228 THE NA.TUEAL HISTOBY OF 



walls, most probably in endeavours to escape. The 

 Douroucouli is taken by the natives during the day 

 when asleep, and half concealed in a hollow tree ; and 

 the male and female are sometimes taken in the same 

 hole, as they resemble the last animal described, and 

 live in pairs only. 



This animal is very difficult to tame ; the one 

 above alluded to was carried sometimes in a canoe, 

 sometimes on the back of a sumpter mule ; and al- 

 though caressed by every body, it constantly bit, 

 was seldom playful, and seemed continually occupied 

 with itself. Its nocturnal cry of " Muk-muk," re- 

 sembled the jaguar of America, and it has received 

 from this the name of Titi-ligre. The voice is ex- 

 tremely powerful compared with its siz, and consists 

 in a sort of mewing " e-i-aou" or a very disagreeable 

 guttural cry of " Quer-quer." When irritated, the 

 head is swelled, and in its hissing, and the position of 

 its body, it resembles a cat attacked by a dog; it also 

 strikes in the same manner with its paw, using it 

 with great quickness. 



This animal was seen by Humboldt in the thick 

 forests bordering the Cassiquaire, those at the foot of 

 Mount Duida, and near the Cataracts of the May. 

 pures. 



Such is the substance of Humboldt's description of 

 this very curious animal, and which recedes even far- 

 ther from the typical forms of the quadrumanoua 

 animals than the preceding, and presents a very 



