THE AMERICAN MONKEYS— OWL. 



61 



Monkey is the connecting link between the Monk- 

 eys proper and the Half- Monkeys or Lemurs, being 

 nocturnal in its habits like the latter and resembling 

 them in many respects. The head and the expres- 

 sion of the face enable one to distinguish between 

 them and all the preceding Monkeys at a glance. 



SHOET-TAILED MONKEY. This strange looking Monkey has 



its home in the forests of the Upper Amazon, which are inundated 

 through the greater part of the year, and from these trees it never de- 

 scends to the ground. It does not show much activity in swinging or 

 jumping, but runs very nimbly up and down the branches. It is of great 

 interest to naturalists because of its having thirty-six teeth, instead of 

 thirty-two, the number possessed by most of the Monkeys, as well as by 

 Man. (Brac/iyurus calvus.) 



The small, round head has large, owl-like eyes ; 

 the muzzle projects forward but little and is broad 

 and large ; the nostrils open in a downward direc- 

 tion ; the ears are small. The hair of the creature is 

 soft and fluffy, and the bushy tail exceeds the body 

 in length. The nails of the fingers and toes are com- 

 pressed from side to side and curved, suggesting 

 somewhat the idea of claws. 

 About the The Mirikina {Nyctipithecus trivergatus) is 



Mirikina only fifteen inches long, but his tail 



Monkey, measures twenty inches. This animal is 

 thickly clothed with gray or brown fur, while the tip 

 of the tail is black. The forehead is decorated with 

 three black, parallel stripes and a wide, yellowish 

 stripe runs from the neck to the root of the tail. 



The Mirikina ranges over the eastern portion of 

 the warmer parts of South America. Rengger asserts 

 that in Paraguay he is found only on the right side 

 of the river, as far as the twenty-fifth degree of 

 southern latitude. " He spends his life in trees, 

 commencing his hunt for food at night, and retiring 

 early in the morning to a hole in a tree-trunk, where 

 he sleeps through the day." 



The servants of this naturalist while gathering 

 wood once found a couple of these little Monkeys 

 asleep. The frightened animals tried to escape, but 

 were so dazzled with the sunlight that they could 



not climb or jump well. They were easily caught, 

 though they made good use of their sharp teeth. 

 Their bed consisted of leaves, covered with moss, 

 and we may, therefore, conclude that they retire to 

 the same place every morning. Rengger says that 

 they are always found in couples, while Bates asserts 

 that they are also met with in greater numbers. 



The Mirikina A Mirikina caught young is easily 



in a tamed, while an old one always re- 



Captive State. tains its ficrce and wild nature 



They easily bear captivity when well taken care of. 

 Negligence and uncleanness kill them. They should 

 be kept in a spacious cage, or in a room, but not 

 chained up, as they entangle themselves easily in 

 ropes. When captive, they remain all day long in 

 the darkest corner of their place of abode and sleep, 

 sitting with their legs drawn up, the body bent for- 

 ward, and the face hidden in their crossed arms. 

 When one arouses them and does not keep them 

 awake by petting, they go right back to sleep. On 

 bright days they can distinguish no object, and their 

 pupils are very small. When they are brought out 

 of darkness into sudden light, their gestures and 



LOVELY-HAIEED MONKEY. This really beautiful creature is 

 scarcely larger than a Squirrel, and a native of Guiana. The tail is long 

 and bushy, but not prehensile. It is somewhat nocturnal in its habits and 

 feeds upon insects. The head is quite humanlike and the animal is very 

 affectionate in disposition. In captivity it soon comes to know its friends 

 and to distinguish them from strangers. It has a pleasing habit of turn- 

 ing its head to one side when spoken to, as though listening attentively to 

 what is said. ( Callithnx flersonata.) 



plaintive sounds indicate that it is, painful to them, 

 but as soon as evening draws near, they awake, the 

 pupil dilates gradually and finally the iris is hardly 

 perceptible. Their eyes flash like a Cat's or an 

 Owl's and they begin to walk around their cage and 

 look for food. Their movements seem easy, though 



