NIGHT-MONKEYS. 



185 



3. NYCTIPITHECUS VOCIFERANS.— NOISY NIGHT-MONKEY. 



Syn. NYCTIPITHECUS VOCIFERANS (Le Babillard Bron) — Spii, p. 25. — Less, 

 in Diet. Class. XV. 

 Ceeus VOCIFERANS. — Fisch. Syn. Mam. 

 Jean. Spix, Sim. et Vespert. Bras. pi. 19 (fem.) 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair wholly of a brown colour, paler underneath. 



The Face and Hands brown. No beard. Tail scarcely longer than 

 the body. 



Inhabits the Forests of Solimoens near Tabatinga. 



As already stated, this species is introduced upon the authority of 

 Spix, and adopted by Fischer and Lesson. We are led to understand it 

 is smaller in size, is beardless, and that the tail is scarcely longer than the 



body. It has the same slender body, but is almost entiiely of a brown 

 colour. The two species have much the same habits, sleeping through- 

 out the day, and being active during the night, chattering loud in small 

 companies. Though not easily caught, yet the Indians, on discovering 

 their retreats, soon capture them, as the strong day-light almost blinds 

 them. 



This animal has a white marking both above and below the eye ; there 

 are some dark brown streaks on the forehead, and the fur is paler 

 coloured under the belly. The ears are not so large as in the last spe- 

 cies, nor is the tail so long. Both species are very timid, retiring, cleanly, 

 and delicate. 



The natives speak of another nearly aUied species, which they call 

 Xiipara, and Spix considers it probable there may be several in the forests 

 cf Solimoens. 



FAMILY II, HAPALE.— MARMOUSETS. 



St/n. Les Ouistitis Cuv. Reg. Anim. I. 104. 



SiMiA (in part). — Linn. Gmel. I. 



Hapale (from airxT^os, to/0.— Illig. Prodr. p. 71.' 



Arctopitheci (Aectopitbeqces) Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX. 118. 



GENUS HAPALE.— Illig. 



CHARACTERS OF THE FAMILY AND GENUS. 



General Form approaching to that of Man. 



Claws on the thumbs of the fore-hands, and on all the fingers. Nails only on the hinder thumbs. 



T, r, V J2-fC-K3F+2)M_16 -, 



The Dental Formula =|^X_J^___^_-_3-. 



Inhabit the tropical parts of America. 



The Marmousets, forming a small group like the Sakis, have long 

 been confounded with the great family of Apes or Monkeys. In 

 fact, they resemble the Apes of America, in having the head round, 

 the face flat, the nostrils lateral, and the buttocks hairy ; they have 

 no cheek-pouches, and their tail, like that of the Sakia, is not pre- 

 hensile. They differ from them, however, in having only twenty 

 molar teeth like the Apes of the Old Continent ; all their nails or 

 claws are compressed and pointed, excepting those of the iiinder 

 thumbs, while the thumbs of the fore-hands are so slightly separated 

 from the fingers, that one would almost hesitate in applying the 

 term quadrumanous to this family. 



They are diminutive animals, of an agreeable form, and are easily 

 tamed. 



We have now in the foregoing pages taken a survey of the Apes of the 

 Old World, and, latterly, of the majority of those of the other hemi- 

 sphere. A small group still remains, which M. Geoffroy-St-Hilaire 

 formed into a section of the Apes of the New World. This section, the 

 Arctopillicques of the last named Naturalist — the Hapale of llliger, has 

 been subdivided by many Naturalists into the Jacc/ius and il//rfnj, while 

 Mikan, in his splendid work on the Fauna of Brazil (Delectus Fhra et 

 FaunCE Brasiliensis), has arranged it into three minor divisions. Without 

 doubting the existence of the minor distinctions pointed out by these ce- 

 lebrated writers, we think that the purposes of modern classification will 

 all be satisfied by arranging them in one family ; and, with Desmarest, 

 Uanz.TOi, and especially with M. Isidore GeofTroy-St-Hilaire, we shall 

 consider them as forming a single genus. 



