PROBOSCIS MONKEY. 85 



distinct species ; but it was afterwards discovered that these supposed two species 

 were founded upon the male and female of the one and only proboscis monkey, in 

 which the two sexes differ considerably in point of size. 



The proboscis monkey is a rather large animal, the combined length of the 

 head and body of the male being about 30 inches, while the tail measures some 

 27 inches. The general colour is a kind of ochre-yellow, the head and upper 

 parts of the body being chestnut. The under parts are lighter ; a large patch on 

 the rump above the root of the tail, as well as the tail itself, together with the 



THE PROBOSCIS MONKEY (^ nat. size). 



fore-arms and lower legs, being greyish-yellow. The forehead is very low, and the 

 dark chestnut hair is directed backwards from a nearly straight line immediately 

 over the eyes ; while the hair of the temples is continued down the sides of the 

 face as whiskers, which meet as a beard beneath the chin. The whole of the large 

 naked face is, therefore, surrounded by a hairy frame. In stuffed or dried specimens 

 the skin of the face fades to a dull leaden hue ; but when the animal is alive the 

 tint is of a reddish-brown flesh-colour. 



The light-coloured area on the loins near the root of the tail usually takes the 

 form of a number of large rectangular spots, producing a very peculiar and 

 characteristic kind of coloration, which is, however, absent in the female. 



