174 STUDIES, SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL 



about the trees like squirrels, and feeding largely on 

 insects as well as on fruit. 



Closely allied to these are the small group of Night- 

 Monkeys (Nyctipithecus), which have large e3^es, and a 

 round face surrounded by a kind of ruff of whitish fur, 

 so as to give it an owl-like appearance, whence they are 

 sometimes called owl-faced monkeys. They are covered 

 with soft grey fur, like that of a rabbit, and sleep all day 

 long concealed in hollow trees. The face is also marked 

 with white patches and stripes, giving it a rather carnivor- 

 ous or cat-like aspect, which, perhaps, serves as a protec- 

 tion, by causing the defenceless creature to be taken for 

 an arboreal tiger-cat or some such beast of prey. The cut 

 (Fig 39 on the preceding page) well represents the pecu- 

 liarities of these remarkable monkeys. 



This finishes the series of such of the American monkeys 

 as have a larger number of teeth than those of the Old 

 World. But there is another group, the Marmosets, form- 

 ing the sub-family Hapalidse, which have the same number 

 of teeth as Eastern monkeys, but differently distributed 

 in the jaws, a pre-molar being substituted for a molar 

 tooth. In other particulars they resemble the rest 

 of the American monkeys. These are very small and 

 delicate creatures, some having a body only seven inches 

 long. The thumb of the hands is not opposable, and instead 

 of nails they have sharp compressed claws. These diminu- 

 tive monkeys have long non-prehensile tails, and they have 

 a silky fur often of varied and beautiful colour. Some 

 are striped with grey and white, or are of rich brown or 

 golden brown tints, varied by having the head or 

 shoulders white or black, while in many there are crests, 

 frills, manes, or long ear tufts, adding greatly to their 

 variety and beauty. The species figured (on the opposite 

 page) is of beautiful yellow and white tints, and is found 

 in the valley of the Madeira, one of the great southern 

 tributaries of the Amazon. The little marmosets are timid 

 and restless ; their motions are more like those of a squirrel 

 than a monkey. Their sharp claws enable them to run 

 quickly along the branches, but they seldom leap from bough 



