ORDER QUADRUMANA. 283 



state of captivity, are fruits, bread, and cooked vegetables, 

 particularly carrots and potatoes. It drinks by suction. 

 When angry the jaws move with astonishing rapidity, the 

 movements become abrupt, and its voice is hoarse and 

 rough, though sufficiently soft on other occasions. Having 

 no need of any offensive weapon, it has for defence its 

 strong canines and fingers, of which, the nails, thick and 

 long, make very deep wounds. The natural inclination 

 of the Magot to live in flocks, leads him to adopt the little 

 animals which are presented to him in a state of captivity. 

 He takes them about with him holding them closely em- 

 braced, and is excessively angry if any one endeavours to 

 deprive him of them. Its favourite amusement is cleaning 

 their fur from the slightest impurities, which he invariably 

 carries to his mouth. Whenever the Magot expresses any 

 affection for his master, it is exhibited in the same man- 

 ner by picking and examining his hands and head. These 

 animals, we are assured, manifest the greatest care and 

 tenderness for their offspring, and keep them in the greatest 

 possible degree of cleanliness. The Magots have occasion- 

 ally been reproduced in a state of captivity, but as this 

 phenomenon has occurred only under the observation of 

 careless and ignorant exhibitors, we have no correct in- 

 formation on the subject. 



The largest of this species do not surpass a middling 

 sized dog in dimensions. The average length is about two 

 feet or two feet and a half. The females are generally 

 smaller and gentler than the males, and their canine teeth 

 are little longer than the incisors. 



The ancients were acquainted with the Magot, but it 

 would seem that following Aristotle, they distinguished two 

 species, one of which they called Pithecus, and the other 

 Cynocephalus. For a long time, modern naturalists endea- 

 voured to make a just application of those two names, and 

 for that purpose they made of the females and the young 



