THE SAPAJOUS, &c. 173 



baboons, and monkeys. When connpared with 

 each other, we hkewile find that they differ in 

 generic chara£ters ; for all the fapajous have pre- 

 henfile tails, which are fo conftruaed that the 

 animals can ufe them as fingers to lay hold of 

 objefts. This under part of the tail, which 

 they fold, extend, curl up, or unfold at pleafure, 

 and by the extremity of which they fufpend 

 themfelves on the branches of trees, is generally 

 deprived of hair, and covered with a fmooth 

 ikin. The tails of all the fagoins, on the con- 

 trary, are proportionally longer than thofe of 

 the lapajous, and are ftraight, flaccid, and en- 

 tirely covered with hair ; fo that they can nei- 

 ther ufe the tail in laying hold of objeds, nor in 

 fufpending themfelves. This difference alone is 

 fufficient to diftinguifh a fapajou from a fa- 

 goln. 



We know eight fapajous, which may be re- 

 duced to five fpecies : i. The oiiarine or gouartba 

 of Brafil. This fapajou is as large as a fox, and 

 differs from the aloiiate of Cayenne in colour 

 only. The hair of the ouarine is black, and 

 that of the alouate is reddifh ; and, 'as they re- 

 femble each other in every other refped, I con- 

 fider them as belonging to the fame fpecies. 

 2. The coaita, which is black like the ouarine, 

 but not fo large. The exquima feems to be a 

 variety of this fpecies. 3. The/qjou, or fapajou 

 properly fo called, is fmall, of a brown colour, 



and 



