THE FOX-TAILS. 



183 



With tin's account of the Black Fox-tail we have ventured to combine 

 the description of the Bracht/urus Israelita of Spix, under the couvictioa 

 that it is the young of the same species. The external and other charac- 

 ters, as far as they have been noted, correspond ; and the comparative 

 shortness of the tail, upon which Spix chiefly insists, and readily expli- 

 cable upon our supposition, is an insufficient ground for the formation of 

 a new species. The point, however, requires further elucidation ; and 

 the more so, as the learned Naturalist assigns the forests of the Yapura, 

 a tributary of the Solimoens, near Peru, as the habitat of his Brachyu- 



seizing an object, it extends its arms, and curves its back in a singular 

 manner. As its fingers are exceedingly long and slender, its attempts at 

 grasping are very awkward, and even its mode of feeding. It has a dread 

 of the other Monkeys, and it trembles in every fibre at the sight of a Cro- 

 codile or Serpent. When irritated, a rare circumstance, it opens its 

 mouth in an extraordinary manner, and utters convulsive cries. The 

 little animal, which for a time was the companion of Humboldt, was of a 

 delicate constitution, and died under the effects of a Coup-de-Soleil, not- 

 withstanding all the means which were employed for its recovery. 



4. PITHECIA RUFIVENTER RED-BREASTED FOX-TAIL. 



Syn. Le Saki a ventre houx Cuv. Reg. Anim. I. 103. 



PiTHECiA auFiEAKBATA. — Kuhl, Beitr. — Desra. Mam. No. 88. 



SnviiA PiTHECiA Linn. Gmel. I. 



PiTHECiA EUFivENTEK. — Geoff. Ann. Mus, XIX — Desm. Mam. No. 

 86.— Kuhl, Beitr. 



SiMiA RUFIVENTEE Humb. Obs. Zool. p. 3.58. 



Icon. Le Sakl— Buff. Suppl. VIL pi. 31 — Audeb. Sing. 



PiTHECiA CAPILLAMENTOSA (fern.) — Spix, Sim. et Vespert. Bras. pi. II. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair dark brown above ; red beneath in the male, yellow be- 

 neath in the female ; yellowish-brown on the head ; black on the hands. 

 The Face and Hands dark flesh colour. 

 Inhabits Guiana. 



This animal has been called the Wigged Monkey, a name to which it 

 seems justly entitled; and Spix gives a particular description of no fewer 

 than three wigs ; the first flowing down the shoulders, the second form- 

 ing a marked zone around the face, and the third ascending backward 

 from the eyes. Under this profusion of hair, its ears, which are small, 

 are entirely hid. Audebert informs us, that the tints of colouring 

 vary. 



The habits of this species are not accurately known. From its having 

 received from Buffbn the appellation of the Nocturnal Monkey, it has been 

 inferred that it is taciturn, solitary, feeble, and timid. It lives in thickets; 

 associates in small groups of eight or ten, and is not often met with. 



5. PITHECIA BREVICAUDATA.— SHORT FOX-TAIL. 



Syn. Le CouHTE-QtJEUE Ooakary. — Spix, pi, 13. 



Cebus Ouakary.— Fiscli. Syn. Mam. 

 Icon, Brachyurus Ouakary (mas.) — Spix, Sim. et Vespert. Bras. pi. 8. 



specific characters. 



The Hair on the head, arms, and legs, black ; on the back yellowish- 

 brown ; oil tho thighs and tail ferrugineous ; no beard ; the hair of the 

 forehead distichous. 



The Face and Hands dusky. The Tail short. 



Inhabits the hanks of the Rio Solimoens and Rio Iga. 



To these characters, it is scarcely necessary to add any thing descrip- 

 tive of the animal discovered by Spix. It is of moderate dimensions, and 

 lives in considerable troops, which confine themselves to the woods which 

 skirt the rivers. It is chiefly during the day that these animals make the 

 forests resound with their piercing and savage cries. 



6. PITHECIA MELANOCEPHALA BLACK-HEADED 



FOX-TAIL. 



Srjn. SiMiA MELANOCEPHALA (Cacajao). — Humb. Obs. ZooL p. 316 and 



359. 

 Pithecia MELANOCEPHALA — Gcoff. Ann. Mus. XIX Desra. Mam. 



No. 92 Kuhl, Beitr. 



Icon. Humb. Obs. Zool. pi. 29. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair of the head black ; of the point of the tail, dark brown, 

 elsewhere brown, varied with yellow. 



