1 88 THE MONKE Y FA MIL Y. 



three long years ; of apes throwing fruit, at stated distances, from 

 orchards into each other's hands ; of apes building habitations for 

 themselves ; of monkeys preaching in the wilderness ; and of others 

 acting the part of skilful surgeons, by stopping hemorrhages and by 

 subduing inflammations. These amusing fables must have been in- 

 vented by designing knaves, to gull some credulous adventurer in 

 want of matter for a book of travels. I never saw anything of the 

 sort in the forests of Guiana. 



There is difficulty in assigning to the monkey family its true place 

 in zoological nomenclature, for monkeys cannot be considered four- 

 footed animals, as they have really no feet, neither are they exactly 

 four-handed animals, as their hind limbs are formed of half-feet and 

 half-hands. Neither can they be named bipeds, although some 

 naturalists would fain make us believe that orang-outangs and chim- 

 panzees will walk upright like ourselves. But this wants explanation. 

 In captivity, I grant that they may be trained to stand and hobble 

 along on their hind limbs ; but in freedom such an exhibition will 

 riot be seen, because monkeys, being inhabitants of trees, and of 

 trees only, an upright position, similar to that of man, would never 

 be required, and if attempted could only be momentary, on account 

 of the nature of the branch upon which the attempt would be made. 

 Certainly, as far as the fore limbs are concerned, they may saiely be 

 pronounced arms and hands ; but, then, how are we to dispose of 

 the hind ones ? Their termination is neither an entire hand nor an 

 entire foot, but, as I have more than once remarked, it is an evident 

 compound of both. The combination of all these four limbs makes 

 a monkey by far the most expert climber of a tree in the world ; and 

 as in form and in habits it differs widely from all known animals, I 

 would suggest to our learned naturalists, who are so very happy in 

 bestowing names, the propriety of coining a new name for the family 

 of the monkey, and assigning it a place apart in the zoological 

 category. 



Ere I close this little treatise, I will venture a recapitulation, as I 

 think it may be of service. Let the young naturalist bear in 

 mind that I have divided the whole of the monkey family into four 

 sections viz., apes, baboons, monkeys with ordinary tails, and 

 monkeys with prehensile ones. 



