MAMMALIA — WEEPER. 85 



and the alouatos assemble in the woods ; that one among them seats himself 

 on an elevated place, makes a sign with his hand to the rest to scat them- 

 selves round him ; as soon as he sees them all seated, he begins an oration 

 ^vith so quick and loud a voice, that, at a distance, it might be imagined they 

 were all making a noise together. During the whole discourse, the rest 

 keep a profound silence, and when it is ended, he naakes a signal to the 

 rest to answer him, and immediately they all set up a cry together, till by 

 another sign with his hand he orders them to be silent; when they are 

 immediately obedient and quiet. Then the first renews his discourse, or 

 his song, which when finished, and the others have paid the utmost atten- 

 tion to it, the whole assembly breaks up and separates." This singular 

 noise is made by the instrumentality of a long bony process in the throat. 

 According to the same author, " the face of the warine is broad, the eyes 

 black and sparkling, the ears short and round, the tail naked at the extremi- 

 ty, with which it holds firmly whatever it encircles ; the hair of the body is 

 Islack, long, and glossy ; it is much longer under the chin, which forms a 

 kind of round beard : the hair on the hands, feet, and a part of the tail, is 

 brown. The male is of the same color as the female, and only differs 

 from it in being a little larger. The females carry their young on their 

 backs, and thus loaded leap from branch to branch, and from tree to tree. 

 The young one clasps the narrowest part of the body of the mother with 

 its hands and arms, and thus holds itself firmly fastened, whatever motion 

 its parent makes. In other respects, these animals are wild and mischiev- 

 ous : they can neither be tamed nor subdued, and bite dreadfully. As they 

 live only on fruit, grain, and some insects, their flesh is not bad eating. It 

 is like that of the hare, but a little sweetish, for which reason a good quan- 

 tity of salt is put to that which is roasted : the fat is the color of its hair. 

 They are both lively, active, and very pleasing by their tricks and nimble- 

 ness. They are, however, fantastical in their tastes and affections : they 

 seem to have a strong inclination for some people, and as great an aversion 

 for others. They are natives of French Guiana. They usually live in 

 troops of from twenty to forty individuals. They often whistle, and when 

 they are enraged they shake their heads violently, and utter, in a ferocious 

 tone, the syllables. Pi, ca, rou.^'' 



THE S A I , OR W E E P E R .1 



TitAVELLEKs havc described these animals by the name of hoivlen', from 

 their plaintive moan. Others have called them mush monkeys, from their 



' Cebus apella. The ^enus Crbus has four upper and four lower incisors ; two upper 

 and two lower canines ; six upper and six lower molars. Superior incisors larg'er than the 

 inferior ; canines more or less stron^-, those of the males being much more so than the 

 females ; head round, muzzle short, foreljead a little prominent; occiput projecting behind ; 

 facial angle, about sixty degrees ; ears rounded ; hyoid bone, not projecting ; tail prehen- 

 sile, but entirely covered with hair. 



