other fingers ; but, 



25. What are the peculiarities of the Ateles ? 



26. What are the habits of the Sakis ? 



27. What peculiarities characterise the Ouistitis ? Have they callosities? 

 What is the position of their nostrils? What is the character of their nails? 



28. How arc the Makis distinguished from other monkeys ? 



