16 



ORDERS OF MAMMALS— APES AND MONKEYS 



possible, and meanwhile seizing and holding in 

 his hands as many more of the struggling insects 

 as his absurd little paws could grasp. 



This creature is a skilful climber, and it is the 

 only mammal I ever saw which could exert suffi- 

 cient lateral pressure with its hands and feet to en- 

 able it to climb with ease aperfectlysmooth,right- 

 angled corner of wood to a height of six feet. 



This particular animal was so fond of its 

 owner that it loudly and vociferously refused to 

 sleep elsewhere than in his bunk, cuddled against 

 his feet. With its piercing cries it controlled the 

 situation as effectually as any spoiled child. 



The Saki Monkeys, of tropical South Amer- 

 ica east of the Andes, are of medium size, mostly 

 black and shaggy-haired, and sometimes pos- 

 sessed of a long, black chin beard. They are 

 always marked by their big, heavily-haired 

 tails, which are long, but not prehensile. They 

 are often mistaken for howling monkeys. They 

 are difficult to keep alive, seldom live to reach 

 the United States, and for this reason are likely 

 to remain but little known. The most remark- 

 able species is the Black Saki, 1 two specimens 

 of which were placed on exhibition in the New 

 York Zoological Park in 1903. 



The Uakari, or Yarkee, Monkeys, of which 

 there are three species, all found in Brazil, have 

 the shortest tails to be found amongst American 

 monkeys. The Bald Yarkee 2 of the Upper 

 Amazon is an excellent imitation of the Japanese 

 red-faced monkey, having not only the same 

 stubby tail, and long, shaggy hair, but also a 

 red face ! Unfortunately this species is one of 

 the rarest in all America. 



The Howlers are rarely seen in captivity, 

 because it seems almost an impossibility for 

 man to find food which they will eat, and which 

 agrees with them. 



Between the two sides of the lower jaw, the 

 Howler possesses a large sound-box of cartilage 

 — a development of the hyoid bone — which gives 

 to the creature's voice a deep resonance, of a 

 very unusual character. These monkeys de- 

 light to indulge in vocal concerts, and the deep 

 roar of their unearthly voices can be distinguished 

 at a distance of a mile or more. 



In all there are six species of Howling Mon- 

 keys. Occasionally young specimens of the 

 Golden Howler are brought from Venezuela 



1 Pi-lhe'cia sa-tan'as. 2 U-a-ka'ri-a cal'va. 



and Guiana to New York, but in confinement 

 their digestive organs are easily disturbed, and 

 they seldom, if ever, live to reach maturity. 



THE FAMILY OF MARMOSETS. 



Callithricidae. 

 Lowest in the scale of all the American mon- 

 keys, and in fact next to the lemurs, we find a 

 collection of small and odd-looking creatures, 

 some of which are so strangely formed that it 

 often is necessary to state that they belong to the 

 Order of Apes and Monkeys. This is the Family 

 of Marmosets, the members of which are dis- 

 tributed variously from southern Mexico to 

 southern Brazil. They are frequently found in 

 the stores of animal dealers, and by ladies who 

 have abundant time for their care are often 



Photo, by Jenness Richardson. 



COMMON MARMOSET. 



prized as household pets. But they are very 

 delicate, and do not long endure the strain of 

 being on public exhibition. Their market price 

 varies from $3.50 to $8. 



Without exception these are all very small, 



