526 QUADRUMANA. 



such as to prevent their biting each other, still they could reach each other 

 with their hands, and would often play together, and claw at each other 

 with their hinder paws ; sometimes the Cebus would hook his tail round 

 the limbs of the Diana Monkey, and endeavour to drag him toward him- 

 self; when, by way of retaliation, the latter would seize hold of this unfair 

 lasso of entanglement, and, mounting his pole, drag up the owner after 

 him. Except when irritated by casual causes of annoyance, this Diana 

 Monkey was good tempered, and its movements light and graceful ; but, 

 unfortunately, its constitution soon gave way under the effects of our 

 climate. 



Considering the range of habitat which the Diana enjoys, and that it 

 is indigenous in districts abundantly frequented by Europeans, the 

 scarcity of this Monkey, whether in our collections or vivaria, may 

 appear to be not a little surprising. We have no reason to believe it 

 rare in its native regions ; and its beauty is sufficient to attract attention. 

 Perhaps it frequents the wilder and more wooded parts of the country, 

 avoiding the spots tenanted by Man, and habitually dwelling among the 

 topmost branches of the gigantic trees, composing vast and almost 

 untrodden forests, bordering the course of rivers, and thus escapes observ- 

 ation. Judging from what we know of the few individuals which have 

 been brought alive to Europe, none of its race are better qualified for an 

 arboreal mode of existence ; and we may well believe that a troop of 

 these animals would escape from the hunter, whether European or native, 

 with such celerity, bounding from tree to tree in their course, as t( 

 render pursuit hopeless. 



That the skins of this, and of other beautifully furred Monkeys, 

 might be advantageous, in a commercial sense, and used as are those of 

 the Chinchilla, the Sable, and the Ermine, could they be obtained in 

 sufficient numbers, is not to be doubted ; it is, perhaps, only the dif- 

 ficulties to be overcome in collecting them, which have deterred persons 

 from the attempt. 



