THE WEEPERS. 



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There is no genus of Mammiferoiis animals, wherein the species are 

 so difficult to characterize as the present. The earlier writers admitted 

 but few species. Brisson recognised three, Linnjeus four, Graelin six, 

 BufTun two, and the Baron Cuvier thought that possibly there miglit only 

 be one. A more accurate acquaintance with these animals serves to an- 

 nounce that tlieir species are fully as numerous as the Guenons of the 

 Old World ; that there exists much constancy in their distinctive charac- 

 ters ; that the observed variations in the colours of their hair are incon- 

 siderable; and that the differences in their external markings must be 

 ascribed rather to t!ie internal organization of each species and its influence 

 upon their colouring, than to external and accidental circumstances. 



The lists of systematic writers are in general very incorrect, and the 

 catalogue of doubtful species more numerous than might be desired. We 

 think, however, that twelve species may be safely admitted in 'he pre- 

 sent state of our knowledge, without much risk of ultimate error.' 



(A.) Proper Weepers. (Sajous.) 



Some of the Weeper Monkeys have the liair on the forehead of 

 a uniform length. 



I. CEBUS .\PELLA.— COMMON BROWN WEEPER. 



Syn. Le Sajou Cuv. Reg. Aniin. I. 102. 



Cebus Apella — Erxl. — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX Desm. Main. 



SiMiA ApELi.A — Linn. Gmel. I Humb. Obs. Zool. p. 3.55. 



Capl'cin Monkey Penn. Quadr. No. 185. 



Icon. Le Sajou brun. — BufF. Hist. Nat. XV. pi. 4. 



Le Sajou Audeb. Sing Mem. Mus. (male and female). 



Sai (var.) — F. Cuv. et Geoff. Hist. Mam. 



SPECIFIC CHAIIACTERS. 



The Hair black on the head and hands ; lirown on the back, breast, 

 and belly; yellowish-white on the arms, shoulders, and sides of the face 

 and forehead ; a black band along the cheek. 



The Face dark brown. 



Inhabits Guiana. 



It was doubtless from confounding this species with several of its con- 

 geners, that the Baron Cuvier and others were led to suppose that it 

 undergoes much variation. We have seen many specimens of the Com- 

 mon Brown Weeper, and have found them to bear so minute a resem- 

 blance to each other, as to leave no doubt as to their specific distinctness 

 from all those so-called varieties. The " Sajou" of Audebert accu- 

 rately represents this species ; and it must be noticed that his figure does 

 not differ more from the " Sai" of M. Frederic Cuvier, than might have 

 been anticipated from the circumstance that the latter is drawn after the 

 living animal, and the former from a stuffed specimen. 



The characteristic colours of this species already mentioned result from 

 hairs, which are, throughout their entire length, of the same colour as the 

 points. Each cheek is divided into two parts by a dark band, arising near 

 the anterior margin of the ear, from the black cowl on the top of the head, 

 and passing in a curved line downwards to the chin, so as to meet the 

 corresponding band of the other cheek. All the hairs are silky and soft, 

 occasionally assuming a woolly appearance. The skin of the hands and 

 face, as well as of the parts covered with hair, is dark brown. 



2. CEBUS GRISEUS.— GREYISH WEEPER. 



Syn. Cebusgriseus. — Desm. Mam Fisch. Syn. Mam. 



Icon. Le Sajou gris Buff. Hist. Nat. XV. pi. 5. 



Le Sajod male. — F. Cut. et Geoff. Hist. Mam. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair yellowish-brown above ; lighter beneath ; a black cowl on 

 the top of the head ; the cheeks, breast, shoulders, and fore-arms, white. 

 The Face and Ears flesh-coloured. The Hands dark violet. 

 Inhabits 



Of this animal there is little particular to record, so much is the char- 

 acter of the genus likewise that of the species. We are not certain of its 

 native country, which may probably be French Guiana. All its hairs are 



silky, long, thick, and always grey at their base, whatever may be their 

 colour at the points. The hinder part of the head, the neck, back, sides, 

 the hinder part of the thighs, and the upper surface of the tail, are yellow- 

 ish-brown ; the abdomen and lower part of the thighs are of the same 

 colour, but paler, and tlie under surface of the tail is of a dirty yellow ; on 

 the top of the head there is a black patch or cowl. The fore-part and 

 sides of the head, the upper-part of the arms, the anterior surface of the 

 fore-arm, the neck, and breast, are white. The face and ears are flesh- 

 coloured, the hands and feet of a dark violet, and this colour prevails upon 

 the scrotum ; all these parts are nearly destitute of hair. 



3. CEBUS CAPUCINUS CAPUCHIN WEEPER. 



Syn. Le Sai — Cuv. Reg. Anim. I. 102. 



Ceeus Capucinus. — Erxl — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX Desm. Mam. 



SiMiA CAPUcrNA. — Linn. Gmel. I. — Humb. Obs. Zool. p. 355. 



Weeper Monkey. — Penn. Quadr. I. No. 136. 

 Icon. Le Sai Buff. Hist. Nat. XV. pi. 8. — Audeb. Sing. 



