THREE-STRIPED MONKEY. 27 



tremely fond of insects. During damp or cold weather, 

 in a state of nature, or when several are confined in a 

 cage, they crowd as closely together as possible, em- 

 bracing each other with their arms and tails : this latter 

 member, however, is not prehensile. Their great sus- 

 ceptibility to cold renders them, in fact, extremely dif- 

 ficult to be preserved alive ; and they are very seldom 

 brought to our misty islands. We have only once seen 

 a living specimen, then in the possession of a lady at 

 Leamington. Its native country is on the banks of the 

 Orinoco. 



Three-striped Monkey. 



Actus trivirgatus, Humboldt. 



This is another of the interesting subjects first made 

 known to us by the researches of M. Humboldt, who 

 describes it as one of the most remarkable monkeys of 

 South America. According to the account of this well- 

 known traveller, its habits are completely nocturnal ; 

 wandering about only during the night, and retiring 

 into hollow trees, or rather recesses, to sleep away the 

 day. In captivity, it generally composes itself to rest 

 at nine in the morning, and continues in that state until 

 seven in the evening : if, during this period, it is 

 awakened, it becomes melancholy, listless, and stupid, 

 and seems to have much difficulty in opening its large 

 owl-like eyes. M. Humboldt's figure, the only authentic 

 one hitherto published, represents the animal dormant. 

 No sooner, however, does the setting sun bring the re- 

 turn of twilight, which to him is his '' opening day," 

 than our little monkey becomes all life and impetuosity; 

 he then commences his hunt, if unconfined, after small 

 birds, insects, and probably fruits, since he shows no 

 objection to the latter aliment in a state of captivity. 

 This carnivorous disposition may probably account for 

 the extreme difficulty with which this species is tamed. 

 An individual in the possession of our traveller, and 

 which he kept for nearly five months, could not be re- 