The Faci; and Hands dusky. 



Inhabits the banks of the Rio Negro and Cassaquiare. 



Our acquaintance with this interesting animal we owe to the exertions 

 of the indefatigable Humboldt. Its countenance has a resemblance to 

 that of an infant, while its expression approximates that of an old Negro. 

 Tile hair of the head is as if all combed forward ; and bristles occupy the 

 place of tlie eye-brows and beard. The ears are quite naked, very large, 

 and more than any of the American Monkeys, like those of Man. The 

 hair is long and shining, and generally copious, except round the neck, 

 where it is nearly wanting. 



This animal is very voracious, hut dull and heavy, feeble, and extremely 

 gentle. It eats all kinds of fruits, not excepting the sourest lemons. In 



7. PITHECIA MONACHUS HOODED FOX-TAIL. 



Syn. Pithecia MONACHL's(Moine) — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX. — Desm. Mam. 

 No. 90.— Kuhl, Beitr. 

 SiMiA MONACHus. — Humb. Obs. Zool. p. 359. 

 Icon. Buff. Hist. Nat. Suppl. VII. pi. 30. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair variegated with large spots of brown and bright yellow ; 

 forming a cowl or hood on the top of the head. 



Inhabits Brazil (probably). 



The whole history of this species, noted by so many respectable autho- 

 rities, is very obscure, and requires revision. It was introduced into the 

 catalogue of Monkeys on the authority of M. Geoffroy-St-Hilaire, from 

 a specimen in the Paris Museum, but of this specimen little was known 

 or determined. Kuhl says it is the least of all the tribe ; its habits and 

 habitat are very doubtful, if not wholly unknown. 



8. PITHECIA AZAR.E.— AZARA'S FOX- TAIL. 



Syn. PrrHECiA Miriqdouin.a Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX, — Desm. Mam — 



Kuhl, Beitr. 



Le JIlRKiuOL'iNA. — D'Azar. Quadr. Parag. II. p. 213. 



SiMiA AZARiE. — Humb. Obs. Zool. p. 359. 

 /con. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair brownish-grey, cianamon colour beneath ; two white spots 

 beneath the eyes. 



Inhabits Paraguay. 



As the distinguished and indefatigable Azara is our only authority for 

 this animal, as for many others of Southern America, and as no plate of 

 it has been published, we give in detail the characters he supplies. The 

 head is very small and almost round; the neck is uncommonly short, and 

 seems even thicker than the head. The whole face to the very eyes is 

 covered with hair, the eyelids and nose, which is prominent, being alone 

 naked. The eye is large ; the iris of a pale brown. The ear, too, is 

 very large, round, hairy, somewhat elevated at the point. The fur is 

 very soft, bushy, and erect, that of the tail alone lying close. The greater 

 part of the body is of a grizzly colour ; the lower parts are of cinnamon 

 hue, and on the face, above the eye, upon the cheek, and under the chin, 

 there is a white marking. The female is of the same colour as the male, 

 and is a trifle less in size, and the young in no respect differs from the 

 markings of its parents. 



Azara drew his description from the examination of three females and 

 one male. He had also seen it domesticated, and learned that it was 

 very gentle aud quiet. 



9. PITHECIA CHIROPOTES CAPUCHIN FOX-TAIL. 



Syn. Soiia Chiropotes (Capuchin de I'Orenoque). — Humb. Obs. Zool. p. 



311 and 358. 

 Pithecia Chiropotes (Capuchin). — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX Desm. 



Mam. No. 85 Kuhl, Beitr. 



Icon, 



specific characters. 



The Hair reddish-brown ; distichous on the head ; the beard very 

 long. 



The Face black and naked. 



Inhabits the banks of the High Orinoco. 



This Monkey, as stated by Humboldt, is one of the most remarkable of 

 South America, though not mentioned by any preceding Naturalist. It 

 is of a reddish-brown colour; its coat long and shining. Its head is oval 

 shaped ; the facial angle about 52° ; the face and palms of the hand are 

 black and naked. The forehead and top of the head are covered with 

 thick and very long hair, lying forwards, and dividing itself over the eyes 

 into two large tufts. The eyes are large and deep-set ; the canine teeth 

 very formidable, and the deep brown beard venerable, extended down the 

 breast. The head, thighs, and tail, are of a deeper tint than the rest of 

 the body. 



