ANIMALS. 439 



The fifth is the mona, or the cephus of the ancients : it is 

 distinguished by its colour, which is variegated with bhick and 

 red ; and its tail is of an ash colour, with two white spots on 

 each side at its insertion. It is a native of the northern parts of 

 Africa.* 



The sixth is the callitrix, or green monkey of St lago, 

 distinguished by its beautiful green colour on the back, its white 

 breast and belly, and its black face.f 



The seventh is the moustoc, or white nose ; distinguished 

 by the whiteness of its lips, from whence it has received its 

 name, the rest of the face being of a deep blue. It is a native 

 of the Gold Coast, and a very beautiful little animal. 



The eighth is the talapoin ; and may be distinguished as 

 well by its beautiful variety of green, white, and yellow hair, as 

 by that under the eyes being of a greater length than the rest. 

 It is supposed to be a native of Africa and the East. 



* If elegance of form, grace of motion, gentleness of disposition, superior 

 sagacity, and penetration, of physiognomy, presented characters to the 

 naturalist proper for the purposes of classification, the Mona, or varied 

 monkey, would, incontestably, serve as a type for peculiar dii ision. It is 

 strikingly distinguished from the other Guenons in general, by these quali- 

 ties, and more especially from the Malbrouk, the Callitrix, and the Grivet. 

 Even the Mangabey, though gentler than the others, is less so than the 

 varied monkey. But this animal has no physical character, to confirm and 

 establish the peculiar distinction to which its moral qualities would seem to 

 entitle it. In truth the species of the varied monkey does not differ essen- 

 tiaUy from the other Guenons but by its colours, and in these we discover a 

 variety, wliich we do not recognise in the other species. Its head is of a 

 brilliant golden green, its back and sides are of a beautiful marron, variegated 

 with black. The exterior portion of the limbs, and of the tail, a pure slate, 

 coloured gray, and its neck, chest, beUy, and the internal facing of the limbs, 

 a shining white. On each side of its cheeks are thick whiskers of a straw- 

 coloured yellow mixed with black points, there are also other variations of 

 colour, which we forbear to insist on, under the fear of becoming tedious. 

 This variety of colour made Buffon imagine that the Mona was the Kebos 

 of the Greeks. But this is mere conjecture. The ancients have rarely des- 

 cribed monkeys so as to enable us to recognise the species of wliich they 

 spoke. They confine themselves to naming the animals, as if they were 

 ignorant that languages partook of tlie destinies of nations, or as if they had 

 written only for the advantage of their contemporaries. The appellation 

 of Mona, a generic name in the East for all monkeys with long tails, has 

 been bestowed by Buffon on tliis species in a manner no less arbitrary. 

 However, as among us this name has no signification, it may assume with 

 out inconvenience this specific acceptation. 



f As this monkey is found in Cape de Verd islands and the neighbouring 

 part of Africa, it is one of a species most frequently imported into Europe. 



