i66 THE T A L A P O I N. 



* from a religious principle, allow to multiply 

 ' without end, are fo familiar, that numbers of 

 'them perpetually enter the houfes; and the 

 ' fellers of fruits and confections have much 

 ' difficulty in prcferving their wares *.' 



M. Edwards has given a figure and defcrip- 

 tion of a monkey, under the denomination ot 

 the nnddle-fized black ape, which feems to make 

 a nearer approach to the talapoin than any other. 

 I here add Edwards's defcription f, and refer to 

 the figure lie has given, that the reader may 

 compare the two animials. If the fize and co- 

 lour be excepted, they have fuch a refemblance 

 to each other, that they may be regarded as fpe- 

 cies very nearly allied, if not varieties of the 

 iame. In this cafe, as we are not certain that 



our 



* Hid. gen. des Voyages, tom. lo. p. 67. 



t This monkey was about the fize of a large cat, of a 

 gentle nature in ri;fpei5i: to any one. He loved playing with a 

 kitten, as moll monkeys do. He was a little vicious, according 

 t? their nature, being a male. 



His liead was pretty round ; the (kin of the face of a tawny 

 flefli-colo\ir, thinly covered with black hair: The cars were 

 fliaped like the human. The eyes were of a reddifli hazel 

 colour, with black pupils. The hair was long above the 

 eyes, and the eye-brows joined together ; it was alfo long on 

 the temples, \vhich partly covered the cars. The head, back, 

 arms, legs, and tail, were covered with pretty long, loofe, 

 diifky, black hair, not very harfh, or over foft. His breall, 

 belly, &c. were almoft bare of hnir, of a duflcy flclli colour, 

 with two nipples on the breaft. The four paws were all of 

 them formed fomething like a human hand ; they are covered 

 with black foft fliin, h.ivliig lictie or no hair on them; tlie 

 nails are fiat; Ed''Mardi's Gleanings, p. 221. 



I 



