i 7 2 APES AND MONKEYS, 



THE TITI MONKEYS. 

 Genus Callithrix. 



The titis, which form the last members of the present group of American 

 monkeys, are distinguished from the squirrel -monkeys by their round and well- 

 formed heads, which are not elongated posteriorly; by their srr.aller eyes, less 

 developed canine teeth, and the much longer hair clothing the tail. They are chiefly 

 inhabitants of Brazil and other parts of the Amazon valley, and are represented 

 by some ten species ; three of which have been exhibited alive in this country. We 

 shall notice only some of the species. 



The red titi of Brazil, (C. cuprea), which belongs to a group in 

 which the fur is soft but intermingled with a number of long, stiff 

 hairs, takes it name from the reddish-bay colour of its hands, which forms a ready 

 means of distinguishing it from the next species. The colour of the upper parts 

 is blackish mixed with grey, but the cheeks, throat, under-parts, feet, and legs are 

 of the same reddish-bay hue as the hands ; the tail being generally rather darker 

 than the back, although instances are known in which it has a white tip. 



The second Brazilian species (C. torquata) is readily distinguished 



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from the last by the white hair of the hands. In general colour it 

 is reddish-brown tending to black, the hairs being red at the root and black at 

 the tips. The face is surrounded by a narrow band of pure white hairs, and there 

 is a narrow reddish-white collar round the neck, from which the species takes its 

 name. The forehead, feet, and tail are quite black. 



The remarkable coloration of this animal has obtained for it among: the Creoles 



o 



of Brazil the name of the Widow Monkey; the white rim round the face, the 

 whitish collar, and the white hands being compared to the veil, handkerchief, and 

 gloves worn by widows in its native country. 



By the natives of Brazil this and other titis are known by the name of 

 Whaipu-sai. Although alluded to as the Moloch titi, it appears, judging by the 

 reference to the long brown hair and the whitish hands, to be this species that was 

 observed by Mr. Bates on the banks of the Tapajos River the great southern 

 tributary of the Lower Amazon. Be the species what it may, his description 

 is the best that we have in English of the habits of the titis. He says that these 

 animals have none of the restless vivacity of the sapajous and their allies, but are 

 dull and listless ; going in small parties of five or six individuals, and having the 

 habit of running above the main branches of the forest trees " One of the speci- 

 mens which I obtained," he observes, "was caught on a low fruit tree at the 

 back of our house, at sunrise one morning. This was the only instance of a 

 monkey being captured in such a position that I ever heard of. As the tree was 

 isolated, the animal must have descended to the ground from the neighbouring 

 forest, and walked some distance to get at it. The species is sometimes kept in 

 a tame state by the natives ; it does not make a very amusing pet, and survives 

 captivity only a short time." 



In Guiana this species is replaced by the closely allied white-chested titi ((7. 



