78 ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS. 
with but two exceptions, are of a small size; and although 
of many species, they appear to be few in numerical 
amount, and are fearful of man. The largest are the 
puma and the jaguar ; the latter alone being truly for- 
midable, the rest are principally small tiger-cats of 
several species, beautifully marked and spotted. The 
lion, tiger, panther, leopard, hyena, jackal, and the 
whole list of ferocious quadrupeds so common in the 
intertropical regions of the Old World, are here utterly 
unknown. The tapirs, of which two species are known, 
are the largest quadrupeds yet met with in South Ame- 
rica. The sloths, the ant-eaters, and the armadillos are 
peculiarly Brazilian: the latter are harmless little crea- 
tures, very tameable, and are frequently kept as pets in the 
houses. The scale-covered manis represents this group 
in Africa. The lama, and the other wool-bearing animals 
of that description, appear more peculiar to the elevated 
plains on the Andes of Peru and Chili. Travellers 
mention smajl deer, but the species have not yet been 
well ascertained. 
(111.) Brazil is celebrated for its monkeys ; of which 
large troops are frequently met with in the virgin forests, 
springing from bough to bough with astonishing ce- 
lerity: from the quickness of their motions, and the 
thickness of the foliage, the traveller is only able to 
catch a partial glimpse of them as they cross his path. 
Towards evening he is astonished by dreadful howlings, 
coming from the depths of the forests, and proceeding, 
as he imagines, from some formidable beasts of prey. 
These alarming sounds, however, 
proceed only from the howling 
monkeys (Mycetes ursinus, fig.27.), 
peculiar to tropical America, pos- 
sessing neither size nor ferocity 
' to make them really formidable. 
“ The compass of their voice is so 
Si). astonishingly great, that it may be 
\ heard for miles. They live only 
i’ \ in the most impenetrable recesses ; 
where, perched upon the summit of 
