234 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL.69 



of the early account of monkeys in Panama by Lionel Wafer (1729, 

 p. 330) may have been based on observation of this species. 



Geoffroy's spider monkey was not met with by me in the Canal 

 Zone, but the species was recorded by Alston (1879, P- &) from 

 Colon, as living in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London. 

 It is known to range in western Panama whence a specimen was 

 referred by Sclater ( 187 J. p. 4) to Ateles melanochir. tie says : 

 " There is also in the British Museum a skin of this Spider Monkey 

 procured by Salvin's collector Arce near Calovevora, in Veragua." 

 Since the species is not included in the more recent and extensive 

 collections made in Chiriqui by W. W. Brown, Jr., and J. H. Batty, 

 it may not be very common there. It appears, however, to be better 

 known throughout much of Costa Rica. 



One was killed by a native hunter at about 2,000 feet altitude on 

 Cerro Brujo near Porto Bello. A troop of 12 or 15 was seen by me 

 near the Cascajal River, at the base of this mountain, but quickly 

 escaped by climbing through the tall trees up a steep slope. At about 

 800 feet altitude on Cerro Aznl. near the headwaters of the Chagres 

 River, I came suddenly upon a small party the exact number of which 

 I was unable to determine. Here I was especially impressed by the 

 remarkable climbing powers of the animal. Some of them were 

 seen to run along large horizontal limbs mainly on their hind feet, 

 but holding. on also with both hands and tails. Arriving at the end 

 of a branch a tremendous flying leap carried one across an interven- 

 ing space to another tree. The species was free from the larvae of 

 flies which infest the howling monkeys and the flesh is more highly 

 prized as food by the natives. 



Specimens examined: Cerro Azul, 2; Cerro Brujo, 1. 



ATELES DARIENSIS Goldman 



Darien Black Spider Monkey 

 [Plate 38, figs. 2, 2a] 

 Ateles daricnsis Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, Vol. 28, p. 101, 

 April 13, 1915. Type from near head of Rio Limon, Mount Pirre, eastern 

 Panama (altitude 5,200 feet). 

 Eastern Panama is inhabited by a rather small spider monkey easily 

 recognizable by its uniform black color from the " mono Colorado " 

 or reddish species, Ateles geoffroyi. The monkey appears to be a 

 Darien representative of the A. ater group of South America. The 

 type from the heavy forest near the summit of Mount Pirre was the 

 only example taken by me. The species was not encountered in the 

 course of my work in the Canal Zone, but Sclater (1872, p. 5) men- 

 tions several living specimens received by the Zoological Society of 



