64 



THE MONKKYS OF THE NEW WORLD. 



milk. It continued in its error for about three 

 weeks, but after that period quitted the fostering 

 wig, and by its amusing tricks became the friend 

 and favourite of the whole family.*" 



The fate of this " baboon" was even more pitiable 

 than that of Wallace's young mias. Managing to 



Fig. 15. — The Barrigudo (Lagoihrix Humboldli) 



get access to the young entomologist's collection 

 he began to devour the insects, pins and all, and 

 in consequence perished in agony. 



The Woolly Monkeys {Lagothrix). 



The Lagothrix Hjimboldti, the Barrigudo 

 of the native.s. fig. 15, approaches the howl- 

 ing monkey.s in size (about 28 inches with- 

 out the tail) and the general shape of its 



thickset body. But it lacks the well-developed 

 vocal apparatus of these creatures, merely 

 emitting a monotonous subdued howl, which 

 is not heard at any great distance. The 

 fur is very dense and woolly, especially on 

 the back. In a state of freedom 

 it is described by all as slow 

 and deliberate in its movements; 

 but as to its disposition, while 

 by some it is spoken of as good- 

 humoured and gentle, by others 

 it is denounced as ill-natured, 

 intrusive, and apt to bite. It is 

 even said to attack the Indians 

 by throwing branches of trees and 

 fruits at them. The observations 

 made on captive specimens agree 

 rather with the representations of 

 the former. When wounded they 

 fall from the trees, but defend 

 themselves, especially when they 

 can reach the trunk of a tree, in 

 the most determined manner with 

 their teeth and hands, all the fin- 

 gers on which (though not the 

 thumbs) are armed with curved 

 pointed nails. At the same time 

 they call their comrades to their 

 aid by a peculiar shrill cry, while 

 the more subdued cry of death 

 urges the latter to rapid flight. 

 The dense fur of the .species in 

 our illustration, a covering absent, 

 however, from the abdomen and 

 loins, is slate-gray, but darker 

 on the back. 



The Spider-monkeys {Ateles). 



The members of this genus correspond in 

 the slenderness of their body, length and 

 thinness of the limbs, and the rudimentary 

 character or entire absence of the thumb, to 

 the African Colobi. The species shown in 

 fig. 16 is the Miriki {^A. eriodes), which has a 

 dense woolly fawn-coloured fur, and a rudi- 