Of the principal characteristics of the Ap" family, namely, four vertical 

 incisors in each jaw, flat nails on the fingers and toes, and a complete os- 

 sified case for the lodgment of the eyes, the family of the Marmousets 

 possesses the last alone. Comparing this family, again, with the other 

 Monkeys of the New World, we find, while the latter have 3G teeth, 

 the former have only 3'2, agreeing herein with the Apes of the Old 

 World. The form of their teeth, moreover, differs from those of both 

 the foregoing groups. The incisors are oblique and prominent, more es- 

 pecially those of the upper jaw, which are also broad: those of the lower 

 jaw are much longer and narrower ; the lateral incisors are much shorter. 

 The three false molars have a point at their external edge, and a heel on 

 their internal ; the two true molars of the upper jaw are tricuspidate, 

 those of the lower have four tubercles. Not only are these Marmousets 

 destitute of some leading characters of the Apes, but, literally, they do not 

 deserve the name of Quadrumana. Their upper extremities are not true 

 47 



hands ; and this is not owing, as in the Sapajoos and others, to the want 

 or rudimentary state of the thumb, but because it is not sufficiently free, 

 and hence cannot be opposed to the fingers ; moreover, it is not armed 

 with a nail but a claw. The tail is always longer than the body, and 

 thickly clad. The fur is gener.illy long, bushy, and very soft to the 

 touch ; its colours are usually brilliant and beautiful. 



Like most other Monkeys they live among trees ; and though desti- 

 tute of the grasping hands of some, and the prehensile tails of others, 

 the deficiency is made up by their claws, which enable them to 

 climb like Birds, and to the very summits of the loftiest trees, 

 where their more weighty and powerful associates and foes cannot follow 

 them. 



Little is known of the habits of these beautiful little creatures in their 

 native haunts ; but many of the species have been imported into Europe, 

 and as here they thiive with due care, and even propagate, their man- 

 ners are not wholly unknown. Interesting notices will appear under 

 many of the species, and we shall here introduce only a fevi anecdotes 

 illustrative of their mental powers as observed by M. Audouin in the 

 Common Marmouset. Daily experience shows that a Dog placed before 

 a mirror does not recognise his likeness, and is still less capable of receiv- 

 im any peculiar impression from the most striking picture. M. Audouin, 

 however, assures us from innumerable observations, that it was very dif- 

 ferent with his Monkeys ; and that in a picture they could recognise not 

 only their own likeness, but also that of other animals. Thus the picture 

 of a Cat, and, which is even more remarkable, even that of a Wasp, 

 would put them in terror, whilst if a Beetle or Lady-bird was represented 

 on the canvas, they would dart upon it for their prey. This single fact 

 seems to indicate very considerable intelligence, and it is supported by 

 others. One day one of M. Audouin's pets, in eating a grape, squirted 

 some of the juice into its eye ; and never afterwards would it eat grapes 

 but with its eyes shut. Alarmed at the picture of a Wasp, their panic, 

 as will readily be supposed, is much greater for a real one. Thus we are 

 told that one day a Wasp being attracted to their cage by a lump of sugar, 

 the two Monkeys instantly retreated to the most remote corner. On this 

 M. Audiuin, havingcaught the Wasp, approximated it to them, when they 

 violently shut their eyes, and hid their heads between their hands. They 

 were exceeding fond of the smaller insects, which they seized with ad- 

 dress ; also of sugar, roasted apples, and eggs ; they never would eat any 

 kind of nuts, or acid fruits ; they also declined meat ; but they instantly 

 seized and devoured small living Birds. Their sight was very acute; and 

 their curiosity insatiable; they were very capricious, but became familiar 

 with their keepers. Their cry was various, according to the diflx'tent 

 emotions which agitated them. 



