THE SAKIS. 



69 



gentle and good-natured, and purr like cats 

 when they feel themselves comfortable, which, 

 however, is scarcely ever the case in Eu- 

 rope. About seven different species are 

 known. 



The Saimiri or Squirrel-monkey [Chryso- 

 thrix sciurea or Pithcsciiiinis sciurnis), fig. 

 21, which is found 

 living in large herds 

 in Guiana, is distin- 

 guished from the 

 former by the pro- 

 minent, sharp, cur- 

 ved canines, the 

 large middle in- 

 cisors in the upper 

 jaw, and the pre- 

 molars and molars 

 of nearly the same 

 form. Elegant, slen- 

 der, active, graceful 

 in climbing, and 

 excellent at leap- 

 ing, the saimiri is at 

 the same time ex- 

 tremely shy and 

 timid, and \-ery 

 sensitive to cold. 

 It is fond of low 

 bushes, but on the 

 approach of danger 



Fig. 21. — llie baimiri ur ^quliifl-monke\- \L/irysof/inx sniirca). 



beasts of prey serves as a warning to other 

 animals. They Ii\-e chiefly on insects and 

 small birds, but also eat fruits and juicy 

 buds. The fur in young animals is of a dark 

 brownish-red; but in old males is often 

 orange-yellow on the back, rusty on the 

 limbs, while the muffle and tip of the tail 



are black. Yet 

 there are many 

 varieties in colour. 

 The nails are 

 arched and claw- 

 ike, the thumb only 

 slightly developed. 

 These extremely 

 amiable creatures, 

 which are often 

 kept as domestic 

 animals, and serve 

 to cleanse the huts 

 of the 1 ndians from 

 all kinds ot minute 

 vermin, though 

 they appear to pre- 

 er spiders, attain a 

 size of I 5 inches at 

 most. 



A peculiar type, 



. with which we close 



©ur series of true 



American mon- 



at once seeks refuge with great celerity j keys, is represented by the genus Nyctipi- 

 in the high trees; and it spends the night ' thecus, of which several species are known, 

 mostly amidst the crown of leaves at the top The dentition, and the structure of the tail, 

 of palms. It uses its long tail partly as a hands, and feet are like those of the saimiri, 

 rudder, but also for warming itself, wrapping ; but the body is more thickset. The ears 

 it for that purpose round its neck. When the are very small, the eyes very large and so 

 weather is rather cold for them, the members ; close to one another that only a narrow 

 of a company crouch together in a ball or in ' bridge of the nose remains between. The 

 several balls covering; each other with their legs are much longer than the arms. 

 tails; and the Indians generally take advan- Entirely nocturnal in their habits these 



tage of the opportunity which this practice | animals, whose range of distribution in South 

 affords to catch old animals for food and America is tolerably wide, sleep during the 

 young ones to tame. In a state ot freedom day in pairs, seldom in larger companies, in 

 they often shiver, cry, and whine for cold and holes in trees, which they line with moss 

 rain, and their cry of terror in presence of and feathers to keep them warm. But their 