Sajou brun (femelle) F. Cuv. et Geoff. Hist. Mara. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTl'RS. 



The Hair dusky brown, witli golden reflections ; lighter on the face, 

 shoulders, and fore-arms ; a black cowl on the top of the head, ending in 

 a point on the centre of the forehead. 



The Face and Hands violet-grey. 



Inhabits Guiana. 



This animal has its muzzle remarkably thick and short ; its entire body 

 is covered with soft and silky liairs, which are dusky brown throughout 

 the greater part of their length, but are bright golden yellow at the points, 

 communicating a greenish tinge to the animal, when viewed by a trans- 

 mitted light, and emitting bright golden reflections, if seen obliquely. The 

 fore-arms, the fore-part of the slioulders, the cheeks, and the temples as 

 far as the ears and the sides of the forehead, are of a lighter brown ap- 

 proaching to yellow ; the top of the head is black, in the form of a cowl, 

 which is prolonged over the eyes, and ends in a point about the centre of 

 the forehead. The dorsal line is darker than the other parts of the body ; 

 the hair is light, and very scanty beneath. The skin on all the naked 

 portions of the body is of a violet-grey. 



4. CEBUS HYPOLEUCUS WHITE-THROATED WEEPER. 



Syn. Cebus hypoi.eocus. — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX Desm. Mara. 



Simia hvpolelca (Cariblanco) — Humb. Obs. Zool. p. 337 and 356. 

 Icon. Sai a gorge blanche male. — F. Cuv. et Geoff. Hist Mam. 



Sai a gorge blanche var. A. — Audeb. Sing. 



Buff. HisL Nat. XV. pi. 9. 



SPECIFIC characters. 



The Hair on the arms and sides of the head white ; on the neck and 

 breast yellowish-white ; elsewhere black. 



The Face, Forehead, and Ears, flesh-coloured. The Hands, and 

 other parts of the body, violet-grey. 



Inhabits the Banks of the Magdalena. 



The White-throated Weeper is one of the species most commonly met 

 with in Europe, where it is brought from Brazil or Guiana. Humboldt 

 found several individuals near the Rio Sinu, and was informed by the 

 Indians that they lived together in numerous troops, wholly distinct from 

 the Common Brown Weepers (C. Apella). 



The entire face, forehead, and ears, are naked, and of a pure flesh co- 

 lour. The hands, and all the inferior parts of the body, likewise naked, 

 are of a violet-grey. The hair is white on the sides of the cheeks, and 

 on the arms from the elbows to the shoulders ; on the neck and breast 

 they are yellowish, but elsewhere of a very deep black. M. Frederic 

 Cuvier remarks, that " the White-throated Weeper alone has the point 

 of its tail naked, but not by any means to the extent of the Coiiita Spider. 

 Monkey, for example. This character," he adds, " is proper to the 

 species, and may serve to distinguish it from all other Sapajoos." The tails 

 of all the Weepers are liable to lose their hair at the point from friction, 

 and even sometimes they may become callous ; but that this is not a char- 



' It will be readily perceived that we here depart widely from the views of the Baron Cuvier regarding the species of this genus. His observations, sufficiently vague, 

 have now become, through the progress of science, in many respects obsolete; they are as follows : — ■ -c u a } 



" The Sajous and Sais differ so much from brown to yellowish and whitish, that one would be tempted to constitute them into so many distinct species, if we had not also 

 the intermediate varieties. Such are the Simia trepida, syrichta, lu.'ubris. and flavia of Linnjeus and Schrebcr, as well as some of those which aie distinguished by Ocofiroy 

 (Ann. Mus. XIX. 1 1 1 and 112). Spix, again, has multiplied these species to a still greater extent, and on very insufficient grounds. We should appr..xiraate to the Sajou 

 (C. Apella, Linn.; the C. robuslus of Prince Maximilian, which even appears to us nothing more than an adult Sajou. The Mdcrocephalus of Spix, pi. 1, does not appear 

 to belong to a diff.Tent species. We approximate to the Sai (Simia Capucina, Linn.), the Sai a gorge blanche of Buffon (G. hypoleucus) ; the C. libldinosus of bpix, 

 pi. 2 ; the C. xanthosternus of Prince Maximilian, or C. xanthocephalus of Spix, pi. 3 ; and the C. cuculatus, Id. pi. 6. We would rather be disposed to regard as distinct 

 species, the Sajou a pieds doris of Fred. Cuvier; the Sajou brun or C. unicolor of Spix, pi. 4 ; and the Simia flava of Schreber, pi. 31, B. from which the O. gracilis of 

 Spix, pi. 5, appears to differ merely in the stuffing ; but we are still in want of numerous observations made in the localities where these animals inhabit, before we can b» 

 satisfied that the species are not arbitrarily determined." . ,.- 



" After the Sajou cornu (Simia fatuellus, Linn. Gmel.) should come the C. cirrifer of Geoff, and a Cebus of the same name of Prince Maximilian, but which is different, 

 C. cristatus of Fred. Cavier." 

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