40 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



— paunchy or big-bellied. Their fur is short, but very thick and close 

 and of a woolly texture. Their range extends from Ecuador to Vene- 

 zuela, but there are only two species, of which Humboldt's Barrigudo, 

 or the Negro Monkey {Lagothrix humboldti), is the best known. This 

 is a large animal, much heavier than the Red-faced Spider-Monkey, and 

 clothed in iron-grey fur, with the head and extremities black. It is 

 not a very active animal, and lives on fruit, which it devours in great 

 quantities, as might be expected from its corpulent appearance. Its 

 portly carcase is in great request for food among the natives, by whom 

 it is greatly persecuted in consequence. It is also frequently kept as a 

 pet, in which condition it is found to be gentle and affectionate, while 

 its very quaint appearance — its face being absurdly like that of a negro 

 — is an additional recommendation. It has frequently been exhibited 

 in our Zoological Gardens. 



