130 



ZOOLOGY. 



[PART IL 



Each separate species has appropriated to itself a 

 different district of the wooded country, and seldom 

 encroaches on the domain of its neighbours. 



1. Of the four species found in Ceylon, the most 

 numerous in the island, and the one best known in 

 Europe, is the Wanderoo of the low country, the P. 

 cephalopterus of Zimmerman. 1 It is an active and 

 intelligent creature, not much larger than the common 

 bonneted Macaque, and far from being so mischievous 

 as others of the monkeys in the island. In captivity 

 it is remarkable for the gravity of its demeanour and 

 for an air of melancholy in its expression and move- 

 ments, which are completely in character with its snowy 

 beard and venerable aspect. Its disposition is gentle 

 and confiding, it is in the highest degree sensible of 

 kindness, and eager for endearing attentions, uttering 

 a low plaintive cry when its sympathies are excited. 

 It is particularly cleanly in its habits when domes- 

 ticated, and spends much of its time in trimming its 



ing monkey, common to the Malabar 

 coast, the Silenus veter, Linn., was, 

 from the circumstance of his pos- 

 sessing a " great white beard," incor- 

 rectly assumed to be the "wande- 

 roo" of Ceylon, described by KNOX ; 

 and under that usurped name it has 

 figured in every author from Buffon 

 to the present time. Specimens of 

 the true Singhalese species were, 

 however, received in Europe ; but in 

 the absence of information in this 

 country as to their actual habitat, 

 they were described, first by Zim- 

 merman, on the continent,* under 

 the name of Leucoprymnus cepha- 

 lopterus, and subsequently by Mr. 

 E. Bennett, under that of Semno- 

 pitlwcus Nestor (Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 pt. i. p. 67 : 1833) ; the generic and 

 specific characters being on this oc- 

 casion most carefully pointed out by 

 that eminent naturalist. Eleven 



Siars later Dr. Templeton forwarded j 

 the Zoological Society a descrip- | 

 tion, accompanied by drawings, of | 



the wanderoo of the western maritime 

 districts of Ceylon, and noticed the 

 fact that the "wanderoo of authors 

 (S. veter) was not to be found in the 

 island except as an introduced species 

 in the custody of the Arab horse- 

 dealers, who visit the port of Colombo 

 at stated periods. Mr. Waterhouse, 

 at the meeting (Proc. Zool. Soc. p. 1 : 

 1844) at which this communication 

 was read, recognised the identity of 

 the subject of Dr. Templeton's de- 

 scription with that already laid before 

 them by Mr. Bennett ; and from this 

 period the species in question was 

 believed to truly represent the wan- 

 deroo of Knox. * The later discovery, 

 however, of the P. ursiniw by Dr. 

 Kelaart, in the mountains amongst 

 which we are assured that Knox spent 

 so many years of captivity, reopens 

 the question, but at the same time ap- 

 pears to me to clearly demonstrate that 

 in this latter we have in reality the 

 animal to which his narrative refers. 

 1 Leucoprymnus Nestor, Bennett. 



