70 APES AND MONKEYS. 



chief one bv -which these monkej-s are distinguished from some closelj' allied 

 African monkeys. The row of long stitf black hairs seen in our figure, projecting 

 from above the eyebrows of the langiii-s, is anotlier feature by which these monkej-s 

 may be easily recognised. Further, the skulls of all the langui-s may be readily 

 distinguished from those of all other monkeys, with the exception of the allied 

 African gi'oup mentioned above, by the circumstance that the aperture for the 



THE HAXDmXs MONKET, OR TRrE LANGUR. 



nostrils, which is exceedingly narrow, extends upwards between the sockets for the 

 eyes, instead of stopping at about the level of their lower border. 



Almost the earliest account that we have of the langurs relates to those of 

 Ceylon, and was given in the year 1681 by one Robert Knox, an English seaman, 

 who for nearly twenty j^ears had been a prisoner in that i.sland. Knox says that 

 some of the Singalese monkeys " are as large as our English spaniel dogs, of a 

 darkish-grev colour, and black faces, -with great white beards round from ear to 

 ear, which make them show just like old men. They do but little mischief, keeping 



